Comparison

Proton Authenticator vs Squares

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

Head to head
About

Proton Authenticator

Securely manage your two-factor authentication codes with an open-source, end-to-end encrypted authenticator app. It offers seamless cross-device syncing, effortless import from other apps, and robust backup options, all protected by strict Swiss privacy laws. Take control of your digital security with a trusted and private solution.

Highlights
  • End-to-end encrypted iCloud sync
  • Effortless import from other authenticators
  • Secure backup and export
  • Swiss privacy by design
  • Open source and transparent
  • Offline support
Features
Read full description

Get the authenticator trusted by millions — from Proton Mail, the world's largest encrypted email provider. Proton Authenticator is open source, end-to-end encrypted, and protected by strict Swiss privacy laws. Protect all your new accounts and strengthen security on your existing ones. Proton Authenticator keeps your 2FA codes secure, accessible, and completely private — with full control over where your data is stored. KEY FEATURES Local-First Storage:Your 2FA codes are stored entirely on your device, giving you complete control over your data. Effortless Import: Migrate from Google Authenticator, Authy, or any other app in seconds. Secure Backup & Export: Retain full control of your data with easy backup and restore options. Swiss Privacy by Design: Built under Switzerland's strongest data protection regulations. Open Source & Transparent: Auditable code. No tracking. No ads. Take control of your digital security with encryption you can trust. Free to use: No Proton account required, ad-free. Offline support: On mobile and desktop apps No other 2FA app provides this combination of security and privacy. Trusted by millions. Built by Proton. Take control of your digital security today. Terms of service: https://proton.me/legal/terms Learn more: https://proton.me

About

Squares

Read full description

You know the GitHub contribution graph. Those little green squares that show every day you wrote code. Squares is that, but for your entire working life. Most people have no idea where their hours actually go. Squares shows them. HOW IT WORKS Every 30 minutes, Squares asks one question: what did you just do? You answer in a few words. One tap. One slot fills in. That is it. No timers to start. No sessions to forget. No friction. Just a quiet prompt and a green square that grows on your grid. Tag your entries as Deep Work, Coding, Meetings, Design, or anything you create yourself. Link them to projects when it matters. Skip the ones that do not. THE GRID Your annual heatmap shows every day of the year at a glance. The darker the green, the more you worked. Intense weeks, slow weeks, streaks, gaps, every shape of your year, visible in one screen. Open any past day to fill in entries you missed. Filter the entire grid by tag or by project to see exactly where your hours went. WIDGETS Home screen and lock screen widgets in three sizes keep your heatmap visible all day without opening the app. They refresh automatically as you log entries. WHY IT WORKS Your total blocks, current streak, and best streak are always visible. As the grid fills, the streak becomes something worth protecting. The visual record of your work becomes its own motivation. After a year, you have a complete map of every hour worked. The intense days. The slow ones. The patterns you never noticed. DESIGNED FOR iPhone Native SwiftUI app. iCloud sync across your devices. Export your data as CSV anytime. No account required to start. Your data stays yours. Terms of Use: https://squares.day/terms Privacy Policy: https://squares.day/privacy

Screenshots

Proton Authenticator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Proton Authenticator at Free against Squares's $2.99. Proton Authenticator also leads on device support and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Proton Authenticator is free to download; Squares costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Proton Authenticator versus Squares: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterProton AuthenticatorSquares
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.4 (242 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews55.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings242 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNo—
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better—
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size119 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperProton AGAmaury Gau

Bugs and requests

Proton Authenticator

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Sync/login loop on iPad
  • 2FA input broken on non-iPhone devices
  • Screen strobing on iPad
  • Duplicate entries after import

Requested features

5 requests
  • PIN unlock for desktop
  • Alphabetical sorting option
  • Export function (not just Proton-specific backup)
  • Native macOS app
  • Option to hide item icons

Squares

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Proton Authenticator

No in-app purchases

None

Squares

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Proton Authenticator free?
Proton Authenticator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Squares free?
Squares costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

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