55 Hardware Wallets, compared feature by feature

[maxirosson]

I wrote an article comparing 32 hardware wallets, comparing them feature by feature.

https://blog.thebitcoinhole.com/best-hardware-wallets-31141ed1aa05

I also included a spreadsheet with the summary:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-8DLbhxtOcDEBPl8-IAGWaoyx1H02JSz9hADCgAGyCo/edit?usp=sharing


UPDATE
I deprecated the Google Spreadsheet and launched a new website comparing the most popular Hardware Wallets:

https://wallets.thebitcoinhole.com/

The site offers some advantages compared with the spreadsheet:
- Improved usability and look & feel
- Possibility to filter wallets so you can only see and compare the ones you are interested
- Added more contextual information about each compared feature
- Fixed some data errors.

I plan to continue adding more features and wallets to compare.

[1713539922]

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[Lucius]

Did you by any chance write that review or are you just plagiarizing someone else's work? In case you are not the author, stop with cheap copy/paste because it only leads in one direction...

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5415764.0

[maxirosson]

I am the author of the article. I didn't know someone already posted it here !!!

[dkbit98]

I am the author of the article. I didn't know someone already posted it here !!!

And you probably saw traffic coming from Bitcointalk and you registered after that.
It's not that I trust you or don't trust you, but maybe you could edit the original blog article (or spreadsheet) and add your bitcointalk forum profile link (or forum post link), that would prove that you are the original author Maxi Rosson.
And please try not to write many consecutive forum posts in short span of time, that is against forum rules

[maxirosson]

Hi. I added my Bitcointalk profile link to the bottom of the spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-8DLbhxtOcDEBPl8-IAGWaoyx1H02JSz9hADCgAGyCo/edit#gid=0.

Thanks for the suggestion regarding the consecutive posts.

I am the author of the article. I didn't know someone already posted it here !!!

And you probably saw traffic coming from Bitcointalk and you registered after that.
It's not that I trust you or don't trust you, but maybe you could edit the original blog article (or spreadsheet) and add your bitcointalk forum profile link (or forum post link), that would prove that you are the original author Maxi Rosson.
And please try not to write many consecutive forum posts in short span of time, that is against forum rules

[dkbit98]

Hi. I added my Bitcointalk profile link to the bottom of the spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-8DLbhxtOcDEBPl8-IAGWaoyx1H02JSz9hADCgAGyCo/edit#gid=0.

Confirmed ownership!
I am glad to see you joined Bitcointalk forum

Thanks for the suggestion regarding the consecutive posts.

Don't mention it.
You are free to use some of my posts and topics I wrote related with hardware wallets, especially this one that containds exact models of Secure Elements and Microcontrollers used in Hardware Wallets:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5304483.0

[maxirosson]

AFAIK connecting to USB Data is less secure than using a microSD, because you are forced to connect your device to a machine with an internet connection. That's why coldcard allows you to disable the USB data, so you are 100% air-gapped. Probably Bluetooth is something in the middle between USB Data & microSD and should be with orange color in the spreadsheet.

Thanks for creating the spreadsheet and writing the article. I know about ColdCard hardware, but i just found found out existence of "Seed XOR" feature. Also, could you explain why "From USB Data" under "Firmware Upgrade" has red color while "From Bluetooth/microSD" has green color? Personally i don't see much difference from security perspective.

[dkbit98]

AFAIK connecting to USB Data is less secure than using a microSD, because you are forced to connect your device to a machine with an internet connection. That's why coldcard allows you to disable the USB data, so you are 100% air-gapped. Probably Bluetooth is something in the middle between USB Data & microSD and should be with orange color in the spreadsheet.

USB connection with hardware wallets is not the same as regular USB connection, but it's true that this can't be considered as air-gapped device, unless USB is used only for charging.
However I don't see big advantage for microSD cards, and I much more prefer QR codes for air-gapped devices, like Passport and Keystone are using.
I don't like Bluetooth at all, and I am not a fan of NFC that is just antenna with shorter range, but for everything there are pros and cons.

[NeuroticFish]

USB connection with hardware wallets is not the same as regular USB connection, but it's true that this can't be considered as air-gapped device, unless USB is used only for charging.
However I don't see big advantage for microSD cards, and I much more prefer QR codes for air-gapped devices, like Passport and Keystone are using.

I agree USB can be a security risk since it's a data connection.
Even more, no matter it's done over USB or on a microSD, regular updates can also be seen as a security risk.

I don't like Bluetooth at all, and I am not a fan of NFC that is just antenna with shorter range, but for everything there are pros and cons.

This is why I am lately very fond of concepts like SeedSigner, although I don't know whether its lack of secure chip can be a problem or not, also don't know if it's overdoing its updates. But at least it uses images for transferring information.


I also have kinda dilemma about things like SatoChip. NFC doesn't have a big range and the credit cards have shown that NFC is not so badly insecure (I guess that some could counter me badly for this) and it's clearly doesn't need (nor support) updates. So on one side it could be seen as good. Just I can't go over the thing that I feel safe only if I see the transaction on the HW screen. All in all it's somewhere between "very nice" and "no, thank you".

[n0nce]

Just I can't go over the thing that I feel safe only if I see the transaction on the HW screen. All in all it's somewhere between "very nice" and "no, thank you".

A screen is definitely essential. Without visual confirmation on the hardware wallet itself, you cannot know whether your clipboard has been tampered with.
And clipboard attacks are definitely one of the easier ones to pull off, due to relatively simple access to it by applications. Think of all the websites that let you 'copy to clipboard' e.g. when sharing a video link. That's their code that puts something in your clipboard. The same way, it could replace an address on your clipboard with a different one and you'll send the funds to them, unknowingly.

[NeuroticFish]

Just I can't go over the thing that I feel safe only if I see the transaction on the HW screen. All in all it's somewhere between "very nice" and "no, thank you".

A screen is definitely essential. Without visual confirmation on the hardware wallet itself, you cannot know whether your clipboard has been tampered with.
And clipboard attacks are definitely one of the easier ones to pull off, due to relatively simple access to it by applications. Think of all the websites that let you 'copy to clipboard' e.g. when sharing a video link. That's their code that puts something in your clipboard. The same way, it could replace an address on your clipboard with a different one and you'll send the funds to them, unknowingly.

There's always a screen (or I thought so), just some HW tend to use the software wallet's device/screen as place where one will double check addresses (to avoid the indeed so easy clipboard related hacks) and even to handle (display or input) the seed. I find this approach quite bad and unnecessary, since if one can use that safely indeed, then he can already use a cold storage, and the vast majority will setup the HW unsafely.

[n0nce]

Just I can't go over the thing that I feel safe only if I see the transaction on the HW screen. All in all it's somewhere between "very nice" and "no, thank you".

A screen is definitely essential. Without visual confirmation on the hardware wallet itself, you cannot know whether your clipboard has been tampered with.
And clipboard attacks are definitely one of the easier ones to pull off, due to relatively simple access to it by applications. Think of all the websites that let you 'copy to clipboard' e.g. when sharing a video link. That's their code that puts something in your clipboard. The same way, it could replace an address on your clipboard with a different one and you'll send the funds to them, unknowingly.

There's always a screen (or I thought so), just some HW tend to use the software wallet's device/screen as place where one will double check addresses ^{[emphasis mine]} (to avoid the indeed so easy clipboard related hacks)

True, this would prevent the very trivial clipboard attack, but it doesn't prevent the address to be replaced before being sent to the wallet and signed.
I also believe it's possible to do the 'trivial clipboard attack' and at the same time overlay the original address in the software wallet, such that the user can't notice.

and even to handle (display or input) the seed. I find this approach quite bad and unnecessary, since if one can use that safely indeed, then he can already use a cold storage, and the vast majority will setup the HW unsafely.

Displaying the seed on screen is definitely a big no. I know of a screenless hardware wallet that circumvents this by allowing you to insert a microSD, onto which it writes the seed phrase. That way it is never sent to the host computer over USB.

[maxirosson]

Added:
- Coldcard Q1
- Ledger Stax

Now comparing 28 hardware wallets, feature by feature:

- Medium Post: https://blog.thebitcoinhole.com/best-hardware-wallets-31141ed1aa05
- Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-8DLbhxtOcDEBPl8-IAGWaoyx1H02JSz9hADCgAGyCo/edit?usp=sharing

[dkbit98]

Now comparing 28 hardware wallets, feature by feature

Thank you for keeping this spreadsheet updated maxirosson.
I have one suggestion, can you please add dimension/size for all devices (cm/inch), since you already added weight and most of the other things?
I am especially interested to find out exact dimensions for new ColdCard Q1 device.

[maxirosson]

Yes, good idea. I could add that info. Not sure if it is available for all the wallets, but I could try

[maxirosson]

Added dimension for all the wallets and also added Tapsigner.

https://blog.thebitcoinhole.com/best-hardware-wallets-31141ed1aa05
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-8DLbhxtOcDEBPl8-IAGWaoyx1H02JSz9hADCgAGyCo/edit?usp=sharing

[Lillominato89]

Added dimension for all the wallets and also added Tapsigner.

https://blog.thebitcoinhole.com/best-hardware-wallets-31141ed1aa05
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-8DLbhxtOcDEBPl8-IAGWaoyx1H02JSz9hADCgAGyCo/edit?usp=sharing

excellent article and well written, I really liked the idea, I saw that you also included closed source hardware wallets such as safepal but you did not mention oneKey among the open source hardware wallets, I wanted to ask you why you omitted some hw?

[maxirosson]

I am trying to add as many wallets as possible. I didn't know oneKey, I will add it. Thanks for mentioning it. I am open to new suggestions.

[dkbit98]

Added dimension for all the wallets and also added Tapsigner.

Nice one, I see you listened to my earlier suggestion
Dimensions are currently missing for Arculus wallet, but I guess it's similar like for all other card style wallets.... not saying that I support or like Arculus in any way.

And how the heck did you find dimensions for for upcoming Coldcard Q1  hardwa wallet?
With 120 x 75 x 22 mm this is now officially largest hardware wallet device in the world... it's yuge  

I am trying to add as many wallets as possible. I didn't know oneKey, I will add it. Thanks for mentioning it. I am open to new suggestions.

If you want to check big list of all hardware wallets, you can check one we are maintaining in our local board:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5285324.0

[maxirosson]

Added dimensions for Arculus.

Coldcard Q1 dimensions source: https://coldcard.com/docs/specs

Thanks for that link with all those wallets. I am trying to focus on the more popular and best wallets, because there are lots of them.