2FA authenticator apps compared

Current as of 2 October 2026. Every competitor row checked against that app's own documentation.

Nine authenticator apps, the rows people actually decide on, and no scores or stars. Every cell comes from the vendor's own documentation, linked at the bottom. Where a row says "not documented", it means we could not find a clear vendor statement — not that the answer is no.

All nine are free to use today. KeyNesta has a paid tier planned and no billing in the product, which is why there is no price row: it would have said "Free" nine times.

Where it runs

Where it runs	KeyNesta	Ente Auth	Proton Authenticator	2FAS Auth	Aegis	Bitwarden Authenticator	Microsoft Authenticator	Google Authenticator	Authy
Codes in a web browser	Yes, the full app	Yes	No	Extension needs the phone	No	No	No	No	No
iPhone app	No, in store review	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Android app	No, in store review	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Desktop app	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No, retired in 2024

Getting out again

Getting out again	KeyNesta	Ente Auth	Proton Authenticator	2FAS Auth	Aegis	Bitwarden Authenticator	Microsoft Authenticator	Google Authenticator	Authy
Export to a file	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Transfer QR only	No
Backup you keep yourself	Yes, encrypted file	Yes	Yes	Yes, your iCloud or Drive	Yes, vault file	Yes, export file	No	No	No
Phone number required	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes

Accounts and sync

Accounts and sync	KeyNesta	Ente Auth	Proton Authenticator	2FAS Auth	Aegis	Bitwarden Authenticator	Microsoft Authenticator	Google Authenticator	Authy
Vendor account needed to sync	Yes, email only	Yes	Yes	No sync service	No sync by design	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sync is end-to-end encrypted	Yes	Yes	Yes	No sync service	No sync by design	Via the Bitwarden vault	Not documented	Not documented	Yes, with a backup password

Trust

Trust	KeyNesta	Ente Auth	Proton Authenticator	2FAS Auth	Aegis	Bitwarden Authenticator	Microsoft Authenticator	Google Authenticator	Authy
Open source	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No

Organization

Organization	KeyNesta	Ente Auth	Proton Authenticator	2FAS Auth	Aegis	Bitwarden Authenticator	Microsoft Authenticator	Google Authenticator	Authy
More than one flat list	Yes	Tags	No	Groups	Groups, one level	Favourites only	No	No	No
Folders that nest	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Separate encrypted vaults	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No

How to read it

Open source is the row most people weigh first, and KeyNesta loses it. Five of the nine publish their source; we do not, and we have not had an independent security audit either. If that is your filter, the table has already answered you and the rest of this page is a formality.

Codes in a browser is the row KeyNesta was built for. Authy's desktop apps are gone, the 2FAS extension needs your phone to confirm each code, and everything else is a native app you install. Ente Auth is the only competitor here with a real web app. A browser-based vault is often the only option on a locked-down laptop you cannot install software on.

Export is the row to check before you commit, not after. Microsoft Authenticator has none, and Authy has none either, which means the only route out is re-enrolling every account by hand. Google Authenticator's transfer QR is an export of sorts, but it is a screen you photograph rather than a file you keep.

Organization is where the field is thin. Most of these apps give you one list and a search box. Aegis has one flat level of groups, 2FAS has groups, Ente Auth has tags, and Bitwarden Authenticator lets you favourite things. KeyNesta is the only one here built around a hierarchy — separate encrypted vaults, coloured spaces, folders that nest, and tags that cut across all of it — which only matters once you have enough codes that a list has stopped working.

If that is you, the KeyNesta web app needs no install and no sign-up to try. All guides covers migration and backups, and features lists everything that is shipped next to everything that is not.

Sources

Ente Auth — product page and community docs
Proton Authenticator — product page and downloads
2FAS Auth — product page and downloads
Aegis Authenticator — repository and wiki
Bitwarden Authenticator — product page and help centre
Microsoft Authenticator — transferring to a new phone
Google Authenticator — transferring your accounts
Authy — desktop apps end of life
KeyNesta — everything it does, and what it does not

Frequently asked questions

Which authenticator app should I pick?

If auditable source code is your requirement, pick Proton Authenticator, Ente Auth, 2FAS or Aegis — KeyNesta is not open source. If your working life is Microsoft, keep Microsoft Authenticator for that. If every device you own is Apple and you want zero effort, Apple Passwords is already installed. KeyNesta is for the case where you have a few hundred codes and want them filed properly and reachable in a browser.

Why does KeyNesta publish its own gaps on a comparison page?

Because you will find them anyway, and finding them after you have moved two hundred accounts is worse. KeyNesta is not open source, has had no independent audit, has no shared or team vaults, and its phone apps are built but still waiting on store review.

What does "not documented" mean in these tables?

That we could not find a clear statement from the vendor, not that the answer is no. We would rather leave a row honest and unfinished than guess on your behalf.

Where are the password managers?

A password manager that also holds your verification codes puts both factors behind one unlock, which is a different trade from the one these nine apps are making. Apple Passwords is covered separately in KeyNesta vs Apple Passwords.

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