Anyone looking to buy a hardware security key will quickly come across two popular product lines from Yubico: the YubiKey 5 Series and the Security Key Series. Both reliably protect accounts from phishing and support modern passkeys as well as FIDO2. But which solution is the right one?
Similarities
Both the YubiKey 5 Series and the Security Key Series support:
- FIDO2 / WebAuthn
- Passkeys
- U2F
- Phishing-resistant login
- NFC (depending on the model)
Both product series are excellent for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, GitHub, Dropbox, and many other cloud services.
The Security Key Series
The Security Key Series is aimed at users looking for a reliable and affordable FIDO2 security key.
Available models:
These models exclusively support modern authentication methods such as FIDO2, WebAuthn, and U2F.
The YubiKey 5 Series
The YubiKey 5 Series offers significantly more features and is particularly suitable for businesses, administrators, and professional users.
Popular models:
Additionally, the YubiKey 5 Series supports:
- OpenPGP
- PIV Smartcard
- OTP
- Challenge-Response
- OATH-HOTP/TOTP
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Security Key | YubiKey 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Passkeys | ✔ | ✔ |
| FIDO2 / WebAuthn | ✔ | ✔ |
| U2F | ✔ | ✔ |
| PIV Smartcard | ✘ | ✔ |
| OpenPGP | ✘ | ✔ |
| OTP | ✘ | ✔ |
| Challenge-Response | ✘ | ✔ |
Which series is suitable for whom?
Security Key Series:
- Private users
- Microsoft 365 users
- Google Workspace
- Passkeys
- Price-conscious buyers
YubiKey 5 Series:
- Companies
- IT Administrators
- Developers
- PKI environments
- VPN authentication
- OpenPGP and Smartcard
Our Recommendation
If you only want to use Passkeys and FIDO2, the Security Key Series is an excellent choice.
If you need additional features such as Smartcard, OpenPGP, or OTP, we recommend the YubiKey 5 Series.
Conclusion
Both product series offer excellent protection against phishing and account takeovers. The decision depends on whether only modern Passkeys are used or if additional professional authentication methods are required.
When in doubt, the YubiKey 5 Series is the most flexible long-term solution.
