Self-Host Commento with Docker: A Privacy-Focused Commenting System

Thu, 29 May 2025 13:04:57 +0200

Introduction to Commento

Commento is an open-source, lightweight, and privacy-focused commenting system that you can self-host.

Unlike traditional commenting systems, Commento doesn’t track your users, respects their privacy, and is fully compliant with GDPR and other privacy regulations.

Why Choose Commento?

Privacy-focused: No tracking, no ads, no analytics
Lightweight: Fast-loading with minimal JavaScript
Open Source: Full control over your data, with MIT license
Markdown Support: Format your comments easily
Email Notifications: Get notified of new comments
Moderation Tools: Full control over comments

And…anonymous comments!

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following:

A server with Docker and Docker Compose installed
A domain name pointing to your server (recommended)
Basic knowledge of Docker and the command line

Installation with Docker Compose

First, create a new directory for your Commento setup:

mkdir commento && cd commento

Create a docker-compose.yml file with the following content:

version: '3'

services:
  commento:
    image: registry.gitlab.com/commento/commento
    container_name: commento
    restart: always
    environment:
      - COMMENTO_ORIGIN=https://yourdomain.com
      - COMMENTO_PORT=8080
      - COMMENTO_POSTGRES=postgres://commento:yourpassword@postgres:5432/commento?sslmode=disable
      - COMMENTO_GZIP_STATIC=true
    depends_on:
      - postgres
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
  
  postgres:
    image: postgres:13-alpine
    container_name: commento_postgres
    restart: always
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=commento
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=yourpassword
      - POSTGRES_DB=commento
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

volumes:
  postgres_data:

Replace the following values in the docker-compose.yml:

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Self-Host Commento with Docker: A Privacy-Focused Commenting System

Introduction to Commento

Why Choose Commento?

Prerequisites

Installation with Docker Compose