So what advantage does VB have?

[mortalez]

I just ask because I have a few forums one using phpbb and the other using SMF.
phpbb is not that great but its easy to find hosts for and there seems to be an endless supply of skins for it out there.
SMF I like because it has many features that I need, I am very happy with it so far.

I was thinking about using VB for a third board because I see so many other sites using it but was discouraged after going to the main site and seeking a laundry list of rules and the fact that a lifetime contract only lasts a year ? :surprised: ? And in fairness I feel opensource is a much more grand path than comercial, so can anyone tell me what VB has that SMF does not in the way of features?
I only want to know because the 2 guys that will help me mod my 3rd forum are more familier with VB, and I want to have an educated guess as to if the learning curve is worth the price.