The best free alternative to Disqus for modern websites
Free Comments gives you AI-moderated comments, an AI chatbot, reviews and surveys in one lightweight widget. Drop in a single snippet, keep full control of your data, and go ad-free from $9 a month.
Why look beyond Disqus?
Disqus pioneered blog comments and remains a trusted choice for millions of sites. Free Comments takes a complementary approach: AI-moderated comments, an AI chatbot, reviews and surveys together in one simple snippet. Our free plan shows smaller, less intrusive ads, and going ad-free costs just $9 a month. It is another option worth considering alongside Disqus, not a replacement for everyone.
Disqus vs Free Comments
An honest feature-by-feature comparison. Disqus figures are from its public pricing page (April 2025); Free Comments reflects our current plans.
| Feature | Disqus | Free Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & ads | ||
| Free plan available | ||
| Free plan shows ads | Ads required (top placement) | Small ad shown |
| Remove ads from | $12 / month | $9 / month |
| Remove branding too from | $115 / month (Pro) | $9 / month (Pro) |
| Multi-site plan | from $115 / month (20 sites) | $24 / month (10 sites) |
| Comments & moderation | ||
| Threaded comments & replies | ||
| Reactions & likes | ||
| Spam filtering | Basic spam filter | AI screens every comment |
| Advanced moderation rules | Pro only | Included |
| Email notifications | Included (free) | Included (Pro) |
| More than just comments | ||
| AI chatbot included | ||
| Reviews widget included | ||
| Surveys & polls included | Separate paid add-on | |
| All-in-one engagement bundle | ||
| Privacy & your data | ||
| No cross-site user tracking | ||
| You own your commenter data | ||
| No third-party profile network | ||
| Platform & scale | ||
| Social login for commenters | ||
| Languages | 65+ | English |
| Built for high-traffic publishers | Growing | |
| Custom colours & styling | Pro only | Free + Pro |
Disqus is a registered trademark of Disqus, Inc. This comparison is for informational purposes and was accurate as of April 2025.
The differences that matter
Disqus is a solid comments product. Here is where Free Comments does more, for less.
AI moderation, built in
Every comment is screened by AI for spam, abuse and off-topic noise before it goes live. With Disqus, advanced moderation rules start on the $115/month Pro plan.
Four widgets, one snippet
Comments, an AI chatbot, reviews and surveys ship together. Disqus is comments only, and polls are a separate paid subscription.
Privacy-first by design
No cross-site user network and no tracking across the web. Your commenter data stays yours, visible only to you for moderation.
Ad-free for less
Remove ads and branding for $9/month on Pro, or run up to ten sites for $24/month on Agency. Removing Disqus branding needs the $115/month Pro tier.
Switch from Disqus in 3 steps
No developers needed. Most sites are moved over in a few minutes.
Create your site
Sign up free, add your website, and grab your unique site key. We set up your moderation dashboard automatically.
Swap the script
Remove the Disqus embed from your pages and paste our single-line script tag. The widget appears instantly.
Style & launch
Match colours, fonts and radius to your brand, pick AI or manual moderation, and new comments start flowing.
The whole switch is one line
Replace your Disqus tag with this and the AI-moderated comments widget appears on every page.
<script src="https://freecomments.io/embed-comments.js" data-site-key="YOUR_SITE_KEY" defer></script>Frequently asked questions
Is Free Comments really free?
Yes. The Free plan lets you add comments, an AI chatbot, reviews and surveys to one website at no cost, supported by a small ad. Upgrade to Pro for $9/month to remove ads and branding, or Agency for $24/month to run up to ten sites.
How is Free Comments different from Disqus?
Free Comments uses AI to screen every comment for spam and abuse before it goes live, bundles an AI chatbot, reviews widget and surveys alongside comments, and never tracks your visitors across the web. Removing ads and branding costs $9/month, compared with $115/month for branding removal on Disqus Pro.
Can I migrate from Disqus to Free Comments?
Switching takes about a minute: remove the Disqus script from your pages and paste our single script tag. Disqus lets you export your existing comment archive, and new comments start flowing straight away. If you would like help bringing an archive across, get in touch and we will assist.
Does Free Comments show ads?
The Free plan includes a small ad, similar to Disqus Basic. The difference is the cost to remove it: $9/month on Free Comments Pro, versus $12/month on Disqus Plus. Free Comments Pro also removes our branding.
Is Free Comments more privacy-friendly than Disqus?
Free Comments does not run a cross-site user network or track your visitors across the web. Commenter emails are visible only to you as the site owner for moderation, and are never sold or shared.
Ready to replace Disqus?
Join sites using Free Comments for AI-moderated comments, an AI chatbot, reviews and surveys. Start free and upgrade when you need more.