The right wallet depends on what you use Ethereum for. We compare the most important wallets honestly and without bias — by security, ease of use, DeFi compatibility, and price.
Browser Wallets (Hot Wallets)
MetaMask
MetaMask is by far the most widely used Ethereum wallet. Almost every dApp supports MetaMask, making it the default choice for DeFi. Setup takes minutes. The downside: as a hot wallet, it stores the private key in the browser — if your computer is compromised, there's a risk.
Price: Free. Platform: Chrome, Firefox, Brave, iOS, Android. DeFi compatibility: Maximum.
Rabby Wallet
Rabby is the rising alternative to MetaMask, developed by DeBank. Its biggest advantage: built-in transaction preview. Before you confirm a transaction, Rabby shows you exactly what will happen — which tokens you send, which you receive, which approvals you grant. This is a massive security improvement.
Price: Free. Platform: Chrome, Brave, Edge. DeFi compatibility: Very high.
Hardware Wallets (Cold Wallets)
Ledger Nano S Plus / Nano X / Stax
Ledger is the market leader in hardware wallets. The Nano S Plus is the entry model (~$79), the Nano X has Bluetooth (~$149), and the Stax features an E-Ink touchscreen display (~$279). All models can be connected to MetaMask.
Advantage: Private key never leaves the device. Disadvantage: Ledger Live software is closed-source, which is debated in the community.
Trezor Model T / Safe 3
Trezor is fully committed to open source — both hardware and software. The Model T (~$219) has a color touchscreen. The Safe 3 (~$79) is the newer entry option with a Secure Element chip.
Advantage: Completely open source, trust-minimized. Disadvantage: Slightly less dApp support than Ledger.
GridPlus Lattice1
A lesser-known but technically impressive player. The Lattice1 stores up to 16 million addresses on a SafeCard and has a large touchscreen display. Ideal for power users with multiple wallets.
Our Recommendation
Beginners: MetaMask to learn, then upgrade to a hardware wallet.
DeFi users: Rabby Wallet + Ledger Nano S Plus. Rabby's transaction preview combined with Ledger's hardware security is currently the best combination.
Maximum security: Trezor Model T — completely open source.
HODLers only: Ledger or Trezor without browser wallet connection.
Last updated: February 2026. Affiliate links disclosed.