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hCaptcha vs mCaptcha: Which Ensures Better Data Security?

Explore how US-based hCaptcha and EU's mCaptcha stack up on privacy. Discover the best option to safeguard your data today.

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

Should You Switch to mCaptcha?

What You Gain

Full GDPR compliance and better user data protection.

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Potentially fewer features and capabilities than hCaptcha.

hCaptcha has more features
Bottom Line

Switch if privacy is a priority; stay with hCaptcha for features.

At a Glance

Data Location
🇺🇸US

US data laws

🇪🇺EU

GDPR protected

Pricing

hCaptcha

Contact

mCaptcha

Contact

Migration
Medium difficulty~2-4 hours

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriahCaptchamCaptcha
Server Location
US (AWS), EU (optional)EU
GDPR Compliance
Partial (SCCs)Full
Open Source
E2E Encryption
OptionalAll plans
Data Portability
LimitedFull export

CLOUD Act Notice

hCaptcha 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
hCaptcha logo

hCaptcha

🇺🇸

Intuition Machines

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, enhancing data sovereignty.
  • Full GDPR compliance ensures user data protection and legal adherence.
  • Open source nature allows for community audits and transparency.
  • E2E encryption on all plans protects data during transmission.

Things to Consider

  • !Migration may require significant development resources and time.
  • !mCaptcha's feature set may not match hCaptcha's specific offerings.
  • !Learning curve for staff to adapt to mCaptcha's interface and tools.
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 hCaptcha

3

Import data, test integrations, and migrate users

Other alternatives to hCaptcha

Ready to make the switch?

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