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Cybersecurity · head to head

Google Authenticator vs One Identity

Google Authenticator logo

Google Authenticator

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
One Identity logo

One Identity

Cybersecurity

Quest-owned identity governance, PAM and Active Directory management

From
On request
Rated
-
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.; One Identity the portfolio is assembled from separate acquisitions, so components are separately licensed, separately administered and do not present one console, which raises operational cost.
  • They diverge on capability: Google Authenticator covers TOTP code generation, One Identity covers Identity Manager.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Authenticator and One Identity actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Authenticator and One Identity differ
AttributeGoogle AuthenticatorOne Identity
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree, no in-app purchasesquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, AndroidWeb, Windows, 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 Google Authenticator

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

Only in One Identity

  • Identity Manager
  • Safeguard
  • Active Roles
  • OneLogin
  • Password Manager
  • syslog-ng
  • Starling connectors

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 One Identity
  • A user who wants codes to survive a lost or replaced phone via account syncnot One Identity
  • Someone who prefers a simple, free, single-purpose authenticator over a password manager's built-in onenot One Identity
  • A person migrating between phones who wants existing 2FA codes to transfer automaticallynot One Identity

One Identity

  • An organisation whose authoritative directory will remain on premises Active Directory and needs delegated administration with attribute-level controlnot Google Authenticator
  • A government or defence environment requiring privileged session management on a hardened physical appliance rather than a cloud servicenot Google Authenticator
  • A manufacturer with SAP and Active Directory needing provisioning governed under one certification processnot Google Authenticator
  • An enterprise consolidating Active Directory after an acquisition and needing automated account lifecycle across both forestsnot 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.

One Identity

  • The portfolio is assembled from separate acquisitions, so components are separately licensed, separately administered and do not present one console, which raises operational cost.
  • Identity Manager implementations are customisation-heavy and commonly run over a year, with the services spend exceeding the licence cost in the first year.
  • Quest has changed private equity ownership more than once since the Dell separation, and buyers should ask directly about product investment commitments before signing a multi-year deal.
  • Product documentation and support sit behind a customer portal, which makes independent evaluation before purchase harder than with vendors that publish openly.
  • The cloud-native and developer experience trails the pure-play identity vendors, so organisations moving decisively to SaaS applications find the on premises heritage becomes a constraint rather than an asset.

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Authenticator

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

One Identity

On request
  • Identity Manager$undefined/year
    • Priced per managed identity
    • On premises or hosted
    • Access certification and provisioning
  • Safeguard$undefined/year
    • Priced per privileged user or per appliance
    • Hardened appliance option for session management
    • Licensed separately from Identity Manager
  • Active Roles$undefined/year
    • Priced per managed Active Directory account
    • Delegated administration and automated provisioning
    • Licensed separately

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 One Identity if

  • You need identity manager.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want safeguard.
One Identity review

Questions people ask

Is Google Authenticator or One Identity better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Authenticator starts at Free and One Identity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Authenticator or One Identity?
Google Authenticator has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Authenticator and On request for One Identity.
Does Google Authenticator or One Identity run on more platforms?
Google Authenticator runs on iOS, Android. One Identity runs on Web, Windows, Linux.
Can I use Google Authenticator for free?
Yes. Google Authenticator has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. One Identity 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 One Identity is typically brought in for.
What can Google Authenticator do that One Identity cannot?
Google Authenticator covers TOTP code generation, QR code setup, Optional Google account sync, Offline generation. One Identity covers Identity Manager, Safeguard, Active Roles, OneLogin.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Authenticator: Does Google Authenticator cost anything?

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

One Identity: Is One Identity the same company as Quest?

Yes. One Identity is Quest Software's identity and access management business unit, not a separate vendor.

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.

One Identity: Does it include privileged access?

Safeguard provides it, but it is licensed separately from Identity Manager. Neither includes the other.

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.

One Identity: Why choose this over SailPoint or Saviynt?

Almost always because of Active Directory depth via Active Roles or an appliance requirement for privileged sessions. For cloud-first estates the specialists are the stronger choice.

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