By George Curta · Last updated 2026-05-28
anonym.legal vs Azure AI Language
Azure AI Language offers PII detection via Azure Cognitive Services, but requires Azure infrastructure. anonym.legal provides EU data residency in Germany, reversible encryption, and multiple interfaces without cloud vendor lock-in.
Learn more about Azure AI Language
Feature Comparison
| Feature | anonym.legal | Azure AI Language |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Transparent (Free to €29/mo) | Pay-per-use (Azure billing) |
| Free Tier | Yes | 5K chars/month free |
| Cloud Lock-in | None | Requires Azure |
| EU Data Residency | Germany (Hetzner) | Region selection available |
| Entity Types | 285+ | Unknown |
| Language Support | 48 languages | Unknown |
| Reversible Encryption | AES-256-GCM | Not found |
| Chrome Extension | Yes | Not found |
| MCP Server (AI Tools) | Yes | Not found |
| Office Add-in | Yes | Not found |
| Desktop App | Yes | Not found |
| REST API | Yes | Yes |
| Zero-Knowledge Auth | Yes | Not found |
Comparison based on publicly available information. "Not found" indicates feature not documented on product page. Last updated February 2026.
Why Choose anonym.legal
No Azure Lock-in
Use anonym.legal without any Azure account. No Microsoft cloud dependencies or billing complexity.
German Data Residency
Data processed in Germany (Hetzner). No US Cloud Act exposure. Guaranteed EU jurisdiction.
Reversible Encryption
AES-256-GCM encryption with your keys. Decrypt when needed for audits, court orders, or compliance.
Chrome Extension
Protect data before sending to AI tools. Browser-level protection Azure doesn't provide.
MCP Server
Native integration with Claude Desktop and AI developer tools via Model Context Protocol.
285+ Entity Types
Country-specific IDs with checksum validation. Azure AI Language doesn't publish entity coverage.
Zero-Knowledge Security
Your password never leaves your device. Even if our servers were breached, your credentials remain safe.
When Azure AI Language Might Be Better
Azure AI Language excels in specific scenarios:
- Already on Azure: Deep integration with Azure services and unified billing
- Azure Functions/Logic Apps: Native triggers and connectors for automation
- Azure Health Data Services: Combined with de-identification for PHI workflows
- Microsoft 365 integration: Part of broader Microsoft Purview ecosystem
Frequently Asked Questions
Does anonym.legal require an Azure account?
No. anonym.legal is completely independent of Microsoft Azure. Use it via API, Desktop App, Chrome Extension, or Office Add-in without any Azure infrastructure or billing.
How does anonym.legal pricing compare to Azure AI Language?
anonym.legal offers transparent pricing from Free to €29/month. Azure AI Language uses pay-per-use billing based on text records processed, which can be unpredictable at scale. anonym.legal is typically more cost-effective for most use cases.
Can I migrate from Azure AI Language to anonym.legal?
Yes. Both use similar REST API patterns. The main changes are authentication (API key vs Azure credentials), endpoint URLs, and response format mapping. Most integrations can be migrated with minimal code changes.
Does anonym.legal support reversible encryption?
Yes. anonym.legal provides AES-256-GCM reversible encryption — you can decrypt when legally required for audits or court orders. Reversible encryption documentation was not found on Azure AI Language's product page.
Which has better entity coverage?
anonym.legal detects 285+ entity types with country-specific IDs (German Personalausweis, French INSEE, UK NIN, etc.). Azure AI Language doesn't publish specific entity counts, making comparison difficult.
Does anonym.legal offer zero-knowledge authentication?
Yes. anonym.legal uses zero-knowledge authentication with Argon2id and HKDF. Your password is processed on your device — only a mathematical proof is sent to the server, never the actual password.
Try anonym.legal Free
No Azure account needed. German data residency. Start with 200 free tokens today.
About this page
We update this page when our platform or the law changes.
Read our founder note for how we work.
Each change shows up in the timestamp at the top.
Related reading
- Common questions
- Glossary
- How tokens work
- Security posture
- Where we comply
- What we detect
- Case studies
- Release notes
We follow these rules
- GDPR (EU 2016/679).
- ISO/IEC 27001:2022.
- NIS2 (EU 2022/2555).
- HIPAA safe harbor under 45 CFR § 164.514(b)(2).
Our promise
We do not sell your data.
We do not train models on your text.
We store your files in Germany.
You can delete your account at any time.
You own your work.
Where we run
Our servers live in Falkenstein, Germany.
We use Hetzner. They hold ISO 27001 certification.
All data stays in the EU.
Backups run every day.
Need help?
Email support@anonym.legal.
We reply within one business day.
How we test
We run a full check suite on every release.
Each surface gets its own sweep script and report.
Human reviewers spot-check the output each week.
We track recall and precision on a labelled set.
Bad runs block the deploy.
What we never do
- We never sell your information to third parties.
- We never train models on what you upload.
- We never keep your work after you delete it.
- We never share keys with any outside firm.
- We never run ads inside the product.
Plans in plain words
We sell credits, not seats.
One credit covers one short job.
Long jobs use a few credits each.
You can top up at any time.
Unused credits roll over each month.
Read the plans page for current rates.
Who built this
A small team of engineers and lawyers built this.
We ship from Europe and work in the open.
Our founder note spells out why we started.
Where to start
- Open the web app and try a sample file.
- Learn how credits get counted.
- See current plans and limits.
- Meet the team behind the product.
How the parts fit
A browser add-on cleans text inside Chrome.
A Word plug-in handles drafts in Office.
A small desktop tool works on whole folders.
An agent protocol link feeds large models safely.
All four share one core engine and one rule set.
Words from our team
We started this work after a lunch about cookies.
One friend kept getting odd ads on her phone.
We asked why a court file leaked through a draft.
We sketched the first build on a napkin that week.
By month three we had a tiny demo for a friend.
She used it on her first case the next day.
Common questions we hear
Can the tool read scanned PDFs? Yes, with OCR.
Does it work on long files? Yes, in small chunks.
Can I roll my own rule set? Yes, save it as a preset.
Does it run offline? The desktop build runs offline.
Do you keep my files? No, the cloud build wipes after each run.
Will it learn from my work? No, we never train on inputs.
A short tour of the workflow
Upload a file or paste a snippet of prose.
Pick the entities you want gone from the draft.
Choose a method: replace, mask, hash, encrypt, or redact.
Press run and watch the side panel show each hit.
Skim the result and tweak any rule that misfired.
Save the cleaned file or send it to a teammate.