2Captcha soft_id, CapSolver AppID and the developer revenue-share model, explained

Peak Administrator

— 2 min read

Two developers ask the same question in different words. One types "2Captcha soft_id," the other types "CapSolver AppID." They are looking for the same thing: a way to earn on solves their code makes without running a referral funnel. The two features are nearly identical in spirit, and both are different from an affiliate link in a way that matters. Here is the plain version.

What is soft_id in 2Captcha?

soft_id is a software identifier you attach to your API requests. When you build a tool on top of 2Captcha and send solves with your soft_id in the payload, the service records those solves against you and pays a percentage back, around 10%. You do not need to refer the user. The soft_id on the request is enough.

It exists for developers who ship software other people run. The classic case is an SDK or a bot: your users bring their own 2Captcha keys, your code adds your soft_id, and you earn on their solving.

What is an AppID?

An AppID is the same idea under a different name. CapSolver, EzCaptcha, NextCaptcha, and Peak all use "AppID" (or a developer ID) for a string you put in the solve request so the provider can attribute solves to you and pay a share. Rates vary, from around 5% up to roughly 20% at some providers, tiered by volume.

If you want the full mechanic and a rate comparison, we cover it in the AppID explainer.

Is CapSolver AppID the same as 2Captcha soft_id?

Functionally, yes. Both are a developer ID carried in the API request that pays you a cut of the solves made through your integration. The name differs by vendor. The mechanic does not. If you understand one, you understand the other. The only real differences are the field name in the payload, the percentage, and whether the reward is cash or account balance.

This is the distinction people miss, and it decides which one you should use.

 Affiliate / referral linksoft_id / AppID
Pays whenSomeone signs up through your linkA solve carries your ID
Requires a signupYesNo
Earns onWhat the referred user spendsEvery solve through your code
Best forContent, audiences, recommendationsSDKs, bots, plugins, tools

An affiliate link needs a conversion. A soft_id or AppID does not. That is the whole point of it.

With a soft_id or AppID, yes. That is exactly what separates it from an affiliate link. As long as your ID rides along in the solve payload, you earn on that solve, even if the person running your tool found the provider on their own and never touched a referral link. Your code did the attribution, not a click.

With an affiliate link alone, no. If the user never clicked your link and signed up, there is nothing to pay you for. Developers who only set up a referral link often conclude there is no way to earn on downstream usage. There is. It is the soft_id or AppID they skipped.

The Peak equivalent

Peak uses AppID. Create one under Developer, add appId to your solve payload, and you earn 5% of every solve made through it, paid as solve credit. Same model as soft_id, same reason to use it.

{
  "task_type": "TurnstileTaskProxyLess",
  "url": "https://example.com/",
  "sitekey": "0x4AAAAAAA...",
  "appId": "app_your_app_id"
}

One honest note, since it decides fit: Peak pays this in solve credit, not cash, so it works best if you are already buying Turnstile and 5s solves. If you want to see how Peak stacks up as a solver on speed and price rather than just its earn program, there is a side-by-side comparison. And for how the referral and AppID splits work together, see the docs.

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