17 Best WordPress Comments Plugins (Tested & Compared)

Looking for the best plugin to manage comments and boost engagement on your site?

A comments section lets visitors to engage with your content, ask questions, and share their thoughts and opinions. However, managing comments can be a time-consuming task, especially if you receive a lot of them.

This is where WordPress comments plugins come in. These plugins can help you automate the comment moderation process, spam filtering, and many other tasks.

We’ve tested and compared the best WordPress comments plugins on the market. In this guide, we’ll discuss their features, pros, and cons, and help you choose the best plugin for your needs.

Overview: Top 3 WordPress Comments Plugins

Plugins	Best For?	Free Version	Unique Features
Thrive Comments	Cultivating a thriving online community	❌	Badges, upvotes, and featured comments
Comment Moderation Role by WPBeginner	Giving permissions to users to edit and moderate comments	✅	WPB Comment Moderator user role
Akismet	Eliminating comment and form spam	✅	Set-and-forget spam protection

How We Test and Review WordPress Plugins

We picked the best plugins by looking at their features, ease of use, user reviews, and how well they integrate with WordPress. Here’s our process:

• Testing: We install each selected plugin on a test WordPress site. Then we evaluate the installation process for simplicity, performance, and compatibility with your website theme and other plugins.
• Feature Review: We review and test its features and interface to check for ease of use, customization options, and reliability. We check if the plugin delivers on what it promises.
• What’s Unique?: With most WordPress plugins, there’s no one-size-fits-all. So we look for unique features to help you decide if it’s the right plugin for your website’s needs.

Our goal here is to find the perfect plugins to help you moderate and enhance your comments section.

Why Trust WP101

At WP101, we have 16+ years of experience teaching WordPress to thousands of people. Our team of WordPress experts reviews every plugin and tool on real websites. We also regularly update our content to keep up with changes in WordPress and the marketing world to make sure you get the latest information.

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What’s In This Guide?

In this guide, we put the following WordPress plugins to the test:

• Thrive Comments
• Comment Moderation Role by WPBeginner
• Akismet
• Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools
• Comment Edit Core
• Comments Extra Fields
• wpDiscuz
• Comment Hacks
• Jetpack Comments
• Postmatic
• GraphComment
• WP Reactions
• Super Socializer
• Lazy Load for Comments
• SearchWP
• Uncanny Automator
• WP Mail SMTP

What To Look For In a Comments Plugin?

Every website’s needs are different. Before choosing a WordPress comments plugin, there are a few key considerations to keep in mind:

• Spam protection: Make sure the plugin has robust spam filtering features to protect your site from unwanted comments.
• Moderation tools: Look for plugins with moderation tools that make it easy to approve, reject, or delete comments.
• Customization options: Choose a plugin that allows you to customize the appearance and functionality of your comment section.
• Integration: Consider plugins that integrate with other services, such as social media platforms or CRM systems.
• Performance: Ensure that the plugin is well-optimized and does not slow down your website.

Now let’s take a look at the best WordPress comments plugins you can use on your website.

Best WordPress Comments Plugins

1. Thrive Comments

Thrive Comments Thrive Comments is hands down the best WordPress comments plugin that transforms your default WordPress comment system into a sleek, interactive, and engaging platform. It makes it easy to create a thriving online community.

Thrive Comments gamifies the experience with badges, upvotes, and featured comments, rewarding users for participating and encouraging quality contributions.

Next, it gives you actionable insights so you gain valuable intel on your audience through comment voting rates and reports. See which old or new posts resonate most and identify your most active commenters.

Thrive lets you allow visitors to comment directly through their social media accounts, eliminating the need for separate logins.

Overall, you can manage comments efficiently with a dedicated dashboard for sorting, filtering, and assigning comments to team members.

What stands out about ThriveThemes as a whole is that it is conversion-focused. When it comes to Thrive Comments, you can leverage post-comment actions to capture leads, promote social sharing, and guide users toward further engagement.

Pros of Thrive Comments

• Gamified features to encourage user participation
• Detailed comment reports and analytics
• Social media integration for easy commenting
• Efficient comment moderation tools
• Social commenting like share as Facebook comments
• Options to boost conversions after comments

Cons of Thrive Comments

• Thrive Comments is a premium plugin, requiring a purchase.
• Some features, like lightbox popups, require additional Thrive plugins to function fully.

Who is Thrive Comments Best For?

Thrive Comments is a great fit for bloggers, entrepreneurs, and website owners who want to cultivate a thriving online community. It’s ideal for those who value user engagement, insightful audience data, and streamlined comment management.

If you’re looking to breathe new life into your comments section and turn it into a valuable asset for your website, Thrive Comments is definitely worth considering.

✅ Beginner-Friendly ✅ Free Trial ❌ Free version

Get started with Thrive Comments »

2. Comment Moderation Role by WPBeginner

Comment Moderation Role by WPBeginner is the best tool to manage comments with ease.

As your site grows, so can the number of comments you receive, making moderation a time-consuming chore.

By default, WordPress requires users with comment moderation permissions to also have editing permissions. This can be a security risk, as it grants them access to edit your posts.

The Comment Moderation Role plugin solves this by creating a new user role: “WPB Comment Moderator.” Users assigned this role can only access the comment moderation screen, meaning they cannot edit posts or access other areas of your WordPress dashboard. This provides a secure way to delegate comment moderation tasks.

Using the Comment Moderation Role plugin is a breeze. Simply activate the plugin and then edit a user’s profile. You’ll see the new “WPB Comment Moderator” role available. Assign this role to users you trust to manage comments on your site.

So for instance, you can let guest authors moderate comments on their posts without giving them access to edit other content. It even lets you delegate comment moderation to specific users, allowing them to focus solely on managing comments.

Plus, you can protect your website content by assigning comment moderation duties without granting broader editing permissions.

Pros of Comment Moderation Role

• Free and easy to use
• Improves security by separating comment moderation and editing permissions
• Streamlines workflow for managing comments

Cons of Comment Moderation Role

• Limited functionality (focuses solely on comment moderation)

Who is Comment Moderation Role Best For?

If you’re looking for a user-friendly and secure way to manage comments on your WordPress site, the Comment Moderation Role plugin is a great option to consider.

It’s worth noting that WPBeginner offers tons of free WordPress tutorials and premium expert WordPress services. They’ll help you set up your website, create a stunning design, optimize speed, and so much more.

✅ Free ❌ Advanced features ✅ Beginner-friendly

Get started with Comment Moderation Role by WPBeginner »

3. Akismet

Akismet is the most powerful anti-spam plugin for WordPress, Akismet boasts a staggering 99.99% accuracy rate, filtering out comment, form, and text spam before it ever sees the light of day on your site.

Akismet filters out irrelevant and malicious content with impressive accuracy. They claim to have blocked over 500 billion spam messages!

The plugin seamlessly integrates with your WordPress admin panel, making comments and form spam moderation a breeze. No complex setup is required.

Akismet’s cloud-based architecture ensures it won’t slow down your website, maintaining optimal site speed and performance.

Added to that, it integrates smoothly with popular tools and plugins like Jetpack, Contact Form 7, and many others.

What stands out is that it gives you valuable insights into your spam activity with a user-friendly dashboard This shows you what Akismet is blocking and what it’s letting through.

Pros of Akismet

• Extremely high spam-blocking accuracy
• Effortless integration with WordPress
• Set-and-forget spam protection
• Lightweight and doesn’t slow down your site
• Integrates with many popular plugins
• Provides valuable insights into spam activity
• Open-source friendly with a developer API

Cons of Akismet

• Free plan has limited features (paid plans offer additional options)

Who is Akismet Best For?

Akismet is a great choice for any WordPress site owner who wants a simple yet powerful solution to eliminate comment and form spam. It’s ideal for bloggers, businesses, and anyone who wants to protect their website from unwanted content.

✅ Free plan ✅ Beginner-friendly

Get started with Akismet »

4. Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools

Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools is a WordPress comments plugin that helps fight blog comment spammers and improve comment quality.

It discourages link-hungry spammers by removing website URLs and hyperlinks from comments altogether.

You get full control of your comment form by removing the website field and disabling automatic URL linking within comments.

For those hard-to-catch spammers, Comment Tools Pro utilizes advanced features like comment sentiment analysis and keyword filtering to automatically identify and flag potential spam.

It also uses a hidden element (invisible to humans) to trap bots that fill out comment forms automatically. Finally, you can set a minimum comment length requirement to deter spammers who leave one-word comments.

But Comment Tools Pro goes beyond just fighting spam. It also offers features designed to foster a thriving comment community.

What stands out is its AI feature to automatically generate replies to approved comments and keep the conversation flowing. Allow users to record voice messages and upload files (like images and videos) alongside their comments, enriching the commenting experience.

The plugin integrates email subscription options within the comment form, allowing readers to easily sign up for your newsletter while commenting.

Empower your readers to curate the comment section by enabling upvoting and downvoting of comments.

You get valuable insights into the emotional tone of comments with sentiment analysis. Use this data to identify overly negative comments and moderate accordingly. Bulk manage comments with ease or hide existing comments.

Finally, it lets you enhance the comment section with features like comment collapsing, user tagging, and the ability to quote other comments.

Pros of Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools

• Comprehensive spam-fighting features
• Boosts comment quality and engagement
• Offers advanced comment moderation tools
• Enhances user experience with interactive features
• Integrates with popular email marketing services

Cons of Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools

• Free version has limited features
• Some advanced features require technical knowledge for setup

Who is Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools Best For?

Comment Tools Pro is ideal for bloggers and website owners who want to eliminate spam, encourage meaningful comments, and foster a vibrant online community.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive solution to combat comment spam and elevate your blog’s comment section, Comment Tools Pro is definitely worth considering.

✅ Free version ❌ Easy to Learn

Get started with Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools »

5. Comment Edit Core

Comment Edit Core offers a free plugin that allows users to edit their comments for a set period of time after posting, giving them a chance to fix typos or clarify their thoughts.

Installation is a breeze, and the plugin works seamlessly with your existing WordPress commenting system. In the free version, you’ll get features like:

• Anonymous Editing: For five minutes after posting, anonymous users can edit their comments.
• Lightweight and Efficient: No need to worry about the plugin slowing down your site.
• Open Source and Customizable: For developers, Comment Edit Core offers opportunities for further customization.

While the free version is a great start, if you want more features, then you need to upgrade to Comment Edit Pro. You’ll get access to features like:

• Enhanced Editing: Allow unlimited editing for logged-in users and moderate comments directly from the frontend.
• Spam Fighting Arsenal: Integrate with services like reCAPTCHA 3 and Cloudflare Turnstile to bolster your spam defenses.
• Comment Character Control: Set minimum and maximum character limits to encourage thoughtful and meaningful comments.
• Community Building Features: Enable comment mentions, user avatars, and up/down voting to foster a more interactive comment section.
• Marketing Integrations: Capture new leads by integrating email marketing services like Mailchimp or ConvertKit with your comment form.
• Advanced Comment Management: Set comment expiration rules, control comment visibility for different post types, and receive notifications for new and edited comments via Slack.
• Seamless Third-Party Integration: Utilize webhooks to connect your comment section with other services like your CRM or sales funnel.

Pros of Comment Edit Core

• Simple and easy to use
• Allows anonymous users to edit comments
• Lightweight plugin
• Developer-friendly

Cons of Comment Edit Core

• Limited features in free version
• Editing window for anonymous users is brief
• Lacks advanced functionalities like comment moderation or spam protection

Who is Comment Edit Core Best For?

Comment Edit Core’s free version is a good fit for those who want to allow a short window for anonymous comment editing without needing extensive features.

Comment Edit Pro caters to users who want more control over comment editing, desire robust spam filtering, and seek to build a more interactive comment community. This includes features for marketing integration, advanced comment management tools, and seamless third-party service connections.

✅ Free Version ✅  Easy to Use

Get started with Comment Edit Core »

6. Comments Extra Fields

Comments Extra Fields allows you to add custom fields to your comment form, giving you the ability to collect more detailed information from your readers. Add up to four different field types (text, textarea, checkbox, and URL) to your comment form.

It’s a pretty simple straightforward plugin. The user-friendly interface makes adding and managing fields a breeze. The plugin works with all WordPress themes, so you don’t have to worry about compatibility issues.

The Pro version boasts an impressive 12 different field types, including email, number, masked input, radio buttons, select boxes, and file uploads. Plus, you can effortlessly organize your custom fields with the intuitive drag-and-drop interface.

Pros of Comments Extra Fields

• Add basic custom fields in the free version
• Works seamlessly with all WordPress themes
• Easy to use and theme-compatible
• Drag-and-drop field organization for optimal placement
• Ensure you collect the right data with field validation rules
• 12 different field types, including email, number, file uploads, and more
• Create custom field sections and add image thumbnails
• Restrict field visibility to the admin panel if desired
• Collect valuable data specific to different post types

Cons of Comments Extra Fields

• Free version for basic needs, Pro for advanced features

Who is Comments Extra Fields Best For?

The free version offers a good starting point for adding basic custom fields. It is a great option for bloggers who want to add a few simple custom fields to their comment form.

If you need in-depth data from your commenters, the Pro version of Comments Extra Fields lets you create a comprehensive and informative comment section.

✅ Free version  ✅ User-friendly

Get started with Comments Extra Fields »

7. wpDiscuz

wpDiscuz is a feature-rich plugin that ditches the limits of the native comment system. It delivers a modern, engaging experience for both you and your website visitors.

With WPDiscuz, you can engage your audience with live notifications, inline commenting, and comment bubbles. There are multiple layouts available so you can choose from three sleek and modern comment layouts to perfectly match your website’s design.

Next, you can add social logins to your comments section. Users can log in through Facebook, Twitter, and more.

Visitors can then rate your content directly with star ratings. They can also upvote or downvote comments to highlight valuable contributions. Added to that, they can subscribe to comments and receive email notifications when new replies are posted.

The plugin lets you create custom comment forms with additional fields to gather specific information from your readers.
It also comes with built-in security and anti-spam features to keep spam comments at bay.

You can allow logged-in users and guests can edit their comments within a set timeframe.
The best part is that it gives you granular control over comment settings for different content types and user roles.

Pros of wpDiscuz

• Modern, interactive comment experience
• Multiple layout options
• Social logins and post rating
• Customizable comment forms
• Built-in anti-spam protection
• Built-in Gravatar caching
• AJAX real-time comment system
• Add-ons available

Cons of wpDiscuz

• While wpDiscuz offers extensive customization options, it can have a steep learning curve for beginners who are not familiar with WordPress settings and configurations.
• Some users have reported compatibility issues with certain themes or other plugins, which may require troubleshooting to resolve.

Who is wpDiscuz Best For?

Anyone frustrated with the limitations of the native WordPress comment system. It’s also a good alternative to Disqus Comments and Jetpack Comments.

✅  Free version ✅ Customizable

Get started with wpDiscuz »

8. Comment Hacks

Comment Hacks is a lightweight plugin that tackles common comment management pain points.

First, it lets you craft cleaner and more streamlined emails, ensuring everyone involved is on the same page.

You can require commenters to accept your comment policy before posting. This ensures they understand your guidelines and helps to foster constructive discussions.

You can forward comments to a dedicated email address (like your support team) for efficient handling, and then trash them to declutter your comment section.

So for instance, you can send these comments to your support team’s inbox. Once addressed, you can easily trash them to declutter your comment section and keep things organized.

You can also set minimum and maximum comment length requirements. This discourages spammers and ensures your comment section remains focused on insightful contributions from your readers.

Now the fun part! You can show appreciation to those who take the time to comment for the first time by redirecting them to a custom “thank you” page. This small gesture of gratitude can go a long way in encouraging further engagement and building a loyal community around your content.

Pros of Comment Hacks

• Simplifies comment moderation tasks
• Improves communication with commenters
• Enhances comment organization and control
• Lightweight and easy to use

Cons of Comment Hacks

• Compared to more comprehensive comment management plugins, Comment Hacks has fewer features and customization options, limiting its functionality for users with specific needs.

Who is Comment Hacks Best For?
Best for bloggers and website owners of all levels who are looking to streamline comment management and free up their time. If you’re frustrated by the limitations of the native WordPress comment system or simply value clear communication and efficient workflows, Comment Hacks is a great solution to consider.

✅ Lightweight ❌ Feature-rich

Get started with Comment Hacks »

9. Jetpack Comments

Jetpack Comments lets commenters leverage their existing social media accounts (WordPress.com or Facebook) to seamlessly leave comments on your site.

No need to create new accounts or remember passwords – just a few clicks and they’re ready to engage in the conversation.

Jetpack Comments replaces your default comment form, but don’t worry, activation is a breeze. Simply head over to the Jetpack settings in your WordPress dashboard and toggle the “Let readers use…” option.

While Jetpack Comments takes the place of your theme’s comment form, you can still personalize it to match your website’s aesthetic. Change the introductory message above the comment form and choose from light, dark, or transparent color schemes to ensure a cohesive look.

In WordPress, there are pingbacks and trackbacks which can be a way to discover new content, but they can also be misused for spam. Jetpack Comments allows you to easily disable them entirely or manage them on a post-by-post basis.

Pros of Jetpack Comments

• Simple setup and options to personalize the comment form’s look
• Visitors can comment using existing WordPress.com or Facebook accounts
• Features like hovercards, Markdown support, and comment likes improve engagement
• Disable pingbacks/trackbacks entirely or manage them on a post-by-post basis
• Integrates smoothly with existing WordPress comment moderation settings

Cons of Jetpack Comments

• Requires commenters to have a WordPress.com or Facebook account
• Some users might be wary of connecting social media accounts
• Limited customization for the comment form itself

Who is Jetpack Comments Best For?
Best for existing users of JetPack and those who want to offer a convenient commenting experience for visitors with social media accounts.

❌ Free ❌ Limited Customization

Get started with Jetpack Comments »

10. Postmatic

Postmatic acts as a bridge between your WordPress content and your audience’s inbox, fostering deeper engagement and building a loyal community.

Postmatic automates the process, sending beautiful and replyable emails for your blog posts, curated digests, newsletters, and even comments – all without disrupting your existing workflow. Readers can simply hit reply to respond, keeping the conversation flowing naturally. Plus, you can choose from 5 unique email templates that automatically adapt to your content and WordPress theme, ensuring a polished look.

There’s more. This plugin lets you send automated digests featuring your best content, complete with images, author information, and even the most interesting comments.

You can even schedule these digests to suit your readers’ preferences and even include custom content and widgets to create a newsletter-style experience.

Need to import your subscriber list? Postmatic integrates with popular services like MailChimp, Jetpack, or MailPoet. The plugin also integrates seamlessly with hundreds of other apps and services, including OptinMonster for building signup forms, Zapier for advanced automation, and Google Analytics for tracking the impact of your email campaigns.

While email delivery is a core feature, Postmatic offers much more. The Freemium model provides access to their comment plugin, Epoch, which focuses on speed and privacy. This is a great option if you’re looking for a lightweight and secure commenting system to complement Postmatic’s email engagement features.

Pros of Postmatic

• Automated email delivery for various content types
• User replies to emails to foster conversation
• Customizable email templates for a cohesive brand experience
• Easy subscriber management with import tools
• Integrates with hundreds of popular apps and services

Cons of Postmatic

• Some comment filtering features require paid plans
• Relies on users checking their email for notifications

Who is Postmatic Best For?

✅ Free plan ✅ Automation

Get started with Postmatic »

11. GraphComment

GraphComment organizes comments in a threaded format, making it easy for readers to follow conversations and participate in the discussion. Unlike the default WordPress comment system, GraphComment keeps everything organized and easy to navigate, fostering a more inviting atmosphere for your audience.

There are seamless integrations with email. This allows readers to reply to comments directly from their inbox, keeping the conversation flowing even after they leave your website. Plus, the free plan offers social engagement features like reaction buttons (limited in functionality) and sharing tools, encouraging interaction and promoting your content further.

Pros of GraphComment

• Comment threads
• Can improve your website’s search ranking by making comments more easily indexed by search engines.
• Reaction buttons and sharing tools
• Send and receive comment replies directly via email

Cons of GraphComment

• Script files might slow down some websites

Who is GraphComment Best For?
For those who prioritize beautiful email delivery for comments and want to leverage existing subscriber lists, GraphComment excels in this area, even with the free plan.

✅ Free version ❌ Fast

Get started with GraphComment »

12. WP Reactions

WP Reactions is an emoji WordPress plugin that brings this world to life by allowing your audience to react to your comments with a variety of fun and engaging emojis.

Using expressive emojis can spark conversations, increase user interaction, and make your comment section more visually appealing.

Pros of WP Reactions

• Easy setup
• 200+ high-quality animated emojis (Lottie and SVG formats)
• Delatied analytics dashboard
• Drag and drop customization

Cons of WP Reactions

• While emojis convey emotions, they might not always capture nuanced opinions compared to written comments.
• Users who rely on screen readers might not be able to fully experience the animated emoji reactions.

Who is WP Reactions Best For?
If you’re looking for a fun and interactive way to boost user engagement on your website, WP Reactions is a great option to consider.

✅ Easy setup

Get started with WP Reactions »

13. Super Socializer

Super Socializer is a free WordPress plugin that simplifies adding social media features to your website. You can let users to register or log in using their existing social media accounts (27 supported networks).

The plugin integrates sharing buttons for over 100 social networks, encouraging visitors to share your content.

You can even enable commenting through social media platforms like Facebook or Disqus.

The plugin goes one step further and lets you display social media follow icons to build trust and credibility.

Pros of Super Socializer

• Combines social login, sharing, comments, and follow icons
• Free to use
• Simple configuration process with clear instructions
• Social login options adds a layer of security against fake accounts
• Claims minimal impact on website performance
• 24/7 customer support

Cons of Super Socializer

• Won’t work on local development environments
• Collecting user data raises privacy considerations

Who is Super Socializer Best For?

This plugin is a good fit for anyone who wants to easily add social media functionality to their WordPress website

✅ Free plan ❌ Data privacy

Get started with Super Socializer »

14. Lazy Load for Comments

Lazy Load for Comments does exactly what it says on the tin – it lazy loads your comments. But what does that mean? Basically, it only loads the comments on your page when they’re needed. This helps make your website faster because it reduces the number of things it has to load all at once.

When someone visits your site, their browser has to fetch all sorts of things – images, scripts, and yes, comments too. But with Lazy Load for Comments, those comments won’t load until someone actually scrolls down to see them. This means fewer requests for your server to handle, which ultimately speeds up your page load times. And who doesn’t want a faster website, right?

Plus, Lazy Load for Comments is super easy to use. You don’t need to mess around with any complicated settings. Nope, just one simple setting and you’re good to go. It’s also really developer-friendly, with hooks available if you want to tweak things to suit your needs.

And here’s the best part – Lazy Load for Comments follows all the best coding standards for WordPress. So you can trust that it’s well-made and won’t cause any headaches down the line.

Oh, and did we mention it works with popular themes like Genesis and Divi? Yep, it’s got you covered there too.

Pros of Lazy Load for Comments

• Speeds up website loading times
• Reduces server requests
• Easy to install and use
• Works with popular WordPress themes
• Developer-friendly with hooks for customization

Cons of Lazy Load for Comments

• May not be compatible with all plugins
• Limited configuration options

Who is Lazy Load for Comments Best For?

If you want to speed up your website and make life a little easier for yourself, give Lazy Load for Comments a try. It’s simple, effective, and it could make a big difference to your site’s performance.

✅ Easy setup ✅  Fast ❌ Compatibility

Get started with Lazy Load for Comments »

15. SearchWP

SearchWP optimizes the search feature, making it easier for users to find relevant content, including comments.

How it works is it indexes your content, including comments, making them searchable. It makes sure comments pop up in those search results, so visitors can find discussions quicker.

It even highlights the words the user is looking for in the comments. That way, they can see where the words are mentioned in the comments.

Aside from this, what we also loved about this plugin is that it plays nice with different WordPress themes and plugins, so you don’t have to worry about compatibility issues.

Pros of SearchWP

• Make it easy for users to search through comments
• Works on top of the default WordPress search functionality
• Customize the search settings
• Works well with various WordPress themes and plugins
• Ajax live search free plugin available

Cons of SearchWP

• SearchWP is a premium plugin
• While the basic setup is straightforward, fully optimizing SearchWP for your site may require some learning and experimentation, especially for users unfamiliar with advanced search configurations.

Who is SearchWP Best For?

Best if you want a search plugin to make it easier for people to find what they’re looking for in the comments section of your WordPress site, making the whole experience more enjoyable and user-friendly. It’s great for eCommerce (WooCommerce) sites too!

✅ Easy to use ❌ Free plugin ✅ Premium version

Get started with SearchWP »

16. Uncanny Automator

Uncanny Automator is a powerful tool for automating tasks and creating workflows on your WordPress site. While it doesn’t directly moderate user comments, can help you automate some of the tasks associated with your comments section.

Let’s show you how this plugin works. Uncanny Automator uses recipes that contain 3 elements:

Triggers: Something happens, like a new comment.
Conditions (optional): This acts like a filter. Maybe only comments with over 50 words trigger the next step.
Actions: This is the magic! Uncanny Automator can automatically approve the comment, send an email to the author letting them know someone commented, or even share the comment on social media.

Basically, you set the rules (recipes) and Uncanny Automator handles the chores. This can save you time and create a more engaging comment section.

You can set up a recipe to automatically welcome new commenters with a friendly email, or notify you about comments containing specific keywords so you can jump in on the conversation.

Pros of Uncanny Automator

• Automate repetitive tasks
• Streamline workflows and create a more efficient comment management process
• Personalized welcome emails or automatic comment approvals can create a more positive experience for commenters
• Triggering social media shares or notifications can encourage further discussion around comments

Cons of Uncanny Automator

• Setting up recipes requires some understanding of the plugin and its functionalities
• The free version offers a limited number of triggers and actions, you’ll need to upgrade for complex workflows

Who is Uncanny Automator Best Suited For?

Those who want to automate tasks related to their comments section.

✅  Automation ✅  Easy to Set Up ✅  Free Version

Get started with Uncanny Automator »

17. WP Mail SMTP

WP Mail SMTP is a free WordPress plugin that fixes WordPress email issues.

If you have a comments section and use WordPress to send emails, you’ll want to enable this plugin on your site.

By default, WordPress uses your web server’s built-in mail function to send emails, which can be unreliable. This can lead to comment notification emails getting lost in the shuffle, never reaching readers or post authors.

WP Mail SMTP acts as a bridge. It connects your WordPress site to a reputable SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server. Think of an SMTP server as a professional email delivery service, ensuring your emails reach their intended inboxes.

With WP Mail SMTP configured, whenever someone comments on your site, the notification emails are sent through the reliable SMTP server, significantly increasing the chances of them being delivered successfully. This keeps commenters informed and the conversation flowing.

Pros of WP Mail SMTP

• Easy setup
• Works with Gmail, Yahoo, Office 365, Zoho, and more
• Reliable delivery
• Boosts sender reputation

Cons of WP Mail SMTP

• While WP Mail SMTP connects to reputable services, it ultimately relies on a third-party for email delivery. In rare cases, there might be outages or service disruptions with the SMTP provider.

Who is WP Mail SMTP Best For?

Want to learn how to use this plugin the right way? Check out WP Mail SMTP 101 »

✅ Free ✅ Easy to Use

Get started with WP Mail SMTP »

Verdict: Which is the Best Comments Plugin for WordPress?

Let’s face it, you won’t need all 17 comments plugins on this list. Here’s our pick of the top 3 plugins we think are must-haves:

Plugins	Best For?	Free Version	Unique Features
Thrive Comments	Cultivating a thriving online community	❌	Badges, upvotes, and featured comments
Comment Moderation Role by WPBeginner	Giving permissions to users to edit and moderate comments	✅	WPB Comment Moderator user role
Akismet	Eliminating comment and form spam	✅	Set-and-forget spam protection

We hope you found this review helpful. You may also want to check our WPForms, it’s the best forms builder with built-in spam protection.

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