We make FindIP Shield, so read this with that in mind. Everything said about Fingerprint here comes from its own public pages, linked in the sources.
Fingerprint details were read on its pricing page and documentation on October 21, 2026. Plans change; check the vendor's page before deciding. If something here is out of date, write to [email protected] and we will correct it.
The short version
- Fingerprint gives each browser or device a visitor identifier designed to stay the same across sessions, cleared cookies and changing IP addresses, plus Smart Signals such as VPN, proxy, bot, incognito, tampering and virtual-machine detection. Your code reads the result and decides.
- FindIP Shield does not try to identify the device. It scores every visit and form on your site by the network behind it (VPN, proxy, Tor, hosting, malicious IP, and changes within the session), explains each score, and lets you respond per form or by rule from a dashboard, with no code and no per-call bill.
Side by side
| FindIP Shield | Fingerprint | |
|---|---|---|
| The question it answers | Where is this visitor connecting from, how risky is that for this form, and what should happen? | Have I seen this device before? |
| Main output | A risk score, a recommendation and the reasons, per event and session | A stable visitor identifier per device, plus Smart Signals |
| Recognising a returning visitor | A random first-party visitor ID in a cookie and local storage; clearing site data starts a new one. Your own hashed user ID ties sessions to accounts | The product's purpose: the identifier is built to survive cleared cookies and new IP addresses |
| Network signals | VPN, proxy, Tor, privacy relay, hosting, malicious IP; IP, network and country changes within a session | VPN and proxy detection, IP blocklist and others among the Smart Signals |
| How it is installed | Script tag, npm package, Google Tag Manager, WordPress plugin, Shopify app, or a no-code Cloudflare integration | JavaScript agent, mobile SDKs, server API and webhooks; a Cloudflare proxy integration on any plan, other proxy integrations on Enterprise |
| Acting on the result | In the dashboard: a response per form (monitor, slow down, Turnstile check, stop, redirect) and rules by user, visitor, IP, country, network or submit velocity | Your code decides; a Rules Engine in beta returns block or allow outcomes that your application or a Cloudflare deployment enforces |
| Free | Free Preview: no per-call charge, up to 10,000 recorded events per site per day | Up to 1,000 API calls per month for web and iOS, more for Android, and a 14-day Pro Plus trial |
| Paid | No paid plan during the Free Preview | Pro Plus from $99 per month for 20,000 API calls, then $4 per 1,000; Enterprise is custom |
When Fingerprint is the right tool
Be honest about the question first. If it is "is this the same person on a new account", device identity is the stronger signal, and Fingerprint is built for it.
- Account sharing and multi-accounting where the abuser clears cookies and changes networks between accounts.
- Recognising a returning device on login, to skip a step for a known device or add one for a new device.
- Mobile apps, where Fingerprint has SDKs and Shield is a website product.
When Shield is the better fit
The problem is where traffic comes from
Fake signups from hosting networks, trial abuse through proxy pools, card testing, spam leads, scraping through rotating addresses: these are network problems. Shield names the network reason on every event, with the session around it, without identifying anyone's device.
Nobody on the team writes fraud code
A visitor identifier is an input to logic you build. Shield ships the logic: it finds the forms on your site, scores each submit, and lets a site owner pick a response per form or write a rule in the dashboard. WordPress, Shopify, Google Tag Manager and Cloudflare installs need no code at all.
You want to score everything
Metered identification makes the monthly call count the first number to work out. Shield records up to 10,000 events per site per day with no per-call charge, so page views and every form submit can be scored.
You would rather not fingerprint
Shield's visitor ID is a random value the visitor can clear, and three privacy modes control what is collected. It never receives form values. For some sites and some regulators, that is the simpler conversation.
Using both
Network risk and device identity describe different things, and teams with a serious abuse problem often run one of each. A common split: Shield decides which signups deserve a closer look and handles the response in the page, and a device identifier connects repeat attempts behind those. Shield's multi-accounting page shows how far network signals and a visitor cap get you on their own.
Questions
Does Shield fingerprint devices?
No. Shield's visitor ID is a random first-party value kept in a cookie and local storage. Clearing site data starts a new one. When a browser refuses both, Shield derives an ID for one day from the IP address, browser and language, except in strict privacy mode.
Is the open-source FingerprintJS an option instead?
It is available under the MIT licence. Fingerprint states that its accuracy is significantly lower than the commercial product's, so read its documentation before relying on it for identification.
Can Shield detect VPNs as well as Fingerprint?
Both report VPN use. Shield's VPN, proxy, Tor, relay and hosting flags come from FindIP's own IP intelligence and appear on every event with the reason. A VPN on its own is not proof of abuse: many real customers use one.
Sources
- Fingerprint plans and prices: fingerprint.com/pricing
- Fingerprint Smart Signals: fingerprint.com
- Fingerprint integrations: documentation; Rules Engine (beta): documentation
- FingerprintJS open source: github.com/fingerprintjs/fingerprintjs
- FindIP Shield: documentation, cookies and visitor ID, enforcement and rules, Free Preview terms
Fingerprint is a trademark of its owner. FindIP is not affiliated with Fingerprint.
See what the network view shows on your site
Shield installs in a few minutes and starts in monitor mode. Look at your own signups before deciding which question you need answered.