Jelsoft
Jelsoft, operating as vBulletin, develops and sells community forum software — vBulletin 6 (self-hosted) and vBulletin Cloud (subscription) — to organizations and individuals building online communities, with over 100,000 sites deployed globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersPangbourne, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Jelsoft does
Jelsoft, operating commercially as vBulletin, is a privately held software company founded in 2000 that develops and sells community forum software. The company's core product is the vBulletin platform, offered in two deployment modes: a self-hosted perpetual license (vBulletin 6 at US$179) and a fully managed cloud subscription (vBulletin Cloud, from US$18.75/month). The technology is built on PHP and MySQL/MariaDB and ships with a Site Builder front-end tool, built-in SEO-friendly URL structure, responsive mobile design, a vB Messenger chat application, and an AI-based user engagement layer leveraging machine learning and natural language processing (currently live on vBulletin Cloud). Over 100,000 sites have been built on the platform across use cases including gaming communities, brand communities, membership sites, and social networking sites; EA (Electronic Arts) is a named enterprise customer.
The revenue model blends one-time license fees with recurring subscriptions and professional services. Beyond the core platform, Jelsoft sells Maintenance Service ($79/year), Premium Phone and Ticket Support ($329/year or $49/month), Professional Installation/Upgrade (from $149), Branding-Free licensing ($289), and an enterprise LDAP Integration add-on ($199). The cloud offering is hosted in data centers certified to HIPAA, ISO 27001, NIST 800-53/FISMA, PCI DSS, SOC 1, and SOC 2 Type II. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the vbulletin.com storefront with self-serve checkout, a toll-free phone sales line for enterprise inquiries, multi-language sites (English, German, French, Spanish), and multi-currency pricing (USD, EUR, GBP). Legal entity is MH Sub I, LLC (US), with operations rooted in Pangbourne, UK; Internet Brands appears linked via privacy/terms infrastructure. Leadership comprises CEO Thomas Scales and founder James Limm.
Jelsoft firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Jelsoft
- Legal name
- MH Sub I, LLC
- Website
- https://vbulletin.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Jelsoft, operating as vBulletin, develops and sells community forum software — vBulletin 6 (self-hosted) and vBulletin Cloud (subscription) — to organizations and individuals building online communities, with over 100,000 sites deployed globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Jelsoft industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Forum Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gaming Community, Chat & LFG Platforms (BPAMAKAK)
Keywords
Where Jelsoft is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pangbourne
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Jelsoft business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- vBulletin 6 Self-Hosted License: One-time perpetual license purchase for self-hosted installation. Includes 1 year of free maintenance service. License required for each individual installation.
- vBulletin Cloud Subscription: Monthly or annual subscription for fully managed cloud hosting. Includes license, hosting, site maintenance, and automatic upgrades. Starting at $18.75/month.
- Maintenance Service: Annual subscription for continued access to software updates. $79/year for self-hosted license.
- Professional Installation/Upgrade Service: One-time remote installation or upgrade service by technical support team. Starting at $149.
- Premium Phone and Ticket Support: Additional phone and ticket support purchased in monthly or annual increments. $329/year or $49/month.
- Branding-Free License: One-time purchase to remove vBulletin attribution and branding from visible pages. $289 for self-hosted, available for cloud as add-on.
- LDAP Integration Add-on: One-time purchase for enterprise LDAP authentication integration. $199.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | vBulletin 6 self-hosted perpetual license |
| Subscription | Monthly | vBulletin Cloud subscription plans |
| Subscription | Annual | Maintenance Service Add-on |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Branding-Free License |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium Customer Support |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Professional Installation/Upgrade Service |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | LDAP Integration Add-on |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Jelsoft product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Jelsoft develops and sells vBulletin, a PHP/MySQL-based community forum platform available in two deployment models: a self-hosted perpetual license (vBulletin 6) and a fully managed cloud subscription (vBulletin Cloud). The product enables organizations and individuals to launch discussion forums, social networking sites, and membership communities with built-in features such as a Site Builder tool, AI-based user engagement via machine learning and NLP, the vB Messenger chat app, SEO-friendly URLs, responsive mobile design, and enterprise-grade security compliance.
Product overview
Jelsoft offers vBulletin as a unified community software platform with two deployment options: self-hosted vBulletin 6 (license from US$179) and cloud-hosted vBulletin Cloud (from US$18.75/month). The core platform includes Site Builder, AI-based user engagement via machine learning and NLP, built-in SEO and security, responsive mobile design, and vB Messenger chat. The product portfolio extends through optional add-ons including Maintenance Service (USD79/year), Branding Free removal (USD289), Premium Customer Support (USD329/year), Professional Installation/Upgrade (starting USD149), and LDAP Integration (USD199) for enterprise single sign-on.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- vBulletin 6 Self-hosted PHP/MySQL community software enabling users to build forums and social sites on their own infrastructure. Includes Site Builder, AI-based engagement features, machine learning, NLP, built-in SEO and security, responsive design, and vB Messenger chat application. Priced at US$179 as a one-time perpetual license including one year of maintenance.
- vBulletin Cloud Cloud-hosted community platform where vBulletin handles hosting, site maintenance, and automatic upgrades. Includes all key vBulletin functionality with non-technical administration. Pricing starts at US$18.75/month.
- Maintenance Service Annual subscription enabling download and installation of the latest vBulletin 6 software updates. Cost: US$79/year. If expired, customers can still download updates previously released up to the expiration date.
- Branding-Free License One-time purchase that removes vBulletin attribution and branding from the global footer and visible templates. Priced at US$289. Available for both self-hosted and cloud licenses.
- Premium Customer Support Additional phone and ticket support packages purchased in one-month or one-year increments for licensed customers seeking higher-touch service beyond standard support. Priced at US$329/year or US$49/month.
- Professional Installation/Upgrade Remote installation of vBulletin 6 or upgrade from a previous version performed by the vBulletin technical support team. One-time cost starting at US$149.
- LDAP Integration Enterprise integration allowing users to access vBulletin using their LDAP server login credentials, with automatic vBulletin user account creation and centralized user management. One-time cost US$199.
Quantifiable outcome
- Launch community site in as little as 15 minutes
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Jelsoft
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Jelsoft technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability3 records
Feature7 records
Jelsoft partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Jelsoft competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NodeBB: Node.js-based modern forum software offered as self-hosted or cloud. Competes with vBulletin in the same community-platform category with a more current stack and built-in real-time features.
- Discourse: Modern open-source forum/discussion platform built on Ruby on Rails. Direct competitor to vBulletin targeting the same community-software use case but with a contemporary tech stack and strong open-source developer mindshare.
- Flarum: Modern lightweight open-source forum software built with PHP. Targets the same community/forum use case as vBulletin with a more contemporary UX and extension ecosystem.
- phpBB: Free, open-source PHP/MySQL bulletin board package. Directly comparable technology and target audience to vBulletin's self-hosted license and pressures the bottom of the market with no license fee.
- Vanilla Forums (Hivebrite): Community platform now part of Hivebrite, offering forums alongside member directories and engagement tools. Competes with vBulletin in the branded/enterprise online community segment.
- Invision Community: Premium community platform offering forums, member directories, and commerce. Competes head-to-head with vBulletin in the self-hosted premium forum category with similar feature breadth and pricing model.
- XenForo: Commercial forum software founded by former vBulletin lead developers. Closest direct competitor with overlapping PHP/MySQL architecture, similar self-hosted license + add-on monetization, and an active community marketplace.
- MyBB: Free open-source forum software written in PHP/MySQL. Directly comparable to vBulletin's self-hosted offering and frequently chosen by budget-conscious community operators.
Broad incumbents
- Discord: Massive real-time chat and community platform. Not a software competitor but absorbs end-user behavior away from threaded forum products like vBulletin, making it the most consequential indirect threat to category demand.
Emerging players
- Circle: Modern SaaS community platform with discussion, courses, and events. Targets creators and brands seeking community functionality, directly overlapping vBulletin's branded community use case with a newer product experience.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Jelsoft social profiles
Digital presenceJelsoft compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Jelsoft financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Jelsoft leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Jelsoft funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Jelsoft M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Jelsoft
What does Jelsoft do?
Jelsoft develops and sells vBulletin, a PHP/MySQL-based community forum platform available in two deployment models: a self-hosted perpetual license (vBulletin 6) and a fully managed cloud subscription (vBulletin Cloud). The product enables organizations and individuals to launch discussion forums, social networking sites, and membership communities with built-in features such as a Site Builder tool, AI-based user engagement via machine learning and NLP, the vB Messenger chat app, SEO-friendly URLs, responsive mobile design, and enterprise-grade security compliance.
Is Jelsoft a public or private company?
Jelsoft is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Jelsoft founded?
Jelsoft was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Jelsoft based?
Jelsoft is headquartered in Pangbourne, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Jelsoft make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. vBulletin 6 Self-Hosted License is the primary driver. The others are vBulletin Cloud Subscription, maintenance Service, professional Installation/Upgrade Service, premium Phone and Ticket Support, branding-Free License and LDAP Integration Add-on.
Who are Jelsoft's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NodeBB, Discourse, Flarum, phpBB, Vanilla Forums (Hivebrite), Invision Community, XenForo and MyBB. Discord is listed as a broad incumbent. Circle is listed as an emerging player.
Does Jelsoft have an API?
No public API is recorded for Jelsoft.
What industry is Jelsoft in?
Jelsoft's product category is Community Forum Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAKAK, Gaming Community, Chat & LFG Platforms. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.