Disqus vs OpenWeb
Disqus
Commenting network and embed platform
Publishers using it: 22 · incl. The Atlantic, TMZ, BankInfoSecurity
OpenWeb
Commenting and community for premium publishers
Publishers using it: 7 · incl. NY Post, Daily Beast, Engadget
Last verified Nov 13, 2026
At a glance
- Disqus scores 3.4/5 and OpenWeb scores 3.8/5 in Benchmark Grid's independent commenting & community platforms benchmark, both assessed on the same 10 criteria.
- The widest gaps are first-party data & identity capture (Disqus 2.8, OpenWeb 4.2) and legal & compliance controls (defamation, takedown, gdpr erasure) (Disqus 2.5, OpenWeb 3.6); they are within 0.3 on 2 of 10 criteria.
- Disqus is built for small and mid-market publishers; OpenWeb for mid-market and enterprise.
- On total cost of ownership Disqus scores 3.8 and OpenWeb 2.1 (higher means better value, not a lower price).
- In our tracking 22 publishers use Disqus and 7 use OpenWeb.
- Scores last verified 13 Nov 2026. Vendors cannot pay for a score or a position.
Where they differ
OpenWeb is stronger on first-Party Data & Identity Capture (4.2 vs 2.8), legal & Compliance Controls (defamation, takedown, GDPR erasure) (3.6 vs 2.5), performance & Page Latency (3.3 vs 2.2) and monetization (Ads, Sponsored, Memberships) (4.0 vs 3.0).
Which one fits
Choose Disqus if…
- You publish at small and mid-market scale.
- You weight CMS Integration & Embeds and support & Implementation heavily — Disqus leads on those in this benchmark.
Choose OpenWeb if…
- You publish at mid-market and enterprise scale.
- You weight first-Party Data & Identity Capture, legal & Compliance Controls (defamation, takedown, GDPR erasure) and performance & Page Latency heavily — OpenWeb leads on those in this benchmark.
Also weighing these
The nearest-scored tools to Disqus and OpenWeb in this benchmark, listed A to Z.
- 3.2Hyvor TalkPrivacy-first commenting platformRead review
- 3.7ViafouraAudience engagement and community platformRead review
- 3.5VuukleCommenting, engagement, and monetizationRead review
All 4 scored tools are in Best Commenting & Community Platforms for Publishers.
Who uses them
Publishers we have detected running each tool, from ads.txt, site code and published case studies. Agencies, brands and vendors are excluded.
Head to head
| Criterion | Disqus | OpenWeb |
|---|---|---|
| Comment Moderation & AI Spam Filtering14% of capability | 3.8 | 4.4 |
| First-Party Data & Identity Capture12% of capability | 2.8 | 4.2 |
| Real-Time Engagement & Live Blogging12% of capability | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| CMS Integration & Embeds10% of capability | 4.2 | 3.5 |
| Community & Forum Features10% of capability | 3.5 | 3.8 |
| Moderation Workflow & Rules Engine10% of capability | 3.4 | 3.9 |
| Monetization (Ads, Sponsored, Memberships)10% of capability | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| Legal & Compliance Controls (defamation, takedown, GDPR erasure)8% of capability | 2.5 | 3.6 |
| Performance & Page Latency8% of capability | 2.2 | 3.3 |
| Support & Implementation6% of capability | 3.0 | 2.5 |
| Capability45% of composite | 3.2 | 3.7 |
| Publisher fit40% of composite | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| Total cost of ownership15% of composite | 3.8 | 2.1 |
Cost of ownership
| Sub-score | Disqus | OpenWeb |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 4.0 | 1.0 |
| Entry cost | 4.5 | 1.0 |
| Implementation cost | 4.5 | 1.5 |
| Hidden-fee risk | 3.0 | 3.5 |
| Ongoing cost | 3.0 | 3.5 |
Disqus 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.
OpenWeb pricing
No published pricing on file.
What users say
Disqus
1 positive · 15 neutral · 20 negative
OpenWeb
12 positive · 4 neutral · 1 negative
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 above.
Disqus scores 3.4 and OpenWeb scores 3.8 in Benchmark Grid's independent Best Commenting & Community Platforms for Publishers benchmark (benchmarkgrid.com/vs/disqus/openweb, verified Nov 13, 2026)
Common questions
How do Disqus and OpenWeb differ?
OpenWeb is stronger on first-Party Data & Identity Capture (4.2 vs 2.8), legal & Compliance Controls (defamation, takedown, GDPR erasure) (3.6 vs 2.5), performance & Page Latency (3.3 vs 2.2) and monetization (Ads, Sponsored, Memberships) (4.0 vs 3.0). Neither is better in the abstract — which one suits you depends on which of those dimensions carries the most weight in your operation.
Which is cheaper, Disqus or OpenWeb?
On total cost of ownership — pricing transparency, entry cost, implementation, hidden-fee risk and ongoing cost — Disqus scores 3.8/5 and OpenWeb scores 2.1/5. A higher score means better value, not a lower sticker price.
How are these scores calculated?
Each tool is assessed against its category's published criteria (10 in this benchmark), which make up Capability (45% of the composite), Publisher fit (40%) and Total cost of ownership (15%). Assessment is carried out by SODP's editorial team against a published methodology. Vendors cannot pay for inclusion, scores or positions.
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Both tools are scored in Best Commenting & Community Platforms for Publishers. See alternatives to Disqus or alternatives to OpenWeb.
Weighing a third option? Add a tool to this comparison.
Where to next
Four questions, and a scored stack across every benchmark — not just Best Commenting & Community Platforms for Publishers
Every scored tool in Best Commenting & Community Platforms for Publishers, with the criteria behind each number
Every category, independently scored
Related comparisons
Other head-to-heads publishers look at in Best Commenting & Community Platforms for Publishers.
