Not all wallets provide the same level of security and usability so do your research and understand the risks.
When choosing a wallet you need to find a balance between control and complexity.
User experience simplicity often comes at the expense of control and privacy.
Mobile Bitcoin Wallets – Pros/Cons & Recommendations
Pros
- Portable and convenient; ideal when making transactions face-to-face
- Designed to use QR codes to make quick and seamless transactions
Cons
- App marketplaces can delist/remove wallet making it difficult to receive future updates
- Damage or loss of device can potentially lead to loss of funds
Recommeneded mobile wallets for ios.
Recommended mobile wallets for Android.
Desktop Bitcoin Wallets – Pros/Cons & Recommendations
Pros
- Environment enables users to have complete control over funds
- Some desktop wallets offer hardware wallet support, or can operate as full nodes
Cons
- Difficult to utilize QR codes when making transactions
- Susceptible to bitcoin-stealing malware/spyware/viruses
Recommeneded mobile wallets for Windows Desktop.
- Armory
- Bitcoin Core
- Bitcoin Knots
- Bither
- BitPay Wallet
- Electrum
- Blockstream Green
- Sparrow Wallet
- Specter Desktop
- Wasabi Wallet
Recommeneded mobile wallets for Mac Desktop.
- Armory
- Bitcoin Core
- Bitcoin Knots
- Bither
- BitPay Wallet
- Electrum
- Blockstream Green
- Sparrow Wallet
- Specter Desktop
- Wasabi Wallet
Recommeneded mobile wallets for Linux Desktop.
Hardware Bitcoin Wallets – Pros/Cons & Recommendations
Pros
- One of the most secure methods to store funds
- Ideal for storing large amounts of bitcoin
Cons
- Difficult to use while mobile; not designed for scanning QR codes
- Loss of device without proper backup can make funds unrecoverable
Recommended Hardware wallets
- BitBox02
- Coldcard
- Coldcard Q
- Cypherock X1
- Blockstream Jade
- KeepKey
- Ledger Nano S
- Passport
- Seedsigner
- Trezor Model T
- Trezor One
Quick Demo of setting up a desktop wallet using Sparrow.