Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Microsoft Authenticator VS Duo mobile

Compare Microsoft Authenticator VS Duo mobile and see what are their differences

Microsoft Authenticator logo Microsoft Authenticator

One app to quickly and securely verify your identity online, for all of your accounts.

Duo mobile logo Duo mobile

Duo Mobile works with Duo Security's two-factor authentication service to make logins more...
  • Microsoft Authenticator Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-26
  • Duo mobile Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-27

Microsoft Authenticator features and specs

  • Enhanced Security
    Microsoft Authenticator provides additional layers of security through multi-factor authentication (MFA) which significantly reduces the likelihood of unauthorized access.
  • Ease of Use
    The app is user-friendly with an intuitive interface, making it simple for both technically savvy and non-technical users to set up and utilize.
  • Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem
    It seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft products and services, including Azure Active Directory, Office 365, and more, providing a unified security experience.
  • Push Notifications
    Users receive push notifications for authentication requests, allowing them to approve or deny access quickly without the need for manually entering a code.
  • Support for Multiple Accounts
    Microsoft Authenticator can handle multiple accounts, including non-Microsoft accounts, making it a versatile tool for managing various authentication needs.
  • One-time Password (OTP) Generation
    The app can generate time-based one-time passwords (TOTPs) for services that require them, ensuring secure logins even when push notifications are unavailable.

Possible disadvantages of Microsoft Authenticator

  • Dependency on Mobile Device
    If the user's mobile device is lost, stolen, or damaged, accessing accounts that rely on Microsoft Authenticator can become challenging.
  • Limited Platform Support
    Microsoft Authenticator primarily supports mobile platforms (iOS and Android), which could be a drawback for users who rely on desktop or other operating systems.
  • Potential Privacy Concerns
    Some users may have concerns about privacy and data collection practices given Microsoft's extensive ecosystem and its handling of personal information.
  • Requires Initial Configuration
    Setting up Microsoft Authenticator and linking it with various services can be time-consuming, especially for users with multiple accounts.
  • Reliance on Internet Connection
    Push notifications and certain features within Microsoft Authenticator require an active internet connection, which might not always be available.
  • Lock-in to Microsoft Services
    The best features and integrations of Microsoft Authenticator are geared towards the Microsoft ecosystem, which might limit its effectiveness if users engage primarily with non-Microsoft services.

Duo mobile features and specs

  • Security
    Duo Mobile enhances user account security by using two-factor authentication (2FA), reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
  • User-friendly
    The app is designed to be straightforward and easy to use, making it accessible for users with varying levels of technical expertise.
  • Compatibility
    Duo Mobile supports a wide range of devices and integrates seamlessly with various applications and services.
  • Push Notifications
    The app provides push notifications for authentication, offering a quick and convenient way to approve login attempts.
  • Offline Access
    Duo Mobile can generate passcodes for authentication even without internet access, ensuring continued functionality in offline scenarios.

Possible disadvantages of Duo mobile

  • Dependency on Mobile Devices
    Users need access to their mobile device to authenticate, which can be a limitation if the device is unavailable or lost.
  • Potential Security Concerns
    If a user's phone is compromised, the 2FA can also be at risk. Users must ensure their device is secured to protect the authentication process.
  • Notification Delays
    Occasionally, users may experience delays in receiving push notifications, which can be inconvenient during urgent authentication requests.
  • Learning Curve for Organizations
    Implementing and managing Duo Mobile in a large organization can require significant time and resources for setup and training.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Some users may have concerns about the data collected by the app and its implications on their privacy.

Microsoft Authenticator videos

Microsoft Authenticator for Android

More videos:

  • Review - Using Microsoft Authenticator App to Protect Your Online Credential

Duo mobile videos

No Duo mobile videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Microsoft Authenticator and Duo mobile)
Identity And Access Management
Two Factor Authentication
Password Management
0 0%
100% 100
Authentication
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Microsoft Authenticator and Duo mobile

Microsoft Authenticator Reviews

7 Best Google Authenticator Alternatives For Android And iOS
I’m still not sure why Google is not providing any passcode or app lock for their app when everybody else is doing it. Take Microsoft Authenticator, for example, this also lets you secure your accounts with the app lock.
The Best Authenticator Apps for 2023
Along with standard TOTP multi-factor support, Microsoft Authenticator includes optional secure password generation and lets you log in to Microsoft accounts with a button press or by tapping a two-digit number in a push notification. The app also enables schools and workplaces to register users’ devices. If you use this app, you can turn on account recovery. That way, when...
Source: www.pcmag.com
Top 6 Google Authenticator Alternatives in 2023
Available for both Android and iOS, Microsoft Authenticator offers a similar experience to Google’s, working with both Microsoft and non-Microsoft accounts.
The Best 2FA Apps 2021: Locking Down Your Online Accounts
The app supports passwordless authentication for Microsoft apps, including OneDrive and Office 365. With the app, you can approve your login using your phone’s fingerprint scanner, a face scan or any other way you can prove that you are who you say you are on your device. Microsoft Authenticator supports cloud backup, too, either through Microsoft’s own servers on...
10 best two-factor authenticator apps for Android
Microsoft Authenticator is Google Authenticator’s biggest competitor. It’s popular, it works well, and it works for stuff other than Microsoft apps. Otherwise, it’s actually a fairly simple app not unlike Google Authenticator. You log into a site or an app, it asks for a code, and you open this app to get one. We usually recommend Google Authenticator to people who use...

Duo mobile Reviews

The Best Authenticator Apps for 2023
Duo Mobile is geared toward corporate apps, especially now that it’s part of Cisco’s portfolio. Duo Mobile offers enterprise features, such as multiuser deployment options and provisioning, one-tap push authentication, and one-time passcodes. But anyone can use this simple authenticator app, and if you do, you'll appreciate the ability to back up your logins using Google...
Source: www.pcmag.com
5 of the Best Alternatives for Google Authenticator
Duo mobile is another app that makes it easy to authenticate login requests on your online accounts. It offers a neat feature called “Duo push” which simply allows you to receive login requests on your phone and make a single tap to authenticate it. If you receive a request that you aren’t expecting, you can also deny the request and report it as fraudulent. In addition, you...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Microsoft Authenticator seems to be a lot more popular than Duo mobile. While we know about 124 links to Microsoft Authenticator, we've tracked only 1 mention of Duo mobile. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Microsoft Authenticator mentions (124)

  • Ask HN: Is there hope for Microsoft 365 support?
    It has been a few years since I have dealt with Microsoft's postmasters team for email delivery issues but the link to to use to submit an email delivery issues is: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=614866. - Source: Hacker News / 20 days ago
  • [PostgreSQL][Entity Framework Core] Try ASP.NET Core Identity with React
    An error occurred while accessing the Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting services. Continuing without the application service provider. Error: The entry point exited without ever building an IHost. Unable to create a 'DbContext' of type 'RuntimeType'. The exception 'Unable to resolve service for type 'Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.DbContextOptions`1[OfficeFileAccessor.OfficeFileAccessorContext]' while attempting to... - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Terraform Cookbook: Development Environment Recipe
    # Follow the [VSCode installation guide](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/setup/linux) for other instalation methods. Sudo apt-get install curl Curl -L -o vscode.deb https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=760868 Sudo apt install ./vscode.deb Code # After VSCode launch, use Quick Open (Ctrl+P), paste the command "ext install HashiCorp.terraform" and press enter. # Or install the extension... - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Run godoc Automatically
    { // See https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=733558 // for the documentation about the tasks.json format "version": "2.0.0", "tasks": [ { "label": "godoc", "type": "shell", "command": "godoc", "options": { "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}", "shell": { "args": ["-c"], ... - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • gRPC: um panorama do contexto histórico às aplicações práticas!
    Using GrpcDocumento.Services; Var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args); // Add services to the container. Builder.Services.AddGrpc(); Var app = builder.Build(); // Configure the HTTP request pipeline. App.MapGrpcService(); App.MapGet("/", () => "Communication with gRPC endpoints must be made through a gRPC client. To learn how to create a client, visit:... - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
View more

Duo mobile mentions (1)

  • Moving it all to yubico authenticator?
    Call me lazy but..for phone 2FA auth I'm using Duo in personal mode (TOTP). See guide.duo.com for a start. It's convenient and fast. My Yubikey is used for PC web 2FA and, no, I don't do any financials on mobile devices. Reason I picked Duo is Google Auth on Android had dings for not being secure (some say). BEWARE of Duo, if you try to buy they only sell in packs of 30 so that first bill could be... Source: about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Microsoft Authenticator and Duo mobile, you can also consider the following products

Google Authenticator - Google Authenticator is a multifactor app for mobile devices.

Aegis Authenticator - Aegis Authenticator is a free, secure and open source app to manage your 2-step verification tokens...

Authy - Best rated Two-Factor Authentication smartphone app for consumers, simplest 2fa Rest API for developers and a strong authentication platform for the enterprise.

andOTP - andOTP is a two-factor authentication App for Android 4.4+

LastPass Authenticator - LastPass is an online password manager and form filler that makes web browsing easier and more secure.

OTP Auth - The app for calculating one-time-passwords on iPhone and iPad.