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
RELEASE CANDIDATE
Framework-free PHP
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MySQL or MariaDB
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Hardened & security-audited
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Self-hosted
← Arrivao
Flagship · Release candidate
The forum you own, end to end.
Forum V1 gives you the depth of classic forums, the polish of modern community apps, and the ownership a hosted platform can never offer. A hardened, framework-free PHP application you install on your own server — and keep.
QuestionSolved
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
PHP 8.2Custom router + MVC core, no framework
MySQL / MariaDBPlain shared hosting, phpMyAdmin friendly
ACP + MCPAdmin and moderation control, built in
Self-hostedYour server, your data, no lock-in
What's inside
A complete community, not a starter kit.
Forum V1 ships the full forum: discussion, moderation, member identity, and operator control — knowledge-first by design, never a chat app in disguise.
Discussion
Forums, topics & answers
Categories and forums in a clear hierarchy. Markdown topics with preview, polls, reactions, and a proper question-and-solution flow.
Membership
Profiles & reputation
Avatars, presence and last-seen, reputation and contribution signals, bookmarks, follows, unread state, and catch-up.
Messaging
Private & group conversations
Direct messages and group PMs built in, with an admin inspection policy for trust and safety.
Operator control
ACP & MCP
A full Admin Control Panel and a separate Moderation Control Panel. Roles, capability-based permissions, and owner control throughout.
Make it yours
Themes & plugins
The Arrivao Atlas theme system with packaged themes, CSS and template overrides, plus a local trusted plugin manager with ZIP upload.
Find it again
Search & discovery
Search and suggestions as a V1 requirement, with discovery widgets and a discovery page — tuned for knowledge, not doomscrolling.
Security as a brand pillar
Hardened, not hopeful.
The security work is the standout of the codebase audit, not a footnote. Forum V1 was built with authorization, upload safety, and request isolation treated as first-class concerns across nine phases.
Per-request permission isolation
A fresh REQUEST_ID rotates the permission-cache namespace on every request, preventing cross-request authorization leakage — with a regression test guarding it.
Theme upload hardening
The theme ZIP validator rejects any .php file or templates/ directory in uploads, verifies preview images as genuine PNG/JPEG, and sanitises free-text CSS.
Plugin manifest validation
Plugin IDs are validated against stream-wrapper injection, so a malicious manifest can't smuggle a path where it shouldn't go.
Capability-based permissions
Access is granted by capability, not by hardcoded role checks scattered through the code — auditable, and safe to extend.
Editions
Free to start. Yours either way.
Open-core, not a locked licence. A real free self-hosted edition seeds the ecosystem; paid tiers add themes, modules, and support.
Free Self-Hosted
Free
Core forums, ACP/MCP, private messages, basic themes, and plugin support. Real, but focused.
Best value
Indie / Creator
$49 USD
More themes, friendlier setup, optional discovery and gamification presets, hardened plugin management.
Community Pro
$129 USD
The full module set: premium themes, advanced diagnostics, support desk, and update priority.
Coming soon
Managed
From $19 USD / mo
We host it: updates, backups, monitoring, SSL and domain help, mail and cron handled for you.
Installation
Live in a few minutes.
Forum V1 is a standalone PHP application — it runs on its own, not as a WordPress plugin. Put it on a subdomain or subfolder beside your existing site.
1
Upload the filesDrop the Forum V1 folder onto your host via FTP or the file manager — for example a
community subdomain.2
Create a databaseMake an empty MySQL or MariaDB database and user in your hosting panel (cPanel, Plesk, or IONOS). Note the name, user, and password.
3
Run the installerVisit the install URL in your browser. Enter the database details and your admin account — the installer builds the schema for you.
4
Pick a theme and goChoose an Atlas theme, set your forums up in the ACP, and you're open. Diagnostics confirm everything's healthy.
# 1 · place the app on your host community.yourdomain.com → /forum-v1 # 2 · empty database, ready to fill db: forum_v1 user: forum_user # 3 · open the installer https://community.yourdomain.com/install # ✓ schema built · admin created · live
Already on WordPress?
Forum V1 lives alongside WordPress, not inside it. Run it on a subdomain like community.yourdomain.com (or a subfolder) and link to it from your menu. Your WordPress site and your forum stay cleanly separated, each on its own stack.
Own your community from day one.
Forum V1 is in release-candidate shape now. Get the launch note and first founding access, or read how the whole studio is being built in the open.