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[Blaze]

Some people don't have the funds or time to self host, and there's a few different free forum host options out there for these individuals in this predicament. I started making forums on free forum hosts before moving to self hosting myself! I think it's a good way to get used to owning a forum, heck even if you wish to have your forum only be on a free forum host for the duration of it's life that's fine too! That's how I feel about it at least, I know some people think it's lazy and unprofessional but I don't view it like that.

[Rudolph]

I think Proboards is quite cool especially with the stickers you can purchase for your forum account with real cash.

[Ashley]

I've been on Create a Forum for over a month and I love it. I was on proboards briefly but I didn't care for the settings

[Jason]

At least one, Tapatalk (free version) has too many ads.

And as for free forum hosts, in general, they are good for some people, but I don't like the limits on freedom and paid self-hosting isn't expensive these days (not like food and rent, lol).

[JennyorAlice]

I've seen some good forums hosted on a free forum host. If you have a good admin/owner who is really dedicated, then the forum can do good.

[Jason]

Some forumers just like forum posting. They aren't into web development. They just want to have fun.

[Maya]

Free forum hosts are useful for testing, learning, or small hobby communities because they cost nothing and are easy to set up. However, they often have limits on storage, performance, security, and customization. For serious growth or long-term stability, self hosting is usually necessary. I would use open source with self hosting instead of free hosting if I don’t have money to run a forum.