I honestly do not like either of them because they limit your access to your blog. If you just spend some money on a host you can get 100% control over your blog.
I am currently owner of only one forum and I don't plan on expanding anytime soon. It can take up a lot of your time and time is valuable when being a webmaster.
Free: My favorite free forum software is phpBB because of the looks!
Paid: My favorite paid forum software is IPB because it has one of the best ACPs out there and they have good security!
I would most likely give my web host a 9/10 because of what they offer (prices, space, etc.). I did not give them a 10 because their support can be slow sometimes.