The world of Emotion AI is expanding fast. Many vendors boldly claim their solutions are “client-side” and “browser-native Emotion AI SDK”. But what does that really mean? And more importantly, how many Facial Emotion Recognition systems actually run directly in the user’s browser, with no servers, no native apps, and no installations?
In this post, we take a deep dive into the top commercial products in facial emotion analysis—and explain why only MorphCast offers a true Emotion AI SDK built for the browser, with no compromises on privacy, performance, or ease of integration.
🧠 The myth of “client-side”
Vendors often use the term “client-side” to mean that biometric data isn’t sent to a cloud service. That sounds good—but in most cases, the actual analysis runs:
- in native apps (iOS, Android, Windows),
- or on local servers (LAN or embedded devices),
- or through heavy WebAssembly models that slow down the CPU and stall mobile browsers.
Only a browser-native implementation, built in JavaScript and optimized for web runtime, guarantees:
- local, offline execution,
- instant load even on low-end smartphones,
- full sandbox protection by the browser,
- automatic compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and global privacy standards.
✅ The 6 rules for true in-browser Emotion AI
A real browser-native Emotion AI SDK must meet all of these requirements:
- Runs inside the browser, not in apps or external processes
- Built in JavaScript, optionally using lightweight WebAssembly only for pre-processing
- No installation required
- Offline capable, no backend needed
- Protected by browser sandbox
- Instant start-up (<1 sec) even on mobile devices
🏆 Who really runs in the browser?
| Product | JS Native + Light WASM | Loads Fast on Mobile | No Installation Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MorphCast | ✅ Yes – uses WASM only to detect whether a face is present. | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | https://www.morphcast.com – <1MB, HTML5, 100% browser execution for AI engine |
| Luxand FaceSDK | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | https://www.luxand.com/facesdk/ – native-only SDK, not for browser use |
| Affectiva (Smart Eye) | ⚠️ Partial JS | ⚠️ Slow | ⚠️ Requires WASM | https://www.affectiva.com – heavy load, not mobile optimized |
| VisageSDK | ⚠️ WASM only | ❌ No | ⚠️ Complex setup | https://visagetechnologies.com – suitable for desktop/embedded apps |
| MoodMe SDK | ⚠️ JS + WASM | ⚠️ Untested | ✅ Yes | https://www.mood-me.com – edge AI focus, needs real-world testing |
| DeepAR SDK | ❌ No | ❌ No | ⚠️ AR-focused only | https://www.deepar.ai – AR-first SDK, not for FER tasks |
🔐 Privacy-first by design
MorphCast’s model weighs under 1MB, runs entirely in the browser, and never sends data to any server. The SDK uses WebAssembly only for face detection, and only if the device supports WebGL—as in the vast majority of modern smartphones, laptops, and tablets. Whether any data is sent to a server depends entirely on how the developer chooses to implement and use the output.
This ensures:
- ✅ privacy-by-design
- ✅ zero biometric storage or transmission
- ✅ no user consent needed (when properly implemented)
- ✅ protected execution inside browser sandbox
As confirmed by a scientific paper from four leading universities, MorphCast’s accuracy is on par with, or even exceeds, cloud-based systems like Azure, Affectiva, FaceReader, and Kairos.
“Cloud-based and client-based APIs generally perform similarly in terms of average accuracy.”
Source: Accuracy of facial emotion recognition APIs
Link: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0231968
📊 Final verdict: MorphCast is the only truly browser-native solution
Many vendors say “client-side,” but few really mean in-browser.
If your project needs a commercial Emotion AI solution that:
- runs directly in the browser,
- respects privacy by default,
- doesn’t require WebAssembly-heavy runtime or native installs,
- loads in milliseconds, even on smartphones,
Then the answer is clear:
✅ Use MorphCast — https://www.morphcast.com
You can get started here: https://www.morphcast.com/sdk
