The best XenForo alternative if you needed a website, not a forum
XenForo is excellent community software and it is only community software. There is no store, no newsletter platform and no real page CMS, and hosting it means $195 up front plus a server, or $60 a month on XenForo Cloud. Grigora is a website, CMS, newsletter and store from $12/mo.
Last updated August 2026
This is not a like-for-like comparison and the page will say so up front. XenForo is the best forum software in its category, and Grigora does not have a forum. Where the two genuinely overlap is the large number of sites running XenForo as the whole website because it was the thing that got installed first: the pages are add-ons, the blog is not really a blog, there is no store and no newsletter, and the bill is a licence plus a server or $60 a month of cloud. If that is your situation, Grigora is the better website and XenForo is still the better forum.
- A real website with pages, a CMS and a blog
- Moderated comments on posts without running a forum
- A newsletter and subscriber list in the same subscription
- A store included in the plan
- A managed platform with no server and no licence renewal
- •Run an actual discussion community with threads and members
- •Need moderation tooling, user reputation and member profiles
- •Depend on its add-on ecosystem or existing member data
XenForo alternatives at a glance
How Grigora and the other platforms compare if what you need is a website.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column
| Platform | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Sales commission | Export your site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grigora | Websites with a CMS, newsletter and store | Yes | From $12/mo | 0% (processing only) | |
| XenForo | Discussion communities | No | $195 licence or $60/mo cloud | Not applicable | |
| WordPress | Maximum plugin choice | Software is free | Hosting + plugins | 0% (processing only) | |
| Wix | Templates and app market | Yes (Wix ads) | From $17/mo | 0% (processing only) | |
| Squarespace | Design-led sites | No (trial) | From $19/mo | 2% on Basic, 0% on Core+ | Partial |
| Shopify | Serious online stores | No (trial) | From $29/mo | 0% w/ Shopify Payments | Partial |
List pricing as of August 2026. XenForo's self-hosted licence is a one-time $195 with one year of updates and support included; continued updates require a paid extension.
Why people move from XenForo to Grigora
The situations where forum software turned out to be the wrong foundation.
The forum became a comments section
Plenty of communities are now a handful of regulars replying to articles. That is a content site with comments, which does not need a forum platform underneath it.
Everything except threads is an add-on
Marketing pages, articles and anything resembling a CMS come from third-party add-ons, each of which has to survive the next XenForo upgrade.
There is nowhere to sell
No store, no products, no checkout. Monetising means bolting on an external platform or leaving the site to do it.
The costs stack up quietly
A $195 licence, a server, an annual extension for updates, add-on purchases, and $30 a month on Cloud just to remove the branding.
What XenForo does well
- The best forum software in its class, with excellent moderation tooling
- Self-hosted licence includes source-code access and lifetime use
- Cloud plans are fully managed and include the complete XenForo suite
- Clear data-ownership policy, including a full copy of your data if you leave
Where XenForo falls short
- No store, no email marketing platform and no real page CMS
- Self-hosting means a server, a database and ongoing security work
- Updates and support stop after year one unless the licence is extended
- Cloud starts at $60/mo, with $30/mo more to remove XenForo branding
Grigora vs XenForo at a glance
Compared on the job of running a website rather than a forum.
Forum software
All-in-one website platform
Grigora vs XenForo: feature by feature
A category-by-category breakdown, pricing, AI, design, e-commerce, email, SEO, performance, and support.
Pricing & value
Grigora winsXenForo has two routes and both are more expensive than they first look. The self-hosted licence is $195 once, which buys lifetime use and one year of updates and support, after which continued updates need a paid extension, and you still pay for a server. XenForo Cloud starts at $60 a month, with branding removal a further $30.
| Feature | Grigora | XenForo |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest managed plan | $12/mo | $60/mo (Cloud Starter) |
| Self-hosted route | Not applicable | $195 licence plus a server |
| Updates after year one | Included | Paid licence extension |
| Removing platform branding | Included | +$30/mo on Cloud |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
Takeaway: XenForo Cloud Starter costs five times Grigora Starter, for software that does a completely different job.
What each platform is actually for
Even matchThe most useful category on this page. XenForo builds communities: threads, members, moderation, reputation, media galleries and search. Grigora builds websites: pages, content, email and commerce. Neither replaces the other, and plenty of people are using one to do the other's job.
| Feature | Grigora | XenForo |
|---|---|---|
| Discussion forum | Best in class | |
| Member profiles and reputation | ||
| Moderation tooling | Comment moderation | Full community moderation |
| Marketing pages and site design | Add-ons and styles | |
| Blog, newsletter and store |
Takeaway: Pick based on whether the members are the product or the audience is.
Blog, CMS & pages
Grigora winsXenForo has no content management system in the sense a website needs. Static pages and article-style content come from add-ons, and structuring a marketing site around them is a workaround rather than a feature. Grigora ships the whole editorial model.
| Feature | Grigora | XenForo |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing pages | Block editor | Add-on pages |
| Blog with categories and authors | Add-on dependent | |
| Structured collections and directories | Built in | |
| Comments on articles | Built-in moderation | Forum threads |
| AI blog writing |
Takeaway: Running a business site on forum software means every page is an exception.
Newsletter & email
Grigora winsXenForo can email its members about threads and notifications. It is not an email marketing platform, and running campaigns means an external service integrated against your member list. Grigora includes the list, the campaigns and the automations.
| Feature | Grigora | XenForo |
|---|---|---|
| Email marketing included | 2,500 to 25,000 subscribers | |
| Campaign builder | Included | External platform |
| Automation and segmentation | Included | External platform |
| Member and subscriber notifications | Comment notifications | Strong |
| Professional inbox | From $5/mailbox | Separate provider |
Takeaway: XenForo notifies members. It does not market to an audience.
E-commerce & online store
Grigora winsXenForo has no store. Selling anything means an add-on, an external platform, or handling payments outside the site entirely. Grigora's store is part of the platform on every plan.
| Feature | Grigora | XenForo |
|---|---|---|
| Store included | ||
| Catalog, variants and stock | ||
| Digital and physical products | ||
| Paid memberships | Not offered | User upgrades |
| Platform commission | 0% | Not applicable |
Takeaway: XenForo can sell forum upgrades. It cannot sell products.
Hosting, maintenance & security
Grigora winsSelf-hosted XenForo means a server, a database, PHP versions, backups and security, all yours. XenForo Cloud removes that for $60 a month and upward. Grigora is managed at every price point.
| Feature | Grigora | XenForo |
|---|---|---|
| Server to run and secure | Yes, if self-hosted | |
| Software updates | Handled for you | Yours, and licensed annually |
| Backups | Automatic | Yours or Cloud |
| Managed option | Always | From $60/mo |
| Add-on compatibility risk | None | Real on upgrades |
Takeaway: The licence is the cheap part of self-hosting. The server and the upkeep are not.
SEO & site speed
Grigora winsXenForo's forum pages are well built and index reasonably, and forum content is a weak foundation for a business site's search presence: thin threads, duplicate patterns and little control over the landing pages that actually convert.
| Feature | Grigora | XenForo |
|---|---|---|
| Meta, schema and sitemap controls | Forum defaults | |
| Landing pages built for search | Add-on dependent | |
| Free SEO tools suite | 210 tools | |
| IndexNow submission | Add-on | |
| Fast hosted delivery | Depends on your server |
Takeaway: Threads rank as threads. They do not do the job of a service page.
Ease of use & setup
Grigora winsGetting a XenForo forum running self-hosted is a server task: requirements, database, files, licence, then styles and add-ons. Cloud removes most of that at $60 a month. Grigora starts with a sentence about your business.
| Feature | Grigora | XenForo |
|---|---|---|
| Time to a first live draft | Minutes | Hours to days self-hosted |
| AI site generation | ||
| Templates included | 131 | Styles marketplace |
| Editing pages visually | Template editing | |
| Mobile editing | Limited |
Takeaway: Different jobs, and only one of them starts with choosing a server.
Ownership, export & support
XenForo winsXenForo is genuinely good on ownership. The self-hosted licence includes source-code access, the data is yours, and XenForo Cloud explicitly offers a full copy of your content and data if you cancel. Grigora exports your content but not the platform.
| Feature | Grigora | XenForo |
|---|---|---|
| Export content | ||
| Source-code access | Self-hosted licence | |
| Full data copy on cancellation | Content export | Offered on Cloud |
| Support | Email, priority on higher plans | Lifetime on Cloud, year one on licence |
Takeaway: XenForo treats your data well. That is worth saying about a paid platform.
Grigora vs XenForo pricing
XenForo sells a licence or a cloud plan. Grigora sells one subscription with the website, newsletter and store in it.
Website, newsletter & store in one plan
Annual rates shown. Hosting, CDN, SSL, backups, the CMS, the newsletter and the store are included on every plan, with 0% platform commission on any gateway.
Licence or managed community hosting
XenForo pricing as listed August 2026, shown exclusive of VAT. Removing XenForo branding on Cloud is an extra $30/mo. Self-hosted add-ons such as Media Gallery and Resource Manager are purchased separately; Cloud plans include the full suite.
Grigora Starter at $12/mo is a whole website with a store and a newsletter. XenForo Cloud Starter at $60/mo is a forum, and a very good one.
The real cost: Grigora vs XenForo
The licence price is not the running cost, and neither platform covers what the other does.
| What you pay for | XenForo | Grigora |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | $195 licence or $60 to $250/mo cloud | $12 to $45/mo (all-in) |
| Server and hosting | Yours, if self-hosted | Included |
| Updates after year one | Paid licence extension | Included |
| Removing platform branding | +$30/mo on Cloud | Included |
| Marketing pages and blog | Add-ons | Included |
| Email marketing | External platform | Included (2,500 to 25,000 subs) |
| Online store | Not available | Included |
Grigora vs XenForo, side by side
XenForo builds communities. Grigora builds the website around one.
Is Grigora the right XenForo alternative for you?
Where Grigora is the right move, and where it is not.
Best XenForo alternative for a business website
If the forum is the only thing you have and the business needs service pages, a blog and a store, you need a website platform.
… for communities that outgrew the forum model
Many discussion sites are now content sites with a comments section. Grigora gives you the content site and moderated comments.
… for anyone facing a licence renewal
Updates stop after year one unless you extend. That is a reasonable moment to ask what the site is actually for.
Not a fit: an active discussion community
Grigora has no forum, no threads and no member profiles. If those are the product, stay on XenForo.
Which one is right for you?
Choose Grigora if…
- Your site needs pages, a blog and a store more than it needs threads
- You want moderated comments without running a community
- You would rather not maintain a server or a licence
- You want a newsletter and a store in the same plan
- You are an agency that wants to resell under your own brand
Choose XenForo if…
- •You run a real discussion community with active members
- •Moderation, reputation and member profiles are core to the site
- •You have existing member data and add-ons you depend on
How to move from XenForo to Grigora
Be clear about what you are moving. Threads and member accounts do not transfer to Grigora, because Grigora has no forum. Articles, pages and a mailing list do.
- 1
Decide what the site is for
If the discussion is the product, keep XenForo. If the discussion is a comments section on content, a website platform is the better foundation.
- 2
Start your Grigora site
Describe the site in a sentence and the AI generates a first-draft site with pages, layout and copy.
- 3
Move the content, not the threads
Bring your articles, guides and pages into Grigora's CMS, where they gain categories, authors and moderated comments.
- 4
Bring the audience
Export the member email addresses you are entitled to mail and import them into Grigora's built-in newsletter.
- 5
Point your domain and redirect
Connect your domain and redirect the URLs worth keeping so existing rankings carry over, then retire the licence or Cloud plan.
Why people look for a XenForo alternative in 2026
XenForo is very good at what it does, and what it does is forums. This page exists because a large number of sites are running on forum software while trying to be something else: a business site, a publication, a membership brand with something to sell. That mismatch does not show up on day one. It shows up the first time you need a proper landing page.
Everything that is not a thread is an add-on
Static pages, article-style content and anything resembling a content management system arrive as third-party add-ons. Each one has to be chosen, installed, styled and then survive the next XenForo upgrade, and none of them turns forum software into a website builder.
There is nothing to sell with
No store, no catalogue, no checkout. XenForo can sell user upgrades, which is a membership mechanic rather than commerce. Anything else means sending people to another platform and losing the thread.
The costs are quieter than they look
The self-hosted licence is $195 once, and that buys one year of updates and support before a paid extension is needed, on top of a server you run and secure yourself. XenForo Cloud removes the server for $60 a month, plus $30 a month if you would rather the footer did not say XenForo.
How Grigora compares
Grigora is a website platform, and the comparison only makes sense in that direction. It will not run your community. It will run the site around it: pages, a CMS with categories and authors, structured directories, moderated comments, a newsletter and a store, all managed, from $12 a month.
Comments without a community platform
The most common reason a small site ends up on forum software is that it wanted discussion under its articles. Grigora includes moderated comments with admin replies as a core feature, which covers that need without a member system, a moderation queue and a server.
Where XenForo still wins, completely
If people come to your site to talk to each other, XenForo is the right software and nothing on this page suggests otherwise. Threads, member profiles, reputation, moderation queues and its add-on ecosystem have no equivalent in Grigora. The honest recommendation for an active community is to keep XenForo, and to build the marketing site somewhere that is built for marketing sites.
Frequently asked questions
Only for the website half. Grigora is a website, CMS, newsletter and store platform from $12/mo, and it has no forum, threads or member profiles. If you run an active discussion community, XenForo remains the right software. If your XenForo install is really doing the job of a business website, Grigora is the better foundation for that.
As listed in August 2026, the self-hosted licence is $195 once, which grants lifetime use plus one year of updates and support, with a paid extension needed after that, and you supply the server. XenForo Cloud is $60/mo for Starter, $100/mo for Standard and $250/mo for Business, cheaper if paid yearly, with $30/mo extra to remove XenForo branding. Prices exclude VAT.
No. XenForo is forum software. Static pages and article-style content come from third-party add-ons, there is no e-commerce, and its email is member notifications rather than an email marketing platform. Grigora includes all three.
No. Grigora has moderated comments with admin replies on posts and pages, which covers discussion under content, but there are no threads, member profiles or community moderation queues. That is the main thing you give up.
Yes, and for an active community that is usually the right answer. Keep XenForo on a subdomain for the forum, and run the marketing site, blog, newsletter and store on Grigora, linking between the two.
Articles, pages and guides can be moved into Grigora's CMS, and member email addresses you are entitled to mail can be imported into the built-in newsletter. Threads and member accounts do not transfer, because Grigora has no forum.
Compare Grigora with other platforms
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