[Best] Alternatives of WordPress Default Comment System

WordPress is an amazing tool for bloggers and website owners from all around the World and it comes with a built-in comment system (Alternative comment system for WordPress). The default WordPress comment system is available for all WordPress website owners, and of course, it has a few Pros and Cons as well.

WordPress Default Comment System Pros and Cons

Overall the default comment system of WordPress is good, however, there are a few advantages and disadvantages of using it.

Pros of WordPress Comment System

The default system is very easy to use and you are always one click away from approving, deleting, or replying to a comment. It is also important, that no additional plugins are required.

Cons of WordPress Comment System

Unfortunately, because of its simpleness, the default comment system can be easily exploited by bots and software in order to make spam content. It is also a big disadvantage that each WordPress powered websites have an independent comment system and you should register a different account for each page.

Considering all Pros and Cons, the default system is ideal for WordPress newbies who want to add comments to their site quickly.

How to Disable WordPress Comments

In some cases, it is easier to disable the whole comment system, and WordPress allows you to do it. To disable comments in general, you should visit Settings >> Discussion and uncheck. Allow people to post comments on new articles. This way you can disable comments on all posts and pages that will be created from now on.

But in most cases, there are older posts and pages, where the comments should be disabled too. To do this, you should visit your Posts and/or Pages, select all of them and edit them in bulk. In the edit window, you should choose do not to allow comments, and then save the changes. With this step, you can disable the comments on your previously created posts and pages.

There is also available a manual method, where you should edit your pages’ and posts’ templates. In default, the WordPress page template can be found in pages.php, while the post template uses the single.php file. Both files are located in your theme’s directory.

To remove the comment section manually, simply edit the above mentioned two php files and remove this part from them:

<?php comments_template( '', true ); ?>

Alternatively, you can switch off the php function by adding two slashes right after the opening php tag:

<?php // comments_template( '', true ); ?>

This way you can switch back the comment section later, by removing the two slashes. So here is the list of best alternative comment system for WordPress, so lets begin –

1. Facebook Comments for WordPress

Facebook Comments

If you don’t want to switch off the whole comment system just need some advanced solution, using Facebook comments is ideal for you.

Pros of Facebook Comments

As Facebook is one of the biggest social media websites on the Internet right now, many people choose to add a plugin to their WordPress site, which allows users to use their personal Facebook account in order to leave comments.

This is great because most people do not use multiple accounts, so you are going to get comments from real people. It is also seamless, as users do not even have to log in if they are already logged in to their account on Facebook once they wish to post their comment.

Both things mean that you are going to receive a lot fewer spam comments as well. All you need, to be able to leave comments on a site that allows these types of comments is a Facebook profile.

Cons of Facebook Comments

The biggest disadvantage of using Facebook comments is that real names are shown above the comments. This can be inconvenient for people who would not like to use their own names.

How to install Facebook comments

Installing the Facebook comment plugin is very simple and anybody is able to do it. You should go to the plugins page and search for the Facebook Comments plugin or you can download it from here.

Once you have the plugin, you will need to add it to your WordPress site, by going to Settings and clicking on Facebook Comments in order to configure it.

You should also create a Facebook application in order to use the Facebook comment system, but this is very easy as well. Go to the Facebook developers page, click on My Apps, and then on Create New App.

Once a new window appears, choose the Website and then enter your new app’s name. Finally, click on the Create New Facebook App ID button. Another dialog window appears, where you should fill out a few other elements. You should set if the new application is a test version of another app, enter the contact email, and select the related category. Finally, you should click on the Create App ID button.

In some cases, a Security check window appears, where you should solve a basic task. For example, select all photos which show a tiger. Once you solved the security check task, click on the Submit button. You will arrive at a details page, where you can find all of your new application’s data.

You should copy out your APP ID, which should be copy-paste into the Facebook Comments settings page and you are ready to go! Also change a few things on this page, such as how many comments are going to be shown at once, the width of the comment boxes as well as a variety of other things. You can tweak these settings to your liking and personalize them, but the default settings should work for most websites.

2. Disqus Comments for WordPress

Disqus Comments - alternative comment system for WordPress

The Disqus comment system is another popular choice when it comes to choosing the right plugin for your website which allows users to leave feedback.

Pros of Disqus Comments

One of the great things about this system is that users are easily able to add pictures to their comments and people can also vote on comments and bring them to the top; this will ensure that meaningful and helpful comments are going to be shown first.

Another great thing is that Disqus uses a shared database, so people should register an account only once, then it can be used on all Disqus comments powered websites. The plugin also has a built-in anti-spam function which is going to make the comment section more versatile and filled with real people, leaving real feedback.

But the biggest advantage of Disqus system is anonymity, since all users can comment by using their own user names and not real names, as with Facebook comments.

Cons of Disqus Comments

Facebook has more than 1 billion users so more people have Facebook account, than Disqus. Also, because of anonymity, some troll commenters would appear on your website.

How to install Disqus comments

As the first step, you should visit the official Disqus website and create your own account. You can either choose to log in with an existing social media website or you can also create a new account as well.

Once the account has been created, you should go to the settings page and make a profile that you will use on your WordPress site. Fill out the information and choose a handle that you are going to be known by.

Next, you should download the Disqus Comment System through the plugin page or by simply clicking here.

Once you have added the plugin to your site, log in to Disqus, and choose the profile that you have previously created. The settings that you have entered on the official site will be transferred over to your WordPress site and you can start using the plugin immediately.

If you successfully installed the Disqus comment system, the default WordPress comment system disappears and only Disqus comments will be available.

If you do not see the Disqus comment section on your website, be sure to allow comments through the settings page.

3. wpDiscuz Comments Plugin

wpDiscuz Comments Plugin

wpDiscuz is considered to be the best alternative comment system for WordPress in the commenting world! The plugin changes your website commenting experience. And also provides new user engagement features for your website. wpDiscuz has brand new innovative features that bringing life to your website.

Following are some important feature of the plugin –

  • Comment layouts
  • Fastest commenting experience
  • Adds interactive comment box on posts
  • Inline commenting and feedback
  • Real-time updating with live Notification
  • Social Commenting
  • Clean & easy user interface and user experience
  • Anonymous comments

Pros of wpDiscuz Comments

  • You can easily receive valuable feedback from your customers or visitors.
  • The plugin does not require a payment for the core plugins.
  • Upvotes and downvotes are available similar to Reddit.
  • 100% customizable! Change buttons, fields, colors, and components accordingly.
  • Activate anonymous comments.

Cons of wpDiscuz Comments

  • Lots of Spam comments get collected.
  • Comments do not come for moderation.
  • As the comments get approve without any moderation so the spam comments increase negativity on the website. 

How to install wpDiscuz comments

First of all, install and activate the wpDiscuz plugin. After activation, visit the Comments » wpDiscuz Settings page to configure the plugin settings.

There are different sections on the setting page. The default options are enough to run the plugin properly, however you can also review and change the setting according to your requirement.

If you are using shared WordPress hosting, then you should not use the plugin. Once you are done, simply click the save changes button to store your settings.

4. Thrive Comments

Thrive Comments - alternative comment system for WordPress

Thrive Comments Plugin is another best alternative comment system for WordPress. It adds all the elements of social media and community forums to your WordPress comments section. You can also create an irresistible channel to interact with your site audience.

It allows you to set post-comment actions such as – showing related posts, giving social sharing prompts, redirecting a commenter to a URL, or combining Thrive Leads.

Pros of Thrive Comments

  • Thrive comments have a ton of features.
  • Create a more interactive comments section.
  • Turn comments into potential leads.
  • Reasonable price
  • 30-day money-back guarantee.

Cons of Thrive Comments

  • User will be amazed to see more styling options for the comment form
  • Need to fix the ‘rougher edges’
  • A bit pricey for a single site that you wish to license. However, the 30-day money-back guarantee could help to mitigate any risk.

How to install Thrive Comments

Just installed the plugin and get started!

5. Jetpack Comments

Jetpack Comments - alternative comment system for WordPress

Jetpack WordPress plugin is the best Comment plugin. It will help you connects your WordPress.org to your WordPress.com account. Gives you a bundle of features.

The plugin is enormous that it’s difficult to cover everything in one review. There are countless modules to explore, it offers a range of features that you can add to your website.

Pros of Jetpack Comments

  • Upgrade site functionality
  • Great user experience with faster speed
  • Amazing social media buttons for engagement
  • Easy to use modules & widgets
  • Automatic updates
  • Wide range of security features
  • Numerous customization options
  • You can use all the functionality of WordPress.com in your WordPress.org environment

Cons of Jetpack Comments

  • Do not offer a free plan
  • Can make your WordPress site slow
  • Might require new features update
  • Linking WordPress.com and WordPress.org sites might be risky

How to install Jetpack Comments

Purchase the plugin, install and start using.

Endnote

These alternatives to the default WordPress comment system are only the most popular. There are other plugins and ways to change the comment system. You could also use Google+ system for accepting comments.

Now it is your turn to let me know what comment system you use on your WordPress blog. Are you happy with your current comment system or you would like to replace it?

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