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Subscribe to Comments

By Mark Jaquith

Communication & Messaging / Transactional Email

Reviewed by Abdul Hameid

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Subscribe to Comments Review - In-Depth Analysis

Subscribe to Comments allows commenters to receive email notifications for new comments on posts.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.95/10

User Rating

3.9/5 (based on 14+ reviews)

Active Installations

10,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

5.5 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Subscribe to Comments is a robust plugin that enables commenters to sign up for e-mail notification of subsequent entries. The plugin includes a full-featured subscription manager that your commenters can use to unsubscribe to certain posts, block all notifications, or even change their notification e-mail address!

Comparing to Alternatives

Subscribe to Comments has a couple of notable alternatives that offer similar subscription features for comment notifications.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Simple and easy to use interface
Long-term reliability for many users
Supports basic subscription functionality
Free to use without upsells

Weaknesses

Known security vulnerabilities with some unpatched issues
Compatibility problems with newer WordPress versions
Limited feature set compared to alternatives
No active pro version or premium support

User Sentiment Analysis

User reviews show a generally positive experience with half of the ratings at 5 stars, but about one fifth of users report issues, reflected in the 1-2 star reviews.

Positive highlights

'I’m a long term user of this plugin. It just works!' - Andres Gomez
'Simple and easy.' - Andres Gomez
'The plugin provides essential subscription features without complexity.' - inferred from positive reviews

Common complaints

Plugin is no longer stable and interferes with other plugins.

Weaknesses

Security vulnerabilities including cross-site scripting issues
Compatibility issues with newer WordPress versions
No recent updates to address all security concerns

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users looking for a straightforward, free comment subscription plugin with basic features and who are comfortable managing potential compatibility issues.

Not ideal for

Sites requiring high security standards or compatibility with the latest WordPress versions, or those needing advanced subscription features and active support.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version includes basic comment subscription functionality allowing users to subscribe to comment threads easily.

Final Verdict

Subscribe to Comments offers a simple and effective way to enable comment subscriptions, favored by many long-term users for its ease of use. However, it suffers from known security vulnerabilities and compatibility issues that may pose risks for some sites.

Given the availability of alternatives with more active maintenance and fewer security concerns, users should carefully consider their needs and site security before choosing this plugin. It remains a viable option for those prioritizing simplicity and free access over advanced features and robust security.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Subscribe to Comments plugin.

comments

subscription

FAQ

Log out of WordPress
Leave a comment on an entry and check the comment subscription box, using an e-mail that is NOT the WP admin e-mail address or the e-mail address of the author of the post.
Leave a second comment using a different e-mail address than the one you used in step 2 (it can be a bogus address).
This should trigger a notification to the first address you used.