Twilio Authy is one of the most popular solutions for two-factor authentication. But just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s without flaws. In particular, Twilio Authy has quite a few common pain points ranging from high prices to difficult user experiences. So if you’re on the search for the best alternative to Twilio Authy, you’re in the right place!
By the end of this article, you’ll learn which alternative to Twilio Authy is best for your business, and (equally as important) which one is best for your users. Let’s get into it.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Why do businesses use Twilio Authy?
Why you might need an alternative to Twilio Authy
What to consider when switching from Twilio Authy
What is the best alternative to Twilio Authy?
Why do businesses use Twilio Authy?
By now, you know that passwords alone won’t keep your customers’ accounts protected. For most of the services we use today, your data and entire online persona are only protected with a username and password — two really simple pieces of information which if stolen can jeopardize your whole identity. Without two-factor authentication in place, you’re playing with fire.
So instead of just relying on that username and password you add something else to it. What we call a second-factor of authentication. Using 2FA is great because it increases account security and prevents unauthorized people from accessing user accounts. And that’s where 2FA products like Twilio Authy come in.
What is Twilio Authy?
In searching for your 2FA solution, you’ve undoubtedly read the pros and cons about Twilio Authy. Maybe you’ve even tried implementing Twilio Authy as your two-factor solution. But like with many 2FA solutions these days, you quickly realized that the user experience for your customers immediately suffered when you turned on the switch. Customers didn’t activate their 2FA because it was too much of a hassle — and those who did, now have to deal with friction daily to complete simple tasks.
How does Twilio Authy work?
Twilio Authy secures your business and your customers by adding two‑factor authentication to their login process via two methods: SMS and Push Authentications.
> Let’s start with the SMS experience
In the most common authentication method: SMS and Voice, if the user has the Twilio Authy app installed, by default, the API will not send the 2FA code via SMS or voice. Instead, a push notification will go to the device, prompting the user to open their app to get the code. The user’s notification will look like this:
If a user has no record of installing a device, then the API will continue to send the code via SMS or voice.
> You can improve your user experience with Twilio Authy Push Notifications
Push notifications simplify the authentication process by allowing users to authenticate themselves with the tap of a button on their phone. Definitely a better user experience than manually typing in 6 digit passcodes — but still requires device switching for each authentication. And don’t forget, your users will also need to install the Twilio Authy app on their phone.
So now you have a choice to make:
You could force this 2FA experience and roll it out to your entire user base, but you risk users getting frustrated and dropping off or even churning — leaving you for a competitor who offers a more convenient digital experience.
Or you could leave it up to your users to choose whether they want to activate 2FA on their accounts or not. But that’s a dangerous gamble, leaving your company vulnerable to security threats.
The good news is you’re one of many who are asking themselves this question every day when looking for an alternative to Twilio Authy. But to make the best decision, you need to thoroughly examine several options and weigh their pros and cons.
Why you might need an alternative to Twilio Authy
#1 User experience:
Am I improving or harming my users’ experience?
Think for a moment about what any 2FA authentication experience you implement will mean to your users. For 2FA authentications on mobile, admittedly, it could be worse. Users are already on their phones, and copy/pasting a 6 digit one-time passcode doesn’t take that much effort.
But what about for users who are trying to log into your website from their computers? To complete their log in with Twilio Authy, they’re required to find their phone, unlock it, and manually type that 6 digit code into a different device. This creates unnecessary hoops for your users to jump through, and may lead to abandonment — and ultimately, lost revenue.
Let’s compare that with Verify 2FA which uses typing biometrics to recognize users as they type — avoiding device switching or app installations altogether.
TypingDNA Verify 2FA was designed to accommodate both the user expectations and the developers’ needs. And because unnecessary friction is removed from the user experience, the technology is easily adopted by customers and employees.
#2 Price:
Is Twilio Authy costly? Is there a lower-cost alternative?
Another reason people search for alternatives to Twilio Authy is the high price point for 2FA authentications. The Total Cost of Ownership with Twilio is expensive. For end users looking to secure their internet logins and accounts, Authy is free to install and use. But businesses will pay a bit of a premium.
With Twilio Authy, you’ll pay 9 cents for each authentication. For early companies with a small number of users and low frequency of authentications, this is fairly affordable. But as you grow and scale your user-base, 9 cents per auth quickly adds up and eats away at your bottom line.
Let’s compare that with Verify 2FA from TypingDNA
With Twilio Authy, you pay 9 cents for each authentication. With Verify 2FA, it’s important to note that you’ll actually pay per user and not per authentication. That’s a big difference, especially if you’re doing high-frequency authentications each month.
And for businesses just starting out or with a small user base, the Verify 2FA Starter plan lets you authenticate 100 users per month at no cost. Plus, no credit card needed to get started. Learn more about Verify 2FA https://www.typingdna.com/pricing
What to consider when switching from Twilio Authy
>> Impact on users:
Your users are your lifeblood. If they don’t love their experience with your company, they’ll simply turn to a competitor. Things like forcing app installations and device-switching leads to frustration and ultimately drop offs.
>> Price:
As you scale your business and your user base grows, 9 cents per authentication will quickly snowball into a large bill. With Verify 2FA you’ll pay one cent per user per month, regardless of how many authentications you actually do. And you can pay as you go.
What is the best alternative to Twilio Authy?
If you are looking for an alternative to Twilio Authy, weigh the pros and cons mentioned in this article. And if you want to create a user-friendly and cost-effective two factor authentication solution for your users, learn more about Verify 2FA from TypingDNA.
