What Commento is
Commento is a privacy-focused comment system with an open-source core. You can self-host the software for free, or use the paid hosted version so you do not have to run it yourself. It is deliberately small: no tracking, no ads, a light embed, and a clean thread. If you value privacy and a minimal footprint, Commento was one of the early tools that took that seriously, and that reputation is deserved.
The tradeoff shows up in the two ways you can run it. Self-hosting means you own the server, the database, the updates, and the backups. The hosted plan removes that work but is a paid subscription. Neither is wrong; they are different amounts of effort and money.
Where Gabden fits
Gabden is a hosted, privacy-first comment system, so it sits closest to Commento's hosted plan in spirit but with a free tier. You paste one script tag and a thread is keyed to each page's canonical URL. There is nothing to install or maintain, no database of your own, and no tracking cookies or fingerprinting on your readers.
The short version: Commento gives you an open-source option you can run yourself. Gabden gives you a hosted service with a free tier and no server to manage.
Price
Commento self-hosted is free as software but costs you hosting and time. The hosted plan is a monthly subscription. Gabden is free forever up to 100,000 widget views per month per website, with a small "Powered by Gabden" mark. Plus is 5 dollars per month per website for unlimited views and no mark, billed per website, cancel anytime. For a small blog, the free tier often covers everything.
Privacy
Both tools are built to avoid the tracking that comes with ad-supported systems. Gabden uses no tracking cookies, no fingerprinting, and no cross-site tracking, and its analytics are anonymous aggregates only. On privacy, you are choosing between two tools that agree on the goal.
Identity
Gabden lets readers post anonymously, as a guest with a name and email, or sign in with Google or GitHub, and readers can keep a hosted profile. This gives you a range from zero-friction anonymous posting to verified sign-in without you wiring up an identity provider yourself.
Moderation
Gabden has four moderation modes: pre-moderate everything, auto-approve, auto-approve returning verified people, or moderate only anonymous users. There is a blocked-word filter, a spam and pending queue, threaded replies, and like and heart reactions. You can also set per-page rules to turn comments off on specific URLs, and assign team roles with per-module permissions.
Speed
Both aim to be light. Gabden's embed is about 10KB and loads on its own after your content, so it does not slow your first render. If page speed is part of why you are looking at Commento in the first place, Gabden is in the same weight class.
Data ownership
A fair concern with any hosted service is lock-in. Gabden lets you export your data as JSON or CSV whenever you want, so moving in or out is not a trap. If you are coming from another system, Gabden can also import existing comments from Disqus, native WordPress, and other systems, mapped to each page's URL.
How to choose
- Pick self-hosted Commento if you want to run the software yourself and are comfortable owning a server and updates.
- Pick a hosted service if you would rather not maintain anything. Between Commento's hosted plan and Gabden, compare price and features: Gabden adds a free tier, multiple identity options, and four moderation modes.
If the hosted route appeals to you, you can create a site and paste the embed in a few minutes, or read the pricing to check the free tier against your traffic.
Join the discussion