16 Insanely Effective WordPress Comment Plugins

Websites with active comment sections experience a 68% increase in visitor engagement. Source

After years running top WordPress blogs, we’ve learned a thing or two about comments and getting the best out of them.

While the default WordPress comments feature does the job, it lacks tools like social login, real-time discussions, and rich media support that help spark lively interactions.

That’s where comment plugins come in. They add essential features and improve existing ones, to deliver a place where people can share ideas and engage.

In this post, we’ll dive into:

• Key features to consider when choosing a WordPress plugin.
• Top WordPress plugins and their unique advantages. 
• Plugins we recommend, their benefits, and why they stand out.

Whether you want to make comments prettier, add custom functions, or improve visitor experience, there’s a comment plugin here that delivers!

What We Look for in a WordPress Comment Plugin

If we’re going to replace a core WordPress feature, it needs to do everything better, with none of the downsides.

Here’s what we look for in a WordPress comment plugin:

• User experience: Simplifies commenting with intuitive navigation, threaded comments, and emoji support.
• Spam protection: Keeps the conversation flowing by using spam prevention tools like CAPTCHA and Akismet.
• Moderation: Provides tools for comment approval, flagging, and editing.
• Social media integration: Boosts user engagement by syncing comments with social media accounts.
• Customization options: Aligns the comment section with your branding.

It also helps if the plugin is simple to use and nice to work with. That’s different for all of us so you’ll have to make your own mind up about that!

The 16 Best WordPress Comment Plugins

Each plugin has its strengths, but these five are exceptional.

Plugin	UX	Spam Protection	Moderation Tools	SM Integration	Customization	Overall Rating
wpDiscuz	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thrive Comments	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jetpack	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Disqus	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Antispam Bee	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐

Now let’s explore these plugins in detail and introduce 11 more!

16 Best WordPress Comment Plugins

These are in no particular order, but each is well worth checking out if you want to up your comments game.

1. Jetpack

Price	Free/From $29.95 per month.
Best for	Websites looking for tight site security.
Standout feature	Comprehensive site protection and backup options.

Jetpack simplifies WordPress management by combining security, performance, and growth tools in one plugin. 

It works with Akismet to keep spam under control and helps manage comments by approving, flagging, or editing them.

The advanced plan also adds extra security and video hosting, making it easier to manage your site.

Pros

• Real-time backups and restoration.
• Integrates with Akismet to weed out spam comments.
• Built-in moderation tools to approve, flag, or edit comments.
• Customization options.
• Built-in site stats provide insights into commenting behavior.

Cons

Pricing

Jetpack has a free version. The premium option starts at $29.95 per year.

What We Think

Jetpack improves the commenting experience with useful moderation options. Its Akismet-powered spam protection also keeps your comments section clean and engaging.

However, if you activate WordPress.com while using Jetpack, you’ll have to share your data with WordPress, which may raise privacy concerns.

2. Disqus

Price	Free/From $18 per month.
Best for	Blogs that use comments for SEO purposes.
Standout feature	Threaded comments.

Disqus offers real-time commenting to make discussions lively and engaging. Advanced moderation tools help you approve, edit, or delete comments from your dashboard too.

Readers can log in via Facebook, X, and Google and join the conversation without signing up. This helps engage them on platforms they already use.

The plugin also supports monetization and adds voting, images, video, social media, spoiler tags, and 3-level nesting—features WordPress doesn’t have.

Pros

• Threaded comments feature.
• Anti-spam protection to eliminate unwanted comments.
• Moderation tools to flag and block users and set pre-moderation criteria.
• Ability to sort discussions and find relevant conversations.
• Provides a single profile to access comment sections on over 4 million websites.

Cons

• Too many ads in the free version.

Pricing

Premium plans cost from $18 per month.

What We Think

Disqus provides social media integration, rich media support, voting, and multi-level nesting, which are beyond what WordPress offers.

Keep in mind that the free version includes ads that can be distracting. Upgrading to a paid plan will give you an ad-free experience.

3. wpDiscuz

Price	Free.
Best for	Educational platforms that need user feedback.
Standout feature	Wide variety of addons.

wpDiscuz offers flexible comment layouts so that you can tailor different designs to suit each page and post type.

Readers can use its inline commenting feature to leave feedback on specific content sections, enhancing engagement without reading the whole article. 

Its dashboard includes comment statistics for easier management, with social media integration to broaden your reach.

Pros

• Engage readers directly with the Inline Questions and Feedback feature.
• The rating system provides valuable insights into audience opinions.
• Comment statistics help track user engagement.
• Visitors can use the social login feature to comment without logging in.
• Built-in spam protection.

Cons

• Can conflict with some caching plugins.

Pricing

wpDiscuz is free.

What We Think

wpDiscuz enhances WordPress comments with a customizable design, strong anti-spam properties, and a post rating system for feedback.

Users can also rate articles without commenting—a feature WordPress doesn’t offer.

4. Thrive Comments

Price	From $49 per year.
Best for	Fan sites with strong social media following.
Standout feature	Thrive suite, which contains all Thrive addons.

Thrive Comments is part of the Thrive Suite and is also available as a standalone plugin. It adds upvotes, featured comments, and badges that make your site more interactive.

The featured comments section highlights your site’s top comments for better engagement.
Your visitors can also easily comment and share content using their social media accounts without registration.

Pros

• Users who prefer social login can still engage.
• Automatically capture commenter details for lead generation.
• Filter comments by post, status, or keywords for better focus.
• Assign comments to specific team members for streamlined replies.
• Comments are lazy-loaded to improve performance.

Cons

• The Thrive Comments plugin is part of the entire Thrive Suite. To use the comments plugin, you’ll have to pick up the

Pricing

Pricing starts at $49 per year or $299 as part of the Thrive Suite.

What We Think

Thrive Comments offers customizable features like comment sorting, moderation, social media integration, and automated responses.

However, setting up email notifications requires integration with an external email delivery service, which may present a learning curve to some users.

5. Subscribe to Comments Reloaded

Price	Free.
Best for	Blogs that integrate commenting and CRM tools.
Standout feature	Comment subscription manager.

Subscribe to Comments Reloaded provides an intuitive subscription manager that lets visitors customize their notifications.

Visitors can choose what to subscribe to, unsubscribe from specific posts, or pause all alerts.

It also manages data import from existing comment subscription plugins, helping you switch without losing valuable comments.

Pros

• Email notifications for new comments.
• The subscription manager provides tailored notifications.
• Visitors can customize messages for a personal touch.
• Imports data from other tools or earlier versions of the plugin.
• Double opt-in and spam filtering to manage spam.

Cons

• Has compatibility issues with a few themes and plugins.

Pricing

The plugin is free.

What We Think

Subscribe to Comments Reloaded provides customizable email notifications and effective subscriber management.

To prevent potential conflicts, test new themes and plugins in a sandbox environment before using them on your live website.

6. Comment Edit

Price	Free/From $29 per year.
Best for	Websites that integrate commenting with third-party applications.
Standout feature	Webhooks for developers.

Comment Edit allows you to add fun avatars, connect with email services like Mailchimp and ConvertKit, and send mention alerts to keep your community involved.

Comment shortcuts and front-end moderation tools help you manage comments efficiently for better engagement.
If you’re a developer, webhooks integrate smoothly with CRMs or sales funnels for better productivity.

Pros

• Akismet spam protection.
• Cloudflare Turnstile blocks spam comments and bots.
• Custom avatars for a personal touch.
• Comment shortcuts allow for easy interaction.
• Slack integration sends notifications for new and edited comments.

Cons

• It lacks clear support and documentation.

Pricing

There’s a free version, with premium plans from $29 per year.

What We Think

Comment Edit is great if you want to liven up your comment section through fun avatars. It also connects with email services like Mailchimp, Slack, and Convertkit for deeper reader interaction.

If you upgrade to premium, webhooks lets you integrate your favorite tools and transfer data to your CRM or sales funnel, which is a neat trick.

7. Social Comments

Price	Free/From $10 per year.
Best for	Bloggers who have a large Facebook fanbase.
Standout feature	Facebook comments integration.

Social Comments adds Facebook features to your site for better social visibility. To get started, just create a Facebook App ID and follow a few easy steps on the plugin’s page.

You can control where comments appear on specific pages, and if you have a global audience, enjoy built-in multilingual support.

Customization features let you style comments to match your website’s look, besides integrating with other plugins for added flexibility.

Pros

• Integrates Facebook comments with user profiles for added authenticity.
• Works with the Akismet for spam protection.
• The customizable comment box provides a branded look.
• Adjusts comment location to maximize visibility and relevance.
• Comment moderation tools simplify management.

Cons

• Needs better documentation.

Pricing

Social Comments has a free option with premium from $10 per year.

What We Think

Social Comments adds Facebook commenting to your site. Its comment boxes and moderation tools improve social visibility.

It could benefit from clearer documentation and support though.

8. GraphComment Comment System

Price	Free/From $7 per month.
Best for	Company intranets that need a commenting feature.
Standout feature	Single sign-on (SSO).

GraphComment boosts engagement with its intuitive bubble flow interface that keeps conversations active with instant push notifications.

It provides for guest commenting, or visitors can use their social accounts to connect, covering most user types.

Commenters can use single sign-on (SSO) for extra convenience and you have options to export your comment data should you need to.

Pros

• Guest commenting for easier onboarding and anonymity.
• Social media integration.
• Includes multimedia like images and videos in comments.
• Advanced moderation tools for better management.
• Easy comment export features ensure your data remains accessible.

Cons

• You’ll need to upgrade to Pro for full support.

Pricing

There’s a free version and premium versions from $7 per month.

What We Think

GraphComment enhances user engagement with its innovative commenting interface. It also offers social media integration, inline media sharing, and smart moderation tools that help build vibrant communities.

You also retain complete ownership of your data, which is a big plus point as far as we’re concerned.

9. Lazy Load for Comments

Price	Free.
Best for	Bloggers who want speed without clutter.
Standout feature	Lazy loading.

Lazy Load for Comments works alongside WordPress’s built-in comment system to keep your site fast and responsive.

It optimizes your site’s speed by only loading comments when needed so visitors can quickly access your content.

You’ll also get developer-friendly hooks to connect with third-party tools, including popular themes like Genesis and Divi.

Pros

• Natively integrates with the existing WordPress comment system.
• Boosts site speed with its lightweight design.
• Works with popular builders like Divi and the WordPress block editor.
• Offers multiple loading options, such as scrolling or clicking, for greater flexibility.
• Developer hooks to help integrate with third-party apps.

Cons

• Its functionality is very basic.

Pricing

The plugin is free.

What We Think

Lazy Load for Comments improves page speed by loading comments only when needed. It integrates with the WordPress comment system, letting you load comments by scrolling or clicking a button.

While it lacks features, it makes user engagement easy without slowing down your site.

10. ReplyBox

Price	Free/From $5 per month.
Best for	Bloggers and website owners with an international audience.
Standout feature	Focus on user privacy.

ReplyBox is fast and secure. You can choose Akismet to mitigate spam automatically or pick manual approval for better control.

Give visitors access to markdown support, links, code blocks, quotes, and emojis to enrich their comments. They can pin their favorite comments, upvote responses they like, and set notifications to stay updated.

It also includes tools to import comments, social login using Google or X, and webhooks to streamline your workflow.

Pros

• Integrates with Akismet to keep comments spam-free.
• Markdown and nested replies for better engagement.
• Social logins via Google and X.
• Support for multiple languages.
• Easily transition by importing existing comments.

Cons

• It supports a narrow range of social plugins compared to competition.

Pricing

There’s a free version of ReplyBox. The premium version costs from $5 per month.

What We Think

ReplyBox puts privacy first by removing ads for a distraction-free experience. Its markdown support and social logins boost engagement, while webhooks allow smooth third-party integrations.

We think expanding social login options could make it even more accessible.

11. Postmatic

Price	From $20 per month.
Best for	Websites and intranets that prefer one-on-one private commenting.
Standout feature	Email integration.

Postmatic brings conversations directly to your inbox using Postmatic Notes to send private, replayable newsletters.

Each email digest can be beautified using images, author info, and top comments. When users reply to emails, their responses become part of the conversation on your site. 

You can customize your email using any of its five unique templates, and the free Beaver Builder feature helps with drag and drop design.

Pros

• Direct inbox replies without logging in.
• Customizable email templates that can be branded.
• Email frequency and notifications can be adjusted.
• Integration with hundreds of services like Zapier for better engagement.
• Imports comments from other platforms.

Cons

• No social media integration.

Pricing

Prices start at $20 per month.

What We Think

Postmatic helps you engage by receiving comments directly in your inbox. It provides customizable templates and integrates with Beaver Builder, Mailchimp, and Zapier for better customization.

While it lacks social media features, its focus on email ensures distraction-free conversations.

12. Comment Hacks

Price	Free.
Best for	Sites that integrate email delivery with commenting.
Standout feature	Bulk comment management.

Comment Hacks improves the WordPress comment system with better notification emails, controlled comment lengths, and versatile comment routing options.

To boost engagement, you can forward comments to a specific email address, respond directly to individual commenters, or send bulk emails to all commenters on a post.

Its comment policy requires commenters to accept certain conditions before sharing their thoughts for a more respectful discussion environment.

Pros

• Sets a minimum comment length for controlled feedback.
• Email individual commenters or send bulk messages to boost engagement.
• Redirects commenters to valuable site content after engagement.
• Provides organized notification emails for better workflow.
• Better comment management with options for analytics and filtering.

Cons

• Comment management options are basic compared to competitors.

Pricing

Comment Hacks is free to use.

What We Think

Comment Hacks extends WordPress comment management through notification emails, comment policies, and effective email routing.

While it may have basic features compared to competitors, it’s ideal if you prefer a streamlined approach to WordPress commenting.

13. Akismet Anti-Spam

Price	Free/$9.95 per month.
Best for	Busy websites that prefer automated comment management.
Standout feature	Machine learning for spam control.

Akismet works with popular WordPress tools and plugins such as Jetpack, Gravity Forms, and Contact Form 7 for extended protection.

It uses smart technology to evaluate submissions in real time and filter out spam through one of the largest global spam databases.

You can easily track flagged comments through its dashboard, either manually or through automatic intervention. Its API integrates with your existing workflow, offering robust protection beyond WordPress.

Pros

• Uses technology to outsmart evolving spam tactics.
• The cloud-based setup improves site speed.
• Integrates with existing WordPress plugins and extensions.
• Offers a user-friendly dashboard for better insights.
• Easy to integrate into custom applications through its developer API.

Cons

• The free version asks for credit card information.

Pricing

Akismet has a free version. Premium options start at $9.95 per month.

What We Think

Akismet is a solid anti-spam solution for WordPress that works seamlessly with popular plugins to boost protection. It’s free for personal sites, while businesses need a paid plan.

Powered by one of the largest spam databases in the world, the plugin delivers reliable results.

14. Super Socializer

Price	Free.
Best for	Websites that need deep social integration.
Standout feature	Social media integration.

Super Socializer allows visitors to log in, share content, and comment on their social media accounts without signing up. It syncs email and other profile details, making it easier to connect.

Compatibility with plugins like Heator Login, Fancy Comments, and Sassy Social Share adds Facebook logins, social sharing, and interactive commenting to boost engagement.

Adding bbPress and BuddyPress plugins helps you create a vibrant community for better visitor involvement.

Pros

• Visitors can log in with their social accounts.
• Integrates comments with social media for better visibility.
• Reduces spam through social network authentication.
• Integrates with popular WordPress plugins for enhanced engagement.
• Automatically fetches user profile data for personalized interactions.

Cons

• You’ll need to upgrade to the Pro version to unlock deeper customization.

Pricing

Super Socializer is free. Optional addons cost from $7.99.

What We Think

Super Socializer makes it easy for visitors to log in, share, comment and participate in discussions by logging in using Facebook or Google.

It also works well with community plugins like bbPress and BuddyPress to create a more connected community.

15. Decent Comments

Price	Free.
Best for	Guest blogs that feature extended author information.
Standout feature	Comment widgets and shortcodes.

Decent Comments transforms how feedback appears on your site by highlighting the author’s avatar and comment snippets for a visually engaging experience.

It’s ideal for blogs with multiple guest contributors, helping you control where and how comments are displayed—whether inside a post, as a widget, or via shortcode.

The flexible API also makes it easy to customize comment displays, helping you use comments in and out of your website for greater engagement.

Pros

• Showcases comment author’s detailed avatar.
• Customizable comment widgets and shortcodes.
• Adjusts the number of visible comments for targeted participation.
• Sorting options highlight relevant comments by date, content, or author.
• API integrates comments with third-party applications.

Cons

• Documentation is limited.

Pricing

The plugin is free.

What We Think

Decent Comments adds a personal touch to feedback by showing avatars and snippets of each comment. It encourages interaction through options to customize displays and sort comments.

Beyond support, there’s a vibrant community to help you with any technical issues.

16. Antispam Bee

Price	Free.
Best for	Websites that want comments in only a specific language or from a specific country.
Standout feature	Comment restriction by language or country.

Antispam Bee keeps your site spam-free without intrusive captchas or data sharing. The dashboard provides helpful spam alerts and daily stats so you stay in control.

With flexible filters by language or region, you can keep discussions relevant and engaging while controlling who can comment and from where.

To highlight genuine interactions, you can prioritize comments from verified users (those with approved comments or Gravatars) and keep a local record of spammers.

Pros

• Automatically deletes spam after a set number of days.
• Limits approval to specific comment types.
• Restricts comments to a specific language.
• Sends instant email notifications about incoming spam.
• A dashboard that analyzes blocked comments.

Cons

• The plugin doesn’t seem to keep up with changing spam tactics.

Pricing

Antispam Bee is free to use.

What We Think

Anti-Spam Bee filters out spam into a separate folder, allowing you to focus on genuine comments.
Its dashboard provides insights to boost engagement and features a flexible database that tracks past spammers, giving you effective control over your comments.

Which WordPress Comment Plugin Should You Choose?

It’s much easier to boost engagement on your WordPress site when you use the right tools. 

In this guide, we’ve discussed 16 top comment plugins to help you find a great match for your site.

While all of them offer something, a few truly hit the mark:

• wpDiscuz offers branding options for your comment section, a rating system for feedback, and strong anti-spam features.
• Thrive Comments provides comment sorting, social media connection, and automated responses.
• Jetpack manages comments with built-in moderation tools and Akismet integration for spam control.

Looking to make your site more engaging? Try one of these plugins, and let us know how they improve your experience.

Share your favorite plugins, stories, or questions in the comments below!

WordPress Comment Plugin FAQs

If you still have questions perhaps we still have answers.

Summary

A website without a thriving community is just not very engaging and nobody wants that. Creating a community is the number one goal of many websites, yet many seem content to use the basic WordPress comments feature.

You can do better than that.

Any of these comment plugins for WordPress takes that basic function and improves upon it. Some do one thing well while others offer multiple features. All can help you build a thriving community for your website.

Do you use a comment plugin for WordPress? Use any in this list? Have another to recommend? You know what to do!