Isso
Isso is a lightweight, self-hosted commenting server and a privacy-friendly alternative to Disqus. Built with Python and SQLite, it embeds directly into any static site or blog, supports Markdown formatting, nested replies, voting, and email notifications — all without external dependencies or tracking.
Services
Isso
A lightweight, self-hosted commenting server written in Python. Privacy-friendly alternative to Disqus — embed it on any static site or blog with a simple JavaScript snippet.
Getting Started
- Visit your domain — open the Isso admin interface at
https://<your-domain>/admin - Configure your site — set the
ISSO_HOSTenvironment variable to match the site embedding comments (e.g.https://example.com) - Embed the script — add this snippet to your site:
<script data-isso="https://<your-isso-domain>/" src="https://<your-isso-domain>/js/embed.min.js"></script> <section id="isso-thread"></section> - Moderate comments — use the admin panel at
/adminto review, approve, or delete comments
Key Features
- Lightweight commenting system with SQLite storage
- Markdown formatting in comments
- Nested replies and threading
- Anonymous commenting with optional email
- Upvote/downvote system
- Email notifications for new comments
- Gravatar support
- Admin panel for moderation
- Simple JavaScript embed — works with any static site
- No external database required
Environment Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
ISSO_HOST | The URL of the site embedding Isso comments (e.g. https://example.com) |
License
MIT — GitHub