5 Best Open Source Guestbook Applications written in PHP

1. MGB OpenSource Guestbook

MGB OpenSource Guestbook is an open source guestbook application written in PHP, using JavaScript and a MySQL Database. It is easy to use, flexible and customizable with templates to make it fit 100% to your homepage.

Features :

• Administration backend
• User Management (Administrators / Moderators)
• Different templates, styles for templates, iconsets
• Akismet support (activatable / deactivatable)
• Gravatar support
• Different language files available
• Moderated Guestbook (activatable / deactivatable)
• 2 captchas (securitycode / mathematic) (activatable / deactivatable)
• eMail Spam preventing (activatable / deactivatable)
• Word censorship (activatable / deactivatable)
• Smilies (if disabled, text smilies will be shown instead)
• BBCodes (activatable / deactivatable)
• Post time (min/max) to prevent spam

Home : MGB OpenSource Guestbook Home
Download : MGB OpenSource Guestbook Download

2. phpBook

phpBook is a free open source PHP/MySQL guestbook program. phpBook is loaded with several nice features. Some attractive features are Nice interface; Fast and stable code; IP logging and banning; Browser logging, etc.

• reCaptcha input checking
• Built around the Nooku core for security
• Gravatar user images
• Fast, stable Code
• Language Templates (english, german, dutch) others to follow e.g.( italian, portuguese, french, danish, swedish, japanese, chinese, arabian, yug, greek, slovenian, czech, islandic, …)
• Location Templates (world, europe, belgium, sweden, danish, dutch, …)
• Floodprotect
• IP-Logging and banning
• Email logging and banning
• Browser-Logging
• Smilies Database (over 90 included)
• Dirty Word Filter
• Long Word Filter
• Webmaster E-Mail Notify
• Web-Admin-Panel
• Moderator-Function (add, edit, delete comment)

Home : phpBook Home
Demo : phpBook Demo

3. Lazarus

Lazarus is a free guestbook script written in PHP that uses your MySQL database for storage and is based upon the excellent Advanced Guestbook script from Proxy2. Lots of additional features have been added in Advanced Guestbook and also added several layers of anti spam protection to make one of the most feature rich and spam resistant guestbook scripts available for free.

• Powerful AGCode for formatting entries or even displaying pictures and Flash
• Allow HTML in entries but control which tags can be used
• Send emails using SMTP instead of sendmail
• Create thumbnails for images that have a large file size
• Automatic resizing of images and Flash files displayed in entries
• Graphical smileys (emoticons)
• Previewing of entries
• Email notification of new entries and comments
• Thank you email sent to guests after posting new entry
• Use Captcha or Saptcha to prevent automated posting​
• Each guestbook generates a unique form
• Time delay before guests can post
• Time limit on how long a guest has to post
• Moderate entries before they appear in your guestbook

Home : Lazarus Guestbook Home
Download : Lazarus Guestbook Download
Demo : Lazarus Guestbook Demo

4. RicarGBooK

RicarGBooK is a guestbook system written in PHP and based on flat files. You can delete or modify any comment with an admin control panel. It’s easy, simple and completely free!

• Easy to install.
• No database required.
• Approval messages.
• Multiple languages available.
• Guestbook error log.
• Email notification.
• Spam protection with CAPTCHA.
• Spam filter.
• Admin control panel.
• Emoticons and BBCode.
• Flood protection.
• Bad words filter.
• Admin can edit or delete comments.
• Admin can ban IP address.

Home : RicarGBook Home
Download : RicarGBook Download
Demo : RicarGBook Demo

5. DigiOz Guestbook

The DigiOz Guestbook is a PHP driven guestbook system that stores all the entries in a simple text file. It is very simple to install and use, and the header and footer files included with the script allow you to customize the script to blend in with the rest of your website. The guestbook contains features such as entry flooding protection, administrative entry notification, bad word filter, emoticons, and much much more.

Features :

• Flat file data storage for ease of setup
• Header and Footer files allow you to customize it to fit your web site
• Image verification to prevent spam from automated bots from posting
• IP blocking for protection from spammers
• Administrative area for deleting entries and monitoring the IP of spammers
• Support of an unlimited number of languages using Language file generator
• Smiley face support for guestbook entries posted
• Styling support for bold, underline, italic font and centered text
• Search feature to search through guestbook entries
• Sorting capability for sorting entries by oldest or newest entry
• Ability to make the email, name or message fields optional
• Admin email notification for messages posted (optional)
• Flood protection to prevent users from posting spam posts over and over
• Referring URL Check to make sure spam bots do not auto submit messages
• Bad word filter which can be customized to filter out any bad word

Home : DigiOz Guestbook Home
Demo : DigiOz Guestbook Demo
Download : DigiOz Guestbook Download