itsme gets competition: what does this mean for flexible work via AnyShift?

After years of undisputed leadership, itsme is finally getting some competitors. Smart-ID arrived in Belgium in March 2024, and in October 2025 the government launched MyGov.be as an official alternative. For anyone who regularly uses digital authentication - for example when logging in to work platforms such as AnyShift - a lot is changing. But what do these new players mean for you if you want to earn extra income flexibly, or if your company is looking for flexible staff?

With 7 million users, itsme has firmly anchored itself in the Belgian digital landscape. Yet almost half of Belgians (49%) say they are interested in alternatives. That interest did not come out of nowhere. Users want more choice, better privacy, and above all: no vendor lock-in in which a single commercial party manages the digital key to their lives.

For platforms that focus on flexible work - such as AnyShift, which works with flexi-jobs and student jobs - these developments bring both opportunities and challenges. Let's take a closer look at what exactly is going on.

The new players on the Belgian market

Smart-ID: the Baltic challenger

Smart-ID comes from Estonia, a country that has been a frontrunner in digital government services for years. Since March 2024, Belgians too can create a Smart-ID account. The app works similarly to itsme: you identify yourself at a registration point, and after that you can securely log in to websites and apps.

The big difference? Smart-ID charges companies on a usage basis, which can be more attractive for smaller players than itsme's licensing structure. For users, the app stays free, just as they are used to.

Anyone regularly looking for a flexi-job in Flanders 2025 probably won't come across Smart-ID on many platforms yet. Adoption among Belgian companies is in fact going more slowly than expected. Still, it is only a matter of time before more services start offering this option.

MyGov.be: the government alternative

In October 2025, the government itself entered the arena with MyGov.be. This solution is intended as a public alternative for citizens who do not want to depend on commercial parties for their digital identity.

MyGov.be integrates directly with existing government infrastructure and uses your eID or itsme for the initial registration. Once set up, you can use it to log in to government services and - in the future - also to private platforms that choose to support this authentication method.

For anyone working via AnyShift or other flex platforms, this could become interesting in the longer term. The government is aiming for broad adoption, which means that more and more services will accept MyGov.be as a login method.

MyID: the cautionary competitor

MyID initially looked like a serious challenger, but was taken offline due to serious security problems. This episode underlines why security is so crucial in digital identification. For work platforms and their users it is a wake-up call: not every alternative is automatically better, and trust has to be earned.

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What does this mean for flex workers and companies?

For those who want to earn extra income flexibly

If you are looking for a flexi-job in Flanders 2025 or student work, you probably use several platforms. Each platform has its own login method, and chances are you have already created an itsme account to get access.

With the arrival of Smart-ID and MyGov.be, you get more choice. Don't want a single commercial party to manage all your login details? Then you might soon be able to opt for the government alternative. Are you a fan of the Estonian approach, where privacy is central? Then Smart-ID may be something for you.

For platforms such as AnyShift, this means they need to expand their authentication options. Users who sign up via the AnyShift shifters page expect a smooth experience, regardless of which identification app they use.

For companies looking for flexible staff

If, as a company, you work with flexi-jobs or student jobs via platforms, you need to prepare for a more fragmented landscape. Where you could previously rely on itsme as the de facto standard, you will now have to take several authentication methods into account.

This brings technical challenges with it. Your IT department needs to make sure that all identification apps are properly integrated into your systems. For those who use platforms such as AnyShift, this is largely handled by the platform itself. But if you have your own systems for staff scheduling and time registration, you have to take it into account.

The advantage? By supporting several options, you enlarge your potential pool of workers. People who, for whatever reason, do not want to use itsme can now still easily get started via your platform.

Companies looking for flexible staff can quickly start finding motivated shifters via the AnyShift companies page. By supporting several authentication methods, you make it more accessible for everyone.

The technical reality behind the scenes

For platforms such as AnyShift, this shift brings concrete technical decisions with it. Do you have to support all identification apps? Is it enough to add only MyGov.be alongside itsme? Or do you focus on Smart-ID because of its cost structure?

The truth is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Every platform has to look at its user base and weigh up what takes priority. For AnyShift, with a focus on flexi-jobs and student jobs in Flanders, the emphasis is on ease of use. If 80% of adult Belgians have itsme, then for now that remains the main option.

But the wind is blowing in a different direction. Within two years we could find ourselves in a situation where users expect to be able to choose from at least three identification apps. Platforms that do not anticipate this run the risk of losing users to competitors who do move with this trend.

Privacy and data ownership

An often forgotten aspect of this discussion is privacy. itsme is a commercial company owned by banks and telecom operators. For some users that feels uncomfortable: why should these parties get to know everywhere I log in?

MyGov.be offers a public alternative here. The government does also have access to your data, but is subject to stricter regulation and transparency requirements. Smart-ID appeals to the privacy-focused user with a minimal data footprint.

For anyone who uses platforms to find flexible work - for example via AnyShift flexi-job locations - this can provide extra peace of mind. You can choose the identification method that best matches your own privacy preferences.

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The future: what can we expect?

In the coming years, the market for digital identification in Belgium will move considerably. itsme will not simply give up its dominant position and is investing in new features and a better user experience. Smart-ID has to convince Belgian companies to integrate its solution. And MyGov.be faces the challenge of tempting users to switch from their trusted itsme app.

For platforms that work with flexi-jobs and student jobs, this means that flexibility becomes key. Anyone who now bets only on itsme could be lagging behind in two years. But anyone who invests too early in every possible alternative is throwing money away on integrations that may never be used.

AnyShift is keeping a close eye on these developments. For users looking for AnyShift student jobs or companies that need staff quickly, it remains important that the technology works smoothly in the background. Nobody wants complicated login procedures when you want to quickly pick up or fill a shift.

Conclusion

Competition for itsme is healthy for the Belgian market. More choice means better service, more sharply priced solutions, and more attention to privacy and user rights. For job seekers who want to earn extra income flexibly, it makes little difference in the short term: itsme remains the standard for now.

But looking ahead, it gets interesting. If MyGov.be really breaks through and Smart-ID gets a grip on the Belgian market, we will get a situation in which users themselves decide which party they trust with their digital identity. And that is exactly how it should be in a healthy digital economy.

For companies and platforms that work with flexible staff, the message is clear: prepare for a changing landscape, but don't panic. Choose wisely which authentication methods you support, and keep your users central in your decisions.

Do you still have questions about how all this works? Then check the AnyShift FAQ page for more information about logging in and getting started with flexible work. Or read on at the AnyShift blog for more articles about flexible work in Flanders.