vBulletin’s reputation has taken a beating over the years, and for those who remember its dominance in the early 2000s, the fall from grace is a stark one. Much of the negativity traces back to the release of vBulletin 5 (vB5), which landed with more of a thud than a bang. The release felt rushed, with bugs and broken features that left users wondering if they were using a beta rather than a finished product. Since then, patches have attempted to address issues, but the damage to its image was already done.

Beyond that rocky start, performance issues have plagued vB5, with users reporting painfully slow page load times, especially on high-traffic forums. This resource-hungry software requires a robust server to keep things running smoothly, which only added to users’ frustrations. Then there’s the elephant in the room: security. Over the years, vBulletin has had its share of security vulnerabilities, some of them severe. No forum software is invulnerable, but users were irked by what they saw as vBulletin's slow response to addressing these issues.

On top of all this, vBulletin’s pricing doesn’t help its case. The licensing fees are steeper than many competitors, but the features and reliability simply don’t justify the cost for most. When you compare it to alternatives like XenForo, MyBB, or Discourse, vBulletin starts to feel overpriced and underwhelming. Even the user interface has struggled to keep up with the times. While some improvements have been made, it still comes across as clunky compared to the sleek, user-friendly designs seen in newer platforms. Modern forum software has embraced minimalism, better UX, and mobile responsiveness—areas where vBulletin continues to lag.

The community itself has drifted away over the years, with many long-time users migrating to other platforms. With fewer developers, mods, and support available from the community, the ecosystem around vBulletin is shrinking. This dwindling user base leaves the software feeling even more stagnant. For many forum owners, vBulletin’s combination of high costs, bugginess, and an outdated approach is enough to push them toward more dynamic and affordable options.

With all this considered, can vBulletin 6 reverse fortunes?