The Perspective API alternative that coaches, not just scores.
Respectify is a near drop-in replacement for Google's Perspective API — it catches bad-faith comments before they post, explains why, and helps commenters fix them.
Respectify vs. Perspective API
Perspective scores toxicity. Respectify moderates and coaches — so the bad comment never posts, and the commenter learns why.
| Respectify | Perspective API | |
|---|---|---|
| Core approach | Moderate and coach in one step | Returns toxicity scores only |
| Catches comments before they post | ✓ | ✗ |
| Explains why a comment was flagged | ✓ | ✗ |
| Suggests a better-faith rewrite | ✓ | ✗ |
| Detects dog whistles & coded language | ✓ | ✗ |
| Keeps comments relevant to the page topic | ✓ | ✗ |
| Context-aware spam protection | ✓ | ✗ |
| Configurable per site, topic & audience | ✓ | Limited |
| WordPress plugin | ✓ | ✗ |
| SDKs | TypeScript, Python, PHP, REST | REST API |
| Pricing | Usage-based, from $5 | Free (rate-limited) |
What you get beyond a toxicity score
Coaches, doesn't just block
Perspective hands you a toxicity score and leaves the rest to you. Respectify catches the comment before it posts, explains what's wrong, and lets the commenter edit and try again.
Understands context & relevance
Keep comments on-topic for the page or post they're on. Respectify reads intent in context — not just a fixed set of toxicity attributes.
Catches dog whistles
Coded language that reads as harmless to most people but means something else to certain groups. Tell Respectify what to disallow for your site, topics, and audience.
Smarter spam protection
No blacklists or captchas. Respectify uses context and intent to catch sophisticated spam while letting genuine comments through.
Built for existing Perspective users
Perspective is shutting down. Respectify gives you a closely compatible replacement — your effort goes into minimal changes, not rethinking how your moderation system works. Read our migration guide on the blog.
What makes the switch straightforward:
- A near drop-in compatible API — switch the endpoint, keep your request flow.
- Clear migration docs that walk you through every step.
- Supported SDKs for TypeScript, Python, PHP, and direct REST usage.
- For most integrations, this is about changing the connection points — not rethinking your whole moderation stack.
Switching from Perspective takes minutes
Keep your stack. Change one endpoint. Get moderation that teaches.
Create your account
Sign up and grab an API key. The $5 minimum top-up is enough to test against your real comment traffic.
Point your calls at Respectify
If you're already calling Perspective, Respectify offers a near drop-in replacement — switch the endpoint and keep your existing request flow.
Tune your checks
Turn relevance, dog-whistle detection, tone, and spam protection up or down per site, topic, and audience right from the dashboard.
Go live
Bad-faith comments get caught before they post, with feedback that helps commenters fix and resubmit. Watch the balance and usage in your dashboard.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Google shutting down the Perspective API?
Google has announced that the Perspective API will be discontinued. If your product relies on Perspective for toxicity scoring or comment moderation, you need a replacement before the shutdown — Respectify offers a compatible migration path with minimal code changes.
What is the best Perspective API replacement?
For teams that want to keep their existing Perspective integration, Respectify is built as a near drop-in replacement: switch the endpoint, keep your request flow, and optionally add coaching, relevance checks, and spam detection on top of compatible toxicity scoring.
Is Respectify really a drop-in replacement for Perspective?
It's a near drop-in replacement. If you already call Google's Perspective API, you can point your existing requests at Respectify's compatible endpoint and keep your flow largely as-is, then layer on the extra checks when you're ready.
What does Respectify do that Perspective doesn't?
Perspective returns toxicity attribute scores. Respectify catches comments before they post, explains why they were flagged, suggests better-faith rewrites, detects dog whistles and off-topic comments, and handles spam — moderation plus education in one step.
Do I have to change my code?
Minimal changes. Swap the endpoint to migrate, and use the dashboard to configure which checks run. SDKs are available for TypeScript, Python, and PHP, plus a REST API.
How much does it cost?
Usage-based, billed per comment. Top-ups start at $5 (roughly 2,500 spam checks, or about 250 comments with most checks on) with optional auto-topup. No monthly subscription and no opaque credits.
Is there a WordPress plugin?
Yes. Install the Respectify plugin from the WordPress directory, add your API key in Settings, and comments are analysed before they're published.
Where to start
Sign up and get an API key. Then read the migration guide and check the API reference for the exact calls you need to replace.
We don't spam, it's not in our ethics.