TOTPBOX vs Google Authenticator
Google Authenticator is Google's free authenticator app for iPhone and Android. Since April 2023 it can sync codes to your Google Account, but it has no official browser extension. TOTPBOX is a Chrome extension that keeps an encrypted vault on your computer and fills codes into login forms, and it can import Google Authenticator's transfer QR codes in one step.
Based on Google Authenticator's public documentation, checked . Vendors change their products, so confirm details in the sources below.
Feature comparison
| Capability | TOTPBOX | Google Authenticator |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Chrome extension for Chromium-based browsers on Windows, macOS, Linux, and ChromeOS. Native apps are planned. | iOS and Android apps |
| Where secrets live | AES-256-GCM encrypted vault inside the browser on your computer | On the phone, plus your Google Account if sync is on |
| Backup and sync | Password-encrypted export on every plan. Pro adds end-to-end encrypted sync across up to 5 devices; the server only sees ciphertext. | Optional sync to your Google Account (added April 2023) |
| Browser autofill | Detects one-time-code fields and fills the matching code | No official browser extension; codes are typed from the phone |
| Recovery codes | Encrypted recovery code vault linked to each account | Not a documented feature |
| Passkey guidance | Flags accounts whose service supports passkeys and walks you through the upgrade | Not a documented feature |
| Price | Free. Pro is $4/month | Free |
Choose TOTPBOX if
- You sign in mostly on a computer and want codes filled in the browser instead of typed from a phone.
- You want your backup encrypted with your own password rather than tied to a Google Account.
- You want recovery codes stored next to the accounts they belong to.
Stay with Google Authenticator if
- You sign in mostly on your phone and need codes there today. TOTPBOX's native apps are not out yet.
- You already rely on Google Account recovery and are comfortable with Google holding the backup.
Moving from Google Authenticator to TOTPBOX
Google Authenticator can export accounts as one or more transfer QR codes. TOTPBOX reads that format directly, so every account in a code is imported at once.
- 1In Google Authenticator, open the menu and choose Transfer accounts, then Export accounts.
- 2Select the accounts to move. The app shows one or more QR codes; large selections are split across several.
- 3In TOTPBOX, choose Add account, then scan the QR code with your webcam or upload a screenshot of it.
- 4Repeat for each QR code, then check that a code from TOTPBOX works on one or two sites.
- 5Delete any screenshots you took. They contain your secrets in readable form.