Isso - a commenting server similar to Disqus by isso-comments
a Disqus alternative
About Isso - a commenting server similar to Disqus
From the project's README at github.com/isso-comments/isso. Lightly cleaned for readability; for the full source see the upstream repo.
Isso - Ich schrei sonst - is a lightweight commenting server written in Python and JavaScript. It aims to be a drop-in replacement for Disqus. Features Comments written in Markdown Users can edit or delete own comments (within 15 minutes by default). Comments in moderation queue are not publicly visible before activation. SQLite backend Because comments are not Big Data. Disqus & WordPress Import You can migrate your Disqus/WordPress comments without any hassle. Configurable JS client Embed a single JS file, 65kB (20kB gzipped) and you are done.
See isso-comments.de for a live demo, more details and documentation. Screenshot Getting started Requirements Python 3.8+ (+ devel headers) SQLite 3.3.8 or later a working C compiler
If you're stuck, follow the Install guide, see Troubleshooting and browse the [the full documentation](https://isso-comments.de/docs
Health score breakdown
6-dimension composite. See methodology for formula and weights.
Adoption signals
Real-world usage data, pulled from each registry. The bigger the numbers, the more battle-tested the project.
| Signal | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 5.3k | github.com/isso-comments/isso |
| GitHub forks | 464 | github.com/isso-comments/isso |
| PYPI downloads (last month) | 360 | isso |
Release & maintenance
Is this project actively maintained, or about to die? Check the recency of last commit and last release.
| Project age | 13.7 years | since Oct 2012 |
| Last commit | 2 months ago | May 5, 2026 |
| Releases shipped | 28 | last: 3 months ago |
Self-hosting cost across providers
Detected requirements: 4GB RAM, 40GB disk minimum. Cheapest plan per provider that meets the requirement.
| Provider | Plan | Specs | Monthly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hetzner | CAX11 | 2c · 4GB · 40GB | $4.13 USD | Deploy → |
| vultr | VC2 | 1c · 1GB · 25GB | $5 USD | Deploy → |
| linode | Nanode 1GB | 1c · 1GB · 25GB | $5.12 USD | Deploy → |
| digitalocean | Basic Regular 1GB | 1c · 1GB · 25GB | $6 USD | Deploy → |
Security advisories
GHSA-9fww-8cpr-q66r. What people say on Hacker News
- Show HN: An open-source AI Scrum Team that lives natively in GitHub Issues
- Show HN: Enterprise Process Governance for AI-Driven Delivery (Open Source)
- Show HN: Auto-Save Claude Code Sessions to GitHub Projects
- Show HN: Boxofrocks – Sandboxed Agentic-AI Friendly Simple GH Issues Extension
- Show HN: Lit – Linear and Git CLI in One
Ready to self-host Isso - a commenting server similar to Disqus?
Spin up a hetzner CAX11 (4GB RAM, 40GB disk) for $4.13/mo and follow the project's official install docs.
Data last refreshed Jun 21, 2026.
Similar open-source projects
Projects in our directory that replace the same SaaS or share topics with Isso - a commenting server similar to Disqus.