mCaptchavsPrivateCaptcha
Two self-hosted hCaptcha alternatives, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| mCaptcha | PrivateCaptcha | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 55/100 | 43/100 |
| Rank in category | #31 of 78 in Security | #59 of 78 in Security |
| GitHub stars | 2 498 | 199 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +4 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 17 |
| Latest release | — | v1.46.1 · 20 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Other |
| Main language | Rust | Go |
Which one should you pick?
mCaptcha scores 55/100 against 43/100 for PrivateCaptcha, so it is the safer default.
PrivateCaptcha ships more often: 17 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for mCaptcha.
If you want the quickest setup, mCaptcha is easier to run; PrivateCaptcha needs more configuration.
mCaptcha is growing faster right now (+4 stars in 30 days).
mCaptcha details →PrivateCaptcha details → All hCaptcha alternatives →