CAPTCHA vs reCAPTCHA: What’s the Difference? 

Key takeaways: 

• CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA protect websites against AI-driven spam and fraud.
• The only difference between CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA is how they work and who developed them. 
• Both security systems work by restricting website access without entering inputs that are easy for humans to solve, but difficult for bots. 

AI is expanding at an exponential rate. By 2033, the UN estimates that the AI industry will be 25 times its current size. AI has many positive uses, such as how researchers use it to detect life-threatening diseases. 

However, hackers and malicious actors use AI bots for their exploits. For example, more than 50% of fraud cases involve AI. That’s where CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA come in handy. 

Both systems offer robust security measures that safeguard websites against AI traffic. 

In this article, we’ll discuss how the CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA work, their differences, and their benefits. 

What is CAPTCHA? 

The Turing Test, proposed by Alan Turing in 1950, evaluates whether a machine can convincingly imitate human responses. CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart), developed in 2003 by Luis von Ahn and a team at Carnegie Mellon University, is a reverse Turing Test used to protect websites by distinguishing human users from bots. 

This is just one aspect of maintaining strong website security, which helps protect your site from various vulnerabilities. 

It’s a free service that protects websites and human users from malicious bot activity such as: 

• Bot traffic 
• Bot attacks 
• Automated spam 
• Account takeovers 

CAPTCHA tests require users to retype the distorted text and numbers displayed on an image. The screen readers bots use can’t decipher the text, making site access impossible. Current AIs can defeat the original design of the test. So, modern CAPTCHAs refine the concept for better detection and user-friendliness, which we’ll examine at when we examine reCAPTCHA. 

Here’s a summary of the traditional CAPTCHA: 

• What it is: A security test designed to distinguish human users from bots by presenting challenges that are easy for humans to solve but difficult for automated systems. 
• What it looks like: It asks users to decrypt and retype an image displaying a distorted combination of overlapping letters and numbers. 
• How it works: Bots struggle to decipher the distorted image. So, only a human can pass it — when security engineers originally designed the test, modern AIs can bypass the distorted cipher. 
• Who made it: Luis von Ahn and a team of computer scientists. 

How does reCAPTCHA work? 

ReCAPTCHA is an evolved version of the CAPTCHA system, by Google. Google designed the system to address the accessibility issues prevalent in traditional CAPTCHAs. For instance, visitors with visual impairments might find it challenging to solve tests provided by the original CAPTCHA. To address traditional CAPTCHA problems, reCAPTCHA adds accessibility features like: 

• Audio challenges 
• Image recognition (e.g., identifying common objects in pictures) 
• Enhanced accessibility features 

Google’s reCAPTCHA aims to improve on traditional CAPTCHAs by removing difficult user interactions while maintaining protection against bot attacks. 

Here’s how Google’s reCAPTCHA differs from the original: 

• What it is: An advanced version of CAPTCHA developed by Google with more enhanced user-friendly features. 
• What it looks like: Tests differ from checking a tick box that says “I am a human”, asking users to check the same type of image. Alternatively, the audio challenge accessibility feature, asks to type out an audio recording. 
• How it works: The reCAPTCHA system designed adaptive challenges that analyze and detect user behavior while filtering bot activity. 
• Who made it: It’s based on the traditional CAPTCHA, but acquired and improved by Google. 

What are the different types of reCAPTCHA? 

Unlike traditional CAPTCHA systems, Google has iterated on the system to provide a better experience. Google continuously updates its security measures and usability to ensure site security against bad bots, while keeping the user experience in mind. In fact, the latest version features an advanced risk analysis engine that makes the test completely hidden to users. 

There are currently three versions of reCAPTCHA: 

• ReCAPTCHA v1 
• ReCAPTCHA v2 (I’m not a robot) 
• ReCAPTCHA v3 (Invisible) 

Each version iterates over the previous. Here’s what differentiates each model:

ReCAPTCHA v1 

• What it is: It’s basically Google’s version of the traditional CAPTCHA, except it requires users to decipher two distorted words (which could include letters and numbers) to confirm they were human. 
• How it works: Users must type out the distorted letter + number combination in plain text. 
• Issues: Some users found the image difficult to read, leading to inaccessible sites and user frustration. Because of the poor user experience, Google retired the original reCAPTCHA in 2018 after launching version 2. 

ReCAPTCHA v2 (I’m not a robot) 

• What it is: A take on reCAPTCHA that puts the user experience at the forefront. It minimizes ‘friction’ by posing a simple challenge to verify whether the user is human. 
• How it works: Site visitors need to check a box stating, “I’m not a robot.” However, sites still using v2 might encounter two different iterations: 
• Invisible reCAPTCHA v2: If the system doesn’t detect suspicious activity from the active user, they won’t see the “I’m not a robot” checkbox because the verification process runs in the background. 
• Image challenges: When the security software cannot verify whether the user is a bot, you’ll get an image challenge such as “select all the images with bikes.” 
• Why it’s better: The reCAPTCHA system uses background behavioral analysis, such as monitoring mouse movements and user interfaction patterns. If the user passes the check, they won’t get a “challenge” and thereby enhance the overall customer experience. 

ReCAPTCHA v3 (Invisible) 

• What it is: The latest model of reCAPTCHA that makes the bot check hidden entirely from the user unless suspicious behavior triggers the need for action. Unlike earlier versions, it doesn’t require users to solve challenges (like selecting images or typing text). Instead, it runs in the background and assigns a risk score based on user interactions. You’ll know you’re on v3 if your site has an invisible RECAPTCHA badge. 
• How it works: The system scores the user based on advanced risk analysis techniques, and scores whether or not it’s a bot. Here’s how the scoring system works: 
• Invisible reCAPTCHA scores the visitor from 0.0 to 1.0 based on how they navigate the site. 
• If the system detects a score closer to 0.0, then it determines that the visitor is a likely a bot and blocks site access. 
• If the system detects a score closed to 1.0 score, then the visitor must be human and can therefore freely browse the website. 
• Why it’s better: The system is sophisticated enough to detect bot activity accurately. Human users will never see the test, leading to the best user experience of all reCAPTCHA versions. 

What’s the difference between CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA? 

If you need further elaboration on what makes the two security systems different, here’s a summarized comparison of the two: 

How does my site benefit from reCAPTCHA? 

ReCAPTCHA offers enhanced protection for your website. It filters spam traffic and potential autonomous threats out of your servers. 

Here’s how reCAPTCHA can protect your website: 

1. Prevents spam bots. It blocks hostile AI from posting spam content, creating fake accounts, or uploading malicious data. 
2. Reduces server load. The system ensures that only real users can visit your site. It prevents performance drops caused by spam traffic. 
3. Enhances user security. ReCAPTCHA protects sensitive data and prevents brute force attacks, especially on login pages. 
4. Improves site integrity. It prevents bloated metrics caused by bots and ensures your analytics reflect real user data. 
5. Enhances trust. Users and search engines recognize reCAPTCHA as a legitimate security measure. It makes your site more professional. 

Enhance site security with Network Solutions 

CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA add a security layer to your site that keeps out bad bot attacks. They ensure only legitimate traffic reaches the site and keep it safe from brute-force attacks. Invisible CAPTCHAS even remove the obtrusive visual challenges from the original system, removing any user-experience complaints. 

Adding reCAPTCHA to your site can deter most malicious bots from reaching your sensitive data. But with Network Solutions, you can add an extra layer of protection. Our enhanced website security ensures that site security is the last thing you have to worry about. 

Frequently asked questions