In reply to Pete.

Hey Pete - I'm not sure why you would call Replyable bait and switch? On its own it is a powerful Subscribe to Comments plugin that raises the bar in that niche considerably. For free, without advertising, and built entirely on native comments.

If users are looking for services that require remote services (outbound mail delivery, inbound processing of replies, comment relevance processing, and user-based throttling) they can upgrade for a few bucks a month. They don't have to, though. Use the free version! It's great.

If you are looking for a non-saas comment subscription plugin that does process replies try checking out CommentMail. It does require a Mandrill account but if you keep your usage low you can get away without paying a dime.