Possible change in forum software

Right now I'm toying with the idea of switching the forum software from SMF to Xenforo, primarily for functionality, innovation, and speed reasons.

However, Xenforo is a commercial product that will cost approximately $100-200/year so I am not sure if this is feasible yet.

If I do decide to switch, it won't be for a long while. The product isn't released yet and once it is released, I'll need to wait until there's a way to convert our current information over to the new platform.

You can try out Xenforo at http://xenforo.com/community/ and provide feedback on whether or not you'd like to see Forum Vancouver running the software.

Current obstacles
Cost
Need a way to convert current forum information
Need to redesign the site... I've grown quite fond of the layout I put together on Simple Machine Forums (our current forum software) .

Benefits
A much more modern product in all aspects
Easily syncs with facebook (if you wish)

 

Xenforo recently released their prices which fortunately, happened to be lower than everyone predicted. I think I can find some money to pay for it.

Once the product is released, I'll probably set up a testing forum while I figure out how to migrate our data with as much preservation as possible.

 

License has been purchased. Work on the new design will commence after midterms . Stay tuned.

 

Sneak peek! Of course the final version will contain ads (will try to minimize them for registered users), site expenses need to be paid .