OptionWeb

<p>OW Forms is a modern WordPress form builder for sites that prioritize performance, accessibility, and GDPR compliance. Built by OptionWeb for production use on client sites, it ships with a JSON-driven schema engine, a REST-based submission pipeline, and a curated set of 16 field types — text, email, tel, URL, number, textarea, select, radio, checkbox, checkbox-group, date, time, datetime, file upload, hidden, and rating — plus auto-injected GDPR consent and anti-spam fields.</p>
<p>The anti-spam stack runs four layers in parallel: a visually-hidden honeypot input that bots fill but humans never see, a time-trap that rejects submissions completed faster than a configurable threshold, a multi-provider CAPTCHA layer (Cloudflare Turnstile, Google reCAPTCHA v3, hCaptcha, or Friendly Captcha), and optional OW Shield IP reputation scoring with a disposable-email blocklist. Every signal is logged so you can tune thresholds without flying blind. Submissions that score above 80 are silently rejected — no error message, no honeypot leak.</p>
<p>GDPR compliance is native, not bolted on. Every form gets a consent checkbox linked to your privacy policy, IP addresses can be stored pseudonymized or not at all, user agents are SHA-256 hashed by default, and a daily cron purges submissions older than your retention window (CNIL default: 1095 days). When OW Consent is active, OW Forms wires into its DSAR endpoint — erasure requests automatically delete matching submissions by email hash, with full audit trail. Submission emails are SHA-256 hashed with a plugin-owned salt (option <code>owfo_dsar_salt</code>, generated once at activation) so the database never holds plaintext PII linkable across systems, and DSAR erasure keeps working even after <code>wp config shuffle-salts</code>.</p>
<p>The one-click Contact Form 7 importer parses every CF7 form in your database, builds the equivalent OW Forms schema (preserving recipient, subject, and field types), and rewrites every <code>[contact-form-7 id="..."]</code> shortcode in your posts to <code>[owfo_form id="..."]</code>. Email notifications support HTML or plain text with <code>{{token}}</code> interpolation, optional auto-reply, signed outbound webhooks (HMAC-SHA256), and a Gutenberg block in addition to the shortcode and REST API.</p>
<h3>External services</h3>
<p>OW Forms relies on optional third-party CAPTCHA services to protect form submissions<br />
from spam. <strong>None of these services are contacted unless you explicitly enable a<br />
CAPTCHA provider in OW Forms <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Settings <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Anti-spam.</strong></p>
<p>The OW Shield integration is fully local — when the OW Shield plugin is installed<br />
and active on the same site, OW Forms reads its IP reputation score from the local<br />
database/cache. No request leaves your server for this lookup; OW Shield itself<br />
may contact its own reputation service, which is disclosed in the OW Shield readme.</p>
<p>The Friendly Captcha widget JavaScript is bundled with OW Forms under<br />
    assets/js/vendor/ (no external CDN is hit at page render). Source: the upstream<br />
MIT-licensed package at https://github.com/FriendlyCaptcha/friendly-challenge —<br />
the files shipped here are the official npm <code>friendly-challenge@0.9.18</code> build<br />
outputs (<code>widget.module.js</code> and <code>widget.module.min.js</code>, unmodified, renamed to<br />
    friendly-challenge-0.9.18.module.js / <code>friendly-challenge-0.9.18.module.min.js</code><br />
to make the version explicit in the filename). Both the minified and the<br />
human-readable non-minified source are shipped per WordPress.org Plugin Check<br />
requirements.</p>
<p>When a CAPTCHA provider is enabled, OW Forms loads the vendor’s JavaScript widget<br />
on pages that render a form, and posts the challenge solution back to the vendor’s<br />
verification API when a visitor submits the form. The data sent to the vendor is<br />
limited to: (a) the challenge token generated client-side by the vendor’s widget,<br />
(b) the visitor’s IP address (passed through to the vendor for fraud scoring), and<br />
(c) the site’s API secret key configured in the settings.</p>
<h4>Cloudflare Turnstile</h4>
<ul>
<li>What it is: a CAPTCHA / bot-mitigation service by Cloudflare, Inc.</li>
<li>When data is sent: only when <code>spam_captcha_provider</code> is set to <code>turnstile</code>, and<br />
only on form submission. The widget JS is also loaded on every page that renders<br />
a form.</li>
<li>Data sent: Turnstile challenge token, visitor IP, your Turnstile secret key.</li>
<li>Terms of service: https://www.cloudflare.com/website-terms/</li>
<li>Privacy policy: https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/</li>
</ul>
<h4>Google reCAPTCHA v3</h4>
<ul>
<li>What it is: an invisible CAPTCHA / risk-scoring service by Google LLC.</li>
<li>When data is sent: only when <code>spam_captcha_provider</code> is set to <code>recaptcha_v3</code>, and<br />
only on form submission. The widget JS is also loaded on every page that renders<br />
a form (this is how reCAPTCHA v3 builds its risk score).</li>
<li>Data sent: reCAPTCHA token, visitor IP, your reCAPTCHA secret key. Google may<br />
also collect additional telemetry as described in their privacy policy.</li>
<li>Terms of service: https://policies.google.com/terms</li>
<li>Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy</li>
</ul>
<h4>hCaptcha</h4>
<ul>
<li>What it is: a privacy-focused CAPTCHA service by Intuition Machines, Inc.</li>
<li>When data is sent: only when <code>spam_captcha_provider</code> is set to <code>hcaptcha</code>, and<br />
only on form submission. The widget JS is also loaded on every page that renders<br />
a form.</li>
<li>Data sent: hCaptcha token, visitor IP, your hCaptcha secret key.</li>
<li>Terms of service: https://www.hcaptcha.com/terms</li>
<li>Privacy policy: https://www.hcaptcha.com/privacy</li>
</ul>
<h4>Friendly Captcha</h4>
<ul>
<li>What it is: a privacy-first, proof-of-work CAPTCHA service by Friendly Captcha GmbH<br />
(Germany). No user puzzle, no tracking cookies.</li>
<li>When data is sent: only when <code>spam_captcha_provider</code> is set to <code>friendly_captcha</code>,<br />
and only on form submission. The widget JS itself is bundled with OW Forms (not<br />
loaded from an external CDN); only the verification request reaches the vendor.</li>
<li>Data sent: Friendly Captcha challenge token, visitor IP, your Friendly Captcha<br />
secret key.</li>
<li>Terms of service: https://friendlycaptcha.com/legal/terms/</li>
<li>Privacy policy: https://friendlycaptcha.com/legal/privacy-end-users/</li>
</ul>
<h4>Outgoing webhook (admin-configured)</h4>
<ul>
<li>What it is: a URL of your choosing that OW Forms POSTs to after each submission.<br />
No data leaves your site until you fill the <code>webhook_url</code> setting in OW Forms <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span><br />
Settings <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Notifications.</li>
<li>When data is sent: on every form submission, immediately after the admin<br />
notification email is dispatched. Non-blocking — your visitor’s submission<br />
response is not delayed by the webhook endpoint’s latency.</li>
<li>Data sent: form id, submission id, sanitized field payload (the same data<br />
stored in your <code>wp_owfo_submissions</code> table), site URL, ISO 8601 timestamp.<br />
If a webhook secret is configured, an <code>X-OWFO-Signature</code> HMAC-SHA256 header<br />
is added so the receiver can verify the payload origin.</li>
<li>Vendor: whoever owns the URL you configured. OW Forms has no built-in vendor<br />
for this — it is your responsibility to ensure the receiving endpoint complies<br />
with applicable privacy regulations for your submissions.</li>
</ul>


OW Forms

Modern, lightweight WordPress form builder with native GDPR compliance, anti-spam stack, and Contact Form 7 importer.

Daniel

<p><strong>This is ALTCHA Plugin version 1.</strong></p>
<p><strong>ALTCHA Plugin version 2 is now available, offering improved protection and enhanced reliability. An upgrade is recommended for all users.</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://altcha.org/docs/v2/wordpress" rel="nofollow ugc">Learn more</a> | <a href="https://altcha.org/docs/v2/wordpress/install" rel="nofollow ugc">Installation guide</a> | <a href="https://altcha.org/docs/v2/wordpress/migrating-from-v1/" rel="nofollow ugc">Migration guide</a></p>
<p>What’s new in version 2:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Effective</strong>: blocks 99% of spam and abuse attempts</li>
<li><strong>Invisible for users</strong>: frictionless protection, no puzzles or CAPTCHAs</li>
<li><strong>Works everywhere</strong>: plugin-agnostic <a href="https://altcha.org/docs/v2/wordpress/features/#request-interceptor--works-everywhere" rel="nofollow ugc">Request Interceptor</a> integrates with any form plugin</li>
<li><strong>Handles heavy traffic</strong>: stay online with <a href="https://altcha.org/docs/v2/wordpress/features/#under-attack-mode--stay-online-under-pressure" rel="nofollow ugc">Under Attack Mode</a></li>
<li><strong>Stops abuse at scale</strong>: firewall and rate limiting included</li>
<li><strong>Privacy-first</strong>: 100% GDPR-compliant and fully accessible</li>
<li><strong>Unlimited</strong>: no external services, unlimited verifications</li>
</ul>
<p>Learn more about ALTCHA at <a href="https://altcha.org" rel="nofollow ugc">altcha.org</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://altcha.org" rel="nofollow ugc">ALTCHA</a> provides a free, open-source Captcha alternative utilizing a proof-of-work mechanism to safeguard your website against spam and unwanted content. Our anti-spam solution ensures robust spam protection without compromising user privacy.</p>
<p>Unlike other solutions, ALTCHA is free, open-source, and self-hosted. It operates independently without external services, avoids the use of cookies and fingerprinting, refrains from user tracking, and maintains full compliance with GDPR regulations.</p>
<h3>Free Mode</h3>
<p>The free self-hosted mode is enabled by default after installation. No additional setup is required, except enabling the integrations you need in the plugin settings.</p>
<h3>Privacy</h3>
<h4>No cookies, no tracking</h4>
<p>ALTCHA prioritizes user privacy by avoiding the use of cookies and fingerprinting techniques.</p>
<h4>No external service</h4>
<p>Operating in Self-hosted mode (the default setting), this plugin remains fully contained within your WordPress installation, eliminating any reliance on external services. You can opt-in for our SaaS version to utilize the Spam Filter API. For more information visit https://altcha.org.</p>
<h3>Modes of Operation</h3>
<p>This plugin operates in two modes, you can select which mode you want in the settings (see API Region):</p>
<ul>
<li>Self-hosted – free, fully self-contained without external services.</li>
<li>Custom or SaaS API – requires a server such as <a href="https://altcha.org/docs/v2/sentinel/" rel="nofollow ugc">ALTCHA Sentinel</a>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>REST API</h3>
<p>This plugin requires the WordPress REST API. If you are using any “Disable REST API” plugins, ensure that the endpoint <code>/altcha/v1/challenge</code> is allowed.</p>
<h3>Supported Integrations</h3>
<ul>
<li>CoBlocks</li>
<li>Contact Form 7</li>
<li>Elementor Pro Forms</li>
<li>Enfold Theme</li>
<li>Formidable Forms</li>
<li>Forminator</li>
<li>GravityForms</li>
<li>HTML Forms</li>
<li>WPDiscuz</li>
<li>WPForms</li>
<li>WP-Members</li>
<li>WordPress Login, Register, Password reset</li>
<li>WordPress Comments</li>
<li>WooCommerce</li>
<li>Custom HTML (with a short code <code>[altcha]</code>)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Source Code</h3>
<p>All source code for the plugin, and the ALTCHA widget is available on GitHub. In the repository, you’ll also find versions of non-minified JavaScript and CSS assets:</p>
<ul>
<li>Plugin: https://github.com/altcha-org/wordpress-plugin</li>
<li>ALTCHA Widget: https://github.com/altcha-org/altcha</li>
</ul>
<h3>Terms of Service And Privacy Policy for SaaS</h3>
<ul>
<li>Privacy Policy: https://altcha.org/privacy-policy</li>
<li>Terms of Service: https://altcha.org/terms-of-service</li>
</ul>


ALTCHA Spam Protection


ALTCHA is a free, open-source Captcha alternative. It uses a proof-of-work mechanism to protect your website from spam and unwanted content. Unlike other solutions, ALTCHA is self-hosted, avoids cookies and tracking, and is fully GDPR compliant. It also features a powerful spam filter that integrates seamlessly with your WordPress site. With options for self-hosted and external service modes, ALTCHA offers flexibility and robust protection for any WordPress site.


ALTCHA: Free, Open-Source Captcha Alternative with Robust Spam Protection


I've installed ALTCHA on a non-WordPress website a little under a year ago, and it's been protecting that website from spam registrations (these were an issue there!) ever since.



Now I'm using it on a couple WordPress websites as well, and it seems to work just as fine, albeit it's only been a few days.



If you've ever been annoyed by having to repeatedly select busses or fire hydrants, or move parrots around, and you don't want to push that experience onto your visitors,  ALTCHA can be the solution. It's non-intrusive to normal users (the calculation performed only takes a couple seconds), but is a great way to deter spammers, who would rather automatically submit a few hundred forms than spend that same amount of CPU time on a calculation required to only submit that one form on your page.



Oh, and I love that this plugin is open source and no-nonsense. It will never clutter your WordPress UI with calls to upgrade to pro or notifications about Black Friday sales. It adds a single sub-menu item under Settings, and is very civil in all regards. And it also respects your visitor privacy: no data will be transmitted to other servers than yours by default due to having it installed, unless you explicitly configure it to use ALTCHA's cloud API, which adds some extra functionality in addition to filtering out bots.



All that said, it's not a silver bullet of course, and you may want to keep Akismet enabled too as a second line of defence.


Great self-contained spam protection


Altcha v1 was brilliant - did just what I wanted seamlessly.  Sadly when I installed v2 the login blocked for some users (and it was impossible to see why).  I think the increased comms to the central system were to blame, but I'm not sure.  I can't switch back to v1 without having the 'nag' to upgrade constantly visible on the plugin page, and putting the shortcode back into all the forms.  A quick switch to Cloudfare Turnstile and all is working nicely.  Sad, though, because Altcha looked great.


v1 was great; v2 - I had to uninstall

ALTCHA offers a free, open-source Captcha alternative, ensuring robust spam protection while respecting user privacy and GDPR compliance.

OW Forms vs ALTCHA Spam Protection