There are many different forum software solutions on the market ranging from free to a monthly cost based on volume, and ones that you can install on your own server, or have hosted for you.

When evaluating your forum software, the most important thing to consider is ENGAGEMENT. Choose a platform that allows you to engage with your community in a way that makes sense to them, and has the tools required to make your users come back every day.

Other things to consider:

• Email Integration
  
• Easily create new topics
  
• Easily create different types of topics (polls, videos, pictures, etc).
  
• Prevent "spamming" and "trolling"
  
• Content moderation
  
• Permissions management
  
• "Gamification" and user incentives
  
• Profile management