Switching from Circle to Forumly is mostly a matter of following the same three steps every OneTimeSuite app uses — buy once, deploy or install, bring your workflow over.
Step 1: Buy once on Whop
One payment of $39 gets you the packaged Windows installer, or clone the MIT source at github.com/bensblueprints/community-forum-mvp and run it yourself for free.
Step 2: Deploy or run desktop
docker compose up onto a $5 VPS to go public, or npm run desktop for an Electron window auto-logged-in as moderator.
Step 3: Set your admin password
Copy .env.example, set ADMIN_PASSWORD, and your forum is live with the spam defenses already on.
What to expect during the switch
Forumly covers the same core workflow as Circle, so most people are productive within the first session — see the full feature list and FAQ on the product page before you commit.
Why make the switch at all
Circle runs $89+/mo, forever. Forumly is $39, once. If what you actually need is the discussion board, Forumly pays for itself in 13 days of Circle.
Try Forumly — $39, once
Self-hosted forum with categories, threads, reactions, badges, @mentions, search and real moderator tools.