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isso-comments/isso

A lightweight, self-hosted commenting server written in Python and JavaScript, designed as a drop-in replacement for Disqus.

Open-source alternative to:Disqus

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463
Open issues
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Last commit
13 days ago

What is it?

Isso is a commenting server you run on your own infrastructure to add comments to a website or blog. It is built as a drop-in replacement for Disqus, so site owners can keep a comment section without sending visitors' data to a third-party platform.

Comments are written in Markdown. Users can edit or delete their own comments within 15 minutes by default, and comments waiting in the moderation queue stay hidden until they are approved. Data is stored in SQLite, which keeps deployment simple for small and medium sites.

Existing comments can be migrated from Disqus or WordPress. The front end is a configurable JavaScript client delivered as a single file of about 65kB (20kB gzipped). The server is installed from PyPI with pip and requires Python 3.8 or newer, plus SQLite 3.3.8 or later and a C compiler. An official Docker image is also provided.

Key features

  • 01Comments written in Markdown
  • 02Users can edit or delete their own comments within a configurable window (15 minutes by default)
  • 03Moderation queue keeps unapproved comments hidden
  • 04SQLite storage with no separate database server required
  • 05Import from Disqus and WordPress
  • 06Lightweight single-file JavaScript client

Use cases

  • Adding a comment section to a static site or blog without using Disqus
  • Migrating an existing Disqus or WordPress comment history to a self-hosted system
  • Running a small site where comment data should stay on your own server

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install Isso from PyPI

    pip install isso
  2. 2

    Follow the Quickstart guide to configure and run the server

Things to know

  • Requires Python 3.8+, SQLite 3.3.8 or later, and a working C compiler to install.
  • Self-hosting is required, since it is a server you must run yourself.

In collections

Self-hosted appsDatabases & SQL toolsStatic site generators & documentation tools

Topics

#commenting#self-hosted#python#javascript#sqlite#disqus-alternative#markdown#disqus#sqlite3

FAQ

What is isso?
A lightweight, self-hosted commenting server written in Python and JavaScript, designed as a drop-in replacement for Disqus. Isso is a commenting server you run on your own infrastructure to add comments to a website or blog. It is built as a drop-in replacement for Disqus, so site owners can keep a comment section without sending visitors' data to a third-party platform.
Is isso free to use? What license does it have?
isso is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is isso still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to isso was on Oct 25, 2026.
What can I use isso for?
Adding a comment section to a static site or blog without using Disqus Migrating an existing Disqus or WordPress comment history to a self-hosted system Running a small site where comment data should stay on your own server
How do I install isso?
Install Isso from PyPI: pip install isso Follow the Quickstart guide to configure and run the server
Where can I get isso?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/isso-comments/isso

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