A lightweight comments system for websites that uses GitHub Discussions for storage and moderation.
giscus is an open-source commenting system that replaces traditional third-party comment platforms by using GitHub Discussions as its backend. It allows website owners to embed a comment section where visitors can post using their GitHub accounts, with all data stored and moderated directly within GitHub. This eliminates the need for a separate database or complex backend infrastructure.
Developers, technical writers, and bloggers who host static websites (e.g., via Jekyll, Hugo, Next.js) and want a lightweight, privacy-respecting comment system integrated with their GitHub workflow.
giscus offers a completely free, tracking-free alternative to services like Disqus, with no ads and no database management required. Its tight integration with GitHub Discussions simplifies moderation and leverages GitHub's familiar interface for both site owners and commenters.
A commenting system powered by GitHub Discussions. :octocat: :speech_balloon: :gem:
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giscus explicitly avoids tracking and ads, ensuring no user data is harvested for analytics, as stated in the README's 'No tracking, no ads, always free' feature.
All comments are stored in GitHub Discussions, leveraging GitHub's robust infrastructure for data storage and moderation without a separate backend, as described in the 'How it works' section.
Supports custom themes and multiple languages with detailed configuration guides in ADVANCED-USAGE.md, allowing seamless design matching for any site.
Provides tools to convert existing GitHub Issues from systems like utterances into Discussions, simplifying transition from similar comment platforms, as mentioned in the 'Migrating' section.
Relies entirely on GitHub's API and Discussions; changes or downtime can break functionality, a risk highlighted in the README's note about active development and GitHub's evolving API.
Requires visitors to have a GitHub account and authorize the giscus app via OAuth, excluding non-technical users or those unwilling to log in, which can hinder community engagement.
As admitted in the README, both giscus and GitHub Discussions are under active development, leading to possible feature instability and maintenance overhead for site owners.
giscus is an open-source alternative to the following products:
Commento is an open-source commenting platform that can be embedded into websites as an alternative to Disqus, focusing on privacy and simplicity.
Disqus is a comment hosting service for websites that enables discussion and community engagement through embedded comment sections. It provides moderation tools, spam filtering, and social media integration.