Why Captchas Are Essential in Onlineshops
Smartstore is built on modern ASP.NET technology and provides flexible captcha mechanisms that help you effectively secure key input forms throughout your shop - for example:
- User registration
- Login
- Contact form
- Newsletter signup
- Product reviews and other submission forms
The key benefits of a properly configured captcha setup:
- Significantly reduced spam by blocking automated bots
- Protection against attacks such as form abuse or credential stuffing
- Improved site performance with fewer unnecessary requests
- Higher data quality in your CRM and newsletter system
Three Leading Captcha Solutions at a Glance
🔵 Google reCAPTCHA (v2 & v3)
Google reCAPTCHA is one of the most widely used captcha services worldwide. It offers seamless integration, powerful AI-driven bot detection, and strong security features.
Advantages
- “Invisible” modes minimize user disruption
- Excellent bot detection powered by Google’s machine-learning data
- Free for most online shops
- Can be activated in Smartstore without additional plugins
Disadvantages
- Privacy concerns due to data transfer to Google
- Often considered critical regarding GDPR compliance in the EU
- Occasional usability issues from image challenges
Ideal for
Shops that require maximum bot protection and are permitted to use Google services under their privacy policies.
🟡 CaptchaFox
CaptchaFox is a European, privacy-first captcha solution, highly valued by businesses with strict GDPR requirements.
Advantages
- Fully GDPR-focused, privacy-friendly design
- European server locations
- User-friendly and unobtrusive challenges
- No data sharing with large US tech companies
Disadvantages
- Costs may apply depending on request volume
- Not always fully invisible, but still highly user-friendly
Ideal for
Businesses looking for a European, GDPR-compliant, privacy-oriented captcha solution.
🟢 FriendlyCaptcha
FriendlyCaptcha offers a unique approach: instead of solving puzzles, the visitor’s browser performs a small cryptographic proof-of-work task.
How It Works
A lightweight computational puzzle is generated in the background and solved by the browser. This drastically increases the cost for bots trying to submit forms automatically — without tracking or intrusive user analysis.
Advantages
- Extremely privacy-friendly, built with privacy-by-design principles
- No frustrating image or text challenges
- No personal data required
- Strong protection against automated bot attacks
Disadvantages
- Slightly higher browser workload (typically unnoticeable)
- Commercial product with costs after a free tier
Ideal for
Shops with strict privacy standards that want a highly user-friendly and low-barrier captcha experience.
How to Integrate Captchas in Smartstore
Integration in Smartstore depends on the solution you choose. Google reCAPTCHA can be activated directly in Smartstore, while CaptchaFox and FriendlyCaptcha are added via plugins.
🔵 Activating Google reCAPTCHA in Smartstore
Google reCAPTCHA is already built into Smartstore and can be configured without installing additional components.
- Open the backend:
Configuration → Settings → General - Switch to the “Security” tab.
- Enable Google reCAPTCHA and enter your Site Key and Secret Key.
- Save your changes.
After activation, Smartstore automatically protects all supported forms based on your settings.
🟡 CaptchaFox & 🟢 FriendlyCaptcha Plugins
CaptchaFox and FriendlyCaptcha integrate into Smartstore via dedicated plugins. These plugins provide their own configuration pages and allow flexible form assignment.
- Open the backend:
Plugins → Manage plugins - Install the required plugin:
- CaptchaFox plugin
- FriendlyCaptcha plugin
- Open the plugin configuration.
- Enter the required credentials (API keys, site keys, secrets).
- Activate the plugin and assign captcha checks to the desired forms.
This gives you fully integrated, GDPR-friendly captcha options inside your Smartstore environment.
Quick Comparison of Captcha Solutions
| Goal | Recommendation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum bot detection | Google reCAPTCHA (v3) | Outstanding accuracy powered by Google’s infrastructure. |
| GDPR-compliant EU shop | CaptchaFox or FriendlyCaptcha | Focused on privacy and European data hosting. |
| Best user experience (no puzzles) | FriendlyCaptcha | Tasks run silently in the browser – no image captchas. |
| Free & easy to start | Google reCAPTCHA v2/v3 | Built into Smartstore, free for many merchants. |
Conclusion
Captchas remain one of the most important tools to protect e-commerce websites from spam and automated bot attacks in 2025. Smartstore supports multiple modern captcha solutions and makes implementation extremely straightforward:
- Google reCAPTCHA can be enabled directly under
Configuration → Settings → General → Security. - CaptchaFox and FriendlyCaptcha are installed and configured
as plugins via
Plugins → Manage plugins.
This gives you full flexibility—from Google’s proven solution to highly privacy-friendly European alternatives. With a well-optimized captcha strategy, your Smartstore shop stays secure, efficient, and protected — allowing you to focus on growing your business.
Do you have questions on this topic? Or would you like to send us your feedback? You can reach us via the contact form, by email at info@smartstore.com or by phone from Monday to Friday between 10 and 16 o'clock at +4923153350.