Comments are a great way for blogs to interact with their audience. Hence, commenting platforms like Disqus and its alternatives provide the best features for interaction.
Disqus is a trusted comments plugin platform for websites and online communities. Moreover, it enables hosting services for blog commenting.
Most importantly, it makes it easier for publishers to manage and track their communities. In addition, Disqus easily and automatically adapts to a website's theme. Moreover, it also provides customization features.
Although, it does have its drawbacks and issues. Hence, in this article, we will address the best alternatives for Disqus that all blogging websites can depend on.
But, before we go ahead with the best alternatives for Disqus, let’s address a few queries.
The Best Alternatives for Disqus for Blogging Websites
Why is Disqus Shutting Down?
In 2019, Disqus had announced a change for Disqus Channels. Moreover, the environment of the Channels had changed.
During this time, there were increasing cases in the Terms of Services violations. As a result, it took a heavy toll on the customer support team.
Above all, there was a high volume and dynamic Terms of Services violations in the Channels ecosystem. Consequently, Disqus came to the conclusion of completely removing Channels from the platform.
Hence, all Channels, except Discuss Disqus we discontinued from the platform on September 1st, 2019. However, the content on Channels is now gone, but users are still able to actively comment on Disqus Comments.
Features offered by Disqus
Here are some of the features to consider before looking for the best alternatives for Disqus:
- Disqus Comments is a free-to-use platform for most websites. However, it offers paid packages as well for websites with unique requirements.
- Moreover, it allows any Disqus comment to embed a link for a blog or an article. Hence, allowing bloggers and readers to increase their engagement further.
- Additionally, it also allows the “drag and drops” option to add images in the comments.
- Consequently, Disqus also allows readers and bloggers to view the “parent” comment. Hence, reducing the effort of tracking each comment and easily accessing the one comment it is directed at.
- Moreover, it enables users to moderate, manage and view comments using their email or Slack. As a result, making it easier and accessible for bloggers.
Why Consider Alternatives for Disqus?
Disqus is certainly a popular platform. Although, it has had its issues with privacy and security.
Moreover, it tracks users' data on a regular basis. Therefore, selling them to a third-party advertiser or platform
Above all, it generates more than 70 HTTP requests with each load. As a result, such drawbacks could be a deal-breaker for users.
Hence, here are some of the disadvantages users should be aware of while looking for Disqus alternatives:
Disadvantages of using Disqus
- Spams and other poor-quality comments are easy to make on the websites. As a result, it creates an incorrect perception of the page and leads to unresponsive recipients.
- Moreover, all WordPress comments require approvals for posting comments. Hence, there is a need to constantly keep an eye on the comment section.
- In addition, there are no Social Media integrations provided. Hence, users need to use various plugins and add extra features. Therefore, it leads to a rise in the page’s load time.
- Moreover, there is a requirement of installing any additional plugin. As a result, it needs to be updated otherwise, there can be issues with the security.
- Furthermore, some comments are stored in the WordPress database and others in the external servers. Hence, due to external access, it may occasionally slow down the loading page.
- Above all, Disqus runs its own native advertising on user’s websites.
- Moreover, to allow comments on Disqus users are required to sign in or sign up. Hence this may discourage some users from using the platform.
- Most importantly, while using the platform, you are enabling it to sell the complete user data, the ones who comment on the content.
Facebook Comments
Facebook is certainly one of the biggest social media platforms in the world. Moreover, it caters to over 2 billion users worldwide.
Therefore, Facebook comments are one of the best alternatives for Disqus. Above all, its comments box is a social plugin and allows all Facebook users to comment on websites.
Moreover, the platform helps prevent spam comments. Hence, it allows only approved Facebook accounts to post comments.
Facebook Comments certainly provide moderation tools and distribution features. Most importantly, it also limits the number of comments made by a single account.
Native Comments
Native Comments is one of the simplest alternatives for Disqus. Moreover, it is a comment tool that integrates with WordPress themes.
Although, the commenting tool could be quite slow for big websites with huge traction. As a result, to mitigate its flaws Native Comments integrates with Akismet.
Hence, Akismet helps enhance the performance and capacity of the platform.
Native Comments is one of the more decent alternatives for Disqus. Moreover, it reduces the effort of installing and locating commenting tools.
Muut
Muut is one of the best and more popular alternatives for Disqus. Moreover, it provides a robust plugin for comments.
Above all, it combines comments on the websites, web forums, and instant messaging features. Hence, it creates a huge online community on the platform.
Most importantly, it provides an overall social commenting feature for websites. Hence making it one of the best alternatives for Disqus especially for websites with enormous traffic.
Jetpack Native Enhanced
Jetpack is one of the most prominent alternatives for Disqus. Moreover, it is one of the best tools for WordPress users.
It provides a robust suite to enhance the features and functions of any WordPress platform. Hence, it modifies all the components of a website platform to optimize the display and user interaction.
Jetpack Comments provide great features. Additionally, it notifies commenters and also turns the comment section into an active community.
Intense Debate
Intense Debate is one of the best alternatives for Disqus as it is a free platform. Moreover, it is a highly used plugin for top-tier and professional blogging sites.
Additionally, its features and functions help enhance and encourage commenters to engage on the blog. Hence, functions like linking features, spam protection, and notification emails help commenters engage better.
Isso
Isso is one of the best available alternatives for Disqus. Moreover, it provides solutions similar to Disqus. Additionally, it is a Disqus alternative that is completely free and open source.
Moreover, it is a lightweight commenting server. Hence, it allows comments to remain anonymous, maintains identity, and provides simple administration.
Above all, it uses Javascript and cross-origin resource sharing. Hence, making it easier for website integrations.
Postmatic
Postmatic is a great alternative for Disqus as it provides features beyond the comment plugin. Moreover, it is an organizational platform to help create a highly functional network for commenters to interact.
Above all, it combines essential components in the form of slide-ins, pop-overs, and hello bars. Hence, it automates the process of adding new commenters to the mailing list and helps with generating new email subscribers.
wpDiscuz
wpDiscuz is another one of the more popular and free alternatives for Disqus. Moreover, its features extend to the WordPress plugin directory.
Above all, it offers over 20,000 installations for websites. Hence, making it one of the best-ranked alternatives for Disqus.
Most importantly, it is a constantly updated tool that caters to enhancing the performance of the site. Moreover, it can easily integrate with spam tools like Akismet and WPBruiser to provide better performance of sites.
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