Do you know the difference between OTP and TOTP?

Nowadays everyone must have heard the name OTP, but have you heard of TOTP?


Do you know the difference between OTP and TOTP?


OTP stands for One Time Password, which is valid only once.


While TOTP stands for – Time Based One Time Password, both these passwords are used for user authentication.


The main difference between One-Time Password (OTP) and Time-Based One-Time Password (TOTP) is how long the generated code remains valid.


This means that the OTP code can be used only once. It is valid for 5-15 minutes and in many cases even up to 1 day, but TOTP is only valid for 30-60 seconds.


OTP is useful when the user needs to send the code easily, for example via SMS or email.


TOTP is better when you need more security, such as for 2FA login or access to sensitive system data. TOTP is a more secure method of OTP.