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Head-to-head · Commenting Systems

Disqus vs Waline

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

Waline #8 in Commenting Systems 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Waline

Disqus leads on 0 checks, Waline 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 featuresWaline · 4 of 5

Disqus scores higher on our rubric for commenting systems: 9.4 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #8.

Disqus is the better fit for publishers wanting a mature, full-featured platform. Waline is the better fit for free self-hosters needing rich moderation and notifications.

Disqus fits best
Publishers wanting a mature, full-featured platform
Waline fits best
Free self-hosters needing rich moderation and notifications

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

Show only differences

Feature	Disqus 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Waline 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.5
Ranking	#1 in Commenting Systems	#8 in Commenting Systems
Best for	Publishers wanting a mature, full-featured platform	Free self-hosters needing rich moderation and notifications
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free
Starting price	—	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web
Support	Email, Community, Docs	Docs, Community
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features Disqus 0/5 · Waline 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	Advanced filtering, rate limits, duplicate detection, and comment review Markdown, GFM, HTML, math notation, previews, reactions, and uploads HTTP API, multiple databases, and broad email and chat notifications
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 requires managing backend and database infrastructure Support is centered on documentation and community channels Moderation and notification options may require deliberate configuration
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 →	Waline is an open-source commenting system that combines a browser client with a deployable backend. It suits solo publishers, small teams, and mid-market sites that want control over deployment and data while still offering reader… Read the review →

DisqusCommenting Systems 9.4Free plan · 30-day trial
WalineCommenting Systems 8.5Free plan

Compare the top tools in

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
Waline — where it wins
- Advanced filtering, rate limits, duplicate detection, and comment review
- Markdown, GFM, HTML, math notation, previews, reactions, and uploads
- HTTP API, multiple databases, and broad email and chat notifications
Where it doesn't
- Self-hosted deployment requires managing backend and database infrastructure
- Support is centered on documentation and community channels
- Moderation and notification options may require deliberate configuration

Disqus9.4/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial
A broad commenting platform with deep moderation, analytics and traffic-based plans.
Visit Disqus Full verdict →
Waline8.5/10 · Free plan
Free, open-source commenting with rich moderation, reactions, APIs, and notifications.
Visit Waline Full verdict →

More comparisons

All commenting systems comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update