OSI-licensed only · self-hostable
Disqus is a hosted comment widget you embed in a blog or docs site. The usual reasons to leave are ads and tracking in the free tier, and wanting comments stored somewhere you control. Open-source options range from a tiny self-hosted server to comment systems that reuse GitHub or a forum you already run.
Every tool below is under an OSI-approved licence (MIT, GPL-2.0), checked against its repository. They differ mainly in where comments live: your own database, GitHub Discussions or Issues, or a full forum.
Licences checked against each repository on November 7, 2026.
| Tool | Best for | Licence | Runs as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isso | Lightweight self-hosted comments | MIT | Server |
| Remark42 | Privacy-focused comments with social login | MIT | Docker |
| Artalk | Feature-rich self-hosted comments | MIT | Docker |
| Waline | Serverless or hosted-your-own comments | GPL-2.0 | Server |
| Giscus | Comments stored in GitHub Discussions | MIT | Server |
| Utterances | Lightweight GitHub Issues comments | MIT | Server |
| Discourse | Full community forum with blog embeds | GPL-2.0 | Docker |
Best for: Lightweight self-hosted comments
A commenting server designed as a lightweight self-hosted replacement for Disqus. It stores comments in SQLite and serves a small JavaScript widget you embed in your pages.
Best for: Privacy-focused comments with social login
A self-hosted comment engine with no external dependencies, supporting social login, threaded comments, moderation and notifications. Ships as a single Docker image.
Best for: Feature-rich self-hosted comments
A self-hosted comment system with a lightweight front-end widget and a Go backend. Includes notifications, moderation, multi-site support and a dashboard.
Best for: Serverless or hosted-your-own comments
A simple, safe comment system with a client widget and a server you can run on your own host or on serverless platforms, with markdown support, moderation and notifications.
Best for: Comments stored in GitHub Discussions
A comment widget powered by GitHub Discussions. Visitors sign in with GitHub, and comments and replies live in a Discussions category in your repository, so you host no database.
Best for: Lightweight GitHub Issues comments
A comment widget that uses GitHub Issues: each page maps to an issue and each comment is an issue comment. Open source, with no tracking and no ads.
Best for: Full community forum with blog embeds
A forum platform that can also embed topics as comments on external pages. Deployed with its official Docker-based installer and suited to sites that want comments to grow into a community.
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| If you need… | Start with |
|---|---|
| Smallest self-hosted comment server | Isso |
| Single Docker image with social login | Remark42 |
| Hosting several sites on one server | Artalk |
| No server at all, developer audience | Giscus or Utterances |
| Comments that grow into a community | Discourse |
| Serverless deployment | Waline |
Quick answers to common questions
Disqus itself is proprietary. Isso and Remark42 are the most direct self-hosted replacements, both under the MIT licence.
Giscus and Utterances use GitHub Discussions and Issues respectively, so you don't run a database. Visitors need a GitHub account to comment.
Disqus lets you export comments as XML. Several of these projects document importing from that export, including Remark42, Isso and Waline, but check the current docs for your version and test on a copy first.
Self-hosted servers such as Isso and Remark42 keep comment data on your infrastructure and add no third-party ad network. Giscus and Utterances keep data on GitHub instead.
For running it on your own site, generally no. Obligations arise if you modify and distribute the software, so read the licence if you plan to fork the server.
List it on TechLogHub and we'll review it for this page.
