Best hardware wallets (August 2026)
A hardware wallet keeps your private keys offline. We compare the leading devices — including the honest trade-offs each maker won't highlight.
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| Wallet | Price | Assets | Security note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ledger Nano S Plus | ~$79 USD MSRP (frequently discounted to ~$59) | ~5500 | CC EAL6+ certified secure element (ST33) | Visit |
| Ledger Nano X | ~$149 USD MSRP (frequently discounted to ~$99) | ~5500 | CC EAL5+ certified secure element (ST33) | Visit |
| Trezor Model One | ~$49 USD MSRP | ~1000 | fully open-source firmware (auditable) | Visit |
| Trezor Safe 5 (successor to Model T) | ~$169 USD MSRP | ~1000 | EAL6+ certified secure element (Infineon OPTIGA Trust M V3) | Visit |
Ledger's July 2020 e-commerce data breach exposed 1M+ email addresses and ~272,000 records with full names, postal addresses and phone numbers, fueling phishing and physical-extortion campaigns (crypto funds themselves were never compromised). In 2023 the optional 'Ledger Recover' seed-backup subscription (splitting an encrypted seed among third-party custodians) drew heavy criticism over the fact that a firmware update could extract seed data, raising trust concerns despite being opt-in.
Honest con: No Bluetooth — must be tethered by USB
Shares the closed-source-firmware criticism and the reputational impact of Ledger's 2020 data breach and 2023 Ledger Recover controversy (see Nano S Plus note). Bluetooth is optional and can be disabled.
Honest con: More expensive than the Nano S Plus
Historically vulnerable to physical/supply-chain attacks that require the device and specialized equipment (mitigated by using a passphrase), a known trade-off of its secure-element-free design. Firmware is fully open-source, which is Trezor's core transparency argument versus Ledger.
Honest con: No secure element chip
Replaces the discontinued Trezor Model T. The Model T (launched 2018) had a color touchscreen but no dedicated secure element; the current Safe line (Safe 3 / Safe 5) adds an EAL6+ secure element while keeping open-source firmware. Trezor's official lineup as of 2026 is the Safe 3, Safe 5, and flagship Safe 7.
Honest con: Higher price than the Safe 3 and entry-level devices