5arz vs hCaptcha
Looking for an hCaptcha alternative? First check which question you need answered: “is this a bot?” or “did a real person do this?”
AI-generated imagehCaptcha filters out bots, privacy first. 5arz proves a specific verified person did a specific thing.
Different jobs, and they work well together.
How each one works
Side by side
| Feature | 5arz | hCaptcha |
|---|---|---|
| The question | Did a verified person do this? | Is this visitor a human or a bot? |
| What’s checked | A government ID plus liveness, once, through a partner | Machine-learning bot signals, with a challenge for some visitors |
| What you get | A signed seal: who, what and when | A pass or fail token. Enterprise adds a 0.0–1.0 score, where 1.0 is a threat. |
| User friction | A one-time ID and selfie check on their phone | Pro’s passive mode: under 0.1% of real users see a challenge |
| Proof others can check | Yes — anyone verifies the signature offline, free | No — your server checks the token with hCaptcha |
| Price to start | Free: 1,000 seals a month. Checking a seal is always free. | Free up to 10,000 requests a month. Pro is $99/mo, billed yearly. |
| Privacy | Selfie and ID go to our partner. We keep only a signed result. | Says it retains no PII; Enterprise offers no-cookie mode and IP blinding |
hCaptcha details are from hCaptcha’s own site and docs — see Sources 1–5.
Which one you need
- You want a low-cost bot filter on forms and sign-ups
- Privacy matters and you want fewer cookies
- You’re moving off reCAPTCHA with few code changes
- You need proof a verified person did the action
- Someone else must check that proof later
- An AI agent acts on a person’s behalf
Or use both. Filter bots with hCaptcha everywhere. Ask for a 5arz seal only where a person must stand behind the action.
Questions
Is 5arz an hCaptcha alternative?
Only for some jobs. For filtering bots on forms, hCaptcha is cheaper and lighter. 5arz is for actions that need proof of a verified person.
Can I use both?
Yes. Keep hCaptcha on sign-ups and forms. Add a 5arz seal where a real, verified person must stand behind the action.
Is hCaptcha free?
Yes, up to 10,000 requests a month on its Basic plan. Pro is $99 a month billed yearly, with 100,000 evaluations included.
Can hCaptcha replace reCAPTCHA?
hCaptcha says it is API-compatible with reCAPTCHA. You swap the script, the class name and the verify URL.
Does a 5arz seal stop duplicate accounts?
Not by itself. A seal says a verified person is behind it. Check the sybil_checked claim before one-per-person actions.
Does 5arz store biometrics?
No. Your selfie and ID go to our verification partner, Stripe Identity or Didit. We keep only a signed result.
Sources
Read on 2 Oct 2026. Features and prices can change — check the source.
- 1hCaptcha developer docsdocs.hcaptcha.com
- 2hCaptcha planshcaptcha.com
- 3hCaptcha Prohcaptcha.com
- 4Switch from reCAPTCHA to hCaptchadocs.hcaptcha.com
- 5hCaptcha vs reCAPTCHAhCaptcha blog
- 65arz public key5arz-oracle-2 · ES256
- 7Verify a sealCheck one in your browser
“hCaptcha” is a trademark of its respective owner. 5arz is independent and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by hCaptcha. This page is informational and not legal advice.