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Cybersecurity · head to head

Authy vs Silent Eight

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Twilio's free authenticator app with encrypted cloud backup, mobile only since the desktop clients were withdrawn in 2024.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
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Silent Eight logo

Silent Eight

Cybersecurity

AI adjudication of sanctions screening and AML alerts

From
On request
Rated
-
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.; Silent Eight automated disposition has to clear model risk governance and a regulator, and the shadow running period before auto-close is permitted can consume most of the first year of the contract.
  • They diverge on capability: Authy covers Encrypted cloud backup, Silent Eight covers Alert adjudication.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Authy and Silent Eight actually diverge.

Attributes where Authy and Silent Eight differ
AttributeAuthySilent Eight
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Linux

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

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 Silent Eight

  • Alert adjudication
  • Narrative generation
  • Name screening automation
  • Quality assurance
  • Shadow mode
  • Model transparency 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 Silent Eight
  • A small team sharing access to a service account where the same tokens must be available on more than one handsetnot Silent Eight
  • Replacing SMS-based codes with TOTP for someone who would abandon two-factor entirely if recovery were difficultnot Silent Eight
  • Consolidating tokens scattered across several apps onto one device list with recognisable names and iconsnot Silent Eight

Silent Eight

  • A bank whose level one screening team spends most of its time closing obvious false name matchesnot Authy
  • A payments institution with alert volumes growing faster than it can recruit and train analystsnot Authy
  • A compliance function asked by a regulator to demonstrate consistency of alert decisions across offshore teamsnot Authy
  • An institution that has just tightened screening thresholds after an enforcement action and cannot staff the resulting alert increasenot 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.

Silent Eight

  • Automated disposition has to clear model risk governance and a regulator, and the shadow running period before auto-close is permitted can consume most of the first year of the contract.
  • It does not improve detection, so an institution with a poorly tuned monitoring system automates the handling of bad alerts rather than fixing why they exist.
  • Pricing is tied to alert volume, which means efficiency gains elsewhere that reduce alerts also reduce the vendor bill in a way sales teams structure minimums against.
  • The headcount saving is only realised if the institution actually reduces the analyst pool, and many banks redeploy rather than cut, leaving the business case unrealised on paper.
  • As a mid-sized private vendor serving tier one banks, concentration risk cuts both ways; the loss of one large client materially affects the company, and buyers should ask about financial stability during diligence.

Pricing, plan by plan

Authy

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Authy review.

Silent Eight

On request
  • Iris$undefined/year
    • Priced by alert volume adjudicated
    • Deploys against existing screening and monitoring systems
    • Shadow mode evaluation period

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 Silent Eight if

  • You need alert adjudication.
  • You work on Web, Linux.
  • You also want narrative generation.
Silent Eight review

Questions people ask

Is Authy or Silent Eight better?
Neither clearly leads. Authy starts at Free and Silent Eight at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Authy or Silent Eight?
Authy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Authy and On request for Silent Eight.
Does Authy or Silent Eight run on more platforms?
Authy runs on Web. Silent Eight runs on Web, Linux.
Can I use Authy for free?
Yes. Authy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Silent Eight 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 Silent Eight is typically brought in for.
What can Authy do that Silent Eight cannot?
Authy covers Encrypted cloud backup, Multi-device sync, Standard TOTP, Offline code generation. Silent Eight covers Alert adjudication, Narrative generation, Name screening automation, Quality assurance.

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.

Silent Eight: Does Silent Eight replace our screening system?

No. It consumes alerts from your existing screening and monitoring systems and decides them. The detection layer stays where it is.

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.

Silent Eight: Will a regulator accept AI closing alerts?

It depends on your jurisdiction and your model governance evidence. Banks typically run extended shadow mode first and phase auto-closure by alert type.

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.

Silent Eight: Where is the company based?

Singapore, with offices in New York, London and Warsaw.

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.

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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