For anyone who’s been on the internet for some time, the names Jcink and InvisionFree might ring a bell. These platforms once battled fiercely for supremacy in the free forum hosting world, but Jcink has since carved a distinct niche for itself. Today, Jcink is renowned for being a customized and secure derivative of IPB 1.3, thanks to John, who is the owner of Jcink. Standing out as a modern and reliable choice for those looking to build an online community.
History & Evolution
In the golden era of free forum hosting, InvisionFree was a dominant name. However, Jcink emerged as a significant competitor, offering a suite of features that appealed to many webmasters. While InvisionFree was eventually acquired by TapaTalk, Jcink remained independent and continued its journey of innovation.
Jcink’s Standout Features
1. Mobile Device Support: Jcink ensures your community remains active on the go. Every forum is mobile-friendly, optimized for a range of devices. No apps, no hassles, just seamless browsing.
2. User-Friendly: Beginners and experts alike find Jcink intuitive. Comprehensive documentation, 24/7 support forums, and a private ticketing system ensure all your queries are addressed promptly. I remember when I was 13 years old, starting on InvisionFree, very easy – same applies to Jcink.
3. Reliable Performance: Since 2006, Jcink boasts a 99% uptime. Powerful servers ensure quick page load times, letting you focus on community engagement while Jcink handles the technicalities.
4. Expert Assistance: The Jcink team is more than just support staff; they’re passionate community builders ready to assist and guide you.
5. Robust Platform: Built on a modified Invision Power Board (IPB) version, Jcink offers a feature-rich administration control panel to streamline community management.
Dive Deeper with Premium
For those with specific needs or wanting a more professional touch, Jcink’s premium offerings are hard to resist. Enjoy advertisement-free browsing, increased attachment space, priority support, and more. With monthly and yearly plans available, you can choose what suits you best and enhance your community experience.
Customizing Your Jcink Forum with jCodes
A forum is only as good as its design and user experience, and Jcink recognizes that. Thanks to jCodes, customizing your forum has never been easier. From skins to modifications, the possibilities are endless. Whether you’re looking to adjust the aesthetics or add functional modifications, jCodes provides all the resources to transform your forum, making it uniquely yours.
Building Communities with Jcink
Forums play a crucial role in facilitating interactions and creating relationships online. Jcink has understood this principle and provided a platform that’s not just about message boards but about building communities. With its user-friendly interface, robust support system, and customization possibilities, Jcink empowers webmasters to bring together like-minded individuals and foster meaningful interactions.
Stay Updated: Jcink has an active community of its own on their support forum. Dive in to discover tips, share experiences, or simply interact with fellow Jcink enthusiasts.
In Conclusion
Jcink has successfully weathered the challenges of the online world, evolving from a mere InvisionFree competitor to a preferred choice for many. Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned webmaster, Jcink offers a platform that combines simplicity with power, backed by an unwavering commitment to community building.
As always, if you are in need of a community platform to seek advice: Admin Junkies – Admin, SEO & Webmaster Community
Al
October 4, 2023One significant of jcink over its competitors is the relatively short primary domain. I’ve stumbled upon a couple of jcink forums and not realised they’re ‘free’ hosted.
Having myforumname.jcink.com instead of myforumname.randomforumhosting.com is a significant boon to making your forum look more professional.
Nomad
October 7, 2023While I have not created jcink forum myself, I have used a lot of jcink forums and based on my experience I can say this this is a good platform to create hosted forums. However, I believe $10 per month seems to be a little pricey (if you are not paying annual fees). By the way, is it possible to migrate to other hosted forums or even popular options like Xenforo or MyBB
Cedric
October 7, 2023Yes, if you contact the technical support, you are able to export the database. 🙂
https://jcink.com/main/wiki/faq-database
Debashis
October 8, 2023I had been away from the world of forums for half a decade so I somehow missed this but anyway, it’s really amazing to know how Jcink grew from its rivalry with InvisionFree to ultimately become a reliable choice for online communities. It’s awesome that they provide some premium features as well even though their free features are good already. I have visited jCodes a couple of times and I must say that it has literally everything required to customize a Jcink forum.
Aaron
October 13, 2023I’ve tested their forum hosting a number of times. I haven’t used it for a live forum but for the testing side and also being on forums that use it it’s really cool.
Ravenfreak
October 15, 2023Jcink is the best free forum host in my opinion. It’s a great solution for those who want to eventually move to self hosting at a later date, because it’s one of the few free forum hosts that allows you to grab a database backup of your forum with no cost. There’s also plenty of helpful members on the support forums and Jcodes is amazing too. If you loved using IPB 1 back in the day, you’ll love Jcink as it uses a heavily modified version of the software that allows it to function in today’s internet world.
Maddie
October 15, 2023I’ve wondering how easy is it to use their admin control panel for their software. That’s something I don’t like when it comes to free forum software…….their acp not being easy to use. And I also love jCodes. They’ve taken some of the “themes” from when Zetaboards was around (before they were merged with Tapatalk) and they’ve made them for Jcink. I love those a lot of those themes.
Excommunicado
October 20, 2023I’ve seen a lot of forums running Jcink and while it’s a nice, free resource, I’m not a fan of it. Maybe I’m a little spoilt after having used a paid forum software like XenForo, but the Jcink user interface is too old-fashioned for my liking. It’s similar to phpBB in that aspect, which I am also not a fan of. Out of free forum softwares, despite being outdated, MyBB’s user interface is still superior to the rest – it almost has a paid feeling, which would be more evident if it was still updated.
Smokey
October 22, 2023The fact Jcink offers a ‘premium’ tier you can pay for monthly or yearly is a plus, with added benefits such as 18+ content being allowed and no ads and the removal of the “Free hosted” copyright is a nice touch. If money is tight for you and you want a robust free solution or otherwise cheaper solution, and you don’t want to be bothered with the ins and outs of dealing with server-side stuff, Jcink is a fantastic option.
Heatman
October 22, 2023I have only used one forum that was set up with Jcink software and I’m going to very honest with you, I never liked it. For the fact that I never liked their forum software made me never to look at their hosting services. I know it’s not a good way to judge them but that’s how my mind works. Maybe others are having a good time with it, I’m not bothered because I’m not interested in it.