By George Curta · Last updated 2026-05-28
anonym.legal vs Google Cloud DLP
Google Cloud Sensitive Data Protection (Cloud DLP) is a powerful cloud-native service, but requires GCP infrastructure. anonym.legal offers EU data residency, reversible encryption, and works anywhere without cloud vendor lock-in.
Learn more about Google Cloud DLP
Feature Comparison
| Feature | anonym.legal | Google Cloud DLP |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Transparent (Free to €29/mo) | Pay-per-use (GCP billing) |
| Free Tier | Yes | Limited free quota |
| Cloud Lock-in | Yes | Requires GCP |
| EU Data Residency | Germany (Hetzner) | Region selection available |
| Entity Types | 285+ | 150+ infoTypes |
| Language Support | 48 languages | Unknown |
| Reversible Encryption | AES-256-GCM | Crypto transforms (KMS) |
| Chrome Extension | Yes | — |
| MCP Server (AI Tools) | Yes | — |
| Office Add-in | Yes | — |
| Desktop App | Yes | — |
| REST API | Yes | — |
| DLP Policy Enforcement | No | — |
| Data Discovery/Catalog | No | — |
| Zero-Knowledge Auth | Yes | — |
Comparison based on publicly available information. "Not found" indicates feature not documented on product page. Last updated February 2026.
Why Choose anonym.legal
No Cloud Lock-in
Use anonym.legal anywhere. No GCP account required, no cloud vendor dependencies. Switch providers anytime.
EU Data Residency
Data processed in Germany (Hetzner). No US Cloud Act exposure. No data transfers to third countries.
Reversible Encryption
AES-256-GCM encryption with your keys. Decrypt when needed for audits, court orders, or compliance.
Chrome Extension
Protect data before it reaches ChatGPT or Claude. Browser-level PII protection Google DLP doesn't offer.
MCP Server
Native integration with Claude Desktop and AI developer tools. Build privacy-first AI workflows.
Office Add-in
Anonymize directly in Microsoft Word. No API integration needed, works for non-technical users.
Zero-Knowledge Security
Your password never leaves your device. Even if our servers were breached, your credentials remain safe.
When Google Cloud DLP Might Be Better
Google Cloud DLP excels in specific scenarios:
- Already on GCP: Deep integration with BigQuery, Cloud Storage, Dataflow
- Data discovery at scale: Scan petabytes of data across your cloud infrastructure
- DLP policy enforcement: Automated data classification and policy workflows
- Enterprise data catalog: Sensitive data inventory across your organization
Frequently Asked Questions
Does anonym.legal require a Google Cloud account?
No. anonym.legal is a standalone service with no cloud vendor dependencies. You can use it via API, Desktop App, Chrome Extension, or Office Add-in without any cloud infrastructure.
How does pricing compare between anonym.legal and Google Cloud DLP?
anonym.legal offers transparent pricing from Free to €29/month. Google Cloud DLP uses pay-per-use billing based on bytes processed and API calls, which can be unpredictable. For most use cases under 50,000 tokens/month, anonym.legal is significantly more cost-effective.
Can I migrate from Google Cloud DLP to anonym.legal?
Yes. anonym.legal's REST API accepts similar request formats. You can replace DLP API calls with anonym.legal endpoints. The main difference is authentication (API key vs GCP service account) and entity type names.
Does Google Cloud DLP support reversible encryption?
Google Cloud DLP supports crypto transforms using Cloud KMS for deterministic encryption, but it's tied to GCP key management. anonym.legal's reversible encryption uses your own AES-256-GCM keys with no cloud dependency.
Which has more entity types?
anonym.legal detects 285+ entity types including country-specific IDs (German Personalausweis, French INSEE, UK NIN, etc.). Google Cloud DLP has 150+ infoTypes. Both support custom recognizers for additional patterns.
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 GCP account needed. No cloud lock-in. 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.