Cactus Comments vs Cusdis
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Cactus Comments
Federated commenting system built on Matrix
VS
Cusdis
Lightweight, privacy-friendly embeddable comment system
| Feature | Cactus Comments | Cusdis |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Elixir | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 200 | ★ 2,785 |
| First released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Disqus | Disqus |
Why pick each one
Choose Cactus Comments if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Elixir
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose Cusdis if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.8k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Cactus Comments or Cusdis better?
Cusdis is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Cactus Comments if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Cactus Comments and Cusdis free and open-source?
Yes. Cactus Comments is licensed under MIT and Cusdis under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cactus Comments and Cusdis with Docker?
Cactus Comments: yes. Cusdis: yes.