Isso
Lightweight commenting server written in Python and Javascript. It aims to be a drop-in replacement for Disqus.
- Social & Forums
- Python
- MIT
- Docker
- Actively maintained
GitHub stats
- GitHub stars
- 5,310
- Forks
- 462
- Open issues
- 51
- Commits, last 12 months
- 95
- Last commit
- Sep 15, 2026
- Latest release
- 0.14.0Mar 26, 2026
- Created
- Oct 17, 2012
Data from the GitHub API, refreshed daily.
About Isso
Lightweight commenting server written in Python and Javascript. It aims to be a drop-in replacement for Disqus. Isso is open source under the MIT license and written mainly in Python, so you can read the code, run it on your own hardware and keep full control of your data.
The project has 5,310 stars and 462 forks on GitHub, with 95 commits over the last year. It ships a Docker image, which makes it a good fit for a small VPS or a home server running Docker Compose.
Topics
- disqus
- commenting
- self-hosted
- javascript
- sqlite3
Repository preview
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What is Isso?
Isso is a free, open-source app you can host on your own server, listed in our Social & Forums category. Lightweight commenting server written in Python and Javascript. It aims to be a drop-in replacement for Disqus. The source code lives at github.com/isso-comments/isso, where it has 5,310 stars.
Is Isso free and open source?
Yes. Isso is open-source software released under the MIT license, so you can self-host it at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on, and some projects also offer an optional paid cloud plan.
Can I run Isso with Docker?
Yes. Isso provides a Docker image, so you can run it on any Linux server with Docker and Docker Compose installed. The project README lists the image name and the environment variables to set.
What are the best alternatives to Isso?
Popular open-source alternatives to Isso include Mastodon, Discourse and Flarum.
Is Isso actively maintained?
The most recent commit to Isso was on Sep 15, 2026 with 95 commits in the past twelve months. The latest release is 0.14.0, published Mar 26, 2026. Check the open issues on GitHub to gauge how quickly maintainers respond.