Yubico YubiKey

Overview

Yubico is a publicly traded company that has focused solely on hardware authentication since 2007^[6]. Its YubiKey security keys are phishing-resistant because they prove possession of a physical key bound to the genuine website rather than relying on a code that can be relayed by an attacker^[5][6].

The YubiKey 5 Series supports several protocols on one device: FIDO2/WebAuthn and passkeys, FIDO U2F, smart card (PIV), one-time passwords and OpenPGP^[5]. Keys are available with USB-A, USB-C, NFC and Lightning interfaces, are IP68 rated, crush resistant and need no battery^[5]. This multi-protocol design lets a single key serve both modern cloud services and legacy systems that rely on smart cards or OTP^[5].

Yubico names T-Mobile, Cloudflare and Hyatt among its customers and cites US agency guidance favouring hardware authentication^[6]. Keys are sold individually, in trays, or through YubiKey as a Service, a subscription aimed at organisations with more than 500 employees^[7]. A YubiKey is an authenticator, not an MFA platform: it works with identity providers such as Entra ID, Okta or Duo rather than replacing them.

Yubico YubiKey features

• FIDO2/WebAuthn and passkeys
• FIDO U2F
• Smart card (PIV)
• OTP and OpenPGP
• USB-A, USB-C, NFC and Lightning models
• IP68 rated, no battery
• YubiKey as a Service subscription

Yubico YubiKey pricing

YubiKey 5 NFC: €58 per key; tray of 50 at €2,900 (European store). YubiKey as a Service: subscription for organisations with 500+ employees, price on request.

Yubico YubiKey strengths and limitations

Appears in

• Best MFA Solutions in 2026 #4

Yubico YubiKey alternatives and competitors

Alternatives to Yubico YubiKey: companies ranked in the same lists.

• Cisco Duo
• Microsoft Power BI
• OOkta
• Ping Identity
• RSA ID Plus
• JumpCloud
• OOneLogin
• HHYPR
• Silverfort
• TSThales SafeNet Trusted Access
• Auth0