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Cybersecurity · head to head

Google Authenticator vs NEXGEN Asset Management

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
NEXGEN Asset Management logo

NEXGEN Asset Management

Government

Combined EAM and CMMS for utilities and municipalities with Esri GIS at the centre of the asset register

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Google Authenticator has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; NEXGEN Asset Management pricing keys off asset count, so a routine GIS resegmentation that splits mains into more records can raise your subscription without adding a single user or work order.
  • They diverge on capability: Google Authenticator covers TOTP code generation, NEXGEN Asset Management covers Esri GIS integration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Authenticator and NEXGEN Asset Management actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Authenticator and NEXGEN Asset Management differ
AttributeGoogle AuthenticatorNEXGEN Asset Management
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree, no in-app purchasesquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment

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 Google Authenticator

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

Only in NEXGEN Asset Management

  • Esri GIS integration
  • Risk and criticality
  • Condition assessment
  • Capital planning
  • Work orders
  • Mobile field app
  • Service requests
  • Inventory and purchasing

What people use each for

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

Google Authenticator

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

NEXGEN Asset Management

  • A water utility that must show a board why a specific main is being replaced this year rather than nextnot Google Authenticator
  • A city public works department consolidating a GIS asset inventory and a paper work order process into one systemnot Google Authenticator
  • An airport authority tracking condition assessments across airside and landside assets with capital forecastingnot Google Authenticator
  • A district that needs citizen service requests to become tracked work orders with an auditable historynot Google Authenticator

Where each one falls short

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

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.

NEXGEN Asset Management

  • Pricing keys off asset count, so a routine GIS resegmentation that splits mains into more records can raise your subscription without adding a single user or work order.
  • Nothing is published and the vendor is small, so the reference set you can call is limited and mostly Californian and North American public agencies.
  • The interface is dated compared with modern CMMS products, which hurts adoption among field crews who compare it to consumer apps on their own phones.
  • GIS integration is the product strength and also its dependency; agencies without a maintained ArcGIS asset layer face a data preparation project before NEXGEN is useful.
  • As a small vendor it carries acquisition risk, and in this segment acquisitions have repeatedly meant a product frozen while it is folded into a larger portfolio.

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Authenticator

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

NEXGEN Asset Management

On request
  • NEXGEN Asset Management$undefined/year
    • Tiered pricing based on the number of assets under management
    • Implementation, GIS integration and data migration quoted separately
    • Mobile module licensed alongside the core platform

Which should you pick?

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

Choose NEXGEN Asset Management if

  • You need esri gis integration.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want risk and criticality.
NEXGEN Asset Management review

Questions people ask

Is Google Authenticator or NEXGEN Asset Management better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Authenticator starts at Free and NEXGEN Asset Management at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Authenticator or NEXGEN Asset Management?
Google Authenticator has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Authenticator and On request for NEXGEN Asset Management.
Does Google Authenticator or NEXGEN Asset Management run on more platforms?
Google Authenticator runs on iOS, Android. NEXGEN Asset Management runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Google Authenticator for free?
Yes. Google Authenticator has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. NEXGEN Asset Management starts at On request.
What is Google Authenticator best used for?
Google Authenticator is most often used for someone setting up two-factor authentication on a website that asks for a totp app, a user who wants codes to survive a lost or replaced phone via account sync, someone who prefers a simple, free, single-purpose authenticator over a password manager's built-in one, a person migrating between phones who wants existing 2fa codes to transfer automatically. Of those, someone setting up two-factor authentication on a website that asks for a totp app and a user who wants codes to survive a lost or replaced phone via account sync are not what NEXGEN Asset Management is typically brought in for.
What can Google Authenticator do that NEXGEN Asset Management cannot?
Google Authenticator covers TOTP code generation, QR code setup, Optional Google account sync, Offline generation. NEXGEN Asset Management covers Esri GIS integration, Risk and criticality, Condition assessment, Capital planning.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Authenticator: Does Google Authenticator cost anything?

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

NEXGEN Asset Management: How is NEXGEN priced?

On a tiered model based on the number of assets under management, quoted per agency. Nothing is published.

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.

NEXGEN Asset Management: Do we need Esri ArcGIS?

Not strictly, but the product is designed around it and most of the value assumes a maintained GIS asset layer.

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.

NEXGEN Asset Management: Does it handle capital planning?

Yes. Risk, criticality and condition scores feed multi-year renewal forecasts intended for board and council submissions.

NEXGEN Asset Management: Is there a mobile app?

Yes, a map-based field application with offline capability, licensed alongside the core platform.

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