WordPress is inseparable from its plugins. Even though it is classified as an extra feature, the usage of plugins is what makes WordPress so effective. This post provides a review of nine exceptional WordPress comment plugins that will be of great value to you if you are beginning a blog or website.
Native WordPress Commenting System
The WordPress website is pre-equipped with a native commenting system that enables you to add a comment area to each page.
The default function is not terrible. You may sort, read, and monitor all comments on your posts straight from the dashboard of the website. Simply navigate to your Dashboard > Comments->Settings -> Discussion.
This page allows you to adjust nearly every aspect of your comment area, including its look, visitor rights, and pingback settings.
Here is a concise explanation of some of the default Discussion page options:
1. Make an effort to inform any blogs that the article links to
Checking this box allows the WordPress system to track any links in your article and notify the link's owner. In other words, the proprietors will be aware that your content links to their blog/website.
2. Allow link alerts from additional blogs
If you select this option, WordPress will give you a notification/pingback if someone links to your post or website.
3. Allow commenting on newly published articles
If you do not wish for anyone to comment on your article, you can uncheck this box at any moment. If you disable this option after a user has posted a remark, the comment will remain intact.
In spite of this, you may still delete a remark using the Comment Moderation area. The purpose of this tool is to control all comments on your website.
Simply ensure that the functionality is enabled by selecting "An administrator must always approve the remark" from the list of options. This measure will protect your website from spam assaults and rude remarks.
Comment Function in WordPress: Pros and Cons
The comment function in WordPress is a double-edged sword, since it offers many advantages as well as potential problems that may interfere with your work.
On the one side, the WordPress comment area may improve website visitors. This can offer a direct SEO boost and raise your search engine ranking. Additionally, you may utilize user comments as assessment material and as a source of inspiration for new postings.
On the other side, the comment column may also be a breeding ground for spam as well as angry and abusive remarks that negatively harm user engagement.
These comments are definitely editable, but filtering them requires a great deal of time, which might be quite inconvenient for the majority of users.
Although it may not be able to prevent all of the problems listed above, using WordPress comment plugins can be a worthwhile alternative.
Top 9 WordPress Comment Plugins
Although the default native commenting functionality covers a number of fundamental components, the absence of extra features and extremely restricted customization possibilities leads many users to opt for the WordPress comment plugin instead.
We have compiled a list of excellent WordPress plugins for enabling comments. You may compare them to choose which one meets your requirements.
1. Jetpack Comment (WP Plugin)
Jetpack provides an intriguing blend of features. Its capabilities ensure that you do not need to install a large number of plugins to extend WordPress' functionality.
Jetpack Comments is an example of a feature. This functionality allows you to efficiently handle each article. This plugin allows your website's visitors to post comments using their social network accounts, such as Facebook and Twitter.
This WordPress comment plugin will automatically replace the default WordPress dashboard comment section, so you won't be confused.
Unfortunately, the majority of Jetpack's essential features, like as spam filtering, site monetization, and security screening, are only accessible with the $39/year premium plan.
2. wpDiscuz (WP Plugin)
The site for the WordPress plugin wpDiscuz.
WpDiscuz is a real-time commenting system meant to improve the capabilities and functionality of WordPress's native comments.
This WordPress comment plugin offers several remarkable features, including a simple and clean design, comprehensive social network integration (Instagram, Twitter, etc.), and an automated URL-to-image conversion mechanism in the comments column.
Additionally, wpDiscuz offers add-ons packages with premium features for costs ranging from $9 to $125. You may save money by selecting the $99 add-ons bundle package, which includes several additional features and benefits.
3. GraphComment (SaaS)
GraphComment is a plugin that transforms the default WordPress comments system into an online social discussion forum. Despite its various features, GraphComment comprises mostly on two components.
The initial element is Bubble Flow. This intelligent moderation system is designed to manage user participation in the comments column and present real-time debates.
Bubble Rank is the second component. It prevents spam assaults by utilizing specific algorithms.
Overall, GraphComment is the ideal plugin for managing high levels of user participation. This plugin is excellent for individuals who wish to create a forum on their website.
Main Feature 1: Bubble Flow
Bubble Flow is a patent-pending graphical user interface that enables users to participate with a discussion thread via a horizontal line of miniature author avatars that may be collapsed or extended with a single click. Vertically arranged messages are enlarged one at a time for reading. This enables readers to navigate from left to right through all comment levels using previous/next buttons.
Bubble Flow substitutes the conventional "flat" commenting views, which can be difficult for lengthy discussion threads. With this older commenting system, messages are stacked up chronologically, the screen width can grow too huge, message space is compromised, and the user's ability to view comments can deteriorate with time.
With Bubble Flow, you never have to deal with pages of jumbled comments, and you always know who is speaking to whom and where you stand in the debate. This maximizes readability without requiring additional space. And instead of being ordered by time, communications are ordered by importance (thanks to Bubble Rank). Overall, Bubble Flow facilitates your site visitors' ability to read/write comments and follow pertinent discussions.
Main Feature 2: Bubble Rank
Bubble Rank enables GraphComment to order comments and answers according to their relevancy and the visitor's reputation (determined by a voting algorithm). It not only provides readers with the most reliable and pertinent comments, but it also helps eliminate trolling and spam on your website.
Main Feature 3: Moderation
GraphComment allows you to manage user comments directly through the plugin's integrated admin. Additionally, it allows you to delegate various moderators to different websites.
Moderators can receive email notifications of new comments in real-time and can regulate comments in batches. They can also ban a user or mark a post as spam to assist GraphComment's filters in preventing abuse automatically.
Here are GraphComment's top-level moderating options:
- Pre-Moderation: With Pre-Moderation, comments do not display on your website until a moderator approves them.
- Post-Moderation: With Post-Moderation, comments display on the site instantly, but can be deleted later via moderation.
- Smart Moderation: Smart Moderation automatically moderates comments depending on the algorithm of the plugin and the comment author's reputation.
Main Feature 4: Community
GraphComment allows you to create your own online community where people may engage and follow one another. With community relationship management capabilities, you may see user profiles containing the following information: total number of comments, spam comments, user email, reputation indicators, user votes, and seniority.
GraphComment's activity indicators make it simple for users to identify and engage with fresh material and activity.
Dynamic, active communities can develop their own content, offer assistance to other users, and minimize site owners' support expenses.
Main Feature 5: Analytics
With GraphComment's analytics, you may examine data such as the most popular commentators and threads. This information may be highly useful for determining your most engaged users and the type of material that your audience prefers.
Site owners may enhance their content, goods, and services by gaining important consumer insights via direct client feedback.
Main Feature 6: Social Media Features
GraphComment includes a variety of social features.
For instance, the platform enables grading and social network sharing of comments and threads.
In addition, there is a voting mechanism that evaluates user reputation and enables community moderation.
In addition, the plugin incorporates community profiles, with small profiles shown under comments.
Main Feature 7: Single Sign-On (SSO)
Visitors must register with GraphComment in order to utilize your website's comment system. The creators of GraphComment, Semiologic, believe this is mostly due to the necessity to link commenting data to a unique profile in order to enable alerts and engagement. Without a confirmed email address, this is impossible.
Once a user has a GraphComment account, however, they may interact with any website that employs GraphComment.
Registration using social networks (Facebook, Google, and Twitter) or email is made as simple as possible by GraphComment.
With GraphComment's premium editions, you may take use of the Single Sign-On functionality (SSO). This allows site owners to implement their own login mechanism. In this scenario, your users sign in and register (by giving a username, email address, and password) on your website's authentication system; they do not need to register with GraphComment directly. Through SSO, your website automatically handles this for them.
You verify your users within SSO and provide Semiologic with a "token" that instructs them to trust your user. Semiologic is never privy to user passwords; they simply utilize the user's username and email address from the SSO to show them on the GraphComment system.
4. Disqus (SaaS)
Disqus is a free commenting system that is compatible with most CMS and website platforms, including WordPress. It enables users to establish and log into a single account to leave comments on millions of websites that have this service installed.
2007 saw the creation of the WordPress plugin by Disqus co-founders Daniel Ha and Jason Yan. They met for the first time in seventh school and began building the service throughout their time at UC, Davis, before leaving out.
Since then, Disqus, Inc. has expanded, presently employing 59 people and hosting about 20 million comments and one billion unique monthly visitors.
Even more astounding is the user engagement: each month, over three billion individuals read comments, and eighty million of them vote on them.
Disqus Features
- Visitors may sign in with Facebook, Twitter, and Google+
- Users need only one account to comment on all websites powered by Disqus.
- The comments are threaded and appear expert and engaging.
- Visitors need only register once to remark for a long duration.
- Comments may be upvoted or downvoted.
- One can share a debate or a single comment via email or social media.
- Users can mark a thread as a favorite and subscribe to its updates.
5. Yoast Comment Hacks (WP Plugin)
Yoast is recognized as one of the greatest SEO plugins available today. Yoast has also developed a variety of additional plugins for WordPress, including a plugin for WP comments called Comment Hacks, Known as Yoast Comment Hacks.
Contrary to the majority of WordPress comment plugins, Yoast Comment Hacks does not replace WordPress's original commenting system. Instead, it optimizes just the default functions by "hacking" the WordPress core.
As a result, you can find a variety of custom features that are typically absent from the default WordPress commenting system, such as the ability to redirect users to special pages, the broadcast feature to send emails to all users who leave comments, and a feature to limit the minimum and maximum number of words in a comment.
6. Social Comments by WpDevArt (WP Plugin)
This WordPress comment plugin may show Facebook user comments directly on your website, therefore increasing traffic and boosting your blog/online website's exposure.
In addition, it is provided with different features to optimize each function, such as the option to alter the location of the comment column, a customization panel to change the size and type of text, and the capability to set the box title.
The paid premium subscription for the WpDevArt comments plugin ($10–$31 per month) provides additional capabilities, such as configurable backdrop settings and thousands of animation effects.
7. ReplyBox (SaaS)
ReplyBox is a hosted WordPress comment plugin that Ashley Rich created. This plugin is platform-agnostic. It transmits your comments in real time to ReplyBox's servers. The most distinctive aspect of ReplyBox is its emphasis on privacy.
ReplyBox plugin synchronizes your website's comments with WordPress to prevent lock-in. Additionally, you may import existing WordPress comments to the ReplyBox. Additionally, if you ever removed this plugin for whatever reason, your comments would be preserved.
Features of ReplyBox Plugin
So, let's have a short look at the capabilities the ReplyBox plugin offers:
- This plugin uses Akismet and a few other clever concepts to keep spammers on the sidelines.
- Control all new comments with a manual approval procedure that is both straightforward and efficient.
- Links, lists, quotations, and even code blocks are permitted here.
- Users may react immediately to any remark thanks to the addition of nested comments. Anyone can instantly subscribe to email notifications so they never miss a reply or comment.
- Two-click Google authentication simplifies the process of leaving a remark.
- Import your current comments and automatically synchronize everything without lifting a finger.
This concludes our discussion of the features offered by this WordPress comment plugin.
8. Thrive Comments (WP Plugin)
Thrive Themes' Thrive Comments is one of the top premium WordPress comment plugins. This plugin enables your visitors to like and upvote the comments, so increasing your interaction. You may also award your commentators with participation badges by showcasing their contributions.
Additionally, your audience may join up using their social media accounts and share the URLs of individual comments on Facebook and Twitter.
Functionality of Thrive Comments Plugin as below:
- Facilitates closer visitor engagement with the website.
- It interacts with WordPress's basic administration system without removing earlier comments.
- Embedded upvoting and downvoting tools allow visitors to indicate their agreement or disagreement with other visitors' remarks.
- Through its comments mechanism, it may help a website expand its social reach.
- Implement a Gamification element on Thrive Comment to encourage users to continue participating with the site.
- The design of the thrive comments arrangement is extremely excellent, since both the top and bottom sections have a tab labeled "Leave a Comment."
Thrive Comments is a very feature-rich WordPress comment plugin, as is evident.
9. AnyComment (SaaS)
AnyComment is a lightning-fast commenting plugin for WordPress based on React.
It represents simplicity and swiftness. If you find any bugs or have any recommendations, please let us know in the support forum or on GitHub!
You may easily switch between the following plugins without any migrations:
- Jetpack
- wpDiscuz
- Disqus
- Cackle
- Hypercomments
- Vuukle
And the good news is that AnyComment is free and does not rely on other services; all comments are saved in your database.
Features of AnyComment as below:
- You save all comments in your own database. We reuse the native comment database, so all of WordPress's usual functionality is available out of the box.
- Facebook, VK, Twitter, Google, Odnoklassniki, GitHub, Twitch, or Dribbble social network authorisation
- SEO Ranking
- Capability to migrate to cloud version
- Ability to specify who may make a comment: only guests, socially authorized users, or both. Capability to upload files (define allowed extensions, limit, who can upload, etc)
- When a remark contains a link to a tweet, the plugin can integrate it as an external Twitter widget (can be disabled)
- Ability to customize design
- Rapid comments based on React and the WordPress REST API.
- Notification displayed in comment section when a new comment has been added.
- Notifications regarding a new comment response
- Notifications sent to administrator for each new comment
- Ability to define a comma-separated list of words to contain comments for moderators.
- Ability to format using bold, italics, underlining, quotations, and links, as well as straightforward formatting. Each kind may be deactivated independently or the toolbar as a whole
- URLs for images and videos as attachments (control via admin)
- GDRP-compliant, with the option to link to a privacy statement so that users are aware of how their data is handled and utilized (when not provided, no checkbox will be shown to users)
- Social avatars shown worldwide
- Likes (see the number of likes per comment/user in the administration panel)
- Ability to rank page (1-5) in comments (1-5 stars)
- You can edit or delete comments if you own the blog or have moderate permissions (s) right within the client
- Assign a group default to individuals that authenticate using a social network
- See the URL of a user's social profile in admin
- Simple and informative dashboard with graphs displaying the number of comments relative to the number of people that participated in the conversation over a certain time period, as well as the most active users.
- Get the latest plugin update information immediately in the dashboard.
Conclusion
On the basis of what has been discussed so far, it can be inferred that the comment function on WordPress serves a far larger role than merely encouraging user participation.
A well-optimized comment column may enhance website traffic, improve SEO, and raise the popularity of a website. Unfortunately, WordPress's native commenting mechanism cannot handle everything on its own.
SaaS-based comment systems can help to optimize the site loading speed and prevent spam comments, comment-related bugs and security issues.
If you have any questions or issues regarding native WordPress comments, please feel free to send us in the comment box below.
