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Hostripples

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.

Starting at
₹129.00/mo
✓30-day money-back · Free migration · Softaculous one-click install · Flat renewals

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.

LocationServer location

Starter

First site, blogs, portfolios

₹129/mo

₹4,644.00 billed today for 3 years

Renews at ₹4,644.00 every 3 years

Choose Plan
  • 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

₹260/mo

₹9,360.00 billed today for 3 years

Renews at ₹9,360.00 every 3 years

Choose Plan
  • 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

Our pick
₹521/mo

₹18,756.00 billed today for 3 years

Renews at ₹18,756.00 every 3 years

Choose Plan
  • 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

₹913/mo

₹32,868.00 billed today for 3 years

Renews at ₹32,868.00 every 3 years

Choose Plan
  • 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
24×7 expert support

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.

How to install SMF on Hostripples: choose a plan, open Softaculous, SMF is live

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.

Fast & Effortless Onboarding

Install SMF in four steps

No manual upload or database setup: Softaculous does it from your cPanel.

Plan
Step 01

Plan

Choose a cPanel NVMe plan and server region

cPanel
Step 02

cPanel

Log in to cPanel and open Softaculous Apps Installer

Install
Step 03

Install

Search for SMF, click Install and fill in the form

Launch
Step 04

Launch

Open your new SMF site and start building

Get SMF Hosting
✓30-Day Money-Back Guarantee✓Instant Setup✓Free Migration Included

Compare with other apps

People who look at SMF often compare it with:

More Forums you can install in one click:

Browse all applications

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

    ₹129/mo

    ₹4,644.00 billed today for 3 years

    Choose Starter
  • Small business, a few projects

    Smart

    30 GB NVMe Storage (RAID1) · 5 Websites · 2 GB RAM · 2 cores

    ₹260/mo

    ₹9,360.00 billed today for 3 years

    Choose Smart
  • Agencies and growing stores

    Business

    75 GB NVMe Storage (RAID1) · 25 Websites · 3 GB RAM · 3 cores

    ₹521/mo

    ₹18,756.00 billed today for 3 years

    Choose Business
  • High-traffic, large portfolios

    Enterprise

    150 GB NVMe Storage (RAID1) · Unlimited Websites · 6 GB RAM · 4 cores

    ₹913/mo

    ₹32,868.00 billed today for 3 years

    Choose Enterprise

Prices for India. Other billing terms and server locations are on the plan cards.

Got Questions?

SMF Hosting: Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know

For the 2.1 series the SMF wiki lists PHP 7.1 or newer, MySQL 5.6 or newer or PostgreSQL 9.6 or newer, and the fileinfo and mbstring extensions. MariaDB 10.x is reported to work. Check the requirements for your release.
Yes. SMF needs only PHP with two common extensions and a MySQL database, which cPanel accounts provide. Larger boards use more resources as traffic grows, but standard hosting suits most communities.
Log in to cPanel, open the Softaculous one-click installer, find SMF, choose the domain and folder, set the admin details and start the install. It usually takes a few clicks and a minute or two, with no manual file upload or database setup.
Yes. SMF includes a package manager that installs and uninstalls modifications automatically, and its source code is openly documented, so admins and developers can add features, change themes and adjust the template layout.
Yes. SMF is open-source software released under the BSD-3-Clause licence, so there are no software fees — you only pay for your Hostripples hosting plan.
Yes. Every Hostripples cPanel NVMe plan includes the full Softaculous library, so on one account you can run SMF alongside other apps in its category (Forums), such as phpBB and MyBB, plus hundreds of other applications, subject to your plan's resources. You can add each app on its own domain or subdomain and upgrade to a larger plan at any time.
SMF is documented as a light application, so the Starter plan is a sensible start for one site; upgrade any time if traffic grows.
Yes. We migrate your site for free with all hosting plans.

Still have questions?

Our support team is live 24/7 in English, Hindi & Marathi.

Chat with an Expert

Ready to launch SMF?

Pick a cPanel NVMe plan and install SMF in one click. Free SSL, free migration and 24×7 support included.

Get Started — ₹129.00/mo