Proton Authenticator vs SelfHostAuth
Proton Authenticator
proton.meSelfHostAuth
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Proton Authenticator | SelfHostAuth |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Authenticator apps | 8.8 (#9) | 8.4 (#25) |
| Code type | totp | totp and hotp |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-device sync | Yes | Yes |
| Offline use | The app can display your 2FA codes without an internet connection. | Clients cache the vault locally and compute TOTP codes without connecting to the server. |
| Purpose | Proton Authenticator generates time-based, one-time 2FA codes on your device for an extra layer of account login security. | SelfHostAuth is an open-source, self-hosted TOTP/HOTP authenticator and sync server. |
| Security | Proton says that synced data is end-to-end encrypted and that its servers never access the unencrypted data. | The server encrypts vault items at rest with AES-256-GCM, hashes passwords with scrypt and session tokens with SHA-256, and supports optional account TOTP authentication. |
| Supported platforms | iOS,Android,macOS,Windows,Linux | web,windows,macos,linux,ios,android,chrome_extension |
Plans
In their own words
Proton Authenticator
Proton Authenticator generates time-based one-time codes for two-factor authentication, adding a code at login to help secure accounts. It can display codes without an internet connection, and a Proton Account is not required to use it. Signing in is optional and enables code syncing across devices. Users can import codes from Google Authenticator, 2FAS, Aegis Authenticator, Bitwarden Authenticator, Ente Auth, and LastPass Authenticator, then export their codes from the app. Backups can be stored locally or in the cloud, with end-to-end encrypted sync between devices. Proton says its servers cannot access synced data in unencrypted form; when sync is on, entries are protected with 256-bit AES-GCM. The app is open source, and its vault can be unlocked with face or fingerprint recognition. It is available for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows; Android is also available through F-Droid. Proton Authenticator is free on all listed platforms, with no ads or tracking.
SelfHostAuth
SelfHostAuth has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.