# Fingerprint vs Nolgard | Nolgard

> Fingerprint gives you a device identifier on web, iOS and Android. Nolgard links repeat signups per site and tells your backend how many trial credits to give. What each does, and how to run both.

Source: https://nolgard.com/compare/fingerprint/
Last updated: 2026-10-25

Compare

# Fingerprint vs Nolgard

Fingerprint gives you a device identifier and you build the policy. Nolgard links repeat signups on your site and returns the policy: a decision and how many trial credits to give. If you already run Fingerprint, test us next to it before you switch anything.

## What Fingerprint does better

- A `visitorId` on every identification request. Nolgard has no per-response visitor id yet: you get a decision, reasons and a grant, and you look up linked accounts by account id. [Fingerprint billing docs](https://docs.fingerprint.com/docs/pricing)

- Native iOS and Android SDKs. Nolgard covers browsers only; mobile apps are not covered. [iOS SDK](https://docs.fingerprint.com/docs/ios-sdk) · [Android SDK](https://docs.fingerprint.com/docs/android-sdk)

- Smart Signals, a set of device and browser signals whose availability depends on platform and plan. [Smart Signals docs](https://docs.fingerprint.com/docs/smart-signals-introduction)

- A general identifier. You decide what to build on it.

From Fingerprint's own [pricing page](https://fingerprint.com/pricing/) and docs, read 2026-10-25: a Free plan up to 1,000 API calls a month, and Pro Plus from $99 a month for 20,000 API calls, then $4 per 1,000. Check their docs for current limits.

## What you still build on top of an identifier

- **The policy.** An id says this device was seen before. Your backend still decides how many accounts per device are fine and what the fourth one gets.

- **How many credits to give.** Nolgard returns `grant.share` and `grant.credits`, plus held credits you release after a later check.

- **Email linking.** Nolgard folds aliases (Gmail dots and plus tags, Outlook, iCloud, Fastmail, Proton) and checks disposable and new domains.

- **Clusters and labels.** Nolgard keeps per-site account clusters, cluster ceilings and fraud labels you can set from your backend.

## Row by row

| Question | Fingerprint | Nolgard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stable device identifier in the response? | Yes. `visitorId`. | No per-response visitor id yet. Links are kept on our side, per site. |
| Is this the same person again? | You compare ids and build the rule. | Yes. Links across visitor id, device and normalized email; reason ids explain the link. |
| How many credits should this account get? | Not in scope. | Yes. `decision`, `grant.share`, `grant.credits`, `grant.held`. |
| Is the email disposable, new or an alias? | Not in scope. | Yes. MX, domain age, alias folding. |
| Mobile apps | iOS and Android SDKs. | Not covered. Browsers only. |
| Bot and tampering signals | Smart Signals, by platform and plan. | Score with reason ids from browser, network and behaviour checks. |
| Price | Free up to 1,000 API calls a month; Pro Plus from $99 for 20,000. Check their docs for current limits. | Free: 1,000 new accounts a month. Pro $99 for 15,000. Business $299 for 75,000. Repeat checks of the same account are free. [Pricing](https://nolgard.com/pricing/) |

Fingerprint column from its public [pricing](https://fingerprint.com/pricing/) and [docs](https://docs.fingerprint.com/), read 2026-10-25. Nolgard column matches the shipped [API docs](https://nolgard.com/docs/). How we test, and what we miss: [methodology](https://nolgard.com/methodology/).

## Run both for two weeks

Do not trust either vendor's claims, ours included. Measure on your own signups.

- Keep Fingerprint and your current rule exactly as they are.

- Add Nolgard's `client.js` and verify each signup with your `account.id`. Set the site to Observe mode: we enforce nothing and record `wouldDecide`.

- Label the accounts you know: fraud from chargebacks and abuse, legit from paying users. Send them with `POST /v1/feedback`.

- Compare. Where your Fingerprint rule and our `wouldDecide` disagree, check the labels. Export the events as CSV from the dashboard.

If our `limit` calls do not line up with your labels, keep what you have.

[Read the docs](https://nolgard.com/docs/)[Ask for a pilot](https://nolgard.com/contact/?topic=pilot)[Start free](https://nolgard.com/app/#/signup)

## Use both

If you need mobile coverage or a raw device id for other flows, keep Fingerprint. Add Nolgard on web signups where a repeat trial costs you money, and let it decide the grant. Pass your Fingerprint result into your own logs next to our `ref` so both can be compared later.

## Related

- [Methodology](https://nolgard.com/methodology/)
- [Turnstile vs Nolgard](https://nolgard.com/compare/turnstile/)
- [hCaptcha vs Nolgard](https://nolgard.com/compare/hcaptcha/)
- [Repeat accounts](https://nolgard.com/features/repeat-accounts/)
- [Trial grants](https://nolgard.com/features/trial-grants/)
- [Trial abuse calculator](https://nolgard.com/tools/trial-abuse-calculator/)

[Read the docs](https://nolgard.com/docs/)[Start free](https://nolgard.com/app/#/signup)