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Government · head to head

American Legal Publishing vs Google Authenticator

A

American Legal Publishing

Government

Municipal Code Solutions

From
$150/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Google Authenticator logo

Google Authenticator

Cybersecurity

Free TOTP two-factor authentication app that gained optional cloud sync in 2023

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Google Authenticator has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: American Legal Publishing a 2019 recodification contract between American Legal Publishing Corporation and the City of Dry Ridge, Kentucky, publicly posted by a separate Kentucky municipality as a model agreement, sets a base codification cost of $9,485 (USD) plus per-page increase rates of $18 (single column) and $21 (dual column) once the code exceeds the estimated page count, a one-time $550 setup fee to put the code in a searchable online format, $495 per year to host the code online after that, and a five-year supplement plan billed at $18-21 per reprinted page plus $200 per annual statutory update. This is one specific signed municipal contract, not a general price list, and actual costs for other municipalities will scale with code length.; Google Authenticator enabling cloud sync moves the security boundary for your 2FA codes to your Google account, so a compromised Google account can expose the same codes syncing was meant to protect.
  • They diverge on capability: American Legal Publishing covers Code Codification, Google Authenticator covers TOTP code generation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which American Legal Publishing and Google Authenticator actually diverge.

Attributes where American Legal Publishing and Google Authenticator differ
AttributeAmerican Legal PublishingGoogle Authenticator
Starting price$150/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionFree, no in-app purchases
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebiOS, Android
CategoryGovernmentCybersecurity
Founded1912Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in American Legal Publishing

  • Code Codification
  • Online Publishing
  • Print Services
  • Editorial Support
  • Code Search
  • Legislative Systems
  • Document Management
  • Public Portals

Only in Google Authenticator

  • TOTP code generation
  • QR code setup
  • Optional Google account sync
  • Offline generation
  • Manual entry

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

American Legal Publishing

  • Citizen Servicesnot Google Authenticator
  • Records Managementnot Google Authenticator
  • Public Safetynot Google Authenticator
  • Civic Engagementnot Google Authenticator

Google Authenticator

  • Someone setting up two-factor authentication on a website that asks for a TOTP appnot American Legal Publishing
  • A user who wants codes to survive a lost or replaced phone via account syncnot American Legal Publishing
  • Someone who prefers a simple, free, single-purpose authenticator over a password manager's built-in onenot American Legal Publishing
  • A person migrating between phones who wants existing 2FA codes to transfer automaticallynot American Legal Publishing

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

American Legal Publishing

  • A 2019 recodification contract between American Legal Publishing Corporation and the City of Dry Ridge, Kentucky, publicly posted by a separate Kentucky municipality as a model agreement, sets a base codification cost of $9,485 (USD) plus per-page increase rates of $18 (single column) and $21 (dual column) once the code exceeds the estimated page count, a one-time $550 setup fee to put the code in a searchable online format, $495 per year to host the code online after that, and a five-year supplement plan billed at $18-21 per reprinted page plus $200 per annual statutory update. This is one specific signed municipal contract, not a general price list, and actual costs for other municipalities will scale with code length.

Google Authenticator

  • Enabling cloud sync moves the security boundary for your 2FA codes to your Google account, so a compromised Google account can expose the same codes syncing was meant to protect.
  • It has no built-in backup export in a portable format, so moving away from Google Authenticator to another app usually means resetting 2FA on every individual service.
  • It lacks organisational features such as folders, search or notes that some competing authenticator apps offer for people managing many accounts.
  • There is no desktop app, so codes must be read off a phone screen when logging in from a computer.
  • If sync is off and the phone is lost without a separate backup, all codes are unrecoverable and every linked account needs its 2FA reset through account recovery.

Pricing, plan by plan

American Legal Publishing

$150/month
  • Online Code$150/month
    • Online Publishing
    • Code Updates
    • Search

Google Authenticator

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited accounts and codes
    • Optional Google account cloud sync
    • No ads

Which should you pick?

Choose American Legal Publishing if

  • You need code codification.
  • You also want online publishing.
American Legal Publishing review

Choose Google Authenticator if

  • You need totp code generation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want qr code setup.
Google Authenticator review

Questions people ask

Is American Legal Publishing or Google Authenticator better?
Neither clearly leads. American Legal Publishing starts at $150/month and Google Authenticator at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, American Legal Publishing or Google Authenticator?
Google Authenticator has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $150/month for American Legal Publishing and Free for Google Authenticator.
Does American Legal Publishing or Google Authenticator run on more platforms?
American Legal Publishing runs on Web. Google Authenticator runs on iOS, Android.
Can I use Google Authenticator for free?
Yes. Google Authenticator has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. American Legal Publishing starts at $150/month.
What is American Legal Publishing best used for?
American Legal Publishing is most often used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement. Of those, citizen services and records management are not what Google Authenticator is typically brought in for.
What can American Legal Publishing do that Google Authenticator cannot?
American Legal Publishing covers Code Codification, Online Publishing, Print Services, Editorial Support. Google Authenticator covers TOTP code generation, QR code setup, Optional Google account sync, Offline generation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Authenticator: Does Google Authenticator cost anything?

No, it is free with no subscription or in-app purchases.

Google Authenticator: Is cloud sync safe?

Google documents it as protected by your Google account security. Whether that is an acceptable trade-off versus device-only storage is debated; you can turn sync off if you prefer local-only codes.

Google Authenticator: Can I export my codes to another app?

There is no official bulk export; moving to a different authenticator typically requires re-adding each account from its setup page.

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