Friendly Captcha

Friendly Captcha is a privacy-first bot protection service founded in 2020 and headquartered in Munich, Germany. It was created as a direct response to growing concerns about the invasive data collection practices of traditional CAPTCHA solutions like Google reCAPTCHA and hCaptcha. Rather than relying on behavioral tracking or image-labeling puzzles, Friendly Captcha uses a novel proof-of-work mechanism that runs invisibly in the background, protecting web forms from automated abuse without ever compromising user privacy.

The core idea behind Friendly Captcha is elegantly simple: when a user visits a page with a protected form, a small cryptographic puzzle is generated and solved automatically by the user's device. This happens in the background without any user interaction. Because solving the puzzle requires a modest amount of computational work, it becomes prohibitively expensive for bots to submit thousands of spam requests, while legitimate users never notice any delay or interruption. This approach eliminates the frustrating experience of clicking on traffic lights or fire hydrants that has become synonymous with traditional CAPTCHAs.

How the Proof-of-Work Mechanism Works

Friendly Captcha's proof-of-work system generates a unique cryptographic puzzle for each form interaction. The puzzle parameters are calibrated so that solving it takes a fraction of a second on a modern device but would require significant resources when attempted at scale by bots. The user's browser solves the puzzle automatically as they fill out the form, meaning the solution is typically ready before the user even clicks the submit button. This invisible approach ensures zero friction for legitimate users while creating a meaningful barrier against automated attacks.

The difficulty of the puzzles can be adjusted dynamically based on risk signals and traffic patterns. During a bot attack, the system can increase puzzle difficulty to make large-scale automated submissions impractical, while keeping the experience seamless for legitimate visitors. This adaptive approach provides robust protection without the collateral damage of false positives that plague traditional CAPTCHAs.

Privacy and GDPR Compliance

Privacy is not an afterthought at Friendly Captcha; it is the foundation of the product. Unlike Google reCAPTCHA, which sets cookies, tracks user behavior across websites, and feeds data into Google's advertising ecosystem, Friendly Captcha operates without any HTTP cookies, without any form of user tracking, and without collecting personal data. It does not analyze mouse movements, keystrokes, browsing history, or any behavioral signals. This means Friendly Captcha does not require a cookie consent banner and is inherently compliant with GDPR, CCPA, LGPD, and other major data protection regulations.

As a German company, Friendly Captcha operates under the strict European data protection framework. All data processing occurs within EU infrastructure, and the company is transparent about its data handling practices. For organizations subject to GDPR, this eliminates the legal uncertainty and compliance risks associated with using US-based CAPTCHA services, particularly in light of rulings like Schrems II that have complicated transatlantic data transfers.

Accessibility and User Experience

Traditional CAPTCHAs are notoriously problematic for accessibility. Image-based challenges are impossible for visually impaired users, and even audio alternatives are often difficult to understand. Friendly Captcha's invisible, automated approach eliminates these barriers entirely. Because the proof-of-work puzzle is solved by the device rather than the user, it works equally well for everyone, regardless of ability. This makes Friendly Captcha compliant with WCAG accessibility guidelines and a responsible choice for organizations committed to inclusive web experiences.

The user experience advantages extend beyond accessibility. By removing all visible CAPTCHA challenges, Friendly Captcha eliminates a significant source of form abandonment. Studies have shown that traditional CAPTCHAs can reduce form completion rates by 10-20%, making the invisible approach not just a privacy improvement but a conversion optimization as well.

Integration and Technical Implementation

Implementing Friendly Captcha is straightforward and typically requires only a few lines of code. The service provides JavaScript and server-side libraries for popular platforms and frameworks including WordPress, PHP, Node.js, Python, and more. The API is designed to be compatible with existing CAPTCHA implementations, making migration from reCAPTCHA or hCaptcha a relatively simple process. A widget is embedded in the form page, and a server-side verification call confirms the solution before processing the form submission.

Friendly Captcha operates a globally distributed infrastructure with data centers in the EU, US, and Asia, ensuring low latency and high availability regardless of where users are located. The service processes millions of requests daily and is designed for enterprise-scale deployments while remaining easy to set up for smaller websites.

Pricing and Plans

Friendly Captcha offers a free tier suitable for small websites and personal projects, making it accessible for anyone who wants to improve their bot protection. Paid plans start from EUR 39 per month and scale based on the number of requests processed. Enterprise plans with custom pricing are available for organizations with higher traffic volumes or specific requirements such as dedicated infrastructure, SLAs, and priority support. Compared to the hidden costs of reCAPTCHA, including privacy liability, user friction, and the value of data sent to Google, Friendly Captcha's transparent pricing represents clear value.

Advanced Risk Signals

While the proof-of-work mechanism forms the core of Friendly Captcha's protection, the service also incorporates additional risk signals to improve detection accuracy. These include device fingerprinting that respects privacy, IP reputation analysis, and behavioral heuristics that do not rely on invasive tracking. The combination of proof-of-work with these supplementary signals provides multi-layered protection that adapts to evolving bot techniques without compromising the privacy-first approach.

Enterprise and Compliance Features

For enterprises and regulated industries, Friendly Captcha offers features specifically designed to meet compliance requirements. These include data processing agreements, EU-only data processing options, detailed documentation for privacy impact assessments, and dedicated support channels. The service is used by government agencies, financial institutions, and healthcare organizations across Europe that have strict requirements for data protection and vendor security.

Comparison with reCAPTCHA and hCaptcha

Google reCAPTCHA is free in terms of monetary cost but collects extensive user data that feeds into Google's advertising ecosystem. It sets cookies, tracks users across websites, and has been the subject of multiple GDPR complaints and regulatory actions in Europe. hCaptcha positions itself as a more privacy-friendly alternative but still relies on visual challenges that create friction and accessibility issues, and its data practices have also raised concerns among privacy advocates.

Friendly Captcha differentiates itself from both by eliminating user interaction entirely and operating without cookies or tracking. For European organizations prioritizing GDPR compliance and user experience, it represents the most straightforward path to effective bot protection without privacy trade-offs. The trade-off is that Friendly Captcha's proof-of-work approach provides slightly less granular risk scoring than behavioral analysis, but for the vast majority of use cases, the protection is more than adequate.

Community and Ecosystem

Friendly Captcha has built a growing ecosystem of integrations and community plugins. Official and third-party plugins are available for popular platforms including WordPress, Shopware, TYPO3, Drupal, Joomla, and many others. The company maintains active documentation, a developer-focused support system, and transparent communication about product updates and security practices. As awareness of privacy issues with traditional CAPTCHAs continues to grow, Friendly Captcha's community and adoption have expanded significantly since its launch.