# Authenticator App ⋆ vs Rainbow Authenticator

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Authenticator App ⋆ at none against Rainbow Authenticator's 1. Authenticator App ⋆ also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). Rainbow Authenticator's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Rainbow Authenticator sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per year. Authenticator App ⋆ asks for nothing beyond the download.

Authenticator App ⋆ ships an update every 9 days, Rainbow Authenticator monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Authenticator App ⋆ | Rainbow Authenticator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (47 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/authenticator-app/id1661571926/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **47** | — |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 11 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Silver Elm Systems LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/689766056) | [彦欣 吴](https://appshunter.io/developer/1628212399) |

## What reviewers say

### Authenticator App ⋆

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/authenticator-app/id1661571926)

Enhance your online security by generating and storing 2FA and MFA codes for various services. Securely log in to accounts with time-based one-time passwords and easily copy codes to your clipboard.

**Highlights:** Generate 2FA/MFA codes, Support for popular services, Scan QR codes to add services, Time-based one-time passwords (TOTP), Copy codes to clipboard, End-to-end encryption, FaceID/TouchID unlock

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Rainbow Authenticator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rainbow-authenticator/id6444103637)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yearly(30-day trial) | $4.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Authenticator App ⋆ free?

Authenticator App ⋆ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Rainbow Authenticator free?

Rainbow Authenticator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Authenticator App ⋆ or Rainbow Authenticator have ads?

Neither Authenticator App ⋆ nor Rainbow Authenticator shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Authenticator App ⋆ or Rainbow Authenticator?

Authenticator App ⋆ ships an update every 9 days, and Rainbow Authenticator monthly. Most recently, Authenticator App ⋆ was updated on September 22, 2026 and Rainbow Authenticator on September 19, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*