# captcha vs PrivateCaptcha

> Two self-hosted [hCaptcha alternatives](https://selfhost.directory/alternative-to/hcaptcha), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | captcha | PrivateCaptcha |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 50/100 ✓ | 43/100 |
| Rank in category | #42 of 78 in Security | #59 of 78 in Security |
| GitHub stars | 305 ✓ | 199 |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 28 ✓ | 17 |
| Latest release | v3.9.7 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ | v1.46.1 · 20 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | Typescript | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

captcha scores 50/100 against 43/100 for PrivateCaptcha, so it is the safer default.

captcha ships more often: 28 stable releases in the past year, against 17 for PrivateCaptcha.

## Details

- [captcha](https://selfhost.directory/project/captcha) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/captcha.md)
- [PrivateCaptcha](https://selfhost.directory/project/privatecaptcha) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/privatecaptcha.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/captcha-vs-privatecaptcha