Bitcoin Forum

I am familiar with using Trezor hardware wallet but I keep hearing about Armory.

Can anyone tell me would it be safer or what would be the advantage in me using Armory to store bitcoins if I already own a Trezor?

You can't really compare a software solution to a hardware one... Trezor is quite safe out of the box. Armory is also safe, but it is more dependent on the rest of your software environment. Just go with what fits you best :)

I am pretty sure that you are confused and that you don't get the difference between Trezor which is a hardware wallet and Armory which is just a software wallet as unamis76 has written. Go ahead and research different kinds of Bitcoin wallets and you will understand what we are talking about.

If you have Trezor then there is no purpose of using Armory as Trezor is much, much safer!

Cheers!

The point of Trezor or any hardware wallet really is that you don't have to worry about keeping your OS secure, up to date and with up to date firewalls and antiviruses (if you are using Windows).

With hardware wallets this is isolated, so you aren't at a constant risk.

You can set up Armory for cold storage but will need two computers: one has your Armory watching only wallet and the offline computer has the portion of Armory that holds your private keys and signs transactions. You use a USB drive to shuttle transactions between the two components. Also realize that Armory runs on top of Bitcoin Core so your laptop will need a local copy of the blockhain. Armory for cold storage is not more secure than Trezor, but is more private. That is the advantage Armory has over Trezor. Armory devs keep promising Trezor support so you can use your Trezor with Armory, maybe someday:)

I have a question about Trezor, which I am thinking about migrating the majority of our bitcoins to.

I honestly don't really care about security issues - because I feel very good about that having studied and read up on this for weeks.  However if anyone wants to throw out any major flaws that aren't well known feel free.

My primary question is hypothetical in nature and involves the hypothetical demise of Trezor itself, as a company.  My question/concern is EXCLUSIVELY related to what would happen if Trezor went out of business.  It appears to me that things like "recovery" etc all require the mytrezor.com website.  Now, there are all sorts of claims that you can use electrum, armory, and other wallets that are integrated with Trezor hardware wallets directly - but I also see enormous complaints/comments about a lot of this being hype and that many of these don't actually work.  I would like to hear people's experience / knowledge on the subject.

Also, as the ultimate backup in the face of wierd events..... does Trezor work with Core?

Any thoughts appreciated as I am about to purchase many Trezor wallets.  I should note that I do not use iOS/Droid.  I am a desktop only.  I think one thing that annoys me is when people make blanket statements about what something can or cannot do, and do not specify their sub-technology (subtec).  Some stuff seems to work with iOS, or with Android, or with Desktop, etc.... but not with others.  Please confirm your subtec applicability

Peace,
- david

This comment made me more interested to explore and use Armory in the future as I have always used blockchain.info as my wallet. I did planned to get Trezor but it's not locally available.

Recovery only requires the 24 word seed phrase you copy down when you set up your Trezor for the first time. In an HD bitcoin wallet think of the seed as your bitcoin, as all addresses and keys you will ever use derive from the seed. The plastic hardware is just a way to make the seed usable for transactions. If SatoshiLabs went tits up (doubtful) you can restore your wallet to Electrum using the seed.

Trezor can not be bought in stores, you have to order directly from the company in Europe. They can ship anywhere in a couple of days just choose the DHL express shipping option.

I am familiar with the "seed" process.  I am also familiar with a TON of web complaints I have seen out there that Electrum has problems with restoring.  I also see from Satoshi Labs own website that restoring would require a new Trezor if yours was stolen/lost/damaged.  

However, the process of activating a new Trezor device seems to mandate use of the mytrezor website.

So here is my hypothetical (which while I admit may be extreme - I want to understand ALL possibilities before I commit substantial funds to this)....

My Trezor is damaged, and Satoshi Labs has gone out of business.  Then what?

See recovering funds without Trezor device (http://doc.satoshilabs.com/trezor-apps/index.html#recovering-funds-without-trezor-device). You can also use Multibit HD if you have not added a passphrase. I have already tested and confirmed. Suggest you do what I did, buy a three pack of Trezors to get the discount and try out every scenario you can imagine to understand how Trezor works and keeps your bitcoin safe.

Beautiful :)  Don't know how I missed that page.  The chart in the following #LINK at that page - http://doc.satoshilabs.com/trezor-apps/index.html#using-trezor-with-bitcoin-and-altcoin-wallets - indicates to me that I would rely on MyTrezor.com, use Electrum for a spending wallet and secondary backup (use Coinbase/Circle for societal spending integration), and keep the "Chrome Extension" installed on my computer(s) for a worst case scenario in order to retrieve my bitcoins.  I'll also keep some spare Trezor Hardware Wallets on hand in the worst case scenario that Satoshi labs failed and the hardware went bye bye.  It was the Chrome Extension aspect, and its ability to run locally offline that I was missing.

Thanks again.  Big Help.

Peace,
- david

For security IMO, Trezor.

But for privacy, Armory is a close second to Bitcoin Core (Armory uses a different length for it's addresses, so they stand out in the blockchain). But IMO, it's an improvement over any of the wallets that function with Trezor today; all of them give up your public key information (either through the SPV mode or by xpub sharing), because they're all light-node wallets. Really looking forward to a full-node wallet developer announcing Trezor support (for security & privacy simultaneously).

I certainly believe that Trezor is better. I don't really know, but the idea of having a wallet separate from my computer gives me a whole new sense of security. Maybe it's because I get a computer virus once a year, but to me, Trezor is alot better. I trust Trezor more than I trust myself, to be honest.

A hardware wallet is considered much more safer than a software wallet, so i would not move from Trezor to Armory, you are good staying at Trezor, but if you want to experiment with wallets then why not.

Armory used for cold storage is a hardware wallet, the offline computer takes the place of Trezor. If you are using Trezor already there is no need to move to Armory unless you are really concerned about the privacy issue Carlton addressed. For most users it is not a problem at all. If you want to use cold storage with Armory you will need two computers and Armory support is not as good as it once used to be. If Armory ever supports Trezor to sign transactions that would be the perfect combination but don't hold your breath, it may never happen.

Yes if you want to avoid the hassle of moving the unsigned transaction back and forth but I wouldn't mind it. You can easily install Armory on a offline raspberry pi and a online computer. Create a unsigned transaction on the online computer and sign it using the offline raspberry pi and transfer it back to broadcast. There is no security risks unless a virus is designed to go into the USB and to the offline raspberry pi and back to the online computer. I highly doubt it would happen since linux itself is quite secure.

Most importantly, it cost only ~50USD compared to 100+USD for trezor.

the security with armor it's only dependent on the user that is using the computer so i can't see how it's less secure, unless we have a dude that don't know how to move in this environment

I always prefer cold storage. Once the power if off and there s no internet connection, that is the only real way to protect your BTC 100%.

I suggest Trevor over the other one for many reasons .I think Trevor has a series of private keys which is more secure and multi cloud storage as well.Recently I discovered case a hardware wallet which is quite amazing in terms of looks and usability .I'm thinking to buy case as it beats Trevor in so many things like finger swipe and series of cross verifications .

if you already own a trezor you should not look for other client/wallet. it's one of the best (hardware)wallet in bitcoin world. ;)

trezor is still the best for me , its simple, safe, and its cheap, having two hardware wallet will just make you confused

I see that you are confusing Armory for a hardware wallet just like OP did. Armory is a full node software wallet for Bitcoin, not a hardware wallet!

I personally believe Trezor is very good choice right now. As others already pointed out, comparing Armory and Trezor doesn't really work as they are two different type of wallets. Anyway, Trezor seems to be very safe, easy and user-friendly option to store your coins.

Your right Armory is not hardware wallet, but the point of Armory is using 2nd offline computer never connected to internet just to sign transaction - somewhat trying to simulate hardware wallet. If you already have spare computer for this then Armory is a cheap and more secure solution than just having wallet software on your computer connected to internet, but not as much secure as trezor.

While still used by some the availability of inexpensive bitcoin hardware wallets is starting to replace the cumbersome procedure of using two computers to safely store your bitcoin. If you own more than a few bitcoin you need a hardware wallet but which is the best?
i think trezor was better,check this :
https://bitcoinnewsmagazine.com/best-bitcoin-hardware-wallet-2015/

its a complete versus,its hard to answer..but trezor is coming first,so many user said that trezor is better.
but honestly i never use both,i just use online wallet,i'm get some information from a news about bitcoin.

What amount of bitcoin do people think it's worth to buy trezor the keep their investment secure. It's tough to swallow that price if you only have 1 or 2 coins

trezor is most safest as it is hardware but if you want software, then armory is best.

From 10+ Bitcoins it make sence to buy trezor, especially if you use the coins (not just hold) because it is fast, easy and secure to send coins using trezor. For someone who just hold the coins, paper wallet generated securely is probably easiest way even for 10+ Bitcoins (and up to point before you want to spend your Bitcoins, paper wallet can be very secure if generated the right way)

Great answer! 2 - 3 bitcoins are definitely not justifying Trezor investment. Around 10 was wh3 I got one as well. But I also got one because I move my coins quite a lot. For someone that's only holding them in the cold storage as an investment and doesn't touch them, paper wallet is a great solution.

This is where Trezor comes in handy, when you want great security and maneuverability!

Cheers!

I am thinking that it's the other way around since using Armory requires an offline computer which means if I want to use Armory I'll get a separate computer for that purpose alone. Am I right on my assumption?

Paper wallet is a good option but it is rather difficult to spend it. It can be very secure only if you spend it the right way too. Mycelium cold storage spending is a good choice but is nowhere perfect. Even though private keys are deleted after spending from cold storage, it can be hacked in the process of scanning too.

The ultimate best choice would be to buy a raspberry pi and install armory or electrum. It is much safer this way and no compromises are made if you sign it securely offline.

Trezor and ledger are definitely the way to go only if you're spending it frequently.

Thanks for the replies guys. It sounds like it wouldn't be useful for the amount I would use them.