PingID vs Microsoft Authenticator
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PingID
This app enhances login security and verifies user identities. It also functions as a digital wallet for managing digital identities securely. Administrators benefit from mission-critical security features, and offline support is available.
- User identity verification
- Digital wallet for identity management
- Mission-critical security for administrators
- Offline support
- Seamless integration with PingOne ecosystem
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The PingID® mobile app is a user-friendly solution designed to enhance login security and verify end users’ identities. Additionally, it serves as a digital wallet, enabling secure storage and management of digital identities. The app offers mission-critical security features for administrators and provides offline support for scenarios where a device lacks signal. The PingID mobile app integrates seamlessly with PingOne®, PingFederate®, PingOne Verify®, and PingOne Credentials®. Before installation, please ensure your organization has licensed PingID, PingOne Verify, or PingOne Credentials. For more information, contact your administrator or Ping Identity support.
Microsoft Authenticator
Securely sign into online accounts with multi-factor authentication, passwordless login, or password autofill. Manage multiple accounts, including non-Microsoft services, and access Microsoft products and services seamlessly.
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Passwordless sign-in
- Password autofill
- Support for non-Microsoft accounts
- Account management for work/school
- Cert-based authentication
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Use Microsoft Authenticator for easy, secure sign-ins for all your online accounts using multi-factor authentication, passwordless, or password autofill. You also have additional account management options for your Microsoft personal, work or school accounts. Getting started with multi-factor authentication Multi factor authentication (MFA)provides a second layer of security. When enabled, during login after entering your password, you’ll be asked for an additional way to prove it’s really you. Either approve the notification sent to the Microsoft Authenticator, or enter the one-time password (OTP) generated by the app. The OTP codes have a 30 second timer counting down. This timer is so you never have to use the same time-based one-time password (TOTP) twice and you don’t have to remember the number. The OTP doesn’t require you to be connected to a network, and it won’t drain your battery. You can add multiple accounts to your app, including non-Microsoft accounts like Facebook, Amazon, Dropbox, Google, LinkedIn, GitHub, and more. Getting started with passwordless Use your phone, not your password, to log into your Microsoft account. Just enter your username, then approve the notification sent to your phone. Your fingerprint, face ID, or PIN will provide a second layer of security in this two-step verification process. After you’ve signed in with two factor authentication (2FA), you’ll have access to all your Microsoft products and services, such as Outlook, OneDrive, Office, and more. Microsoft personal, work or school accounts Sometimes your work or school might ask you to install the Microsoft Authenticator when accessing certain organization resources. You will need to register your device to your organization through the app and add your work or school account. Microsoft Authenticator supports cert-based authentication by issuing a certificate on your device. This will let your organization know that the sign-in request is coming from a trusted device and help you seamlessly and securely access additional Microsoft apps and services without needing to log into each. Microsoft Authenticator may request the following optional permissions, which require your consent. You can continue to use Microsoft Authenticator without granting these permissions. However, some features may be limited or unavailable. For more information, please see below: - Face ID: To enable app lock and help protect your accounts - Camera: To scan QR codes when adding accounts to Microsoft Authenticator.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Microsoft Authenticator at 4.7 against PingID's 2.2. Microsoft Authenticator also leads on ratings volume (703K vs 367) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). PingID's advantage is review sentiment (20% vs 12%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Microsoft Authenticator holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft Authenticator has 703K ratings behind it against 367, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 20% of PingID's written reviews are positive against 12% of Microsoft Authenticator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
PingID ships an update every 6 weeks, Microsoft Authenticator every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PingID | Microsoft Authenticator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.2 (367 ratings) | 4.7 (703K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 19.8% of reviews — better | 11.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 367 | 703K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #48 | #13 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 70 MB | 226 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ping Identity Corporation | Microsoft Corporation |
Customer experience
PingID
Microsoft Authenticator
User reviews
PingID
From 367 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🔒 Secure login process
- 👍 Convenient with Apple Watch
- 🚀 Fast authentication
Room to improve
- 🐛 Unreliable, often doesn't work
- 🤯 Frustrating and confusing to set up
- 🤖 Poor user interface and UX
- 🔒 Overly intrusive permissions
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
Microsoft Authenticator
From 703K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Seamless authentication
- 🔒 Secure login process
- 👍 Convenient passwordless sign-in
- 🚀 Smooth app performance
Room to improve
- 🐛 Broken Apple Watch functionality
- 🐛 Backup and restore issues
- 🐛 Confusing login flow
- 🐛 Accounts disappearing after phone change
Bugs and requests
PingID
Reported bugs
4 issues- Incorrectly identifies devices as jailbroken
- Fails to send push notifications consistently
- Camera issues when trying to scan QR codes
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to add new devices easily
- Landscape mode support for iPad
- Customizable alert sounds
- Faster authentication process
Microsoft Authenticator
Reported bugs
3 issues- Authenticator app getting locked and requiring Touch ID
- Notification failures and authentication issues
- Accounts not syncing properly between devices
Requested features
4 requests- Add search and sorting for accounts
- Improve Apple Watch integration
- Provide better backup and restore options
- Streamline login process
In-app purchases
PingID
No in-app purchases
Microsoft Authenticator
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is PingID free?
Is Microsoft Authenticator free?
Which has better reviews, PingID or Microsoft Authenticator?
Do PingID or Microsoft Authenticator have ads?
Which is updated more often, PingID or Microsoft Authenticator?
Which is more popular, PingID or Microsoft Authenticator?
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