> /v1/alternatives/recaptcha
Open source alternatives to reCAPTCHA[006]
reCAPTCHA screens bots on web forms using risk scoring and challenges, returning a token your server verifies with Google. Below are 6 self-hostable open source alternatives, ranked by GitHub popularity.
capjs
The privacy-first, self-hosted CAPTCHA for the modern web.
★ STARS
6.3k
⑂ FORKS
431
mCaptcha
A no-nonsense CAPTCHA system with seamless UX | Backend component
★ STARS
2.4k
⑂ FORKS
88
ALTCHA
GDPR, WCAG 2.2 AA, and EAA compliant, self-hosted CAPTCHA alternative with PoW mechanism.
★ STARS
2.2k
⑂ FORKS
107
Procaptcha
Open-source, frictionless CAPTCHA and bot defense. A privacy-focused alternative to reCAPTCHA and hCaptcha.
★ STARS
295
⑂ FORKS
9
private-captcha
Independent, privacy-first, self-hostable PoW CAPTCHA service made in EU
★ STARS
168
⑂ FORKS
5
friendly-captcha
Lite server for Friendly Captcha
★ STARS
50
⑂ FORKS
11
// EDITOR'S TAKE
ALTCHA is the most complete drop-in, with wide framework support, a self-hosted verification server and no user tracking, while capjs is the smallest option if all you need is an invisible proof-of-work check. None of these match reCAPTCHA's risk scoring against Google's traffic graph, so expect to stop cheap bots rather than determined ones.
// FREQUENTLY ASKED
What is the best open source reCAPTCHA alternative?
capjs is the most popular open source reCAPTCHA alternative by GitHub stars (6,288 stars). The other 5 options are ranked above.
Are these reCAPTCHA alternatives self-hostable?
Yes — every project listed here is open source and runs on your own infrastructure. Click into a project to see its license, stars, language, and current health status.
Are they free?
All projects shown are free and open source. Check each project's license page for the terms — most are MIT, Apache 2.0, or AGPL.