Captcha.eu
Austrian invisible CAPTCHA with no cookies or tracking, hosted in Austria, WCAG 2.2 AA silver-certified
Quick Overview
| Company | Captcha GmbH |
|---|---|
| Category | Web Security |
| Headquarters | Vienna, Austria |
| EU Presence | EU (Austria) |
| Data Location | Hosted in Austria (per pricing page); requests processed at the point of presence closest to the visitor (per the 'Why Captcha.eu' page) |
| Open Source | No |
| Compliance | Web Accessibility Certificate Austria (WACA), silver level, awarded by TÜV Austria for the captcha application on its test page (WCAG 2.2 AA to a very high degree); GDPR-compliance is self-declared |
| Pricing | Starter €8.90 per month (1 protected website, up to 1,000 requests a month), Growth €35.90 per month (5 websites, up to 10,000 requests), Advanced €179.90 per month (10 websites, up to 100,000 requests); yearly billing is 10% cheaper at €96.12, €387.72 and €1,942.92 per year. All prices are net, excluding VAT. Custom plan for large companies on request. 100 free verification requests to try, no credit card required. |
| Free Option | 100 free verification requests, no credit card required |
| Replaces | Google reCAPTCHA, hCaptcha |
Detailed Review
Captcha.eu is a bot-protection service from Captcha GmbH in Vienna. It offers two modes: an invisible check that runs in the background, and a simple one-click widget for cases where a visible confirmation is preferred. The vendor states that it sets no cookies, does no end-user tracking and shows no image puzzles, and it names machine learning and crypto-challenges as its detection methods. It is a drop-in replacement for the Google request that reCAPTCHA places on every form.
Its distinguishing claims are Austrian hosting and accessibility. All plans are stated as hosted in Austria, and the vendor reports a Web Accessibility Certificate Austria at silver level from TÜV Austria, meeting WCAG 2.2 AA to a very high degree.
The vendor is careful to say this covers the captcha application on its test page, not its own website or customers' forms. Official plugins exist for WordPress, TYPO3, Joomla, Keycloak, Magento, Craft CMS and Neos, which is a wider CMS list than most rivals on this page.
The prices are published and entry-level: €8.90 a month for 1,000 requests and one site, up to €179.90 for 100,000 requests across ten sites, net of VAT, with 100 free requests to try.
The honest limits: the free trial is small, there is no permanent free tier like Friendly Captcha, the request ceilings are low next to Private Captcha's range up to 1,000,000, and the product is closed source, so mCaptcha remains the pick if open source or self-hosting is required.
What Captcha.eu does well
- Invisible check or one-click widget, no image puzzles
- No cookies and no end-user tracking, stated by the vendor
- Hosted in Austria by an Austrian GmbH, EU jurisdiction
- TÜV Austria WACA silver accessibility certificate (WCAG 2.2 AA) for the application
- Published net prices from €8.90 a month, plugins for seven CMS and platforms
Where Captcha.eu falls short
- Only 100 free requests, no permanent free plan
- Plans cap at 100,000 requests a month, larger volumes by custom quote
- Closed source, no self-hosting option found
- Certificate scope is the test-page application only, GDPR compliance is self-declared
Standout feature. An Austrian-hosted CAPTCHA that pairs a no-cookie, no-tracking design with a TÜV Austria accessibility certificate for the widget itself.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Invisible check or one-click widget, no image puzzles
- No cookies and no end-user tracking, stated by the vendor
- Hosted in Austria by an Austrian GmbH, EU jurisdiction
- TÜV Austria WACA silver accessibility certificate (WCAG 2.2 AA) for the application
- Published net prices from €8.90 a month, plugins for seven CMS and platforms
Cons
- Only 100 free requests, no permanent free plan
- Plans cap at 100,000 requests a month, larger volumes by custom quote
- Closed source, no self-hosting option found
- Certificate scope is the test-page application only, GDPR compliance is self-declared
Alternatives to Captcha.eu
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Captcha.eu?
Captcha.eu is a bot-protection service from Captcha GmbH in Vienna. It offers two modes: an invisible check that runs in the background, and a simple one-click widget for cases where a visible confirmation is preferred. The vendor states that it sets no cookies, does no end-user tracking and shows no image puzzles, and it names machine learning and crypto-challenges as its detection methods. It is a drop-in replacement for the Google request that reCAPTCHA places on every form.
Where is Captcha.eu based?
Captcha.eu operates from Vienna, Austria, which places it under EU (Austria). Compliance: Web Accessibility Certificate Austria (WACA), silver level, awarded by TÜV Austria for the captcha application on its test page (WCAG 2.2 AA to a very high degree); GDPR-compliance is self-declared.
What does Captcha.eu cost?
Starter €8.90 per month (1 protected website, up to 1,000 requests a month), Growth €35.90 per month (5 websites, up to 10,000 requests), Advanced €179.90 per month (10 websites, up to 100,000 requests); yearly billing is 10% cheaper at €96.12, €387.72 and €1,942.92 per year. All prices are net, excluding VAT. Custom plan for large companies on request. 100 free verification requests to try, no credit card required.. 100 free verification requests, no credit card required.
Who is Captcha.eu best for?
Austrian-hosted, accessible CAPTCHA for small sites. An Austrian-hosted CAPTCHA that pairs a no-cookie, no-tracking design with a TÜV Austria accessibility certificate for the widget itself.
What are the drawbacks of Captcha.eu?
Only 100 free requests, no permanent free plan. Plans cap at 100,000 requests a month, larger volumes by custom quote. Closed source, no self-hosting option found. Certificate scope is the test-page application only, GDPR compliance is self-declared.
Is Captcha.eu a good alternative to Google reCAPTCHA?
Captcha.eu is built as a European alternative to Google reCAPTCHA: Austrian invisible CAPTCHA with no cookies or tracking, hosted in Austria, WCAG 2.2 AA silver-certified. It will not be a like-for-like feature match in every respect, so check the review above for where the two genuinely differ before switching.
How does Captcha.eu compare to other Web Security tools?
Captcha.eu is one of several European Web Security tools we cover. It is most often compared with Google reCAPTCHA, hCaptcha.