Tool dossier

mCaptcha

Privacy-focused proof-of-work CAPTCHA system that silently protects websites without tracking users or requiring image solving. Drop-in replacement for reCAPTCHA.

1 sources 2,435 stars Self-hosted AGPL-3.0

Product snapshot

How the interface presents itself

mCaptcha interface screenshot

Positioning

What this project is really offering

The goal here is to separate raw catalog facts from the sharper product shape users care about before they commit time.

About

Silent protection that respects user privacy - mCaptcha operates invisibly in the background using proof-of-work algorithms, eliminating the need for users to solve annoying image puzzles or contribute to ML training data. True privacy by design - Unlike traditional CAPTCHAs, mCaptcha doesn't track or profile your users. No data collection, no behavioral analysis, just pure bot protection that keeps user information completely private. NAT-friendly rate limiting - Advanced protection that doesn't rely on IP addresses for rate limiting, ensuring users behind corporate firewalls or shared networks get the same smooth experience without false positives. Economic defense model - Makes attacking your site more expensive than the cost of legitimate requests, creating a natural economic barrier that discourages bot traffic and abuse. Drop-in compatibility - Seamlessly replace reCAPTCHA or hCaptcha with APIs that are fully compatible with existing implementations. No major code changes required for migration. Open source foundation - Core system is libre software while client libraries use proprietary-friendly licenses, ensuring the technology remains accessible and transparent for security auditing.

Evidence

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