---
title: "hCaptcha Pricing, Features & Alternatives (2026)"
description: "hCaptcha review: Bot Protection & CAPTCHA tool — Free tier, plans, pros & cons, and the best hCaptcha alternatives compared for startups in 2026."
source: https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/hcaptcha
retrieved: 2026-10-22
---

![hCaptcha logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=hcaptcha.com&sz=128)

[Bot Protection & CAPTCHA](https://appstackbuilder.com/categories/bot-protection)Free tier

# hCaptcha: Pricing, Features & Alternatives

hCaptcha is the most common drop-in replacement for reCAPTCHA, and its API is close enough that switching is usually a change of script and keys. It is built around privacy law (GDPR, CCPA) and does not use visitors' data for advertising.

Basic is free and shows a classic challenge to most visitors. Pro is $99 a month billed yearly or $139 month to month, includes 100,000 evaluations, then $0.99 per 1,000, and adds a 99.9% passive mode, invisible mode, custom themes and analytics. Enterprise adds risk scores, a fully passive no-CAPTCHA mode, SAML SSO and SLAs, priced by quote. As of October 2026.

Category

Bot Protection & CAPTCHA

Pricing

Free tier available

Free tier

Yes

Best for

Bot Protection & CAPTCHA — captcha, privacy

[Visit hCaptcha official site](https://www.hcaptcha.com)

## hCaptcha Pricing Plans (2026)

| Plan       | Price                                       | Highlights                                                         |
| ---------- | ------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Basic      | $0                                          | Classic visual challenge · GDPR and CCPA compliant                 |
| ProPopular | $99 / month (billed yearly) or $139 monthly | 100K evaluations / month · $0.99 per 1K after · 99.9% passive mode |
| Enterprise | Contact sales                               | Risk scores · No-CAPTCHA passive mode · SAML SSO and SLAs          |

Pricing summary: Free · paid from $99/mo. Always confirm current pricing on the official site.

## Key hCaptcha Features

* ✓100K evaluations / month
* ✓$0.99 per 1K after
* ✓99.9% passive mode
* ✓Custom themes and analytics

### ✓ Pros

* +Near drop-in swap for reCAPTCHA
* +Privacy-first, no ad tracking
* +Free plan for basic protection

### ✗ Cons

* −Free plan shows a puzzle to most visitors
* −Low-friction mode needs Pro at $99+/month
* −Enterprise pricing not public

## Best hCaptcha Alternatives

[Compare all ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tool-alternatives/hcaptcha)

[![Cloudflare Turnstile logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=cloudflare.com&sz=128)Cloudflare TurnstileFree · paid plans by quote](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/cloudflare-turnstile)[![Google reCAPTCHA logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=google.com&sz=128)Google reCAPTCHAFree · paid from $8/mo](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/google-recaptcha)[![Arcjet logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=arcjet.com&sz=128)ArcjetFree · paid from $25/mo](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/arcjet)

## hCaptcha Compared

[hCaptcha vs Cloudflare Turnstile](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/cloudflare-turnstile-vs-hcaptcha)[hCaptcha vs Arcjet](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/arcjet-vs-hcaptcha)[hCaptcha vs Google reCAPTCHA](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/google-recaptcha-vs-hcaptcha)

## hCaptcha FAQ

What is hCaptcha used for?⌄

hCaptcha is a bot protection & captcha tool. Privacy-focused CAPTCHA with a free plan, and a Pro plan that adds a 99.9% passive mode where almost nobody sees a challenge.

Is hCaptcha free?⌄

Yes — hCaptcha has a free tier you can start with, and paid plans for more usage and features.

How much does hCaptcha cost?⌄

hCaptcha offers a free tier, with paid plans starting at $99/month. Some plans are usage-based (pay-as-you-go).

What are the best hCaptcha alternatives?⌄

Popular hCaptcha alternatives include Cloudflare Turnstile, Google reCAPTCHA, Arcjet. Compare pricing and features on our hCaptcha alternatives page.

## Not sure if hCaptcha fits your stack?

Get a free, AI-powered tech stack tailored to your budget, app type, and team size — including the best bot protection & captcha pick for you.

[Build my stack free ](https://appstackbuilder.com/)