Ledger vs Trezor for Monero (2026): which hardware wallet to buy

Short answer: Buy a Trezor Safe 3 ($59) or Safe 5 ($129) if you keep XMR in a desktop wallet like Feather or Monero GUI and want fully open-source firmware. Buy a Ledger (Nano S Plus, Nano X, Flex or Stax) if you want the widest Monero wallet support, including Cake Wallet on iPhone over Bluetooth. Skip the Trezor Safe 7 for now if you need a desktop Monero wallet.

Last checked 9 Nov 2026. Prices are from the official US stores on that date.

Key points

• Neither company's own app handles Monero. Trezor Suite has no XMR support and Ledger points users to the Monero GUI wallet, so you always pair the device with a third-party wallet.
• Ledger devices work with Monero GUI, Monero CLI, Feather, Cake Wallet and Monerujo, according to getmonero.org. Trezor Safe 3, Safe 5 and Model T work with Monero GUI, CLI and Feather, plus Cake Wallet on Android.
• Trezor firmware is open source with reproducible builds. Ledger's Monero app is open source, but the device firmware is not.
• The Trezor Safe 7 ($249) only works with XMR through Cake Wallet or Monero One today. Monero GUI and Feather don't support it yet.
• Ledger Recover is optional and off by default, but it is the main reason privacy-focused users avoid Ledger.

Which models support Monero in 2026

The Monero project's downloads page lists Ledger Nano S, Nano S Plus and Nano X, and Trezor Model T, Safe 3 and Safe 5. Other sources fill in the newer devices:

• Ledger Flex and Stax: Ledger's Monero app changelog added Flex support in version 2.0.0 (May 2024). Feather's docs list both Flex and Stax as supported.
• Ledger Nano Gen5: Support arrived in Monero GUI 0.18.4.5 (January 2026). Feather doesn't list it yet.
• Trezor Safe 7: Trezor's Monero page lists Cake Wallet (iOS and Android) and Monero One (iOS) as the only apps for it. Feather says the Safe 7 uses a new communication protocol that the Monero codebase doesn't support yet.
• Trezor Model One: no Monero support.

The Ledger Monero app is at version 2.2.1 (June 2026). Monero GUI and CLI are at 0.18.5.4 (October 2026). Update the wallet and device app together.

Ledger vs Trezor for Monero: comparison table

Open source and trust

This is the clearest difference. Trezor publishes its firmware and supports reproducible builds, so anyone can check that the firmware on the device matches the public code. Feather's hardware wallet table marks every Ledger model "No" for open-source firmware. Ledger's Monero app is public, but it runs on Ledger's closed operating system.

Ledger's argument is its secure element, which every model has. Trezor added a secure element (Infineon OPTIGA Trust M) starting with the Safe 3, and the Safe 7 adds a second chip, TROPIC01. If you own an older Model T, it has no secure element, which matters if someone gets physical access to the device.

Known issues and history

Ledger Recover

In 2023 Ledger launched Recover, a paid opt-in service ($9.99 a month, according to Ledger's own page). If you subscribe, the device encrypts your seed, splits it into three fragments and sends them to Ledger, Coincover and EscrowTech. Recovering it requires a government ID and a selfie checked by Onfido. Ledger says it isn't enabled by default and only runs after you approve it on the device.

The backlash, reported by Blockworks at the time, was that the feature linked seed backups to real identities and showed that the device can send encrypted seed shards off the device once the user approves. Ledger's CTO replied that "there is no backdoor." For Monero users the practical point is simple: don't subscribe, and back up your 24 words offline. The same article recalls Ledger's 2020 breach, which leaked personal data for about 270,000 customers. That is a reason to think about the shipping name and address you use.

Trezor's Monero support

Because Trezor Suite doesn't support Monero, Trezor users depend on outside wallets. Trezor notes that Exodus, once one of those options, no longer supports Monero, and it now sends those users to Cake Wallet or Monero GUI. Mobile support is recent: Cake Wallet 6.2 added Trezor support for Monero in June 2026. The Safe 7 is the newest gap. It's Trezor's flagship, but desktop Monero wallets can't talk to it yet.

Recovery isn't portable

Trezor derives Monero keys with SLIP-0010. Trezor warns that typing your wallet backup into another brand's wallet may not find your funds, though any Trezor that supports Monero will. Plan to recover XMR on the same brand of device.

Privacy considerations for either device

A hardware wallet protects your spend key. It does nothing for your network privacy. When you create the wallet, the device shares your private view key with the computer wallet so it can scan the blockchain. Ledger's Monero app has required your approval for this since version 2.1.0, and Trezor asks you to confirm "exporting watch-only credentials." Anyone who controls that computer or wallet file can see your incoming transactions.

• Use your own node if you can. If you can't, read our remote node privacy guide first.
• Feather and the Monero CLI can connect over Tor. Feather is the easier choice for most people (see Feather vs Monero GUI).
• Don't use Ledger Recover or any cloud backup for a Monero seed.
• Buy from the official store or an authorized reseller, and check the device when it arrives.

How to set up XMR on either device

1. Set up the device and write down its recovery words offline. On Ledger, install the Monero app from Ledger Wallet (formerly Ledger Live). Trezor needs no separate app for XMR.
2. Download Feather or the Monero GUI wallet and check its hashes.
3. In Monero GUI, choose "Create a new wallet from hardware" and pick Ledger or Trezor. In Feather, use its hardware device wizard. In Cake Wallet, go to Restore Wallet, then Hardware wallet.
4. Approve the view key export on the device and set a wallet password.
5. Choose a node, let the wallet sync, and send a small test amount before moving your full balance.

Trezor's guide says that when restoring a wallet you've already used, a restore height of 1692975 speeds up scanning. Cake Wallet pays for a placement on XMRList. Grades are never affected by payment.

Alternatives to Ledger and Trezor

• Keystone 3 Pro ($149): Keystone's Monero page says it supports XMR over QR codes with open-source firmware. However, Cake Wallet's docs say Keystone isn't supported in Cake yet. Confirm which wallet and firmware you'll use before buying.
• Foundation Passport Prime: Foundation shows a Monero cold-signing app for Cake Wallet, but it is listed as an app concept tested on stagenet. Cake's docs also say Passport isn't supported yet. It's not a mainnet option today.
• No hardware at all: Feather supports offline signing with an air-gapped computer, and Cake offers its Cupcake signing app. See our Monero hardware wallets guide for more options.

Verdict by use case

• Desktop user who values open source: Trezor Safe 3 ($59) with Feather or Monero GUI. Get the Safe 5 ($129) if you want a touchscreen.
• iPhone user: Ledger Nano X ($99), Flex or Stax with Cake Wallet over Bluetooth. A Trezor Safe 7 also works with Cake but won't work with desktop wallets yet.
• Android user: Either brand works with Cake Wallet over USB.
• Lowest cost: Trezor Safe 3 at $59, then Ledger Nano S Plus at $69.
• Most Monero wallet options: Ledger. It works with GUI, CLI, Feather, Cake and Monerujo.
• Already own a Trezor Safe 7: Use Cake Wallet until desktop wallets add support.

For which software wallet to pair with your device, see the best Monero wallet by platform.

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