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Head-to-head · Commenting Systems

Disqus vs Cackle

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 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
Cackle #3 in Commenting Systems 9.0/10 Paid ✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Cackle

Disqus leads on 0 checks, Cackle on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 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 planonly Disqus
  • Free trialonly Disqus
  • Most featuresCackle · 5 of 5

Disqus scores higher on our rubric for commenting systems: 9.4 against 9.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #3.

Disqus is the better fit for publishers wanting a mature, full-featured platform. Cackle is the better fit for CMS sites needing moderation and comment analytics.

  • Disqus fits best

    Publishers wanting a mature, full-featured platform

  • Cackle fits best

    CMS sites needing moderation and comment analytics

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 ↗ Cackle 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 9.0
Ranking #1 in Commenting Systems #3 in Commenting Systems
Best for Publishers wanting a mature, full-featured platform CMS sites needing moderation and comment analytics
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price — Not checked yet
Free plan ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Free trial 30 days —
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Cloud
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web
Support Email, Community, Docs Email
Integrations 5 integrations 10 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market
Features Disqus 0/5 · Cackle 5/5
SSO support Not checked yet ✓ (best)
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
  • Moderation supports approving, editing, deleting, rejecting, and banning.
  • Plugins cover WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Blogger, and Wix.
  • Search, analytics, activity logs, and spam protection aid moderators.
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
  • It is a paid product, so it is not a free commenting option.
  • Cloud-only deployment may not suit teams requiring self-hosting.
  • Email is the listed support channel, which may not fit teams needing live help.
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 →

For websites that need more than a basic comment box, Cackle combines an embeddable widget with tools for both commenters and moderators. Visitors can post nested replies, vote, report spam, and subscribe to email updates for comments and…

Read the review →
  1. DisqusCommenting Systems 9.4Free plan · 30-day trial
  2. CackleCommenting Systems 9.0Paid

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

  • Cackle — where it wins

    • Moderation supports approving, editing, deleting, rejecting, and banning.
    • Plugins cover WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Blogger, and Wix.
    • Search, analytics, activity logs, and spam protection aid moderators.

    Where it doesn't

    • It is a paid product, so it is not a free commenting option.
    • Cloud-only deployment may not suit teams requiring self-hosting.
    • Email is the listed support channel, which may not fit teams needing live help.
  • Disqus9.4/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

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

    Visit DisqusFull verdict →
  • Cackle9.0/10 · Paid

    A feature-rich cloud commenting system for CMS sites that need active moderation.

    Visit CackleFull 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