An Akismet alternative with no API key.
Akismet sends each comment to a cloud service and needs an API key. Antispam checks comments and form submissions locally — links, patterns, duplicates, your own spam history, blocked words and spam-prone domains — and sends nothing anywhere.
Replaced by the bundled Antispam plugin · Included free with Presscomet
Switching from Akismet: the short version.
You get
- No API key, no account, no data leaves your server
- Checks Forms submissions as well as comments
- Akismet’s comment meta and history kept
- Delete old spam on a schedule
Not included
- No network-wide spam database — it can’t learn from other sites
- Determined manual spam may need you to add words or domains
Privacy and comment spam
A cloud spam service has to receive the comment — name, email, IP address, text — to judge it. Under GDPR and similar laws, that’s a processor relationship you should disclose.
Local checks avoid that entirely. They’re less clever than a shared network, but they catch the automated spam that makes up most of it.
Akismet vs Presscomet
Feature by feature, including what isn’t there. Rows describe what the bundled plugin’s code does today.
| Feature | Akismet | Presscomet |
|---|---|---|
| How spam is detected | Partly: Cloud service across many sites | Included: Local rules on your server |
| API key / account | Partly: Required | Included: Not needed |
| Comment data sent to a third party | Partly: Yes | Included: No |
| Contact form checks | Partly: Through form plugins | Included: Built into Forms |
| Blocked words, domains, writing systems | Not included: No | Included: Yes |
| Learns from other sites | Included: Yes | Not included: No |
- Included
- Partly, or on a paid plan
- Not included
- Not needed, with the reason
Akismet behaviour as publicly documented. Check akismet.com for plans and terms.
What moves over automatically.
There’s little to migrate — and no key to copy.
Imported
- Strictness (silently discard the worst spam) and caught-spam count
akismet_strictnessakismet_spam_count - Akismet comment meta stays readable in moderation
akismet_resultakismet_history
Not imported
- The API key — no longer needed
- Akismet: no API key is needed — comments are now checked locally. Existing akismet_* comment meta is kept.
How switching works.
- 01
Check your site
Run the free site check to see which of your plugins Presscomet replaces and what needs attention.
- 02
Run the migration
Connect your WordPress site. Content, users, media and plugin settings are imported into a new Presscomet site; your live site is only read.
- 03
Review and switch
Open Settings → Antispam, plus a Dashboard widget to check the imported settings, then point your domain at the new site when you’re happy.
Where to find it: Settings → Antispam, plus a Dashboard widget.
Akismet alternative: questions
Is it as accurate as Akismet?
It works differently. Akismet compares comments against a large network; Antispam uses local rules. Local rules catch most automated spam, and anything borderline goes to Comments → Spam for review.
Do I need to tell visitors about it in my privacy policy?
No comment data is sent to a third party, so there is no spam service to disclose. Check your own policy with an adviser.
Can I keep running Akismet instead?
No. Presscomet doesn’t run PHP, so WordPress plugins can’t be installed. The bundled Antispam plugin does the job instead, and the migration imports the settings listed above.
Does Presscomet support WooCommerce?
Not today. Presscomet is for content sites — blogs, magazines, business and documentation sites. If your site sells through WooCommerce, it isn’t a fit yet.
Related plugins and next steps
Related
- BundledAntispamLocal comment and form spam checks — no API key, nothing sent to third parties — with statistics and scheduled clean-up.
- BundledFormsContact Form 7-compatible forms with a visual builder, mail and auto-reply, uploads, spam checks and an inbox with CSV export.
- BundledSecurityLogin limiting with lockouts, allow/deny lists, an activity log, author-scan blocking and security headers. 2FA and passkeys are built in.
Move your WordPress site in one go — content, users, media and plugin settings. Free and open source; your live site is only read.
Managed hosting with backupsAll 19 bundled plugins
Akismet, Antispam Bee are trademarks of their respective owners. Presscomet is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Names are used only to describe compatibility and migration.