2 days ago
We're paying monthly for a forum we don't control and can't theme. Is self-hosting Forum V1 a big lift on shared hosting?
▲ 83 replies
SHIPPING
4 live, more landing soon
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Forum V1 in active build
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PHP 8.2 · self-hosted
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No lock-in
Independent software studio · Dan Young
Software you actually own.
Arrivao builds self-hosted tools for communities, websites, and specialist workflows — a forum, a store, and a set of focused WordPress plugins. No framework bloat, no monthly platform tax, no rented audience.
Question
Solved
Migrating off a hosted platform — worth it?
1 day ago · ✓ Solution
Not at all. Drop the files on any PHP 8.2 host with MySQL, run the installer, done. No Composer, nothing phoning home. Roles, themes, DMs and moderation are all built in — and the data is yours to export anytime.
▲ 21Marked solution
The flagship
Forum V1 is the centrepiece.
A modern forum for communities, clubs, schools, indie publishers, and founders who want a real home instead of renting attention from someone else's platform. Built deliberately small: a no-dependency PHP 8.2 application, no Laravel, no Symfony.
What you get
A complete community, self-hosted.
Threaded discussions with questions and solutions, roles and permissions, member profiles, private messages, reactions, polls, badges and reputation, a full moderation suite, themes you can edit, and a plugin architecture for the rest.
Roles & permissions
Solved questions
Private messages
Reactions & polls
Badges & reputation
Moderation suite
Themes & plugins
Built for ownership
No framework, no lock-in.
Runs on ordinary shared hosting with MySQL. Nothing to subscribe to, nothing phoning home. Install it and it's yours.
Taken seriously
Security as a habit.
Parameterised queries, CSRF rotation, rate limiting, trusted-proxy handling, and privilege separation across the admin and plugin layers.
The catalogue
A real toolkit, taking shape.
Beyond the forum, Arrivao is a focused set of WordPress plugins and a standalone store — each one small, self-hosted, and built to do a single job properly. Some are live now; the rest are landing soon.
Flagship · in buildv1
Forum V1
Self-hosted community platform. Discussions, roles, themes, plugins, DMs, moderation.
Standalone PHP appView →
Near shipv1
Store V1
Self-hosted store for digital products. Stripe Checkout, gated downloads, admin analytics — no framework.
Standalone PHP appView →
Shippedv1.2.0
Password
A single shared password in front of your site — staging, client previews, private launches.
WordPress pluginView →
Shippedv1.0.8
Tracker
A privacy-first country and territory visit tracker with an interactive map. Data stays in the browser.
WordPress pluginView →
Shippedv1.0.5
Forms
Multi-step and conversational forms with conditional logic, payments, and a built-in entry CRM.
WordPress pluginView →
Shippedv2.2.0
Visa
Multi-step visa requirement checker and lead-capture funnel driven by editable rules.
WordPress pluginView →
Coming soonv1.3.0
Access
Entitlement and delivery. Lock pages, protect files, grant access by token, email, or user.
WordPress plugin
Coming soonv1.0.0
Claims
Flight compensation checker and claim intake workflow with an admin rules matrix.
WordPress plugin
Follow the build.
Forum V1 is close, and the plugins keep getting sharper. Get release notes, the Forum V1 launch, and a first shot at founding access. No spam — just real milestones.
DY
Built by Dan Young.
Arrivao is a one-person studio — small enough to sweat the details, practical enough to ship tools people actually run. A handful are already out in the world, with more landing soon; Forum V1 is the one everything else orbits.
"Not another generic software brand. Calm, self-owned tools that people can actually run — and keep."
Each product is small on purpose: one job, done properly, hosted on your own terms.