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Head-to-head · Commenting Systems

Disqus vs Artalk

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Disqus #1 in Commenting Systems 9.4/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 5 features Visit Disqus
Artalk #4 in Commenting Systems 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Artalk

Disqus leads on 0 checks, Artalk on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreDisqus · 9.4/10
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly Disqus
  • Most featuresArtalk · 4 of 5

Disqus scores higher on our rubric for commenting systems: 9.4 against 8.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #4.

Disqus is the better fit for publishers wanting a mature, full-featured platform. Artalk is the better fit for solo developers who want free, self-hosted comments.

  • Disqus fits best

    Publishers wanting a mature, full-featured platform

  • Artalk fits best

    Solo developers who want free, self-hosted comments

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Disqus 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Artalk 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.9
Ranking #1 in Commenting Systems #4 in Commenting Systems
Best for Publishers wanting a mature, full-featured platform Solo developers who want free, self-hosted comments
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price — Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial 30 days —
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Self-hosted, Cloud
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web, Linux
Support Email, Community, Docs Docs, Community
Integrations 5 integrations 3 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business
Features Disqus 0/5 · Artalk 4/5
SSO support Not checked yet Not checked yet
Spam filtering Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Comment reactions Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Email notifications Not checked yet ✓ (best)
API access Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Specs
Moderation tools Not checked yet Advanced
Site limit Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Advanced moderation includes pre-moderation, bans, timeouts and shadow banning
  • Embeddable threads include replies, reactions, notifications and social login
  • Analytics, imports, exports, APIs and CMS integrations support publisher workflows
  • Embeddable JavaScript client pairs with Docker-based server deployment.
  • Moderation combines keyword filters, CAPTCHA, and supported safety services.
  • Multi-site management, voting, APIs, and comment migration tools.
Cons
  • Paid pricing scales with monthly pageviews rather than community-member counts
  • Free Basic includes advertising, while ad controls vary by paid tier
  • Advanced moderation and analytics are reserved for the Pro plan
  • Self-hosted deployment means managing the server as part of the setup.
  • Support channels are documentation and community.
  • Content-safety integrations depend on external services such as Akismet or cloud APIs.
Our verdict

Disqus is a hosted commenting and community platform for publishers, bloggers and website owners. It embeds threaded discussions on websites and supports replies, reactions, social-account login, notifications, analytics, and comment…

Read the review →

Artalk is an open-source commenting system for adding discussions to blogs, websites, and web applications. Its JavaScript client embeds on a site, while a Go server handles the system; deployment options include Docker and other…

Read the review →
  1. DisqusCommenting Systems 9.4Free plan · 30-day trial
  2. ArtalkCommenting Systems 8.9Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Disqus — where it wins

    • Advanced moderation includes pre-moderation, bans, timeouts and shadow banning
    • Embeddable threads include replies, reactions, notifications and social login
    • Analytics, imports, exports, APIs and CMS integrations support publisher workflows

    Where it doesn't

    • Paid pricing scales with monthly pageviews rather than community-member counts
    • Free Basic includes advertising, while ad controls vary by paid tier
    • Advanced moderation and analytics are reserved for the Pro plan

  • Artalk — where it wins

    • Embeddable JavaScript client pairs with Docker-based server deployment.
    • Moderation combines keyword filters, CAPTCHA, and supported safety services.
    • Multi-site management, voting, APIs, and comment migration tools.

    Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosted deployment means managing the server as part of the setup.
    • Support channels are documentation and community.
    • Content-safety integrations depend on external services such as Akismet or cloud APIs.
  • Disqus9.4/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

    A broad commenting platform with deep moderation, analytics and traffic-based plans.

    Visit DisqusFull verdict →
  • Artalk8.9/10 · Free plan

    A free, configurable commenting system for developers prepared to manage deployment.

    Visit ArtalkFull verdict →

More comparisons

All commenting systems comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update