With a lot of focus in recent crypto news on security and lost exchange funds, it is important to remember that the best way to store your funds is in a private wallet not linked to an exchange. In a previous article, we reviewed the best hardware (or cold) wallets for 2023.
👀 In this article, we’ll cover the best software (or “hot”) wallets to consider this year. And that includes wallet options for storing your NFTs!
🏆 BEST SOFTWARE WALLETS FOR 2023
Software wallets, or wallet apps, are considered “hot wallets” since they are connected to the Internet. This makes them by design, less secure than hardware wallets. However, they are a great solution for storing smaller amounts of cryptocurrency for day-to-day use.
Here is a small selection of the top software crypto wallets we think are the best for 2023 with some advantages ✔️ and disadvantages ❌ for each.
🏅 Exodus
✔️ Offers great customer support and DeFi integration
✔️ Intuitive and beginner-friendly
✔️ Rated as one of the best desktop wallets and well-rated overall with its mobile app
❌ Limited coin support (185 cryptocurrencies / tokens) but this is still a solid amount
❌ Not open source
❌ No cloud so app needs to be synced to ensure information is up-to-date
Platforms: Mac OS, Linux, Windows, iOS, Android:
Like every other software wallet listed here, the Exodus wallet is free to download and use. It has minor transaction fees for sending and receiving. This is common for most downloadable software wallets.
Other popular desktop & hybrid wallets include Coinomi and Atomic Wallet.
🏅 Mycelium
✔️ Solid mobile app with customizable transaction fees
✔️ Open source
✔️ Rated as one of the best mobile wallets with solid protection to secure your assets
❌ Limited coin support (only covers Bitcoin, Ethereum and some ERC-20 tokens)
❌ Limited customer service (email support only)
❌ Mobile only, no desktop-based app
❌ Not beginner-friendly
Platforms: iOS, Android:
The Mycelium wallet is free to download and allows you to customize transaction fees whenever an exchange is made.
🏅 Trust Wallet
✔️ Supports over 1 million different assets
✔️ Rated as one of the best mobile apps for staking
❌ Limited coin support (only covers Bitcoin, Ethereum and some ERC-20 tokens)
❌ Minimal customer service
❌ Limited browser functionality, mobile app required for all transactions
Platforms: iOS, Android:
Trust wallet is another solid software option with an added benefit of offering staking for up to twelve different cryptocurrencies. While this is an exchange-based wallet run by Binance, it is non-custodial – meaning it is a self-custody wallet that puts the user in complete control of their crypto and does not rely on a third party.
Another popular exchange-based wallet is Coinbase’s Non-Custodial Wallet. It offers further storage options (including NFTs) for both desktop and mobile.
👛 NFT WALLETS
👉 Before purchasing an NFT, an NFT wallet will be needed to store it. What to select may depend on the blockchain protocol that the NFT is built on. Make sure to check that you have a compatible wallet for your NFT.
Many NFTs and NFT collections are based on the Ethereum blockchain (e.g. Bored / Mutant Ape Yacht Club, Otherdeed, CloneX, Sorare, Azuki). Other popular NFT blockchains include Solana (DeGod, y00t), Flow (NFL All Day, NBA Top Shots), Cardano (SpaceBuds), Polygon (ZED RUN), Tezos (FXHASH) and ImmutableX (Gods Unchained).
🏅 Metamask
✔️ Popular wallet with over 30 million users
✔️ Highly useful, safe and secure
✔️ Rated as one of the best wallet apps for all-purpose use
❌ Limited coin support (Ethereum & ETH-based tokens)
❌ Hefty service fee of 0.875% for swapping tokens with other users
❌ Minimal customer service with a basic help center and community help forums
❌ Not compatible with Bitcoin
Platforms: Mac OS, Linux, Windows, iOS, Android:
Metamask is a popular browser-based option that can be installed as a browser extension as well as an app for your mobile device. It supports Ethereum and ETH-based tokens (ERC-20, ERC-721) as well as others (such as Polygon). This makes it a very popular Ethereum-based wallet for NFTs.
Other popular NFT wallets include Enjin, Math Wallet, AlphaWallet, Trust Wallet and Exodus.
💡 WALLET SELECTION TIPS
- Opt for a hybrid wallet that offers mobile support 📱 in addition to desktop 💻 for portability.
- Select a wallet that supports storage of a range of diverse cryptocurrencies💰.
- It might be worth choosing one or two main software wallets (such as Exodus for general storage and Metamask for NFTs) as primary software wallets which can be used for linking with websites, marketplaces and minting NFTs and serving other primary browser functions.
- In addition to this, use a primary hardware wallet (such as the Ledger or Trezor) for safe and secure cold storage.
⚠️ Remember that any digital assets and funds are at risk when stored at a location where you do not possess both the private and public keys 🔑.
The information provided on this website does not constitute investment advice, financial advice, trading advice, or any other sort of advice and you should not treat any of the website's content as such. Bloom does not recommend that any cryptocurrency or NFTs should be bought, sold, or held by you. Do conduct your own due diligence and consult your financial advisor before making any investment decisions.