Best Self Hosted Alternatives to GraphComment

Remark42 is a lightweight, privacy-focused comment engine designed to be embedded into blogs, articles, and other websites where readers leave comments. It is built to minimize data collection, avoid third-party tracking, and remain simple to deploy and operate.

Key Features

• Embeddable comments widget with multi-level nested threads (tree or plain view)
• Authentication via multiple providers plus email login, with optional anonymous access
• Markdown formatting with a toolbar for writing comments
• Moderation tools including comment removal and user blocking
• Voting, pinning, comment verification, and sorting options
• Image uploads with drag-and-drop support
• RSS feeds for all comments and per-post comment streams
• Notifications for admins (email, Telegram, Slack, webhooks) and reply notifications for users
• Import tools for migrating from Disqus and WordPress
• Single-instance multi-site mode
• Data export to JSON with automatic backups; no external database required

Use Cases

• Add a privacy-respecting comment section to a personal blog or documentation site
• Replace hosted comment platforms while keeping control over data and retention
• Run a single commenting backend for multiple websites from one installation

Remark42 combines straightforward deployment with a feature-complete commenting experience, while emphasizing privacy and minimal data retention. It is well suited for site owners who want modern commenting without external trackers or complex infrastructure.

Isso is a lightweight commenting server written in Python and JavaScript, designed as a drop-in alternative to Disqus for adding comments to websites. It stores comments locally (commonly using SQLite) and provides a small embeddable JavaScript client for rendering and posting comments.

Key Features

• Markdown-based comments
• Configurable JavaScript client for easy embedding
• SQLite backend storage
• Comment editing and deletion (time-limited by default)
• Moderation queue for approving comments before public visibility
• Import tools for migrating comments from Disqus and WordPress
• Works across major browsers including Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and Edge

Use Cases

• Add a privacy-friendly comment section to a personal blog or static site
• Replace Disqus while keeping comment data under your control
• Migrate existing Disqus or WordPress comments to a self-managed system

Isso is well-suited for sites that want a simple comment system without external tracking and with minimal operational overhead. Its small embed client and straightforward backend make it a practical choice for self-hosted web publishing setups.

Artalk is a self-hosted comment system for blogs, websites, and web applications. It provides a lightweight Go server and a small, framework-agnostic client that can be embedded into existing pages.

Key Features

• Embeddable comment widget with nested threads, sorting, pinning, voting, and quick jump/quote navigation
• Moderation tools including spam interception and configurable captcha
• Notifications via email and additional push methods, plus in-site notifications and mentions
• Multi-site support with site isolation and centralized administration
• Markdown support, emoji packs, LaTeX rendering integration, and theming options (including dark mode)
• Image upload support with customization options and client enhancements like lightbox and lazy loading
• Plugin/extension system for adding custom functionality
• HTTP API with OpenAPI documentation for integrations and automation

Use Cases

• Add a privacy-friendly comment section to a personal blog or static site
• Provide discussions and feedback threads for product pages or documentation
• Centralize commenting for multiple sites under one admin and moderation workflow

Limitations and Considerations

• Some features (social login, email delivery, push notifications, captcha) require additional external providers or SMTP configuration

Artalk is a good fit when you want an efficient, customizable commenting layer with modern moderation and notification capabilities, while keeping control over your data. Its small client and Go-based server make it practical to deploy across a wide range of sites and environments.

Coral (Talk) is an open-source commenting platform designed for newsrooms and publishers to host and moderate on-site conversations. It provides a customizable comment widget, moderation tooling, and developer APIs to integrate with existing registration and publishing systems.

Key Features

• Moderation suite with queues, reviewer roles, and tools to surface or hide content
• Real-time comment delivery and notifications for active discussions
• GraphQL API and GraphiQL support for querying and extending platform data
• Plugin architecture for server- and client-side extensions and integrations
• Configurable authentication and registration integrations to use site SSO
• Privacy-first design: no ads, no tracking scripts in core code
• Docker and source deployment options; production-ready configuration using MongoDB and Redis

Use Cases

• Publishers and newsrooms wanting an integrated, self-hosted comment system with advanced moderation
• Organizations that need to migrate comments from third-party providers while retaining data control
• Communities or membership sites requiring configurable moderation workflows and SSO integration

Limitations and Considerations

• Production installs require MongoDB and Redis and appropriate operational resources for scale
• Customization beyond configuration typically requires developer work (plugins or UI changes)
• Some optional features/plugins depend on third-party APIs or API keys (for example, external toxicity/perspective services)

Coral offers a developer-friendly, extensible solution for hosting and moderating on-site conversations, balancing configurability with newsroom-focused moderation features. It is suited to organizations that need data control and integration flexibility.

Chirpy is an open-source comment system designed as a privacy-friendly alternative to Disqus for blogs and community sites. It provides a modern embeddable widget with customization options, moderation capabilities, and engagement features without relying on invasive tracking.

Key Features

• Embeddable, themeable comment widget to match your site design
• Rich text editor with Markdown shortcuts and formatting
• Real-time comment updates
• Moderation tools to review and manage discussions
• Anti-toxic/abuse-reduction features for healthier comment sections
• Privacy-focused authentication options including anonymous sign-in and email/magic-link sign-in
• Email and web push notifications for replies and updates
• Widget analytics with configurable retention

Use Cases

• Add a modern comment section to a personal blog or documentation site
• Replace Disqus while reducing tracking and improving privacy controls
• Moderate and manage discussions for community-driven websites

Limitations and Considerations

• Some advanced features and limits may depend on the hosted offering and its pricing/retention model

Chirpy is a strong fit for site owners who want an inspectable, customizable commenting experience with modern UX, moderation, and privacy-first defaults. It is especially suitable for blogs and communities that want to retain control over user experience and data handling.