Google Authenticator vs Authenticator
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Google Authenticator
Enhance your online security with a second verification step for your accounts. Generate codes directly on your phone, even offline, to protect against unauthorized access. Sync codes across devices for easy access and manage multiple accounts securely.
- Offline code generation
- Sync codes across devices
- Automatic QR code setup
- Support for multiple accounts
- Time-based and counter-based codes
- Transfer accounts via QR code
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Google Authenticator adds an extra layer of security to your online accounts by adding a second step of verification when you sign in. This means that in addition to your password, you'll also need to enter a code that is generated by the Google Authenticator app on your phone. The verification code can be generated by the Google Authenticator app on your phone, even if you don't have a network or cellular connection. • Sync your Authenticator codes to your Google Account and across your devices. This way, you can always access them even if you lose your phone. • Set up your Authenticator accounts automatically with a QR code. This is quick and easy, and it helps to ensure that your codes are set up correctly. • Support for multiple accounts. You can use the Authenticator app to manage multiple accounts, so you don't have to switch between apps every time you need to sign in. • Support for time-based and counter-based code generation. You can choose the type of code generation that best suits your needs. • Transfer accounts between devices with a QR code. This is a convenient way to move your accounts to a new device. To use Google Authenticator with Google, you need to enable 2-Step Verification on your Google Account. To get started visit http://www.google.com/2step
Authenticator
Secure your online accounts with this open-source two-factor authentication app. It supports TOTP and offers multiple convenient setup and export options, all while remaining completely offline and private.
- TOTP algorithm support
- QR code scanning for setup
- Import accounts from files
- Manual account entry
- Export account keys
- Offline functionality
- Open-source
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Authenticator is an elegant, open-source two-factor authentication app that supports the Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) algorithm. It offers multiple convenient methods to set up your accounts: • Scan a QR Code. • Read from a QR Code image. • Import from a file. • Manual entry. The app features an beautiful “Account Details” page that displays each account along with its QR Code. You can view or copy this information at any time. Authenticator also provides several easy ways to export all your accounts: • Export key URIs to the clipboard. • Export key URIs as plain text. • Export key URIs as a TXT file. • Export key URIs as QR Code images. Authenticator always remains offline and never connects to any networks. It does not track any data or collect any personal information. Just works as it should be. Authenticator is fully open source on GitHub: https://github.com/bingzheung/authenticator
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Google Authenticator at Free against Authenticator's $0.99. Google Authenticator also leads on ratings volume (1.2M vs 3) and chart position (#3 vs #195). Authenticator's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 58%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Google Authenticator is free to download; Authenticator costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Google Authenticator against 5.0 for Authenticator. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Google Authenticator has 1.2M ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 58% of Google Authenticator's written reviews are positive against 75% of Authenticator's.
Google Authenticator ships an update every 4 months, Authenticator every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Google Authenticator | Authenticator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $0.99 |
| Rating | 4.9 (1.2M ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 58.4% of reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.2M — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #3 — better | #195 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 39 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 兵 张 | |
Customer experience
Google Authenticator
Authenticator
Bugs and requests
Google Authenticator
Reported bugs
4 issues- Codes randomly deleted
- Accounts wiped after update
- Duplicated accounts then deleted all
- Timing issues, codes didn't work
Requested features
4 requests- Add scan from photo feature
- Ability to rename and group accounts
- Add Apple Watch app
- Implement cloud backup option
Authenticator
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Google Authenticator
No in-app purchases
Authenticator
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Google Authenticator free?
Is Authenticator free?
Which has better reviews, Google Authenticator or Authenticator?
Do Google Authenticator or Authenticator have ads?
Which is updated more often, Google Authenticator or Authenticator?
Which is more popular, Google Authenticator or Authenticator?
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