Top pick · highest health
remark42
Lightweight and simple comment engine, which doesn't spy on users. It can be embedded into blogs, articles or any other place where readers add comments.
DockerGo
Communication - Social Networks and Forums
Open source alternatives to Disqus
We track 4 open-source Disqus alternatives, of which 3 currently score 70 or above on Repoly's GitHub health scale and 4 ship a Docker image. remark42 leads on health at 95/100 with 107 commits in the last 90 days; across all 4 projects you are choosing between Apache-2.0, MIT.
updated Oct 2026 4 alternatives best health 95 ★ 15k combined 145 commits / 90d 4 with Docker
Top picks to replace Disqus
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Healthiest
Health 95/100: 107 commits in 90 days, latest release v1.18.0, Docker image available.
Showing 4 of 4 tools
All 4 Disqus alternatives, ranked by health
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Artalk
Comment system built in Golang, providing a lightweight and highly customizable solution for adding comments to your website.
DockerGo -
Isso
Lightweight commenting server written in Python and Javascript. It aims to be a drop-in replacement for Disqus.
DockerPython -
Coral
A better commenting experience from Vox Media.
DockerNodejs
Disqus alternatives compared
remark42 edges Artalk 95 to 81, and most of the difference is commit activity: 107 commits in 90 days against 19 commits in 90 days. remark42 also has the largest following, at 5.6k stars.
The most recent release is Artalk v2.10.1, published 5 days ago. None of the measured options scores under 40. By stack, Go (2), Nodejs (1) and Python (1) are the most common. remark42, Artalk, Isso and 1 more are permissively licensed.
| Tool | Health | Stars | Licence | Last commit | Docker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| remark42 Steady at 95 since 11 Sep | 95 | 5.6k | MIT | yesterday | Yes |
| Artalk Down 12 points since 11 Sep | 81 | 2.4k | MIT | 2 days ago | Yes |
| Isso Up 5 points since 11 Sep, no release for 7 months | 80 | 5.3k | MIT | 5 days ago | Yes |
| Coral Down 15 points since 11 Sep, no release for 3 months | 58 | 2k | Apache-2.0 | 2 days ago | Yes |
Disqus alternatives: common questions
What is the most maintained open source alternative to Disqus?
remark42 scores highest at 95/100, with 107 commits in the last 90 days, 5.6k stars on GitHub and its latest release (v1.18.0) published 19 days ago. It is also the most active by raw commit count.
Which Disqus alternatives use a permissive licence?
4 of 4 are permissively licensed (MIT, Apache, BSD or similar): remark42 (MIT), Artalk (MIT), Isso (MIT), Coral (Apache-2.0). 0 use copyleft licences such as GPL or AGPL, which require you to publish changes if you distribute a modified version.
Which Disqus alternatives run in Docker?
4 of 4 publish a Docker image or Compose file: remark42, Artalk, Isso, Coral. Docker support contributes 10 of the 100 available health points, because it is the clearest signal that self-hosting is a supported path rather than an afterthought.
Is remark42 or Artalk the better Disqus alternative?
On measured health remark42 leads, 95 to 81. remark42 has 107 commits in 90 days, 5.6k stars and v1.18.0 from 19 days ago; Artalk has 19 commits in 90 days, 2.4k stars and v2.10.1 from 5 days ago. remark42 is ahead or level on every term Repoly measures.
Are the Disqus alternatives still maintained?
3 of the 4 measured options score 70 or above. Coral had no commits in the last 90 days. None scores under 40.
What languages are the Disqus alternatives written in?
Go: remark42 and Artalk. Nodejs: Coral. Python: Isso. The stack matters if you plan to extend or patch the tool yourself.
