Popout AuthenticatorBrowser 2FA extensions compared: Popout Authenticator, Authenticator, 2FAS and 2FA Authenticator
Facts about four browser extensions for one-time codes, checked on October 18, 2026 against each project's store page, website and source code. There is no ranking here: pick by what you need.
How this was checked
This page is written by the developer of Popout Authenticator, so read it with that in mind. Every value for the other extensions comes from their own store page, website, documentation or source code, listed under Sources. "Not confirmed" means we did not find it in those sources, not that the feature is missing. We did not install the other extensions to test them. If something here is wrong or out of date, please open an issue.
Side by side
| Popout Authenticator | Authenticator (authenticator.cc) | 2FAS Auth extension | 2FA Authenticator (authenticator.sh) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where codes are made | In the browser | In the browser | On your phone, in the 2FAS Auth app; the extension receives them | In the browser |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Whale; Safari (macOS) in review | Chrome, Edge, Firefox; a Safari version exists but the project says it is not officially supported | Chrome and other Chromium browsers, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari | Chrome (other stores not confirmed) |
| Latest store version | 1.0.1 on Firefox (October 18, 2026); 1.0.1 in review on Chrome and Edge | Chrome 8.0.1 (August 27, 2024); Firefox 8.0.2 (September 15, 2024) | 1.9.2 on Chrome and Firefox (September 28, 2026) | 1.15.0 on Chrome (October 10, 2026) |
| License | MIT | MIT | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Account and server | No account. No developer server; the only request is an optional clock check | No account. Optional cloud backup goes to your own Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox | No account. Phone and browser talk through 2FAS servers, end-to-end encrypted | No account. Checks in with its server once a day for the plan; its FAQ says no secrets, names or codes are sent |
| Paid plan or account limit | None | Not found in its documentation | No charge for 2FAS Auth per its site and terms | New installs may have an account limit; Pro (subscription or one-time) removes it. Installs before 1.14.0 keep unlimited accounts |
| How secrets are stored | AES-256-GCM vault on the device. A password (Argon2id) protects the key; without a password, the key is kept on the device next to the data | Browser storage; optional password encryption and auto-lock | On the phone; the app can be locked with a PIN or biometrics | Browser storage, not encrypted by default; optional password (AES-256-GCM, PBKDF2) with auto-lock and recovery codes |
| Backup and export | Encrypted backup file, otpauth text, CXF, QR codes; recovery snapshots and a 30-day trash | Encrypted backup, otpauth text; automatic backup to Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox | In the phone app: .2fas file (optional password), Google Drive on Android, iCloud on iOS | Encrypted file, plain JSON, otpauth text, CXF; keeps the last 7 automatic local backups |
| Import from other apps | Authenticator extension backups (including password-protected), Google Authenticator export QR, plain-text backups from Aegis, 2FAS, Bitwarden and others, CXF | Google Authenticator export QR, standard plain-text backups (for example FreeOTP+) | In the phone app: Google Authenticator, Aegis, Raivo OTP, LastPass, Authenticator Pro, andOTP | Google Authenticator export QR, otpauth links, CXF |
| Filling codes into sign-in pages | Click, right-click, keyboard shortcut, or a button next to the code field, on sites you allow | Click a code (after turning the option on), or a shortcut when one account matches the site | Request from the extension, approve on the phone, and the code is filled in | Right-click the field or use a shortcut |
| Where it opens | Toolbar popup, separate window, side panel (sidebar in Firefox) | Toolbar popup, separate window; side panel not confirmed | Not confirmed beyond the toolbar button | Toolbar popup, separate window, Chrome side panel |
Which one fits what you need
- You want the secrets to stay on your phone. 2FAS keeps them in the phone app and asks you to approve each code there. The browser never holds the secret.
- You want everything in the browser, with no phone. Authenticator, 2FA Authenticator and Popout all make codes in the browser. Set a password in any of them: an extension that holds both your password manager and your codes on one computer is a trade-off, and for important accounts a phone app or a security key keeps the factors apart.
- You already use Authenticator. It keeps working. Its last Chrome store update was August 27, 2024. If you move, its backup file (including a password-protected one) can be read by Popout; see Moving from the original Authenticator extension.
- You want codes in a side panel or a separate window that stays open. Popout and 2FA Authenticator both offer this.
Popout's limits
- There is no cloud backup run by us. Backups are files you keep, and sync goes through your browser's own sync.
- Passkey unlock and device verification do not work in Firefox.
- The Safari version is for macOS only and is still in review.
- The interface languages other than English and Korean are machine-translated.
- Popout is new: version 1.0.0 was released in October 2026.
Sources
All checked on October 18, 2026.
- Authenticator: Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons, GitHub, export and import, standard backup format, privacy policy
- 2FAS Auth: Chrome Web Store, how the extension works, supported browsers, where tokens are stored, app tutorial, GitHub
- 2FA Authenticator: Chrome Web Store, how it works, FAQ, GitHub
- Popout Authenticator: GitHub, privacy policy
Related guides
- Moving from the original Authenticator extension: read its backup file, including a password-protected one.
- Moving from Authy Desktop and other apps: which formats Popout can read.
- Lock and protect your accounts: set a password and auto-lock.