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reCAPTCHA vs mCaptcha: Is EU's Data Privacy Superior?

Explore how mCaptcha, the EU-based alternative, emphasizes data security and privacy compared to US's reCAPTCHA. Learn which fits your needs.

Last updated: February 6, 2026Reviewed by Built in EU Team

Should You Switch to mCaptcha?

What You Gain

Enhanced privacy compliance and data protection with mCaptcha.

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Potentially fewer features compared to reCAPTCHA.

reCAPTCHA has more features
Bottom Line

Switch to mCaptcha if privacy is a priority over advanced features.

At a Glance

Data Location
🇺🇸US

US data laws

🇪🇺EU

GDPR protected

Pricing

reCAPTCHA

Contact

mCaptcha

Contact

Migration
Medium difficulty~2-4 hours

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriareCAPTCHAmCaptcha
Server Location
US (Google Cloud), EU (optional)EU
GDPR Compliance
Partial (SCCs)Unknown
Open Source
E2E Encryption
Optional
Data Portability
LimitedUnknown

CLOUD Act Notice

reCAPTCHA is a US company and must comply with CLOUD Act data requests, even for data stored in EU data centers. mCaptcha is not subject to US jurisdiction.

Switching from
reCAPTCHA logo

reCAPTCHA

🇺🇸

Google

VS
Switching to
mCaptcha logo

mCaptcha

🇪🇺

mCaptcha

US Data Storage

Data subject to US CLOUD Act and may be accessed by US authorities

EU Data Protection

Data protected under GDPR with EU-only data residency

Certifications & Compliance

No certifications listed

Open Source
EU-hosted

Reasons to Switch

  • mCaptcha servers are located in the EU, aiding GDPR compliance.
  • mCaptcha is open source, allowing for independent audits and transparency.
  • Optional E2E encryption enhances data security for user interactions.
  • Potentially lower costs with mCaptcha compared to Google’s pricing model.

Things to Consider

  • !Migration from reCAPTCHA may involve significant integration effort.
  • !Limited documentation available for mCaptcha could hinder onboarding.
  • !mCaptcha may lack advanced features present in reCAPTCHA, like image recognition.
Migration difficulty:
Medium
~2-4 hours

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Medium
Time Estimate
~2-4 hours

Depends on data size and complexity

Quick Steps

1

Create mCaptcha account and configure settings

2

Export and prepare data from reCAPTCHA

3

Import data, test integrations, and migrate users

Other alternatives to reCAPTCHA

Ready to make the switch?

Start using mCaptcha today and take control of your data privacy.