Replace reCAPTCHA with SilentShield
Protect your forms from bots – without image puzzles and without tracking cookies in the bot check. The check runs in the background by default. Integrate with the WordPress plugin or the API.
500 requests/month for 1 domain · No credit card required
Widget submissions and server-side checks each count as a request.
When is a switch worth it?
A switch is worth it if …
- your visitors should not have to solve image challenges — according to Google, reCAPTCHA includes them in every tier.
- you do not want to load scripts from Google or set a cookie (reCAPTCHA sets _GRECAPTCHA).
- you want to see for every request why it was accepted or rejected (reason codes in the dashboard).
- you want your bot check to run on servers in Germany, with a data processing agreement.
reCAPTCHA is enough if …
- your website already uses Google services and the legal assessment for that is in place.
- the free Essentials tier with up to 10,000 assessments a month is enough and a payment method may be stored with Google.
- image challenges are no obstacle for your visitors.
- you cannot add a check on your server — without it, SilentShield only protects half the way too.
Is Google reCAPTCHA GDPR-compliant?
There is no blanket answer. According to Google, reCAPTCHA (now part of “Google Cloud Fraud Defense”) has acted as a processor since 2 April 2026; the script is loaded from Google’s servers and sets the necessary cookie _GRECAPTCHA. Whether its use on your website is lawful is for you to assess as the controller. SilentShield loads no Google scripts, sets no cookies and does not store the IP address in plain text; we provide a data processing agreement.
SilentShield and reCAPTCHA compared
| Feature | SilentShield | Google reCAPTCHA |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility to visitors | Invisible by default | Image challenges possible in all tiers |
| Role under the GDPR | Processor, DPA available | Google as processor (since 2 April 2026) |
| Cookies | None | _GRECAPTCHA (necessary cookie) |
| Free plan | 500 requests/month | Up to 10,000 assessments/month (payment method required) |
| Transferred size (gzip) | 48.9 KB | v2: 423 KB · v3: 459 KB |
reCAPTCHA details from Google’s official documentation (cloud.google.com/recaptcha: tier comparison and FAQ), checked on Oct 4, 2026. Transferred size: our own measurement of Sep 4, 2026 (SilentShield: Sep 23, 2026). Method and individual values
Which way of integration fits your website?
WordPress
The plugin adds the script and the check on the server to WordPress — no code of your own.
WordPress guideYour own website
Add the script to the form and verify every submission on your server with one request.
Set up server verificationFramework or SDK
Examples for PHP, Node, Go and React plus official SDKs for PHP, Node, Go and Edge.
Go to the developer documentationMigration with server-side verification
Remove reCAPTCHA
<!-- Remove this: -->
<script src="https://www.google.com/
recaptcha/api.js"></script>
<div class="g-recaptcha"
data-sitekey="..."></div>Add SilentShield
<!-- Add this: -->
<script src="https://api.silentshield.io/client.js?k=YOUR_API_KEY"
crossorigin="anonymous" defer></script>Update backend
// Verify token server-side:
const res = await fetch(
'https://api.silentshield.io/api/v1/captcha/verify-nonce',
{
method: 'POST',
headers: {
'Content-Type': 'application/json',
'X-Api-Key': process.env.SILENTSHIELD_API_KEY,
},
body: JSON.stringify({ nonce: req.body.behavior_nonce }),
}
);
const { ok, verdict } = await res.json();Switch without a gap in protection: first add SilentShield alongside reCAPTCHA and verify both results on your server. Remove reCAPTCHA only once real submissions arrive at SilentShield as “human”. You can go back at any time by switching the old check on again.
Try the Live Demo
Interact with the form below — watch SilentShield analyze your behavior in real-time.
Behavior Analysis
Start interacting with the form to see the analysis.
Costs and quotas
You start for free. A request is every reported submission and every verification through our API. Above the monthly limit, further requests are no longer checked but let through without extra charges — we then ask you to change your plan.
Limits
- SilentShield protects forms and sign-ups against bots. It does not replace a web application firewall or DDoS protection.
- When the result is unclear, the visitor sees a short arithmetic task.
- Full protection requires the check on your server; the script alone does not stop a directly sent request.
- The widget is tested against WCAG 2.1 AA (automated and by keyboard), not by an external audit.