Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

FastComments VS CommentBox.io

Compare FastComments VS CommentBox.io and see what are their differences

FastComments logo FastComments

A very fast, feature-full, and privacy-focused comment service for handling discussions on the internet. At 4.6 kB with no dependencies, it's the fastest comment service around.

CommentBox.io logo CommentBox.io

Imagine a cleaner, prettier Disqus, but without the ads, tracking, or sharing of personal data.
  • FastComments Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-08
  • CommentBox.io Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-18

FastComments features and specs

  • Real-time Commenting
    FastComments offers real-time commenting features, allowing users to engage in dynamic conversations without needing to refresh the page.
  • Spam Filtering
    The platform includes robust spam filtering capabilities to maintain the quality and relevance of discussions.
  • Customizability
    FastComments provides various customization options, enabling website owners to tailor the commenting system's appearance and functionalities to match their site's design and requirements.
  • User Engagement
    Features like notifications, upvotes, and social integrations enhance user engagement by fostering interactive and community-driven discussions.
  • Embedding Options
    It allows for easy embedding of the commenting system on any site, providing flexibility and ease of use.
  • Moderation Tools
    The platform includes comprehensive moderation tools that empower admins to manage comments efficiently and maintain community standards.

Possible disadvantages of FastComments

  • Cost
    While it offers free plans, some advanced features and higher usage limits are behind a paywall, which might not be economical for all users.
  • Learning Curve
    The wide array of customization and features could present a steep learning curve for new users not familiar with comment management systems.
  • Dependency on External Service
    Relying on a third-party service may introduce risk, as changes or outages in FastComments can impact the commenting system on your site.
  • Data Privacy Concerns
    Users and site owners may have concerns regarding data privacy and how user comments and data are handled by a third-party service.
  • Limited Offline Support
    Since it is primarily an online service, there may be limitations in accessing or managing comments when offline.

CommentBox.io features and specs

  • Ease of Integration
    CommentBox.io is known for its straightforward setup process. With just a few lines of code, you can integrate a comment section into your website, making it incredibly user-friendly for developers.
  • Customizable Design
    The platform allows for a high level of design customization, so you can match the comment section to the look and feel of your website. This enhances user experience and maintains brand consistency.
  • No Ads
    CommentBox.io is ad-free, which means you don't have to worry about intrusive advertisements disrupting the user experience or cluttering your site.
  • Privacy Focused
    It provides a privacy-friendly service, not tracking users unnecessarily, which can be a significant advantage in terms of compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR.
  • Moderation Tools
    Robust moderation tools are available, allowing you to manage and moderate comments effectively, preventing spam and ensuring a positive interaction environment.

Possible disadvantages of CommentBox.io

  • Limited Free Plan
    The free plan may have limitations in terms of features and scalability, which can be restrictive for larger sites or those needing advanced functionalities.
  • Dependency on Third-party Service
    Relying on an external service means that any downtime or issues on CommentBox.io's part can affect your site's comment functionality.
  • Feature Restrictions
    Compared to some competitors, CommentBox.io may lack certain advanced features or integrations that are important for some websites.
  • Pricing
    While there is a free version, accessing all features requires a paid plan, which might be a drawback for smaller sites with limited budgets.
  • Limited Language Support
    The platform may not support multiple languages as comprehensively as needed by sites catering to a global audience.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to FastComments and CommentBox.io)
Social Networks
46 46%
54% 54
Project Management
44 44%
56% 56
Commenting Service
62 62%
38% 38
Feedback
39 39%
61% 61

User comments

Share your experience with using FastComments and CommentBox.io. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

FastComments might be a bit more popular than CommentBox.io. We know about 7 links to it since March 2021 and only 6 links to CommentBox.io. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

FastComments mentions (7)

  • Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (April 2026)
    I'm working on Watch.ly - a remote human-in-the-loop networking and FS sandbox for AI agents like openclaw: https://watch.ly/ Also this week launching https://dirtforever.net/ which is an open alternative to RaceNet Clubs for Dirt Rally 2, since EA is shutting that down. I'm also expanding the SDK and plugin space for https://fastcomments.com and am planning on adding AI agents because everyone expects that now :)... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Ask HN: What are you working on (August 2024)?
    Hello! This year I've been working on building an integrated registration and live timing platform [0] for my local organizers in CA, but it is spreading. Very fun/rewarding project. I hope to launch my own cellular-based timing hardware this year which will integrate into the timing platform (right now I've reverse engineered and now support 5 different chronometers, I never knew cross platform serial port comms... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Commenting system for Hugo
    Another one I can recommend enthusiastically but forgot to mention before, is a paid service called FastComments (https://fastcomments.com/). Great, non-heavy code with a super-helpful developer. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Made this NPM package that saves you the trouble of making a tedious comments section!
    With a quick search, I found https://fastcomments.com/, which does provide comments storage. What does your library provide that this service doesn't? Source: about 4 years ago
  • How do you collect feedback for your blog posts? (for technical blogs, documentation, how-to's, etc.)
    I just started using https://fastcomments.com/. I am still in the free trial but it seems pretty good so far. Source: about 5 years ago
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CommentBox.io mentions (6)

  • Community Response Thread in Rise Course
    Could you embed a web object? Maybe use something like this: https://devilpenakut.medium.com/free-comment-widget-for-websites-and-blogs-574aca4341f (free) or this: https://commentbox.io/ (not free but fairly cheap and more control). Source: over 3 years ago
  • [Hobby Scuffles] Week of November 14, 2022
    Ooo, you even added in comment boxes, nice! It's the free Comment Box thing, right? I'm thinking of using that for my own neocities site once I get it started up. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Is there a chat or commenting option I can put on a page that doesn't require another login?
    You can use embed pages from community softwares like Discourse or Flarum or you can use HTML Commentbox or you can just build your own commenting system (it's not that hard). Another option can be Commentbox but it requires external login but only allows third-party auth and has lots of options like Twitter, FB, Google, Github etc. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Is there a way to add a comment section?
    For regular comments (and not like a guestbook/chat or something) I see a lot of people using commentbox https://commentbox.io/. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Launch HN: Typedream (YC W20) โ€“ WYSIWYG website builder
    - Not familiar with n8n.io, looks like it's similar to Zapier. We don't have any integration like this yet, but most functional components that you can add to your Typedream site (like forms, waitlist, etc) can be done using HTML embeds. For example, to add a form, you can embed an Airtable form in your Typedream site. This means that any automation supported by those tools can be used. With that said,... - Source: Hacker News / over 4 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing FastComments and CommentBox.io, you can also consider the following products

DISQUS - Disqus is a global comment system that improves discussion on websites and connects conversations across the web.

Commento - A fast, bloat-free comments system to foster discussion on your website

giscus - A comments system powered by GitHub Discussions. Let visitors leave comments and reactions on your website via GitHub!

utterances - A lightweight comments widget built on GitHub issues.

Hyvor Talk - The Best Commenting Platform For Your Website

Commentix - Commentix is a simple, lightweight comment system you can embed on any website with just two lines of code. It's privacy-friendly, SEO-ready, easy to customize, and doesn't slow your pages down.