These apps have some pros and cons.  On the positive side, they make many old forums easier to consume on mobile and they let people aggregate several of their favorite forums into one place – like a bookmarking service.

On the negative side, these apps dumb down all forums to one common user experience. Many of your forum’s unique features won’t be supported by these 3rd party apps which means you have less opportunity to offer your members a tailored experience. There are also considerations to be made for how these apps monetize, with or without your consent.

Does Your Forum Really Need a Mobile App? Yes if it’s an old software that doesn’t render well on mobile. Probably not, if you are using modern forum software that has a separate mobile theme or a responsive design that works well on smaller screens.

Vanilla Forums offers a cloud based solution that works simply right in your mobile browser. No app to download, no microscopic fonts, no need to pinch to zoom. Try Vanilla Forums Cloud Solution free for 30-days.