Friendly Captcha for WordPress
by Friendly Captcha · Security
Friendly Captcha is a privacy-first anti-bot solution that protects WordPress website forms from spam and abuse.
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
B 83/100
no flags
Active installs
10K+
≈12K estimated
Momentum
-26%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “contact form”, “recaptcha” and “spam” for “abuse”, “no captcha” and “anti copy”. “contact form” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “abuse” sits at #8 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “recaptcha” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “no captcha” sits at #8 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “spam” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “anti copy” sits at #19 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
83 health vs 66 average across 1,776 Security plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →3.2%
of downloads still active
At least 10K of 316K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Security plugin keeps 1.4%, across 1,059 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Security plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 8 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Well optimized
Most to gain: Support resolution
Updated 11 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
3.9★ over 18 reviews, smoothed to 4.05★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
0 of 1 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
To rank higher: Mark more forum threads resolved — the resolved ratio feeds the ranking.
Get the full rank-higher report →Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
41
Momentum
Mixed: one swing, the rest drifting
+0.0
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
25%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.3
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| friendly | #2 | #6 | 0 |
| captcha your tag | #8 | #15 | down 2 |
| abuse | #8 | #10 | up 1 |
| privacy friendly | #4 | #10 | up 1 |
| no captcha | #8 | #12 | down 1 |
| captcha plugin | #5 | #10 | 0 |
| anti abuse | #5 | #8 | 0 |
| anti bot | #14 | #19 | down 2 |
| anti captcha | #6 | #12 | down 1 |
| privacy first | #20 | #20 | down 1 |
| antispam your tag | #24 | #21 | down 1 |
| form captcha | #11 | #19 | up 1 |
| forms captcha | #11 | #17 | down 1 |
| captcha form | #11 | #19 | 0 |
| antispam wordpress | #11 | #18 | 0 |
| anti copy | #19 | #20 | 0 |
| proof of work | #21 | #21 | 0 |
| contact form 7 captcha | #17 | #21 | up 1 |
| antispam login form | #17 | #20 | 0 |
| contact form your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| recaptcha your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| spam your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
63 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 19 listed. 44 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 3 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “contact form”, “recaptcha” and “spam” for “abuse”, “no captcha” and “anti copy”. “contact form” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “abuse” sits at #8 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “recaptcha” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “no captcha” sits at #8 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “spam” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “anti copy” sits at #19 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 17.5K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
8
releases in the last 12 months
11d ago
latest release · v1.19.0 · 20 Oct 2026
73
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “10K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 3 months ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just over 10K.
Install history since 14 May 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ lordmatt7mo ago
Either the API was not working or I needed a paid license to use the plugin.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ luftsocke2.4y ago
Funktioniert nicht trotz vorhandenem Key und API Schlüssel.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ anne2dev3.2y ago
Installation took a little while, but it was worth it: The captcha protection system works great and is fully privacy compliant. Thanks to the team! We are very satisfied!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ maxobom3.3y ago
Use less plugin I activated it on my site clicktowrite .com and its not working it’s always shoing error and user can register without confirming it. This topic was modified 2 years, 12 months ago by maxobom.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ thedoctorcoernel3.9y ago
On first sight this CAPTCHA solution is what many people are looking for: Easy to implement and fully GDPR-compliant. With the “Personal” plan there is a free plan available however I got an email from the friendly captcha team to upgrade my account. The smallest pricing option is 9 € a month. Sorry guys… for providing a simple piece of software 1.080 € over 10 years is ridiculous and I am out.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ drfranzkauer4.0y ago
I am thrilled! I’ve been looking for a European alternative to ReCaptcha for a long time and Friendly Captcha is simple, accessible and GDPR compliant. After installing the plugin I created an account at Friendly Captcha, created a sitekey and API key there and inserted it into the plugin. Then I selected my used form plugin via checkbox and it worked on the first try. Thanks! This topic was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by drfranzkauer.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ digimik4.1y ago
Kein Hinweis darauf, dass das PlugIn kostenpflichtig ist und eine Api benötigt. Egal, ob das PlugIn gut oder schlecht ist, so etwas geht gar nicht!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ privacyconsult4.5y ago
After long and intensive research, we can fully recommend this software solution as a data protection consultancy. Friendly Captcha applies the principles of data economy and anonymizes such data that can be considered personal before storing it. The support team was courteous and took detailed time for our review, for which we want to thank them very much.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.17.2 Only show the admin verification-failed notice for configuration errors The notice now shows the time of the last failure and auto-dismisses a week after the last failure 1.17.2
- — Version 1.17.0 Add support for generic integrations with custom PHP-Code Add support for SI Schedule+Registration Update Friendly Captcha SDKs to most recent versions 1.17.0
- — Version 1.16.0 Add support for WP Job Openings 1.16.0
- — Version 1.15.23 Update Friendly Captcha SDKs to most recent versions. 1.15.23
- — Version 1.15.22 Reset widget on error in WooCommerce checkout 1.15.22
- — Version 1.15.21 Fix bug causing API keys to be overwritten with invalid values. 1.15.21
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 6 languages, 3 at 90% or more
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
7 of 8 pass · checked 25 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Friendly Captcha is a privacy-first anti-bot solution that protects WordPress website forms from spam and a..."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 4 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 4 of 4 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions WooCommerce, Elementor, Divi, Contact Form 7 and 2 more.
- ✓ Headings and lists 7 headings and 1 list.
- ✓ Enough to quote 2,540 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 4 of 5 tags appear in the text; "antispam" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-08-05 9K+ → 10K+ up after 5 days in tier
- 2026-07-31 10K+ → 9K+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2026-07-29 9K+ → 10K+ up after 3 days in tier
- 2026-07-26 10K+ → 9K+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2026-07-25 9K+ → 10K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-07-24 10K+ → 9K+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2026-07-22 9K+ → 10K+ up after 35 days in tier
- 2026-06-17 10K+ → 9K+ down after 1 days in tier
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
hCaptcha for WP 70K+ installs · 4.5★ · 4 shared tags A -
Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection 5M+ installs · 4.7★ · 3 shared tags A -
reCaptcha by BestWebSoft 100K+ installs · 3.9★ · 3 shared tags B -
Kama SpamBlock 4K+ installs · 4.5★ · 3 shared tags A -
Invisible Anti-Spam & CAPTCHA — reCAPTCHA Alternative for All Forms 4K+ installs · 4.7★ · 3 shared tags A -
Mailster reCaptcha 1K+ installs · 3.4★ · 3 shared tags B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Friendly Captcha for WordPress into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/friendly-captcha" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Friendly Captcha for WordPress — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Friendly Captcha for WordPress: 10K+ active installs, 3.9★ (18 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/friendly-captcha
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