Cusdis was a good fit for a small blog. A tiny embed, no sign-up for commenters, and an approval queue, so nothing appeared on the page until you approved it.
It's now deprecated. If your comments live there, here is what happened, how to get your data out, and where to go next.
What happened
The Cusdis README now carries a short notice: "Cusdis is deprecated now." The GitHub repository was archived by its owner on July 17, 2026, so the code no longer receives updates or security fixes.
We couldn't find an announced shutdown date for the hosted service at cusdis.com. If you use the hosted version, request an export now so you have a copy either way.
Step 1: Get your comments out
- Hosted (cusdis.com): The README asks you to email hi@cusdis.com with the email address you signed up with and the export format you want.
- Self-hosted: Your instance keeps running, but back up its database before anything else. Some migration tools read the database directly.
Keep the original page URLs or page IDs next to the export. You'll need them to attach each comment to the right post on the new system.
Step 2: Decide what to keep from Cusdis
People picked Cusdis for a few specific reasons. It's worth listing which ones still matter to you.
- Small embed. The Cusdis SDK is about 5 KB gzipped.
- No login for commenters. Readers could comment without an account.
- Approval queue. New comments stayed hidden until you approved them.
- Open source and self-hostable. Cusdis is GPLv3.
The alternatives
| Tool | Hosting | Free option | Reader login | Cusdis import |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isso | Self-host | Free software | Not required | No direct importer found |
| Remark42 | Self-host | Free software | Optional, anonymous allowed | Community migration tool |
| Comentario | Self-host | Free software | Optional, anonymous allowed | No native importer, custom conversion reported |
| FastComments | Hosted | 30-day trial | Anonymous allowed | Yes, native |
| Hyvor Talk | Hosted | 14-day trial | Guests allowed (name required) | Custom import service, confirm with Hyvor |
| giscus | Hosted app or self-host | Free | GitHub account | No |
| Joey | Hosted | Free plan | Not required | No |
Isso
The closest in spirit to self-hosted Cusdis. A lightweight Python server with SQLite storage, no reader accounts, and settings for whether name and email are required. It's maintained, with version 0.14.0 released in March 2026. Its documented importers cover Disqus and WordPress, so moving Cusdis comments means converting them yourself.
Remark42
A self-hosted system with more features: anonymous comments, social logins, moderation tools, and notifications. It ships as a Docker image or a standalone binary. Remark42 doesn't import Cusdis on its own, but there is a community Cusdis to Remark42 migrator. It reads the Cusdis PostgreSQL database directly and keeps reply threads, so it fits self-hosted Cusdis users best. One blogger documented moving from Cusdis to Remark42 in 2024.
Comentario
An actively maintained fork of Commento, self-hosted, with anonymous comments you can enable. Its official importers are for Disqus, WordPress, and Commento. One site owner moved from Cusdis to Comentario in 2025 by converting comments to CSV and merging them into Comentario's JSON format with a script. The comments were imported, but duplicates had to be removed by hand and reply threading stayed broken.
FastComments
A hosted option for keeping your old comments: FastComments lists Cusdis among the providers it imports natively. It allows anonymous comments and has no ads. There's a 30-day trial and no permanent free plan. The Flex plan bills by usage with a $0.99 monthly minimum, and the Creators plan is $5.99 a month.
Hyvor Talk
A hosted, ad-free comment system with guest commenting on by default (name required, email optional). Its built-in importers cover Disqus and WordPress. For other platforms, Hyvor offers a custom import service, which costs €100 on most plans and is included in some Business and Enterprise plans. Cusdis isn't on the list, so confirm with Hyvor before paying. There's a 14-day trial, then the Personal plan at €50 a year.
giscus
Free and ad-free, with comments stored in GitHub Discussions. It's a big change from Cusdis in one way: every commenter signs in with GitHub. That's no extra step for readers who already use GitHub. For readers who don't, it's a step Cusdis never asked for.
Joey
A hosted comment box with nothing to install. Like Cusdis, readers comment without an account, and they don't need to give an email either. You get comments in one dashboard, with email notifications and replies, and you can export them to CSV. No ads.
Joey doesn't import Cusdis data, so it fits best when you're starting fresh or adding comments to pages that never had them. The free plan includes unlimited comment boxes, shows the 3 most recent comments publicly, and includes a small Joey link. Pro shows all comments without the link.
How to choose
- You self-hosted Cusdis and want to keep doing that. Pick Isso if you liked how small Cusdis was. Pick Remark42 if you want more features and an existing migration path.
- You used hosted Cusdis and want your old comments. FastComments imports Cusdis directly.
- Your readers may not use GitHub. If you want account-free commenting, skip giscus and keep "no login" on your checklist.
- You're fine starting fresh. Any hosted option works. Joey fits if you mostly want short reactions without sign-ups.
For a wider comparison, see Disqus alternatives in 2026.
Whatever you choose, request your export first so you have a backup. You don't need an official shutdown date to start.