Artalk is a free, self-hosted comment system for blogs and websites, built with Go and a lightweight JS client. Docker deploy, Markdown, moderation.
Artalk is a self-hosted comment system for blogs and websites, released as open source under the MIT license by the ArtalkJS project. It pairs a lightweight vanilla JavaScript client with a Go-based server, so site owners can add a full-featured comment widget without depending on a third-party SaaS provider.
Because Artalk runs on infrastructure the site owner controls, all comment data stays under their ownership. It is commonly paired with static site generators such as Hugo, Hexo, and Jekyll, as well as with WordPress and other CMS platforms.
Artalk supports nested, threaded comments with flexible sorting, Markdown formatting, image uploads, and LaTeX rendering for technical content. An admin panel provides comment moderation and multi-site management from a single instance, while built-in email notifications alert users to replies.
The client is roughly 40KB and works without a JavaScript framework, keeping page load overhead low. Dark mode and a plugin system for extending functionality round out the feature set.
Artalk itself is free and open source with no paid tiers. The only cost is hosting the server, typically on a VPS, along with a database (SQLite, MySQL, or PostgreSQL). Deployment is available via Docker, prebuilt binaries, go install, or Linux distribution packages.
Yes, Artalk is completely free and open source under the MIT license; the only cost is hosting your own server.
Yes, Artalk's Go server needs a database such as SQLite, MySQL, or PostgreSQL to store comments.
Yes, Artalk works well with Hugo, Hexo, Jekyll, and other static site generators, as well as WordPress, via its client widget and API.
No, Artalk is designed to be self-hosted; there is no official managed SaaS offering.