OpenAI moderation API alternative
An alternative to OpenAI moderation API for images and text
Compare OpenAI moderation API and openshield: what one check is, the public prices and limits, and where each fits. Facts about OpenAI moderation API are as of 2026-10-19.
2,000 free checks a month. No card needed.
At a glance
OpenAI moderation API and openshield side by side
Facts about OpenAI moderation API are as of 2026-10-19, read from its own pages. Its prices are in US dollars as it lists them, openshield's are in euros, and none is converted.
| What | OpenAI moderation API | openshield |
|---|---|---|
| Images | The moderation endpoint is listed as free to use. | One image is one check, with every category included. Plans start at €29 a month with 15,000 checks, then €2 per started 1,000 checks on Starter, down to €1.20 on Scale. |
| Text | Free to use, on the same endpoint. | One text is one check, with every category included, at the same prices as images. |
| Also offers | The omni-moderation-latest model takes text and images and lists 13 categories, and some of them apply to text only. Image files can be up to 20 MB. It does not classify audio. | Images and text. No video, no audio and no human review. |
Last checked: 2026-10-19
On the other side
What you get with openshield
An engine you can read and run
openmod is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence, and you can run it yourself. openshield is the hosted version.
Nothing stored
Content is checked in memory and forgotten when the answer is sent. The journal keeps the decision, never the content.
Checks processed in the EU
The checking server and the databases are in the European Union.
Your own image categories, in words
Describe what to look for in a few short sentences, and set how strict it is. No model to train.
Clear limits and a free plan
2,000 checks a month are free. Paid plans bill past the included checks by the started thousand, up to a cap you set, and the limits of each plan are in one table.
The full answer on every plan
The decision, the reasons, and the score and threshold of each, on the free plan too.
To be fair
Where OpenAI moderation API may fit better
The moderation endpoint is free and takes text and images. If a fixed set of categories at no cost is enough, it is a fair choice. openshield adds workflows with thresholds per category, image categories you describe in words, and a journal of decisions.
Moving over
Moving from OpenAI moderation API to openshield
openshield is not a drop-in replacement for OpenAI moderation API. It has its own request and answer format: one call to POST /v1/image or POST /v1/text answers accept, review or reject, with the categories and scores behind the decision. Only the SightEngine workflow routes follow another provider's format.
Last checked: 2026-10-19. Prices and limits change, so confirm them on the pages of OpenAI moderation API before you decide. If a fact here is wrong, write to contact@sway.events.
OpenAI moderation API is a trademark of OpenAI. openshield is not affiliated with or endorsed by OpenAI.
More
Other ways in
- Alternatives compared How openshield compares with Hive, Amazon Rekognition, Google Cloud Vision, Azure and OpenAI.
- Image moderation API Nudity, gore, weapons and more, with a score per category.
- Text moderation API Unsafe text, personal data, spam and scams, with the reasons.
- Pricing A free plan, then by the started thousand.
Questions
Before you start
- Is openshield a drop-in replacement for OpenAI moderation API?
- No. openshield has its own request and answer format, and only the SightEngine workflow routes follow another provider's. Moving from OpenAI moderation API means calling POST /v1/image or POST /v1/text and mapping the answer.
- How does the price compare with OpenAI moderation API?
- The billed units differ, so read the table. openshield has a free plan with 2,000 checks a month, then plans from €29 a month with 15,000 checks, billed by the started thousand past them. The figures about OpenAI moderation API are as of 2026-10-19: confirm them on its pricing page.
- Does openshield store the content it checks?
- No. Content is checked in memory and forgotten when the answer is sent. The journal keeps the decision, never the content.
- Where does openshield process checks?
- In the European Union: the checking server and the databases are there.
- Can I run the engine myself?
- Yes. openmod, the engine under openshield, is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Start with 2,000 free checks
No card needed. Create a key and send your first request in five minutes.
Beta prices, in euros, excluding VAT