Softwr

Cybersecurity · head to head

Google Authenticator vs Yoti

Google Authenticator logo

Google Authenticator

Cybersecurity

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Yoti logo

Yoti

Cybersecurity

Reusable digital identity, facial age estimation and identity verification

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.; Yoti age estimation returns a probabilistic range rather than a verified date of birth, so it only works with a safety buffer above the legal threshold and cannot prove an exact age.
  • They diverge on capability: Google Authenticator covers TOTP code generation, Yoti covers Facial age estimation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Authenticator and Yoti actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Authenticator and Yoti differ
AttributeGoogle AuthenticatorYoti
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree, no in-app purchasesquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, API

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 Yoti

  • Facial age estimation
  • Reusable digital ID
  • Identity verification
  • UK right to work and rent
  • Digital ID for retail
  • Selective disclosure

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

Yoti

  • A social platform meeting UK Online Safety Act age assurance duties without collecting identity documents from teenagersnot Google Authenticator
  • A supermarket removing staff interventions at self-checkout for age-restricted purchasesnot Google Authenticator
  • A UK employer running digital right-to-work checks under the certified trust framework rather than inspecting passportsnot Google Authenticator
  • A gambling operator needing an age gate with high completion rates before the account funding stepnot 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.

Yoti

  • Age estimation returns a probabilistic range rather than a verified date of birth, so it only works with a safety buffer above the legal threshold and cannot prove an exact age.
  • Estimation accuracy varies by demographic and reported error margins widen at the age bands that matter most for eighteen-year thresholds, which pushes borderline users into a document fallback you still have to pay for.
  • Pricing is not published, so buyers cannot compare the cost of an estimation check against a document check without going through sales.
  • Regulatory acceptance of facial estimation differs by jurisdiction, so a method that satisfies Ofcom may not satisfy a regulator elsewhere and multi-market platforms need more than one approach.
  • The reusable digital identity app depends on consumer adoption, which is meaningful in the UK and thin elsewhere, limiting the reusability benefit outside its home market.

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Authenticator

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

Yoti

On request
  • Yoti Age and Identity Services$undefined/year
    • Per-check pricing quoted by volume and method
    • Age estimation, document verification and digital ID priced differently
    • Right to work and right to rent checks quoted 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 Yoti if

  • You need facial age estimation.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want reusable digital id.
Yoti review

Questions people ask

Is Google Authenticator or Yoti better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Authenticator starts at Free and Yoti at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Authenticator or Yoti?
Google Authenticator has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Authenticator and On request for Yoti.
Does Google Authenticator or Yoti run on more platforms?
Google Authenticator runs on iOS, Android. Yoti runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
Can I use Google Authenticator for free?
Yes. Google Authenticator has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Yoti 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 Yoti is typically brought in for.
What can Google Authenticator do that Yoti cannot?
Google Authenticator covers TOTP code generation, QR code setup, Optional Google account sync, Offline generation. Yoti covers Facial age estimation, Reusable digital ID, Identity verification, UK right to work and rent.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Authenticator: Does Google Authenticator cost anything?

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

Yoti: Does age estimation store my face?

The image is used to produce an estimate and then deleted rather than retained, which is the specific property that makes it usable for age assurance on minors.

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.

Yoti: Is it accepted for UK Online Safety Act compliance?

Facial age estimation is one of the methods regulators have accepted as highly effective age assurance. Confirm the current position with your own counsel for your content category.

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.

Yoti: Can it prove someone is exactly 21?

No. It gives a range. If you need a precise age you need a document or database check, which Yoti also sells.

Share

Related pages

More on Google Authenticator

More on Yoti

Keep looking

Other head to heads