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11 Best Disqus Alternatives You Should Try In 2023

When it comes to managing the comment section on your website, it’s crucial to have a robust tool at your disposal. Disqus has long been a go-to option for website owners, offering a feature-rich platform for engaging with readers and moderating discussions. However, the digital landscape is constantly evolving, and it’s prudent to explore alternatives to ensure your website’s comment section remains efficient and user-friendly.

 Why Consider Disqus Alternatives?

  1. Evolution of Disqus: Over time, Disqus has evolved from its initial goals. While it’s still a reputable platform, some users have noticed changes that have shifted its focus. These alterations have prompted discussions within the user community about whether Disqus can continue to provide the same level of service it once did.
  2. Privacy Concerns: Disqus collects a significant amount of user data, including their IP addresses, email addresses, and browsing habits. This data can be used for targeted advertising or tracking user behavior. Some users and website owners may be concerned about Disqus’s privacy implications.
  3. User Experience: Disqus can sometimes slow down the loading times of web pages due to its scripts and advertisements. This can negatively impact the user experience, especially on slower internet connections or mobile devices.
  4. Customization Limitations: While Disqus offers some customization options, it may not provide the level of control and branding that some website owners desire. Alternatives may offer more flexibility in terms of design and functionality.
  5. Cost: Disqus offers a free tier but has premium plans with additional features. Depending on the needs of a website, the cost of using Disqus or its premium features may become a consideration. Some alternatives offer comparable features at a lower cost.
  6. Platform Independence: Some website owners prefer full control over their comments system, and they may want a solution not tied to a specific third-party service. This can make it easier to migrate comments to a different platform if needed.
  7. Community Management: Managing comments and dealing with spam or inappropriate content can be challenging with Disqus. Some alternatives may provide better tools for community management and content moderation.
  8. SEO and Content Ownership: Disqus comments are often loaded via JavaScript, which can be less favorable for search engine optimization (SEO). Some alternatives offer more SEO-friendly solutions. Additionally, some users and website owners prefer full ownership of their comments and data rather than relying on a third-party service.
  9. Ad Revenue: Disqus may display ads in the comment section, and website owners may not have full control over the types of ads displayed. Some alternatives offer options for monetizing comments or allow for more control over ad content.
  10. Integration and Features: Depending on the specific needs of a website, alternatives to Disqus may offer different integrations, features, or APIs that better align with the website’s goals and functionality requirements.

Top 11 Disqus Alternatives in 2023:

1. Thrive Comments

thrive comments

With Disqus, all comments are confined to the Disqus platform, necessitating manual transfer to your WordPress dashboard. Conversely, Thrive Comments seamlessly integrates with WordPress, granting you complete autonomy to conduct various activities from your WordPress dashboard.

Thrive Comments empowers visitors to share their comments on social media platforms effortlessly. First-time commenters receive a special “welcome to the community” message, fostering loyalty among them. Furthermore, you can categorize comments into different sections, such as new comments, pending replies, and comments per post, offering a level of organization not available in Disqus.

Over time, you gain access to comprehensive reports on visitor activities and statistics related to active commenters. You can accumulate over 600 comments on a single post and implement comment moderation for streamlined comment management. Features like comment assignments for team responses and keyword linking for accurate results are also available. Additional functionalities include one-click delegation and automated resource linking.

Moreover, you can assign user badges to encourage interactions, incorporate upvoting and downvoting systems to gauge user reactions, showcase featured comments, and allow users to comment through their linked social media accounts.

Thrive Comments also provides auto-generated visitor data, offers various calls to action for first-time commenters, and features the option of lazy loading for improved performance. Pricing starts at $39 per month for a single site.

2. Hyvor Talk

hyvor talk

Hyvor Talk is a handy alternative to Disqus, offering a streamlined plugin that effortlessly manages your comment section with simple installation features. This versatile plugin seamlessly integrates with any Content Management System (CMS) and provides extensive customization options for your Hyvor portal. It distinguishes itself by its commitment to user experience and privacy. Unlike the free version of Disqus, you won’t encounter intrusive ads or tracking code with Hyvor Talk.

Compared to Disqus, which can weigh down your website’s loading speed, Hyvor Talk operates with lightning-fast efficiency, causing minimal impact on your site’s performance. This plugin also empowers you to tailor your comment box to your preferences. It enriches the comment section by allowing you to incorporate multiple colors and reaction options, fostering greater engagement. These customization features are not available in Disqus. Furthermore, Hyvor Talk offers a range of functionalities, including single sign-on capabilities, effortless importing of comments from your WordPress site, one-click comment export in JSON format, email notifications, pre-moderation controls, and support for multiple languages, emojis, voting, mentions, and image sharing.

For those seeking a cost-effective and efficient alternative to Disqus, Hyvor Talk is a compelling choice. It offers a free version to get you started and a paid version starting at just $5 per month, making it accessible to a wide range of users.

3. wpDiscuz

wp discuz

wpDiscuz emerges as a budget-friendly alternative to Disqus, boasting top-notch performance as an AJAX-powered, lightning-fast comment plugin equipped with an array of advanced features. It enhances your site’s functionality and provides various layout options to lend your website an elegant and professional appearance.

wpDiscuz sets itself apart with its standout feature: Inline commenting, allowing users to seamlessly insert their thoughts or questions within the text, a feature notably absent in most comment plugins, including Disqus.

Furthermore, wpDiscuz enables readers to rate both the blog posts and the comments they find appealing while delivering live notifications of replies and ratings directly to the viewer’s analysis. This plugin offers comprehensive statistics on comment activity through its user-friendly dashboard, allowing you to track and measure your website’s engagement levels.wpDiscuz provides a treasure trove of features, many of which are available free of charge. For those seeking even more capabilities, numerous paid add-ons can be seamlessly integrated into your website, ensuring that you have the flexibility to tailor your commenting system to your specific needs.

4. Commento

commento

Commento operates uniquely, as it doesn’t function as a direct plugin; instead, you must embed its code within your WordPress HTML to seamlessly integrate it. Commento is compatible with various platforms, including WordPress, Wix, Bloggers, and Ghost. Commento presents standard features such as comment pinning, upvoting, downvoting, spam detection, and nested replies. It simplifies importing data from Disqus, requiring just a few straightforward steps. Commento distinguishes itself through its lightweight nature, ensuring that its presence does not adversely affect your website’s speed and performance.

Commento offers its suite of services at a remarkably affordable rate of $10 per month. Additionally, for those seeking to explore its capabilities further, a 30-day trial is available that doesn’t even require credit card registration, providing a risk-free opportunity for evaluation.

5. ReplyBox

replybox

ReplyBox is a privacy-focused alternative to Disqus, prioritizing safeguarding user data. This lightweight comment system distinguishes itself by its stringent policies against ads, tracking, or affiliate links within the comment box, ensuring a clean and privacy-conscious environment. To harness the capabilities of ReplyBox, you’ll need to implement its HTML snippet within your WordPress code. This approach allows ReplyBox to efficiently block spam from comments while facilitating the creation of organized comment threads via a user-friendly reply box.

It offers a range of features that empower content creators, including manual approval of new comments for instant moderation and the ability to insert links, quotes, code blocks, lists, and emojis. It supports natural discussion through nested comments, email notifications, social logins, custom CSS customization, and webhooks for added functionality. Notably, ReplyBox is a cost-effective alternative to Disqus, with pricing starting at just $6 per month, making it accessible to a wide range of users seeking privacy and functionality in their comment system.

6. Postmatic

postmatic

Postmatic stands out as an excellent Disqus alternative, particularly tailored to the needs of bloggers. However, if your goal is to gather comments from a broader audience, it may not be the most optimal choice. The plugin also boasts effortless social media integration, supporting a range of platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Consequently, users who comment on posts have their profiles automatically linked after submitting a comment.

Additionally, the social sharing features are equally impressive: when users comment, their friends who are also using Postmatic receive email notifications.

Postmatic extends the courtesy of allowing commenters to receive new posts via email and conveniently track all comments through the discussions section. Importantly, the basic version of Postmatic is available for free, a noteworthy advantage. However, for users in search of enhanced features and capabilities, there is a premium version available for $20 per month.

7. Facebook Comments

facebook comments

Facebook Comments often serve as a viable alternative to Disqus, primarily due to their accessibility and cost-effectiveness. They are free and can be conveniently accessed from any computer or mobile device.

Through the use of Facebook Comments, you gain a wide array of formatting options to enhance the appearance of your posts on social media. This includes the flexibility to choose between “Graphic” and “Text Only” formats for each post published on your page.

One particularly noteworthy feature of Facebook Comments is the ability to respond to individuals who have commented on your posts. Unfortunately, some individuals troll, posting inappropriate comments for various reasons. With Facebook Comments, you can block users who post inappropriate content or even ban them from your page altogether. This ensures that they cannot leave any further comments on your posts.

Moreover, Facebook Comments introduce the concept of “reactions,” enabling users to express their sentiments by choosing from options Like, Love, Haha, Wow, and Angry. This provides valuable insights into the posts that resonate with your audience, allowing you to gauge reader engagement. Increased reactions can lead to broader sharing, ultimately increasing your visibility and establishing your online presence.

8. Muut

muut

For those contemplating a transition from Disqus, Muut proves to be an appealing choice. It operates as an all-encompassing social media commenting plugin, encompassing an array of features such as public and private messaging, the ability to follow and unfollow users, user profiles complete with avatars and bios.

A notable feature of Muut is its unique approach to comment moderation, leveraging hashtags (e.g., #spam) to effectively filter out inappropriate comments or objectionable content.

This plugin is available in various packages, each with distinct pricing plans, allowing you to select one that aligns with your budget.

Additional features of Muut include:

  • Threaded comments akin to forum discussions, facilitating meaningful conversations among commenters.
  • Robust comment moderation capabilities, enabling the approval or deletion of comments as necessary.
  • Seamless integration with Google Analytics, providing valuable insights into the sources of website traffic.
  • The option for comment upvoting and downvoting, leading to automatic sorting of comments based on user preferences.

9. Intense Debate

intense debate

Remarkably, despite being a free service, many professional websites and top-tier companies prefer to utilize Intense Debate over other alternatives. This choice underscores the platform’s impressive capabilities and the unique value it brings to the table.

Intense Debate goes beyond offering a platform for comments; it also excels in enhancing user engagement on your website. It provides a range of tools and functionalities that foster meaningful interactions among your readers, contributing to a more dynamic online community.

Therefore, it’s worth considering giving Intense Debate a try. Notably, it offers robust spam protection, ensuring a cleaner comment section, and an email notification feature that keeps readers informed about new comments. These features can significantly enhance the overall user experience on your website.

10. Isso

isso

There comes a point when you may find yourself searching for an open-source alternative to Disqus, especially if you are well-versed in Java. In this context, Isso emerges as a compelling choice. Not only does it offer an open-source solution for managing your website’s comment section, but it also boasts the distinction of being a self-hosted platform.
Isso’s lightweight nature is a significant advantage, ensuring that your website or blog doesn’t become burdened by the addition of this third-party tool. The fact that Isso is freely available makes it an attractive option for those seeking to explore Disqus alternatives. Isso’s utilization of Javascript opens up a world of possibilities. It means you can seamlessly implement this platform across various websites you own, offering a practical and versatile solution to your commenting needs.

11. Utterances

utterances

For those in search of a robust self-hosted alternative to Disqus, Utterances emerges as an excellent choice. Notably, this platform offers its services for free without the inconvenience of intrusive advertisements.

Privacy is a top priority for Utterances, making it a reassuring option for website owners. Its seamless integration into websites is facilitated by its foundation on GitHub issues, ensuring a hassle-free setup process. It excels in maintaining optimal performance, even in the face of substantial website traffic. This reliability makes it a preferred choice among bloggers seeking to replace Disqus.

Furthermore, Utterances doesn’t just stop at functionality; it pairs its capabilities with an eye-catching yet intuitive user interface design. With its feature-rich offering and user-friendly interface, Utterances stands as a compelling option to consider for effectively managing your website’s comment section.

12. Commento Platform

commento

If you’re on the lookout for a lightweight alternative to Disqus, look no further than Commento. True to its name, Commento specializes in managing the comment section of your website while maintaining a svelte footprint.

Commento not only provides a secure platform for commenting but also offers a range of features for website owners. With Commento, you gain control over moderation, a voting system, threaded discussions, and the convenience of third-party logins.

To streamline your experience and minimize the hassle of dealing with spam messages, Commento incorporates a high-quality filter. Furthermore, privacy takes center stage, ensuring the safeguarding of user data.

Unlocking the full suite of advantages offered by Commento is as simple as opting for its paid subscription, which starts at just USD 5. Once subscribed, the system takes care of these essential tasks, allowing you to focus on providing a seamless commenting experience for your audience.

Factors to Look for in Disqus Alternatives:

  1. Privacy and Data Control:
    • User Privacy: Check if the alternative respects user privacy by collecting minimal personal data and providing clear privacy policies.
    • Data Ownership: Ensure you have control over the comments and user data, allowing you to export, delete, or manage it as needed.
    • Third-party Data Sharing: Verify that the alternative doesn’t share user data with third parties for advertising or other purposes without your consent.
  2. User Experience:
    • Performance: Assess the impact on website load times, ensuring it doesn’t significantly slow down page loading.
    • Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure that the alternative provides a seamless user experience on mobile devices and responsive designs.
    • Ease of Use: Evaluate how intuitive and user-friendly the commenting system is for both commenters and administrators.
  3. Customization:
    • Design: Check the level of customization available for matching the commenting system’s appearance with your website’s branding.
    • Integration: Verify if the alternative can seamlessly integrate with your existing website design and content management system (CMS).
  4. Moderation and Spam Control:
    • Moderation Tools: Evaluate the tools provided for moderating comments, blocking spam, and managing user engagement.
    • Spam Protection: Look for spam prevention features like CAPTCHA, Akismet integration, or AI-based filters.
  5. SEO Friendliness:
    • Search Engine Indexing: Ensure that the comments are searchable and indexable by search engines, contributing to your website’s SEO efforts.
    • Structured Data: Check if the alternative supports structured data markup for comments, which can enhance search engine visibility.
  6. Community Engagement:
    • User Engagement Features: Assess any features that promote user engagement, such as upvoting, downvoting, and notifications.
    • Social Media Integration: Check if users can easily share comments and engage through social media platforms.
  7. Cost and Licensing:
    • Pricing: Evaluate the cost of using the alternative, considering both free and premium plans, if applicable.
    • Licensing Terms: Review the licensing terms and ensure they align with your website’s needs and budget.
  8. Data Migration:
    • Migration Tools: Determine if the alternative offers tools or documentation for migrating your existing comments from Disqus or other systems.
    • Ease of Migration: Consider how straightforward the migration process is and whether it preserves existing comment data and metadata.
  9. Reliability and Support:
    • Uptime: Research the alternative’s historical uptime and reliability to minimize disruptions for your website visitors.
    • Support: Assess the availability and quality of customer support, including documentation and community forums.
  10. Ad Integration and Monetization:
    • Ad Display: If you monetize through ads, check if the alternative allows you to integrate ads into the comment section.
    • Monetization Options: Evaluate the potential for generating revenue through the commenting system itself, if applicable.
  11. Community and Ecosystem:
    • User Base: Consider the size and active user base of the alternative, as a larger community often results in better support and development.
    • Add-ons and Extensions: Assess whether the alternative offers add-ons or extensions to expand functionality as needed.
  12. Security:

Conclusion:

Selecting an alternative to Disqus should be a decision rooted in your website’s unique requirements, priorities, and issues. Despite Disqus being a widely used and feature-packed commenting system, there are legitimate grounds for seeking alternatives. Critical factors to ponder encompass privacy apprehensions, user interface satisfaction, customization constraints, expenditure, autonomy from third-party services, effective community oversight, search engine optimization (SEO) compatibility, content possession, advertising income opportunities, and dependability.

Prior to initiating a transition, engage in a thorough evaluation of the available alternatives. This evaluation should encompass aspects like seamless integration, feature sets, data migration pathways, and community administration utilities. Furthermore, it is essential to ascertain that the chosen alternative harmonizes with your website’s objectives and the anticipations of your user base.

FAQs on Disqus Alternatives:

Do Disqus alternatives support data migration from Disqus?

Many Disqus alternatives provide tools or documentation to help you migrate your existing Disqus comments to their platform. However, the ease of migration may vary between alternatives, so it’s essential to check their specific migration capabilities.

What steps should I take before switching to a Disqus alternative?

Before making the switch, back up your existing Disqus comments and consider informing your users about the transition. Test the alternative on a staging site to ensure compatibility and assess any potential issues before implementing it on your live website.

Can I use multiple commenting systems on my website simultaneously, including Disqus and an alternative?

It’s possible to use multiple commenting systems on a website, but it can lead to a fragmented user experience. Ensure that you have a clear strategy for managing and moderating comments across multiple systems if you choose this approach.

Do Disqus alternatives offer community management features?

Some alternatives offer robust community management tools for moderating comments, blocking spam, and managing user engagement. Be sure to assess the specific moderation features of each alternative.

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