Likelihood to Recommend Well Suited B2C mobile and web apps with a high number of users. Cheaper and cost-effective. If the other pieces of the infra are already using AWS services like Lambda, S3, Pinpoint, etc. Not Suited For: Advanced use-cases (Biometrics based authentication) Email, and other MFA channels. For any use-cases needing SCIM. Customized flows of SSO, and MFA will need a layer on Lambda and other AWS services. Read full review It is supported by virtually all cloud-based software applications for business. I am happy to allow users to use this in addition to other authenticators. Certainly, if your business is in the Google cloud it makes sense, but my approach to the remote/virtual work world these past couple of years has been structured flexibility. Leaving some choice up to the users for their own comfort, particularly when they are using their own devices. I cannot think of a scenario where it is less appropriate - perhaps where you run the risk of "app sprawl". I.e., where you are requiring users to handle multiple authenticators (which can happen with certain pieces of hardware) you may want to encourage consolidation into one to avoid frustration.
Read full review Pros Strong integration with React.js and client-side applications Easy to bridge Cognito identities with the rest of the AWS ecosystem Easy to store user profile data directly in Cognito rather than having to build additional services/endpoints Easy integration with AWS Lambda to extend and add sophistication to the service Read full review One strength is in how it checks identity to stop unwanted people from getting access. Another strength is in cutting down on the frustration of users for the authentication process. With the pandemic and needing to work away from the office it also provided additional security in keeping our network/infrastructure safe. Read full review Cons Amazon Cognito has a bit of a learning curve. You need to learn its concepts and terminology. The documentation does not describe some topics comprehensively. Some Console screens would benefit from improved search and filtering options. When another AWS product (e.g., SageMaker) configures Cognito on your behalf, it is not clear what you're getting. For example, the expiration of a temporary password was configured but never communicated. Read full review I once performed a factory reset of my smartphone which had Google Authenticator. I didn't have a backup for the device. When I restored my phone with the same google account, I was not able to restore the authenticator app settings. I had to add all the keys back into the app to use it. This is cumbersome, but I understand it is set up this way for security reasons. I don't like the ease with which it lets you delete a key. If I accidentally delete a key, I am doomed to get my 2FA key reset, unless I still have the QR code saved somewhere. Read full review Likelihood to Renew It works as intended, easy to setup, free and gives you another level of security against any unwanted access or cyber attacks
Read full review Usability All the features AWS Cognito offers gives the user the options they need without making it too complicated. Your customers will be happy. On the administration site usability is also great. After a small learning curve, you can setup Cognito for your usage
Read full review I have not faced any technical challenge personally using this application. It's very lightweight and doesn't require many system resources on your mobile device.
Read full review Reliability and Availability In terms of availability, I had not experienced any issues with outages or the product not working when needed
Read full review Performance The performance of google Authenticator is good and I have not experienced any slow downs
Read full review Support Rating AWS Support overall is poor. Your main resources are trainings and the docs, and the docs can be very confusing. Using Cognito well involves having a developer learn it deeply and help support your team in understanding it. That said, Cognito's competitors also have dismal support and even worse documentation, so while this isn't a strength for Cognito it may still be the frontrunner here.
Read full review I have found Google’s support to be hit or miss. There are times when they are very responsive, and I get my issue resolved quickly, and there are times where a response from them takes weeks. There is no in-between. But my support experience with this particular product is nonexistent because I have not had a problem with it yet. Hopefully, we do not have any problems with it either.
Read full review Implementation Rating It was easy to implement and it went very smoothly. No issues
Read full review Alternatives Considered They are ideal tools to create a secure and unique login experience for our applications. Thanks to its API authorization, Amazon Cognito ensures connections to applications that are secure.It is easy to use and provides easy access to files and applications that you need to complete your goal.
Read full review We deploy Google Authenticator in residential and non-managed client scenarios. Google Authenticator can perform the basic functions needed for multi-factor authentication but lacks the more advanced features of solutions like Cisco's Secure Access by Duo. Google Authenticator is our go-to solution for anyone ready to increase their security but struggling to find the necessary technology budget.
Read full review Scalability The product doesn’t have any features of tools that can help it scale
Read full review Return on Investment ROI is great for Amazon Cognito Overall. It is included in the AWS Free Tier so you can use it for a good amount without paying, so the software can be tested beforehand. The paid pricing is also affordable, so a positive impact on ROI. Read full review More secure data = less worried about a data breach. Takes longer to log in, and if I don't have my phone then I have to go looking for it, so it really makes it so that you can't be without your phone, which in certain instances is annoying or not possible and can hold up work time. Everyone is willing to use the same program because everyone likes Google—makes it easier to manage. Read full review ScreenShots