European CAPTCHA providers compared (2026)
Updated:
Quick answer
Several privacy-focused CAPTCHA providers are based in Europe: Friendly Captcha, CaptchaFox and TrustCaptcha in Germany, captcha.eu in Austria, ALTCHA in Czechia and mosparo in Switzerland. Most use proof-of-work and set no cookies. They differ in entry price, free options, hosting details and how openly they publish their paperwork. Figures below come from public websites checked on 26 October 2026 and exclude VAT.
Comparison table
| Provider | Country | Entry price | Free option | Hosting and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burgcaptcha | EU hosting | €7.20 (1,000 requests) | Yes, 1,000 requests, commercial sites included | EU hosting on every plan |
| Friendly Captcha | Germany | €9 (1 domain, 1,000 requests) | Free plan for small non-commercial sites | EU-only hosting on higher plans; DPA not public according to EU Vetted |
| CaptchaFox | Germany | €15 (10,000 requests) | 7-day trial, no permanent free plan | Widget hosted in the EU (Hetzner, bunny.net); DPA on request |
| TrustCaptcha | Germany | about €8 (third-party listing, unconfirmed) | Not confirmed | Hetzner, Nuremberg, according to EU Vetted |
| captcha.eu | Austria | €8.90 (1,000 requests) | 100 free verification requests | Hosted in Austria |
| ALTCHA | Czechia | Free open-source widget; Cloud from €47 | Yes (MIT license) | Self-hosting possible; Cloud endpoints EU-only |
| mosparo | Switzerland | Free (open source) | Yes | Self-hosted; maintained by a non-profit association |
How to choose
- If your data protection officer must read the paperwork first, prefer a provider whose DPA and sub-processor list are public.
- If you want full control and have engineering time, an open-source option such as ALTCHA or mosparo can run on your own servers.
- If you run a small commercial site, check whether the free plan allows commercial use.
- If accessibility is a requirement, ask for the audit report and try the widget with a keyboard and a screen reader.
Method and corrections
Prices and facts come from each provider’s public website and from the directory EU Vetted, checked on 26 October 2026. They are vendor claims and can change; verify before you buy. This site is operated by Burgcaptcha, one of the providers listed, so treat the comparison accordingly. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it within a week.
Frequently asked questions
Which CAPTCHA providers are based in Germany?
Friendly Captcha, CaptchaFox and TrustCaptcha are German providers. captcha.eu is Austrian, ALTCHA is Czech and mosparo is Swiss.
Which European CAPTCHA is the cheapest?
Open-source options such as ALTCHA’s widget and mosparo are free to self-host. Among hosted services, entry prices start at around €8 to €9 per month at Friendly Captcha, TrustCaptcha and captcha.eu, and at €15 at CaptchaFox, as of 26 October 2026.
Which provider has a free plan for commercial sites?
Burgcaptcha offers 1,000 free requests a month including commercial sites. Friendly Captcha’s free plan is limited to small non-commercial sites, and CaptchaFox offers a 7-day trial.
Are these CAPTCHAs GDPR-compliant?
Providers state they are, but compliance depends on your setup. Read the data processing agreement, check hosting and sub-processors and confirm with your data protection officer.