Click Fraud K9 Alternatives 2026: 7 Tools That Actually Work (K9 is Defunct)
Abisola Tanzako | Apr 06, 2026
Last updated: April 2026
If you are looking for PPC Protect, you are looking for Lunio. PPC Protect rebranded to Lunio in 2022. This was not an acquisition or a merger. The same company, the same team, and the same technology simply changed its name. If you visit ppcprotect.com today, it redirects to lunio.ai.
PPC Protect was founded in mid-2016 in Chorley, United Kingdom, as a click fraud protection tool focused on Google Ads. In September 2022, the company raised a GBP 14 million Series A round led by Smedvig Capital and simultaneously announced the rebrand to Lunio. The name change reflected the company’s expanded scope: Lunio now covers 15+ ad platforms (not just PPC), uses AI-powered behavioral fingerprinting, and positions itself as an invalid traffic protection platform rather than a click fraud blocker.
Nick Morley took over as CEO in December 2024. The company claims to protect 35,000+ Google Ads accounts across 130 countries and holds ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certifications. It publishes the annual Global Invalid Traffic Report (2.7 billion clicks analyzed in 2026, showing an 8.51% global IVT rate).
For the rest of this article, we compare ClickPatrol vs Lunio (formerly PPC Protect).
ClickPatrol wins on price transparency, form protection, and GDPR-native compliance (EUR 59/mo, EU-built). Lunio wins on multi-platform ad coverage (15+ platforms) and cross-channel intelligence. Choose ClickPatrol if you run Google Ads, Meta, and Microsoft Ads with a budget under $50K/month and need transparent billing with no sales calls. Choose Lunio if you advertise across many channels (TikTok, LinkedIn, Reddit, Snapchat) and spend $10K+/month with a preference for hands-off automation.
| Feature | ClickPatrol | Lunio (formerly PPC Protect) |
|---|---|---|
| Price (from) | EUR 59/month (published) | Custom (contact sales) |
| Free trial | 7 days, full access | 14-day traffic audit |
| Bot detection accuracy | 99.97% (claimed) | Not publicly disclosed |
| Data points per click | 800+ | ~100 per visitor |
| Google Ads | Yes (automated blocking) | Yes (automated blocking) |
| META Ads | Yes (automated blocking) | Yes (automated blocking) |
| Microsoft/Bing Ads | Yes (automated blocking) | Detection only (no auto-block) |
| Other ad platforms | DV360 | TikTok, LinkedIn, X, Reddit, Snapchat, Pinterest, and more (15+ total) |
| Form/Lead protection | Yes (FormProtector) | No |
| Audience protection | Yes (AudienceProtector) | Yes (cross-channel exclusion) |
| Data/Conversion protection | Yes (DataProtector) | No dedicated module |
| Performance Max optimization | Yes | Yes (specialized P-Max Signal Optimization) |
| Cross-channel intelligence | No | Yes (detect on one platform, block on all) |
| CRM integrations | Zapier, Make, API | HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo, Unbounce |
| GDPR compliance | Yes (EU-built, Netherlands) | Yes (UK-based, ISO 27001, SOC 2) |
| Setup time | Under 1 minute | ~5 minutes |
| Headquarters | Netherlands (EU) | Manchester, United Kingdom |
| Founded | 2020 | 2016 (as PPC Protect), rebranded 2022 |
| Funding | Private | GBP 14M Series A (Smedvig Capital, 2022) |
| G2 rating | 4.7/5 | 4.6/5 (~140 reviews) |
| ClickFraudTool score | 9.3/10 (Editor’s Choice) | 8.4/10 |
ClickPatrol is a Netherlands-based click fraud protection platform that analyzes 800+ data points per click with 99.97% bot detection accuracy. Founded in 2020, it offers four protection modules (AdProtector, AudienceProtector, DataProtector, and FormProtector) covering the fraud lifecycle from click blocking through CRM spam prevention. ClickPatrol supports Google Ads, Meta, and Microsoft Ads with sub-minute setup. It is ISO 27001/27018/27701 certified, EU-native, and GDPR-compliant by design, with transparent pricing from EUR 59/month.
Lunio is a UK-based invalid traffic protection platform. Originally founded in 2016 as PPC Protect in Chorley, UK, the company focused exclusively on Google Ads click fraud protection. After raising GBP 14 million in Series A funding from Smedvig Capital in September 2022, the company rebranded to Lunio to reflect its broader scope.
Today, Lunio uses AI-powered behavioral fingerprinting to detect and block invalid traffic across 15+ ad platforms, including Google Ads, Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, Reddit, Snapchat, and Pinterest. Its standout capability is cross-channel intelligence: when Lunio identifies an invalid IP on one platform, it automatically excludes that IP across all connected platforms. The company holds ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certifications and claims to protect 35,000+ Google Ads accounts across 130 countries.
Lunio does not publish pricing on its website. You must contact the sales team for a custom quote based on your ad spend.
ClickPatrol claims 99.97% bot detection accuracy by analyzing 800+ data points per click, including VPN/proxy detection, device fingerprinting, behavioral biometrics, and data center identification. ClickFraudTool (2026) scored ClickPatrol 9.9/10 for detection accuracy and 9.3/10 overall, the highest overall score in their benchmark.
Lunio uses a self-learning AI algorithm that analyzes approximately 100 data points per visitor. Rather than publishing an accuracy figure, Lunio emphasizes its behavioral fingerprinting approach and cross-channel learning model: the more platforms connected, the smarter the detection becomes. ClickFraudTool scored Lunio 8.4/10 overall, with a notable gap in detection depth compared to ClickPatrol.
The detection philosophies differ. ClickPatrol analyzes each click deeply (800+ signals per click). Lunio casts a wider net across more platforms (15+ channels) and uses cross-channel patterns to improve detection over time. Both approaches have merit. ClickPatrol’s approach is stronger for per-click accuracy on the three major platforms. Lunio’s approach is stronger for advertisers who run campaigns across many channels and benefit from cross-platform intelligence.
Edge: ClickPatrol for per-click detection depth (800+ data points, 9.3/10 vs 8.4/10). Lunio for cross-channel learning across 15+ platforms.
ClickPatrol supports:
Lunio supports:
ClickPatrol covers the three platforms where most SMB ad spend is concentrated (Google, Meta, Microsoft) with automated blocking on all three at its base price. Lunio covers 15+ platforms but cannot automatically block IPs on Microsoft Ads.
For advertisers running campaigns on TikTok, LinkedIn, or Reddit, Lunio is the only option on this comparison that provides detection and exclusion on those channels. For advertisers focused on Google, Meta, and Microsoft, ClickPatrol provides automated blocking on all three platforms at its entry price.
Edge: Lunio for breadth (15+ platforms). ClickPatrol for automated blocking depth on the three major PPC platforms.
ClickPatrol publishes its pricing transparently:
| Plan | Price | Clicks/month |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic Insights (Free Trial) | Free for 7 days | Up to 5,000 |
| Traffic Security Starter | EUR 59/month (annual) | Up to 75,000 |
| Traffic Security PRO | EUR 69/month (annual) | Up to 75,000 |
| Agency / Brand | On request | Unlimited |
No lock-in contracts, no setup costs, 17% discount on annual billing.
Lunio does not publish pricing. You must contact the sales team for a custom quote based on your ad spend. Historical references from third-party sources suggest plans may have started around $49-60/month for small accounts when the company was still PPC Protect, but current pricing is not independently verifiable.
This is a key differentiator. ClickPatrol lets you see the full cost before signing up. Lunio requires a sales conversation, which adds friction for advertisers who want to evaluate quickly. Multiple G2 and Capterra reviewers have flagged Lunio’s hidden pricing as a frustration, and one Capterra reviewer reported difficulty canceling: “No cancellation option exists in the dashboard, no billing controls are available, and support did not respond to multiple termination requests.”
Edge: ClickPatrol for transparency and self-serve pricing. Lunio’s custom pricing may offer competitive rates for large accounts, but the process requires a sales call.
ClickPatrol scores 10/10 for ease of setup on ClickFraudTool. Users connect their Google Ads account in one click, with no code installation and no developer needed. Setup takes under a minute. G2 reviewers describe the interface as “clean” and “designed by people who actually understand digital marketing pain points.”
Lunio sets up in approximately 5 minutes. The platform runs autonomously with minimal ongoing management, which experienced PPC managers appreciate. ClickFraudTool scored Lunio’s dashboard and UX at 7.0/10, calling it “functional but dated compared to newer competitors.”
Both tools are designed for self-serve use. ClickPatrol is faster to set up (under 1 minute vs. ~5 minutes). Lunio’s dashboard has been criticized as less polished, but the hands-off automation after setup is a strength for teams that do not want to actively manage their fraud protection.
Edge: ClickPatrol for setup speed and interface quality. Both tools work well for day-to-day use without constant attention.
ClickPatrol scores 9.8/10 for support quality on ClickFraudTool. The company responds to all reviews on public platforms and offers support in Dutch and English.
Lunio’s support has received mixed feedback. Case study clients praise the team: “From day one, the support we’ve had from Lunio has been absolutely first class” (Paul Oates, Sykes Cottages). However, one Capterra reviewer described escalating to their bank to block Stripe charges after being unable to cancel through Lunio’s dashboard or support. ClickFraudTool scores Lunio’s support at 7.5/10.
Edge: ClickPatrol for consistent support quality (9.8/10 vs 7.5/10).
If you were a PPC Protect customer before the rebrand, your account, data, and settings transitioned to Lunio automatically. The underlying technology continued to develop under the new brand. The rebrand also marked a significant expansion: PPC Protect primarily covered Google Ads, while Lunio expanded to 15+ platforms.
If you left PPC Protect before the rebrand and are now evaluating options, the landscape has changed significantly. Lunio is a more capable product than PPC Protect was in 2022, with broader platform coverage, AI-powered detection, and cross-channel intelligence. ClickPatrol, which launched in 2020, has also matured into a strong competitor with the highest independent score in the market (9.3/10).
“Within 2 weeks our ROAS improved and the fake traffic just disappeared. The price pays for itself many times over.” – E-commerce ad manager, Trustpilot (March 2026)
“ClickPatrol feels like a tool designed by people who actually understand digital marketing pain points. The UI is clean, the fraud detection is accurate, and I can prove ROI improvements quickly to stakeholders.” – James W., Head of Marketing, G2 (September 2026)
“We were losing about 15 to 20% of our budget to junk clicks. Competitors clicking our ads, bots, you name it. ClickPatrol was super easy to set up and within the first week we could already see how many fraudulent clicks were being blocked.” – Dental clinic chain advertiser, Trustpilot (March 2026)
“From day one, the support we’ve had from Lunio has been absolutely first class. And because it’s so easy to use, it was much quicker to get our teams up to speed and actively using the platform on a regular basis.” – Paul Oates, Head of Performance Media, Sykes Cottages
“Since making the changes Lunio recommended, the issues we were having with lead quality have improved massively. We generated more qualified pipeline in the two months after switching on traffic protection than we had done in the previous two years.” – Mandee Richards, Head of Marketing, Canto
“After the initial cleanup, and all those bad actors have been permanently banned, I don’t see huge savings anymore.” – Troy S., G2 reviewer
ClickPatrol is the right choice when:
Ideal use case: A European e-commerce team or agency spending EUR 3,000 to 30,000/month on Google Ads, Meta, and Microsoft Ads, dealing with rising CPAs and junk form submissions, who needs GDPR-proof protection with transparent pricing, a sub-minute setup, and no dependency on enterprise sales cycles.
Lunio is the right choice when:
Ideal use case: A mid-to-large advertiser spending $15,000 to $100,000/month across Google, Meta, TikTok, and LinkedIn, who wants one platform to detect and block invalid traffic across all channels with hands-off automation and native CRM integrations.
If you arrived at this page searching for PPC Protect, the first thing to know is that PPC Protect rebranded to Lunio in 2022. The product and company continue under the new name with expanded capabilities.
ClickPatrol is the better fit for advertisers running Google Ads, Meta, and Microsoft Ads who want transparent pricing, EU-native GDPR compliance, and four protection modules covering the full fraud lifecycle. At EUR 59/month with no lock-in, it is straightforward to evaluate and adopt. The 9.3/10 ClickFraudTool score (highest in the market) and sub-minute setup make it a low-risk choice.
Lunio (formerly PPC Protect) is the better fit for advertisers running campaigns across many platforms (TikTok, LinkedIn, Reddit, Snapchat) who want cross-channel intelligence from a single tool. The GBP 14M in funding, 15+ platform coverage, and AI-powered detection make it a strong option for mid-to-large advertisers willing to go through a sales process for custom pricing.
Both tools offer free trials. ClickPatrol provides 7 days of full access. Lunio offers a 14-day traffic audit. The most effective approach is to try the one that matches your priorities and evaluate the invalid traffic data for your specific campaigns.
Request a free, no-obligation demo.