Which YubiKey Should I Buy? Models, Prices and Firmware Compared
On this page, 10 sections
If you only want to protect accounts with passkeys and two-step login, buy two Security Key NFC models from Yubico’s Security Key series at $29 each. If you also want authenticator codes, smart card or OpenPGP on the same stick, buy two YubiKey 5 NFC or 5C NFC at $58 each.
The connector decides the rest: USB-C if your laptop and phone are USB-C, USB-A if not. That is the whole decision for most people. The details below are why.
I do not own any of these keys, so this is a buying guide built from Yubico’s own store and manual pages, read on 11 October 2026. I have not plugged any of them in.
What Yubico sells right now, and what it costs
Yubico’s store comparison page, read on 11 October 2026, lists these prices in USD. Every YubiKey 5 and Security Key model on it shows firmware version 5.8. The FIPS 140-2 series shows 5.4 and the FIPS 140-3 series shows 5.7.
| Model | Series | Price (USD) | Protocols per Yubico |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security Key NFC | Security Key | $29 | FIDO only |
| Security Key C NFC | Security Key | $29 | FIDO only |
| YubiKey 5 NFC | YubiKey 5 | $58 | Multi-protocol |
| YubiKey 5C NFC | YubiKey 5 | $58 | Multi-protocol, tagged most popular |
| YubiKey 5C | YubiKey 5 | $65 | Multi-protocol |
| YubiKey 5 Nano | YubiKey 5 | $68 | Multi-protocol |
| YubiKey 5C Nano | YubiKey 5 | $68 | Multi-protocol |
| YubiKey 5Ci | YubiKey 5 | $85 | Multi-protocol, USB-C plus Lightning |
The YubiKey Bio series, with a fingerprint sensor, is on a separate tab of the same page. I did not capture its prices, so I am not quoting one.
The arithmetic that matters: two Security Keys cost $58. Two YubiKey 5C NFC cost $116. One of each costs $87. A single YubiKey 5 NFC costs the same $58 as two Security Keys.
Security Key or YubiKey 5
Yubico’s identification page lists the Security Key models as doing FIDO U2F and FIDO2, nothing else. The YubiKey 5 models on the same page also do Yubico OTP, HOTP and TOTP codes, smart card (PIV) and OpenPGP.
So the question is whether you will use anything beyond passkeys and hardware two-step login. Three honest cases:
- You use a password manager and want a phishing-proof second factor. A Security Key does this. FIDO2 is what Bitwarden, Google and most big sites ask for.
- You want codes stored on the key, an SSH or GPG setup, or a smart card login. That needs a YubiKey 5, because those protocols are not on the Security Key list.
- You want a fingerprint instead of a PIN. That is the Bio series. Yubico’s identification page lists the Bio FIDO Edition with FIDO U2F and FIDO2. The Multi-protocol Edition adds more protocols, which I did not check, so read its page before you buy one.
My own pick, as an opinion and not a test result: for a personal setup with a password manager, the $29 key is the better value, and the money you save buys the second key you need anyway.
Yubico’s 5.7 firmware page adds one detail on NFC: with firmware 5.7 and later, the NFC function is disabled when the key ships, to prevent tampering, and plugging the key into a USB port switches it on. So the first time you use a new key with a phone, plug it into a computer first. The page calls this Restricted NFC.
Here are the three setups priced with Python, not by hand. Two Security Keys: $58. A YubiKey 5C NFC plus a Security Key C NFC: $87. Two YubiKey 5C NFC: $116.
The middle one gives you one key with the extra protocols and one cheap spare, which suits someone who wants codes on a key but does not need them on the backup. That is my suggestion, not Yubico’s.
Always buy two
A hardware key is a single object you can lose. Buy two, register both on every account, and keep one somewhere that is not your bag. I wrote the recovery side in what to do if you lose a YubiKey.
Bitwarden’s two-step login page, read on 11 October 2026, says you can add up to 5 FIDO2 WebAuthn security keys to an account, and up to 10 on Premium. Two keys sits well inside that limit.
Connector and phone
- USB-C laptop and USB-C phone: a C NFC model. It is the one Yubico tags most popular among the YubiKey 5 models.
- USB-A laptop: the non-C NFC models. Check your own ports first.
- iPhone with Lightning: the 5Ci is the only model on Yubico’s list with Lightning, at $85. A C NFC key also taps by NFC; I have not verified how well on any particular iPhone.
- Stays in the port: the Nano models are $68 each. They fit flush, which also makes them harder to pull out. That trade-off is my reading, not Yubico’s.
Do not buy old stock
Yubico’s firmware overview says YubiKeys are programmed with the latest firmware at the factory and that the firmware cannot be updated once programmed. So the firmware on a key is whatever it shipped with, and a key from old stock carries old firmware.
That matters for one number. Yubico’s firmware matrix lists FIDO2 credential storage of 100 for firmware 5.7 and 5.8, and 25 for 5.0 through 5.5. I explain what that means in how many passkeys a YubiKey can hold. On a new key from Yubico’s store the page shows 5.8, so you get the larger number (Yubico’s 5.7 page dates the 100 limit from firmware 5.7.4).
If you buy from a reseller or a second-hand listing, check the firmware version when it arrives, with the Yubico Authenticator or ykman, before you rely on it. Yubico’s manual names both for this.
YubiKey or Titan key
Google sells its own security key, and the comparison is a separate question. I covered it in Titan Security Key vs YubiKey. The short version of what I can say from Yubico’s side: if you want more than FIDO2, Yubico’s multi-protocol keys are the ones with the other protocols.
What I could not check
I did not capture the Bio series prices. I did not read prices for any region other than USD. I could not confirm stock, shipping or tax. Yubico’s page also changes prices, so check the number before you pay. I did not find the Security Key series on Yubico’s older firmware pages, so I am quoting its 5.8 firmware from the store page only.
How this was checked
I read Yubico’s store comparison page, its identification page, its YubiKey Technical Manual pages on firmware and on the YubiKey 5 series, and Bitwarden’s two-step login page, all on 11 October 2026. I did not buy, plug in or test any key. The totals above were computed in Python.
Do this today
Decide the connector, then decide Security Key or YubiKey 5 using the three cases above. Order two. When they arrive, register both on your password manager first. The steps for Bitwarden are in the Bitwarden YubiKey setup guide.
If you are still weighing whether a key is worth it, the difference between a Security Key and a YubiKey 5 goes further on the two series, YubiKey vs passkey covers the choice against passkeys, and can a YubiKey be hacked covers the risk side.
Resources
- Yubico: Compare Products (store) (read 11 October 2026)
- Yubico: Identifying your YubiKey (read 11 October 2026)
- Yubico YubiKey Technical Manual: Firmware Overview (read 11 October 2026)
- Bitwarden: Two-step login via FIDO2 WebAuthn (read 11 October 2026)