Talkyard
Swedish AGPL discussion platform that does blog comments, forums and Q&A, with a managed service whose processors include Google Cloud and Amazon
Quick Overview
| Company | Debiki AB |
|---|---|
| Category | Website Commenting Software |
| Headquarters | Sweden |
| EU Presence | EU (Sweden) |
| Open Source | Yes |
| Pricing | Standard €4 and Business €12 per active coworker per month (Business minimum €300 a month), Enterprise on request |
| Free Option | First month free, no credit card |
| Replaces | Disqus, Discourse |
Detailed Review
Talkyard is a community discussion platform that does embedded blog comments, forums, Q&A and idea voting, and it can be installed on your own server or bought as a managed service. Its site describes blog comments that work like Disqus but without ads and tracking.
The company is Debiki AB of Sweden. Its standard SaaS terms are governed by Swedish law with the courts of Stockholm, and the site credits the code to Magnus Lindberg. The software is licensed AGPL, with source on GitHub.
The terms do not name a data centre, and the founder's own forum thread on GDPR lists Google Cloud, Amazon Simple Email Service and Automattic Akismet among the third-party processors of the hosted service. No region is stated on the pages checked.
Pricing is per active coworker rather than per page view: Standard at €4 a month and Business at €12 a month with a €300 monthly minimum and a dedicated managed server, plus Enterprise on request. The first month is free with no card. External members such as readers and customers are unlimited on every plan.
What Talkyard does well
- Open source under AGPL, so you can host it yourself
- Comments, forum, Q&A and idea voting in one product
- Prices in euros are published
- Unlimited external members on every plan
- Swedish company, Swedish law, courts in Stockholm
Where Talkyard falls short
- Managed hosting names no region and lists Google Cloud and Amazon as processors
- Priced per coworker, which suits a team more than a solo blog
- The company page gives no registration number or street address
- The main site redirects to its own forum, so legal pages are harder to find
Standout feature. It is the only product here whose source code you can run on your own server.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Open source under AGPL, so you can host it yourself
- Comments, forum, Q&A and idea voting in one product
- Prices in euros are published
- Unlimited external members on every plan
- Swedish company, Swedish law, courts in Stockholm
Cons
- Managed hosting names no region and lists Google Cloud and Amazon as processors
- Priced per coworker, which suits a team more than a solo blog
- The company page gives no registration number or street address
- The main site redirects to its own forum, so legal pages are harder to find
Alternatives to Talkyard
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Talkyard?
Talkyard is a community discussion platform that does embedded blog comments, forums, Q&A and idea voting, and it can be installed on your own server or bought as a managed service. Its site describes blog comments that work like Disqus but without ads and tracking.
Where is Talkyard based?
Talkyard operates from Sweden, which places it under EU (Sweden).
What does Talkyard cost?
Standard €4 and Business €12 per active coworker per month (Business minimum €300 a month), Enterprise on request. First month free, no credit card.
Who is Talkyard best for?
Teams that want blog comments and a forum from one open-source product. It is the only product here whose source code you can run on your own server.
What are the drawbacks of Talkyard?
Managed hosting names no region and lists Google Cloud and Amazon as processors. Priced per coworker, which suits a team more than a solo blog. The company page gives no registration number or street address. The main site redirects to its own forum, so legal pages are harder to find.
Is Talkyard a good alternative to Disqus?
Talkyard is built as a European alternative to Disqus: Swedish AGPL discussion platform that does blog comments, forums and Q&A, with a managed service whose processors include Google Cloud and Amazon. It will not be a like-for-like feature match in every respect, so check the review above for where the two genuinely differ before switching.
How does Talkyard compare to other Website Commenting Software?
Talkyard is one of several European Website Commenting Software we cover. It is most often compared with Disqus, Discourse.