Waline
Waline: Free, open-source commenting with rich moderation, reactions, APIs, and notifications. Ranked #8 of 18 in Commenting Systems by our editors (8.5/10); pricing: Free plan; best for free self-hosters needing rich moderation and notifications.
At a glance
- Editor score8.5 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forFree self-hosters needing rich moderation and notifications
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Moderation toolsAdvanced
- Facts checked24 Sep 2026
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
Our verdict on Waline
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 accounts, anonymous comments, social login, reactions, counters, uploads, and multilingual presentation. Comment authors can write with Markdown, GFM, HTML, mathematical notation, and real-time preview, while site owners can customize styles and reaction sets.
The published offering is free to deploy, with no paid-plan ladder to compare. Its value is concentrated in the feature set: DOMPurify XSS filtering, rate limits, duplicate-content detection, and comment review provide several layers of moderation control. Notifications can be sent through email, Telegram, Discord, Lark, QQ, WeChat, and other channels. These controls make Waline a strong fit when spam reduction, review workflows, and reader alerts matter as much as basic comment entry.
Platform flexibility is another central strength. The backend can run on Vercel, Docker, or self-hosted infrastructure, with storage options including MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MongoDB, TiDB, and GitHub-based storage. Its documented HTTP API supports reading, publishing, and managing comments, which can support custom front ends or administrative tooling. The trade-off is operational responsibility: teams choosing self-hosting must handle deployment, database configuration, moderation settings, and notification setup. Documentation and community channels are the stated support routes. Choose Waline if you want a free, open-source system with broad controls and deployment choice; choose another tool if you prefer a managed service with turnkey operations or a simpler setup.
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Waline pricing
Waline fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Moderation tools | Advanced |
| SSO support | Not verified |
| Spam filtering | Yes |
| Comment reactions | Yes |
| Email notifications | Yes |
| Site limit | Not verified |
| API access | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web |
| Support | Docs, Community |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | waline.js.org |
| Facts checked | 24 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to Waline
- DisqusA broad commenting platform with deep moderation, analytics and traffic-based plans.9.4
- CoralA publisher-focused commenting system with flexible deployment and detailed moderation controls.9.2
- CackleA feature-rich cloud commenting system for CMS sites that need active moderation.9.0
Waline vs the competition
Compare Waline with any tool side by side →
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Featured on iTechGuides
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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