Comment Systems Comparison (2025 Update)
As in 2025, the landscape of comment systems for Hugo blogs has evolved significantly. Utterances, Disqus, and Giscus remain the top contenders, but with important updates and new considerations. Let’s examine the current state of each platform.
Performance Comparison Table
| Parameter/Metric | Utterances | Disqus | Giscus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup Complexity | Medium | Easy | Easy |
| Performance Impact | Minimal | Heavy | Minimal |
| Privacy | Excellent | Poor | Excellent |
| Cost | Free | Free (with ads) / $11-99/month | Free |
| Data Ownership | Your GitHub repo | Disqus servers | Your GitHub repo |
| Customization | Limited | Extensive | Good |
| Mobile Experience | Good | Excellent | Excellent |
| SEO Impact | Positive | Negative | Positive |
| Spam Protection | GitHub-based | Advanced AI | GitHub-based |
| Moderation Tools | GitHub Issues | Advanced dashboard | GitHub Discussions |
| Analytics | Basic (GitHub) | Comprehensive | Basic (GitHub) |
| Community Size | Stable | Large | Growing rapidly |
| Dependency on Third Party | GitHub only | Disqus servers | GitHub only |
| Offline Functionality | No | No | No |
| Accessibility | Good | Excellent | Excellent |
| Dark Mode Support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Markdown Support | Yes | Limited | Yes |
| File Upload | No | Yes | No |
| Real-time Updates | No | Yes | Yes (2025 update) |
| API Access | GitHub API | Disqus API | GitHub API |
| AI Integration | No | Yes (2025) | No |
| GDPR Compliance | Excellent | Good | Excellent |
| Sustainability | High | Medium | High |
Implementation Overview
| Aspect | Utterances | Disqus | Giscus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | GitHub Issues as backend | Centralized cloud-based platform with AI integration | GitHub Discussions as backend with real-time updates |
| Setup Process | GitHub repo + Utterances app installation | Sign up, get embed code, paste into templates | Similar to Utterances but uses Discussions instead of Issues |
| Integration Method | Simple script injection with configurable parameters | Universal embed code with extensive customization options | Modern script with better GitHub integration and real-time capabilities |
| Data Flow | Comments → GitHub Issues → Display via GitHub API | Comments → Disqus servers → Display via Disqus API | Comments → GitHub Discussions → Display via GitHub API with WebSocket updates |
| 2025 Status | Stable, mature platform with consistent updates | Enhanced with AI moderation and improved performance | Rapidly growing, added real-time updates and improved mobile experience |
| Pros | Privacy-focused, no ads, full data control, battle-tested | Feature-rich, excellent moderation tools, large community, AI-powered spam detection | Modern interface, better GitHub integration, privacy-focused, real-time updates, excellent mobile UX |
| Cons | Requires GitHub account, limited features, no real-time updates | Privacy concerns, performance impact, data ownership issues, subscription costs | Requires GitHub account, newer platform (less mature than Utterances) |
Market Trends
Privacy-First Movement
- Growing demand for privacy-focused comment systems
- GDPR compliance becoming mandatory for EU visitors
- Third-party script blocking more prevalent (ad blockers, privacy tools)
Performance Optimization
- Core Web Vitals increasingly important for SEO
- Mobile-first indexing making performance critical
- Lighthouse scores affecting search rankings
AI Integration
- Disqus leading in AI-powered moderation and spam detection
- Automated content filtering becoming standard
- Smart reply suggestions enhancing user engagement
Final Verdict
🏆 Recommendation: Giscus
Why Giscus wins in 2025:
- Real-time Updates: Added in 2025, making it competitive with Disqus
- Enhanced Mobile Experience: Significantly improved mobile interface
- Future-Proof: Built on GitHub’s actively developed Discussions feature
- Performance: Minimal impact on site speed, excellent Core Web Vitals scores
- Privacy: No tracking, no ads, full data ownership, GDPR compliant
- Community Growth: Rapidly growing adoption among developers
- GitHub Integration: Seamless integration with modern development workflows
When to Consider Alternatives:
- Choose Disqus if you need AI-powered moderation, comprehensive analytics, or have a non-technical audience willing to pay for premium features
- Choose Utterances if you prefer the simplicity of GitHub Issues or need maximum compatibility with older setups
Implementation Priority (2025):
- Giscus - Best overall choice for most Hugo blogs (enhanced with real-time updates)
- Utterances - Good fallback if you prefer GitHub Issues simplicity
- Disqus - Only if you need enterprise-level features and can accept the trade-offs
2025-Specific Considerations
Performance Impact
- Giscus: ~15KB JavaScript, minimal CSS
- Utterances: ~12KB JavaScript, minimal CSS
- Disqus: ~200KB+ JavaScript, heavy CSS, multiple external requests
Privacy Compliance
- Giscus/Utterances: Fully GDPR compliant, no cookies, no tracking
- Disqus: Requires cookie consent, tracks user behavior, complex GDPR compliance
Mobile Performance
- Giscus: Excellent mobile performance, responsive design
- Utterances: Good mobile performance, basic responsive design
- Disqus: Heavy mobile impact, but excellent mobile interface
The choice in 2025 ultimately depends on your priorities: if you value privacy, performance, and modern features, Giscus is the clear winner. If you need advanced AI features and don’t mind the privacy trade-offs, Disqus remains viable for enterprise use cases.
Official Documentation
Utterances
- Utterances Official Website
- Utterances GitHub Repository
- Utterances App Installation
- Utterances Configuration Options
Disqus
- Disqus Official Website
- Disqus Documentation
- Disqus API Documentation
- Disqus Privacy Policy
- Disqus GDPR Compliance
- Disqus AI Moderation
Giscus
- Giscus Official Website
- Giscus GitHub Repository
- Giscus Documentation
- Giscus Configuration Guide
- Giscus Real-time Updates
Alternative Comment Systems (2025)
Other Options Considered
- Commento - Self-hosted comment system
- Isso - Lightweight commenting server
- Staticman - Static site comments
- Talkyard - Open-source commenting platform
- Remark42 - Self-hosted, lightweight comments
- Coral - Open-source commenting platform