Disqus
Commenting network and embed platform
Best for small and mid-market publishers.
Summary review · Last verified Oct 19, 2026 · Scored on 10 criteria · Vendors can't pay for scores
Research by Vahe Arabian · Scored and edited by the SODP team
Key facts
- Score
- 3.4 / 5
- Tier
- Fair Fit
- Pricing model
- Free ad-supported plan for eligible pub…
- Publishers using it
- 22
- Founded
- 2018
- Headcount
- 107
At a glance
- Disqus scores 3.4/5 (Fair Fit) in Benchmark Grid's independent commenting & community platforms benchmark, assessed on 10 published criteria.
- It is built for small and mid-market publishers.
- Strongest on CMS Integration & Embeds (4.2) and Comment Moderation & AI Spam Filtering (3.8); weakest on Performance & Page Latency (2.2).
- Pricing: Free ad-supported plan for eligible publishers; ad-free Plus from $18/mo and Pro from $125/mo (billed annually); Business is custom-priced.
- 22 publishers in our tracking use Disqus, from ads.txt files, page code and public case studies.
- Scores last verified 19 Oct 2026. Vendors cannot pay for a score or a position.
Summary
Editor's update, October 2026: 19 Oct 2026 accuracy audit: empty listing filled from vendor site and pricing page; monetisation note corrected; published pricing added.
Widely-used commenting embed with moderation tools, ad monetization, and audience network; easy CMS integration but heavier on page load.
Disqus is a hosted commenting platform that publishers add to pages with an embed, alongside moderation tools, analytics, a standalone Polls product and a Games Hub. Publisher customers shown on its site include TMZ, Bloomberg, PBS, Ziff Davis and Immediate Media, and it suits sites that want an established comment system without building one.
Its standout is the choice between a free, ad-supported plan for eligible publishers, with a revenue-share programme for ad placements in the comment embed, and ad-free paid plans priced by monthly pageviews. Pro adds AI moderation features, advanced analytics and unlimited moderator seats; Business adds SSO, enterprise login (OIDC), unlimited API access, a mobile SDK in beta and Disqus Boards.
Limitations: the free plan carries Disqus ads and is limited to sites that meet its advertising quality standards, AI moderation starts at the $125/mo Pro tier, and SSO is reserved for custom-priced Business plans. Sites that regularly exceed their pageview tier are contacted to upgrade.
Score breakdown
3.4 = 0.45 × 3.22 capability + 0.40 × 3.50 publisher fit + 0.15 × 3.80 cost
Σ (criterion rating × weight) across 10 criteria · scale 1 (poor) → 5 (excellent)
Disqus is widely recognized for its robust automated spam filtering and extensive moderation tools.
14% of capability · What we check: The tool automatically identifies and blocks unwanted content or malicious bot activity before comments go live.
It offers functional real-time comment updates but lacks specialized live-blogging event infrastructure.
12% of capability · What we check: The platform updates comment feeds instantly and supports live text or media updates for ongoing event coverage.
It captures user identity through its own network but lacks sophisticated first-party data activation tools for publishers.
12% of capability · What we check: Users create profiles or sign in through the platform to provide publishers with verified email and behavioral data.
It serves as a strong social layer with threaded discussions and user profiles standard for community building.
10% of capability · What we check: The system provides dedicated discussion boards, upvoting tools, and user reputation systems for community building.
Monetisation runs through Disqus's in-embed ad formats and a revenue-share programme for eligible sites, alongside ad-free paid plans.
10% of capability · What we check: The tool includes native ad placements, sponsored content sections, or subscription gating features for direct revenue generation.
Highly versatile embed platform that integrates easily with almost any major CMS.
10% of capability · What we check: The platform offers plugins or scripts to sync seamlessly with existing website architecture and editorial workflows.
Provides a comprehensive set of moderation rules, though it is geared more toward general moderation than advanced editorial workflows.
10% of capability · What we check: Administrators can configure automated filters, keyword blacklists, and manual approval queues for incoming user content.
The platform is known to be heavy, frequently impacting page load times for publishers.
8% of capability · What we check: The comment section loads within defined millisecond thresholds without slowing down the primary article rendering.
While widely used by publishers, it lacks specific editorial-focused features like workflow management or paywall orchestration.
8% of capability · What we check: The system provides specific tools to purge user data and delete individual posts to meet regulatory requirements.
Straightforward implementation process with standard support resources available.
6% of capability · What we check: The vendor provides dedicated technical assistance, clear documentation, and direct integration support for developer teams.
Disqus scores 3.4/5 in Benchmark Grid's independent Best Commenting & Community Platforms for Publishers benchmark (benchmarkgrid.com/best-commenting-community-platforms-for-publishers/disqus, verified Oct 19, 2026)
Strengths & limitations
Strengths
- Free option for eligible ad-supported publishers
- Published pageview-based pricing for Plus and Pro
- Long-established platform used by publishers such as Bloomberg, PBS and Ziff Davis
Limitations
- Free plan shows Disqus ads and requires meeting advertising quality standards
- SSO and API access limited to custom-priced Business plans
- 30-day free trial requires a payment method
Who uses it
Detected from site code, ads.txt records and published case studies — not from the vendor's own customer list.
By publisher size
By content vertical
Publishers running Disqus22
- The AtlanticEnterprise· News
- TMZEnterprise· Arts & Entertainment
- BankInfoSecurityMid-market· Tech & Computing
- Digital Photography SchoolMid-market· Hobbies & Interests
- Intelligent InvestorMid-market· Personal Finance
- Total RetailMid-market· Business
- 9to5MacSMB· Tech & Computing
- AeroTelegraphSMB· Travel
- Android HeadlinesSMB· Tech & Computing
- DestructoidSMB· Video Gaming
- Geeky GadgetsSMB· Tech & Computing
- GreedyTechSMB· Tech & Computing
Cost of ownership
Pricing
Free ad-supported plan for eligible publishers; ad-free Plus from $18/mo and Pro from $125/mo (billed annually); Business is custom-priced.
Pricing unclear for your setup? — we'll make the introduction. Free, and it never affects the score.
Cost data sourced from vendor pricing pages and community signals. Vendors may dispute any factor.
What users say
While users appreciate its feature-rich threading, concerns regarding privacy, data security, performance issues, and user friction have led many to seek out alternative commenting platforms.
Sources: Reddit 77% · Blog 9% · G2 6% · Trade press 6% · Capterra 3%
Most discussed
Recent quotes
"The plaintiffs contend that some of Zeta's data was not actually collected with consumers' opt-in consent. Among other allegations, the plaintiffs said Zeta obtained consumer data from its commenting platform Disqus which -- according to the plaintiffs -- gathered data under an opt-out framework."
Negative·Trade press·4mo ago·via MediaPost
"Disqus announced Friday that it experienced a breach of its systems in 2012 that resulted in 17.5 million user email addresses and passwords being stolen by hackers."
Negative·Blog·9y ago·via International Business Times
"Firefox won’t stop logging me out of disqus on the mobile app if I so much as close the app or refresh the page."
Negative·Reddit·2mo ago
"Disqus is updating its widely-used comments platform after a Swedish tabloid exposed politicians and other public figures for allegedly making highly offensive comments on right-wing websites."
Negative·Blog·12y ago·via PCWorld
"Using Disqus means injecting third-party trackers and setting up annoying cookie banners (hello, GDPR headaches)."
Negative·Reddit·2mo ago
35 mentions from 5 independent sources, each read and scored by our analyser. Mentions we could not tie to a real user, and those flagged as promotional, are excluded. Sentiment is opinion, and is independent of the verified publisher adoptions shown above.
The company behind Disqus
Disqus is operated by ALVORADA. Company facts come from an independent business-data record rather than the vendor's own site.
- Founded
- 2018
- Employees
- 107
- Ownership
- Self-Owned
Compare Disqus
The head-to-heads publishers look at most, then the closest contests in the same benchmark.
FAQ
How is Disqus scored?
Disqus scores 3.4 out of 5 in Benchmark Grid's independent Best Commenting & Community Platforms for Publishers benchmark. The overall figure blends capability (45%), publisher fit (40%) and cost of ownership (15%). Capability is itself a weighted average of 10 criteria; the heaviest are comment moderation & ai spam filtering (14%), real-time engagement & live blogging (12%) and first-party data & identity capture (12%). Vendors cannot pay for a score.
What size publisher is Disqus built for?
Disqus is built for small and local publishers and mid-market publishers. That is the vendor's own stated target, and it is one of the inputs to our publisher-fit score — a platform that suits a national newsroom often carries more operational load than a small one can absorb.
What does Disqus cost?
Free ad-supported plan for eligible publishers; ad-free Plus from $18/mo and Pro from $125/mo (billed annually); Business is custom-priced. Our cost-of-ownership score is 3.8/5, which weighs pricing transparency, entry cost, implementation cost, hidden-fee risk and ongoing cost. Ask the vendor for a written first-year figure that includes implementation before you commit.
Who uses Disqus?
We have evidenced 22 publishers running Disqus. Adoptions are detected from site code, ads.txt records and published case studies rather than taken from the vendor's own customer list, and each one is listed on this page.
Can Disqus pay for a better score?
No. Scores come from our editorial review of the product's documentation, demos and public evidence. A vendor can claim this listing or request a re-review, but nothing they buy changes a score or a position.
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