Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

2FAS VS Ably

Compare 2FAS VS Ably and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

2FAS logo 2FAS

Simple 2FA Authenticator - Generate Two Factor Authentication tokens.

Ably logo Ably

The realtime platform that just works. We power more WebSocket connections than any other pub/sub platform, serving over 2 billion devices monthly.
  • 2FAS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-07
  • Ably Ably homepage
    Ably homepage //
    2024-08-05

We help teams deliver resilient AI UX and high-performance live experiences that stay fast and in sync worldwide. We provide the global realtime layer for AI agents, chat, notifications, live dashboards, and collaboration - engineered to handle peak demand without self-managed infrastructure.

Teams like HubSpot and Intercom use Ably to avoid the cost and complexity of building and operating realtime systems, while still getting predictable performance at serious scale, handling 2T+ API operations per month. Ablyโ€™s Pub/Sub, Chat, and AI Transport products are unified by design, with developer-friendly APIs and SDKs that integrate across your stack.

Ably

Website
ably.com
$ Details
freemium
Release Date
2016 January
Startup details
Country
United Kingdom
Founder(s)
Matthew O'Riordan, Dr. Paddy Byers
Employees
50 - 99

2FAS features and specs

  • Enhanced Security
    2FA Authenticator adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification, making it harder for unauthorized users to access your accounts.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The application features a straightforward and intuitive interface, making it easy for users to add and manage their accounts and authentication tokens.
  • Offline Access
    2FA Authenticator works offline, allowing users to generate authentication codes without an Internet connection, which is particularly useful in low-connectivity situations.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    The app is available on multiple platforms, enabling users to sync their accounts and access their authentication codes from various devices.

Possible disadvantages of 2FAS

  • Device Dependency
    Losing access to the device with the 2FA Authenticator can lock users out of accounts, necessitating backup strategies like printing codes.
  • Potential for Misconfiguration
    If not set up correctly, there is a risk of misconfiguration that can lead to being locked out of accounts or decreased security.
  • Initial Setup Complexity
    For some users, the initial setup and configuration of two-factor authentication might be confusing or time-consuming.
  • Limited Recovery Options
    In cases where users lose their authentication device, recovery options might be limited, causing potential inconvenience or the need for support.

Ably features and specs

  • Scalability
    Ably is designed to handle a massive number of concurrent connections and messages, making it scalable for both small and large applications.
  • Real-time Messaging
    Ably provides robust real-time messaging capabilities with low latency, supporting use-cases like live chat, gaming, and real-time data streaming.
  • Global Presence
    Ably has a globally distributed network, ensuring low latency and high availability for users around the world.
  • Advanced Features
    It offers advanced features such as message history, presence, and push notifications, which can enhance the functionality of real-time applications.
  • Security
    Ably includes built-in security features such as TLS encryption, token-based authentication, and private channels to ensure secure communication.
  • Extensive Documentation
    The service provides extensive and well-organized documentation, making it easier for developers to integrate and utilize its features.
  • SDKs and Libraries
    Ably offers a wide range of SDKs and libraries for different programming languages and platforms, easing the development process.
  • Reliable Delivery
    It ensures reliable message delivery with features like message queuing and message de-duplication.

Possible disadvantages of Ably

  • Complexity
    Due to its wide range of advanced features, the initial learning curve can be steep for new users.
  • Cost
    For large-scale applications or extensive use of advanced features, the costs can add up, making it potentially expensive.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    Relying heavily on Ablyโ€™s platform-specific features may result in vendor lock-in, making it challenging to switch to other services in the future.
  • Dependence on Internet Connection
    As a cloud-based service, Ablyโ€™s performance is highly dependent on the quality and reliability of the internet connection.
  • Third-party Integration
    While Ably offers various integration options, integrating certain third-party services may require additional custom development or may not be as seamless.

Analysis of Ably

Overall verdict

  • Ably is a reliable and efficient real-time messaging platform, well-suited for applications requiring high performance and scalability. It is generally well-regarded within the developer community for its ease of use and robust feature set.

Why this product is good

  • Features
    Ably provides a comprehensive suite of features such as pub/sub messaging, presence, and history.
  • Security
    It implements robust security practices including TLS encryption, token-based authentication, and private channels.
  • Integration
    Supports numerous protocols and provides SDKs for various programming languages, making it easy to integrate with different systems.
  • Reliability
    Ably offers high availability and low latency, ensuring messages are delivered in real-time.
  • Scalability
    The platform can handle millions of active connections and is designed for horizontal scaling.

Recommended for

  • developers building real-time applications like chat apps, dashboards, or multiplayer games
  • businesses in need of a scalable solution for live updates and notifications
  • teams looking for a platform with strong security and compliance credentials
  • organizations requiring integration with existing development workflows and tools

2FAS videos

Do you really need 2FA?

Ably videos

How to build a collaborative environment around your product

More videos:

  • Demo - How to build an avatar stack with Ably Spaces
  • Demo - Ably 101: Serverless WebSockets at scale

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to 2FAS and Ably)
Password Management
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Identity And Access Management
Realtime Backend / API
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using 2FAS and Ably. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare 2FAS and Ably

2FAS Reviews

The Best Authenticator Apps for 2023
This simple but fully functional app does everything you want in an authenticator. It lets you add online accounts either manually or with a QR code. Unlike Google Authenticator, it can create cloud backups of your registered accounts, either in iCloud for Apple devices or Google Drive for Androids, which is critical if you lose your phone or get a new one. The backup is...
Source: www.pcmag.com

Ably Reviews

We have no reviews of Ably yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

2FAS might be a bit more popular than Ably. We know about 33 links to it since March 2021 and only 26 links to Ably. 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.

2FAS mentions (33)

  • Playing with more user-friendly methods for multi-factor authentication
    FWIW 2FAS starts to show you the next code near the end of the window, this is very handy https://2fas.com/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Bitwarden Authenticator
    I personally switched to using 2FAS[0]. My favorite feature is that it comes with a browser extension that can automatically fill in the OTP on web forms, after approving the request on the phone app. [0] https://2fas.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: AWS registering MFA will be required in 29 days
    I'd go with number 2 unless you want to buy everyone a hardware token (option number 3). There are open source solutions (I've used https://2fas.com/ ) and very common solutions (Google Authenticator). You can even print out the QR code and put it in a secure location (safe, safe deposit box) as a break-glass in case everyone's phones cease functioning. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Flaw has Microsoft Authenticator overwriting MFA accounts, locking users out
    Try 2FAS - it works without an cloud account, can import from few other apps (sadly not from Microsoft one) and can export from and import to a file. Works on Android and iOS https://2fas.com/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Ente Auth: open-source Authy alternative for 2FA
    My hunt for an open source Authy took me to 2FAS, which has been fine. Any opinions on this offering? 2FAS โ€” the Internetโ€™s favorite open-source two-factor authenticator https://2fas.com. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
View more

Ably mentions (26)

  • AWS us-east-1 outage: How Ablyโ€™s multi-region architecture held up
    During this weekโ€™s AWS us-east-1 outage, Ably maintained full service continuity with no customer impact. This was our multi-region architecture working exactly as designed; error rates were negligibly low and unchanged throughout. Any additional round trip latency was limited to 12ms, which is below the typical variance in any client-to-endpoint connection, and well below our 40โ€“50ms global median; this is... - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • Real-Time Sync Alternatives: Vaultrice vs. localStorage, DIY, Firebase, Pusher
    Services like Pusher and Ably are experts in real-time messaging. They provide robust APIs for pub/sub channels, allowing you to broadcast events to clients reliably. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • CometChat Alternatives โ€“ Comparing the Top 10 Competitors
    Ably is a real-time infrastructure platform that focuses on delivering low-latency, reliable messaging across global distributed systems. It's designed for developers building event-driven applications, including chat, but also supports broader use cases like live dashboards, GPS tracking, and collaborative tools. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Real-Time Authorization in a Chat Application with Permit.io and WebSockets
    For our web socket-based application, weโ€™ll be using Next.js and Ably, a service that allows us to easily integrate and manage real-time capabilities in our apps powered by web socket. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Curiosity: Using Ably.io Realtime Messaging as a Lightweight Database
    Ably offers various solutions for developers, with their most popular being realtime messaging based on the pub/sub model. When you publish a message to a channel, all devices connected to that channel receive it instantly. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing 2FAS and Ably, you can also consider the following products

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

Pusher - Pusher is a hosted API for quickly, easily and securely adding scalable realtime functionality via WebSockets to web and mobile apps.

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

Socket.io - Realtime application framework (Node.JS server)

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

PubNub - PubNub is a real-time messaging system for web and mobile apps that can handle API for all platforms and push messages to any device anywhere in the world in a fraction of a second without having to worry about proxies, firewalls or mobile drop-offs.