Fast, One-ClickSMF Hosting
Free open-source forum software (Simple Machines Forum). Install SMF in one click with the Softaculous installer on cPanel NVMe hosting: LiteSpeed, free SSL, daily backups and 24×7 support. From ₹129.00/mo billed triennially.
cPanel NVMe Hosting Plans for SMF
Pick a server region and a plan, then install SMF from Softaculous in one click. Prices are live from our billing system.
Starter
First site, blogs, portfolios
₹4,644.00 billed today for 3 years
Renews at ₹4,644.00 every 3 years
- 10 GB NVMe Storage (RAID1)
- 1 Website
- 1 GB RAM · 1 core
- Unlimited bandwidth, email & MySQL
- Free Let's Encrypt SSL & free migration
- LiteSpeed Enterprise + LSCache
- Imunify360 · KernelCare · CageFS
- Daily JetBackup backups
- cPanel · Softaculous (400+ apps)
- 24×7 support · 99.99% uptime
Smart
Small business, a few projects
₹9,360.00 billed today for 3 years
Renews at ₹9,360.00 every 3 years
- 30 GB NVMe Storage (RAID1)
- 5 Websites
- 2 GB RAM · 2 cores
- Unlimited bandwidth, email & MySQL
- Free Let's Encrypt SSL & free migration
- LiteSpeed Enterprise + LSCache
- Imunify360 · KernelCare · CageFS
- Daily JetBackup backups
- cPanel · Softaculous (400+ apps)
- 24×7 support · 99.99% uptime
Business
Agencies and growing stores
₹18,756.00 billed today for 3 years
Renews at ₹18,756.00 every 3 years
- 75 GB NVMe Storage (RAID1)
- 25 Websites
- 3 GB RAM · 3 cores
- Unlimited bandwidth, email & MySQL
- Free Let's Encrypt SSL & free migration
- LiteSpeed Enterprise + LSCache
- Imunify360 · KernelCare · CageFS
- Daily JetBackup backups
- cPanel · Softaculous (400+ apps)
- 24×7 support · 99.99% uptime
Enterprise
High-traffic, large portfolios
₹32,868.00 billed today for 3 years
Renews at ₹32,868.00 every 3 years
- 150 GB NVMe Storage (RAID1)
- Unlimited Websites
- 6 GB RAM · 4 cores
- Unlimited bandwidth, email & MySQL
- Free Let's Encrypt SSL & free migration
- LiteSpeed Enterprise + LSCache
- Imunify360 · KernelCare · CageFS
- Daily JetBackup backups
- cPanel · Softaculous (400+ apps)
- 24×7 support · 99.99% uptime
Every plan runs on enterprise NVMe storage in RAID1 with per-account CloudLinux limits. Prices are pre-GST with no setup fee; the same plans and prices apply in India, France, Poland, Canada and Singapore. 30-day money-back guarantee.
What is SMF?
SMF, short for Simple Machines Forum, is free open-source community forum software written in PHP and released under the BSD 3-Clause licence. It is developed by the Simple Machines team on GitHub. It provides forums, permissions, a template system and a package manager for installing modifications, and works with MySQL or PostgreSQL.

Licence: BSD-3-Clause · Built with: PHP + MySQL · Official site: www.simplemachines.org
Common uses
- General community or hobby forum
- Support forum for a product or service
- Member discussion board with custom permissions
- Forum extended with modifications
SMF requirements
- PHP: PHP 7.1 or newer for the 2.1 series, per the SMF wiki
- Database: MySQL 5.6 or newer, or PostgreSQL 9.6 or newer; MariaDB 10.x reported to work
- PHP extensions fileinfo and mbstring
Runs on standard PHP and MySQL with only the fileinfo and mbstring extensions required, so no special server access is needed. Very active boards may need more resources over time.
Why host SMF with Hostripples
- One-click SMF install from Softaculous inside cPanel, with no manual upload or database setup
- All-NVMe storage and LiteSpeed Enterprise with LSCache for quick page loads
- Selectable PHP versions per site and CloudLinux account isolation with CageFS
- Free SSL, daily JetBackup backups and Imunify360 malware protection
- Free migration of an existing SMF site, and 24×7 support in English, Hindi and Marathi
SMF features
What SMF offers
Template system
A customisable template system gives control over forum layout.
Permissions and members
Advanced permissions and user management let admins fine-tune access.
Package manager
Installs and removes modifications automatically through a package manager.
Multi-language
Supports multiple languages for international communities.
Search
Provides forum-wide, category, topic and personal message search.
Read tracking
Tracks read and unread topics for members.
Install SMF in four steps
No manual upload or database setup: Softaculous does it from your cPanel.

Plan
Choose a cPanel NVMe plan and server region

cPanel
Log in to cPanel and open Softaculous Apps Installer

Install
Search for SMF, click Install and fill in the form

Launch
Open your new SMF site and start building
Compare with other apps
People who look at SMF often compare it with:
More Forums you can install in one click:
Which plan is right for me?
Pick the line that fits what you need. These are the same plans and live prices as the cards above.
First site, blogs, portfolios
Starter
10 GB NVMe Storage (RAID1) · 1 Website · 1 GB RAM · 1 core
Choose Starter₹129/mo
₹4,644.00 billed today for 3 years
Small business, a few projects
Smart
30 GB NVMe Storage (RAID1) · 5 Websites · 2 GB RAM · 2 cores
Choose Smart₹260/mo
₹9,360.00 billed today for 3 years
Agencies and growing stores
Business
75 GB NVMe Storage (RAID1) · 25 Websites · 3 GB RAM · 3 cores
Choose Business₹521/mo
₹18,756.00 billed today for 3 years
High-traffic, large portfolios
Enterprise
150 GB NVMe Storage (RAID1) · Unlimited Websites · 6 GB RAM · 4 cores
Choose Enterprise₹913/mo
₹32,868.00 billed today for 3 years
Prices for India. Other billing terms and server locations are on the plan cards.
SMF Hosting: Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know
Still have questions?
Our support team is live 24/7 in English, Hindi & Marathi.
Ready to launch SMF?
Pick a cPanel NVMe plan and install SMF in one click. Free SSL, free migration and 24×7 support included.