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Cybersecurity · head to head

Authy vs Bidnet Direct

Authy logo

Authy

Cybersecurity

Twilio's free authenticator app with encrypted cloud backup, mobile only since the desktop clients were withdrawn in 2024.

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Bidnet Direct logo

Bidnet Direct

Government

Regional bid notification network where agencies post free and suppliers pay for alerts

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Authy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Authy there is no export function for stored TOTP secrets, so moving to a different authenticator means disabling and re-enrolling two-factor authentication on every account individually, which is the reason most users stay rather than a reason anyone should choose it.; Bidnet Direct suppliers pay for aggregation, not access: the same solicitations are generally published free on individual agency and state portals, so the subscription is only worth it if searching manually costs more than the fee.
  • They diverge on capability: Authy covers Encrypted cloud backup, Bidnet Direct covers Regional purchasing groups.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Authy and Bidnet Direct actually diverge.

Attributes where Authy and Bidnet Direct differ
AttributeAuthyBidnet Direct
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreequote
Free tierYesNo
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 Authy

  • Encrypted cloud backup
  • Multi-device sync
  • Standard TOTP
  • Offline code generation
  • App lock
  • Multi-device toggle
  • Token organisation
  • Free with no account tier

Only in Bidnet Direct

  • Regional purchasing groups
  • Free agency publication
  • Supplier notification
  • Vendor registration
  • Bid document distribution
  • Award postings
  • Supplier diversity reporting

What people use each for

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

Authy

  • An individual who wants two-factor authentication on personal accounts and needs it to survive losing or replacing a phonenot Bidnet Direct
  • A small team sharing access to a service account where the same tokens must be available on more than one handsetnot Bidnet Direct
  • Replacing SMS-based codes with TOTP for someone who would abandon two-factor entirely if recovery were difficultnot Bidnet Direct
  • Consolidating tokens scattered across several apps onto one device list with recognisable names and iconsnot Bidnet Direct

Bidnet Direct

  • A small municipal purchasing department that needs competitive responses without building or paying for its own bid portalnot Authy
  • A contractor that wants notification of every relevant solicitation across a state rather than checking dozens of agency websitesnot Authy
  • A state cooperative wanting a single regional portal so suppliers register once for many agenciesnot Authy
  • An agency required to demonstrate outreach to certified diverse suppliers on every solicitationnot Authy

Where each one falls short

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

Authy

  • There is no export function for stored TOTP secrets, so moving to a different authenticator means disabling and re-enrolling two-factor authentication on every account individually, which is the reason most users stay rather than a reason anyone should choose it.
  • The Windows, macOS and Linux desktop applications were discontinued in 2024 and stopped working, so any workflow that depended on copying codes on a computer now requires a phone in hand, and users who held tokens only on a desktop client had to restore from backup or re-enrol.
  • The account is keyed to a phone number, so an attacker who takes over that number through a SIM swap can begin the device registration flow, and the only remaining control is the backup password that most users set once and cannot recall.
  • In 2024 an unauthenticated Twilio endpoint allowed attackers to confirm which numbers from a supplied list were registered Authy accounts, exposing around 33 million phone numbers, which disclosed no codes but handed phishers a validated list of people known to use two-factor authentication.
  • It is a free consumer application inside a company that has already retired the paid Authy developer API it once supported, so it carries no revenue of its own, and users should treat its continued existence as a business decision rather than a roadmap commitment.

Bidnet Direct

  • Suppliers pay for aggregation, not access: the same solicitations are generally published free on individual agency and state portals, so the subscription is only worth it if searching manually costs more than the fee.
  • Supplier pricing is not published and varies by geography and category breadth, which makes it difficult for a small contractor to judge value before a sales conversation.
  • Category matching produces a high volume of irrelevant alerts for suppliers whose work does not map neatly onto procurement commodity codes, so the notification stream needs constant tuning.
  • Bidnet is now one brand inside SOVRA, which divested six business units in 2025 under new private equity ownership, so portfolio priorities can change independently of any individual product's customers.
  • For agencies it is a publication and notification network rather than a sourcing system: bid evaluation, scoring and contract management need a separate tool.

Pricing, plan by plan

Authy

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Authy review.

Bidnet Direct

On request
  • Supplier subscription$undefined/year
    • Matched opportunity notifications
    • Access to regional purchasing group solicitations
    • Priced by geographic and category coverage
  • Agency participation$undefined/year
    • Solicitation publication and vendor registry
    • Free or low cost to participating public agencies
    • Supplier diversity reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose Authy if

  • You need encrypted cloud backup.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want multi-device sync.
Authy review

Choose Bidnet Direct if

  • You need regional purchasing groups.
  • You also want free agency publication.
Bidnet Direct review

Questions people ask

Is Authy or Bidnet Direct better?
Neither clearly leads. Authy starts at Free and Bidnet Direct at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Authy or Bidnet Direct?
Authy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Authy and On request for Bidnet Direct.
Does Authy or Bidnet Direct run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Authy for free?
Yes. Authy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bidnet Direct starts at On request.
What is Authy best used for?
Authy is most often used for an individual who wants two-factor authentication on personal accounts and needs it to survive losing or replacing a phone, a small team sharing access to a service account where the same tokens must be available on more than one handset, replacing sms-based codes with totp for someone who would abandon two-factor entirely if recovery were difficult, consolidating tokens scattered across several apps onto one device list with recognisable names and icons. Of those, an individual who wants two-factor authentication on personal accounts and needs it to survive losing or replacing a phone and a small team sharing access to a service account where the same tokens must be available on more than one handset are not what Bidnet Direct is typically brought in for.
What can Authy do that Bidnet Direct cannot?
Authy covers Encrypted cloud backup, Multi-device sync, Standard TOTP, Offline code generation. Bidnet Direct covers Regional purchasing groups, Free agency publication, Supplier notification, Vendor registration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Authy: Is Authy still supported?

The mobile apps for iOS and Android are still available and functional. The desktop applications were withdrawn in 2024 and the Authy developer API has been retired in favour of Twilio Verify, so the surrounding product has been shrinking.

Bidnet Direct: Do government agencies pay?

Generally not, or very little. The network is funded by supplier subscriptions, which is why agencies get an existing supplier pool without paying for it.

Authy: Can I export my tokens?

No. There is no export of the underlying secrets, by design. Migrating to another authenticator means going to each service, disabling two-factor authentication and setting it up again with the new app.

Bidnet Direct: Is it worth it for a supplier?

Only if aggregation saves you more than it costs. The solicitations are public and available free elsewhere; you are buying alerting and search across many agencies at once.

Authy: What happened to the desktop app?

Twilio announced its discontinuation in March 2024 and the applications stopped working later that year. There is no replacement desktop client; the mobile apps are the product now.

Bidnet Direct: Who owns it now?

SOVRA, the rebranded procurement business of mdf commerce, which was acquired by KKR. Bidnet Direct remains a named product within that portfolio.

Authy: Is multi-device sync safe to leave on?

It is the feature most worth understanding. Leaving new device registration enabled means anyone who controls your phone number can attempt to add a device. The usual advice is to turn the multi-device setting off once your devices are registered and turn it on only when you need to add one.

Bidnet Direct: Does it evaluate bids?

No. It publishes and distributes. Scoring, evaluation and contract management require a sourcing platform.

Authy: What if I lose my phone and forget the backup password?

The secrets are encrypted with that password and Twilio does not hold it, so they cannot be recovered. You would fall back to each individual service's account recovery process, which is exactly the situation the backup was meant to avoid.

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