Comparison

Yubico Authenticator vs Waves

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Yubico Authenticator

Secure your online accounts with hardware-backed two-factor authentication. Store unique credentials on a physical security key, eliminating the need to store sensitive data on your mobile device. Generate verification codes without an internet connection for enhanced account protection.

Highlights
  • Hardware-backed security key storage
  • Touch or NFC authentication
  • USB-C support
  • Biometric unlock (FaceID/TouchID)
  • QR code setup
  • User presence verification
  • Smart Card support
Read full description

Store your unique credentials on a hardware-backed security key and take it wherever you go from mobile to desktop. No more storing sensitive secrets on your mobile phone, leaving your account vulnerable to takeovers. With the Yubico Authenticator you can raise the bar for security. * The Yubico Authenticator will work with any USB, Lightning, or NFC-enabled YubiKeys. * As iPads do not have NFC, they will only work through a Lightning or USB connection. The Yubico Authenticator generates a code used to verify your identity as you are logging into various services. No connectivity needed! Features include: Touch or NFC Authentication - Touch the YubiKey sensor or simply tap a YubiKey with NFC to a mobile phone that is NFC-enabled to store your credential on the YubiKey USB-C support - Connect the YubiKey 5Ci or any USB-C type YubiKey. When prompted, depending on the key, touch the contacts on the sides of the key or the golden ring on the top Biometric support - Experience greater convenience by unlocking your YubiKey with FaceID or TouchID Easy Setup - QR codes available from the services you wish to protect with strong authentication User Presence - New codes generated with just a touch or NFC tap of the YubiKey Compatible - Secure all the services currently compatible with other Authenticator apps Secure - Hardware-backed strong two-factor authentication with secret stored on the YubiKey, not on the mobile device Versatile - Support for multiple work and personal accounts Portable - Get the same set of codes across our other Yubico Authenticator apps for desktops as well as for all leading mobile platforms Flexible - Support for time-based and counter-based code generation Smart Card - Support for Apple's CryptoTokenKit Extension making it possible to use certificates stored on your YubiKey to authenticate with other apps and sites Experience security the modern way with the Yubico Authenticator. Visit yubico.com to learn more.

About

Waves

Features
Read full description

Waves shows you how heavy each of the next two weeks actually is. Your calendar tells you when things happen. Your task list tells you what's outstanding. Neither tells you whether Thursday is possible. Waves reads both and draws your real daily load as a chart, so an overloaded day is visible days before you live it. - Every task and event as an hours-tall block - Days over your sustainable hours shade red - Drag a task to a lighter day, or into the bin when it's done - Split a three-hour job into a one and a two, on different days - All-day events go on a shelf until you decide what they really cost - Priority bands keep the important work at the foot of the day - Projects with colours, statistics, CSV and calendar export Waves reads your calendars and reminders. It never changes them, and nothing you enter leaves your device. No account, no server, no subscription.

Screenshots

Yubico Authenticator4 screens
Waves4 screens

Verdict

The call

Yubico Authenticator and Waves are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Yubico Authenticator versus Waves: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterYubico AuthenticatorWaves
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (268 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews43.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings268 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYubicoPhilip Hawkins

Bugs and requests

Yubico Authenticator

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • NFC not working reliably
  • Accounts disappearing after updates
  • Calculation of codes not working
  • Keyboard issues when using keys

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow editing and rearranging of entries
  • Add support for multiple keys per account
  • Improve iPad/tablet support
  • Add dark mode option
  • Improve QR code scanning

Waves

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Yubico Authenticator

No in-app purchases

None

Waves

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Yubico Authenticator free?
Yubico Authenticator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Waves free?
Waves is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Yubico Authenticator or Waves have ads?
Neither Yubico Authenticator nor Waves shows ads.

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