Best Desktop Wallet

A cryptocurrency wallet is one of the most important things to look into when you’re just getting into the crypto scene. No matter if you’re just starting out or are already an experienced trader / hodler, though, finding the best wallet for yourself can be challenging! That’s why, in this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best desktop wallets on the market!

Admittedly, the wallets that we’ll be discussing in this particular list are going to be a bit… Interesting. You’ll see what I mean in a second.

Having said that, though, if you are, for a fact, looking for the best Bitcoin desktop wallet (or any other altcoin wallet, for that matter), then you’ve come to the right place - read on, and pick the right option for yourself! Our list today will include:

• Ledger
• Trezor
• Exodus
• Electrum
• MyCelium

Why Choose the Best DESKTOP Wallet?

Now, before we hop into the list of the best desktop wallets on the current market, there are a few things we need to figure out beforehand. Naturally, the first thing to look into is rather self-explanatory - the reasoning for why you should be considering desktop wallets, in the first place!

Admittedly, there are quite a few answers to this question, too.

For starters, desktop wallets are considered to be among the safer options of crypto storage as far as hot wallets go. If you’re not aware, hot wallets are those cryptocurrency wallets that are constantly connected to the internet. These include mobile apps, browser-based wallets, exchanges, and so on.

Desktop wallets do fall into this category, too.

What makes them a safer alternative than the rest of the hot wallets, though? Well, think about it: a desktop wallet is a piece of software that’s installed on your computer. This means that things such as private key storage and surface-level security features are dealt with differently than on, say, an exchange-wallet.

On top of that, some of the best desktop wallets are simply a graphical representation of a cold wallet. Admittedly, this is something that you’re bound to see on the list below, too - meaning, the software isn’t an actual wallet, by itself, but rather a graphical UI that showcases the assets that are stored on a particular cold wallet.

We’ll get to that in a bit, though.

Security aside, there’s also a point of convenience, too. The best desktop crypto wallets are going to be exceptionally conveniant - they are going to allow you to check up on your crypto assets, send and transfer them, and even partake in staking or selling activities in just a matter of a few clicks of a mouse button.

Needless to say, that’s very much appreciated! No matter if you’re an active cryptocurrency trader or a dedicated hodler, it’s still functionality that can make your crypto management processes much easier and more straightforward.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that the best desktop wallets tend to have a wide variety of other, additional features that they provide to their users. The aforementioned staking, security feature adjustments, simple conversions, and so on - surely much appreciated!

Desktop Wallets - Part of the Hot Wallet Group

I’ve mentioned this a tad earlier in this best desktop cryptocurrency wallet list, but desktop wallets fall into the category of hot crypto storage - any software and apps that allow you to store and keep crypto assets in them, while also maintaining a constant connection to the internet.

Hot wallets are, admittedly, among the most popular crypto storing options - if you’d go around some forums and ask other cryptocurrency enthusiasts about their preferred way of securing their cryptocurrency assets, most of them would likely list and name a few hot wallets.

This is mostly due to hot wallet accessibility. Whether it be software-, web-, or app-based wallets, you can usually download them from anywhere in the world, and use them completely free of charge. As you can imagine, this makes hot wallets a very attractive option for a huge variety of individual crypto holders out there.

Furthermore, hot wallets are usually very simple to use. A couple of higher-end exceptions put aside, in most cases, you’ll be able to download (set up) your hot wallet in a matter of minutes, and start using it right after. That’s great!

Did you know?

Ever wondered which crypto wallets are the most secure for your crypto assets?

See & compare TOP crypto wallets side by side

What to Avoid When Picking a Desktop Wallet

Something else that you should consider when searching for the best desktop wallet for yourself are the factors that make desktop wallets less-than-desirable.

In other words, there are some things that are tell-all signs that you should stay as far away from the wallet as possible.

Naturally, at the top of the list here would be a significant lack of security. I mean, admit it - you probably saw this one coming.

As expected as this might have been, it’s more true now than ever before. With the cryptocurrency industry becoming more and more popular, and blockchain technology being adopted at an increasing rate, there’s also a growing demand for reliable and high-end crypto wallets, too. However, the popularity of the scene does also attract a lot of scammers and unreliable products, too.

This is why it is important to always check on the security features of a desktop wallet first. If it lacks security, you’ll be risking your assets - that’s not something you’d want happening!

To add to that, you should also pay attention to the usability aspects of the wallet, too. Granted that it’s a desktop-based product (service), you’ll want to find a wallet that would be both really simple to use, but also offer you the chance to utilize a wider list of features and benefits.

The best desktop wallets will let you do that, while some of the less-ideal options will be, well… Lackluster.

Finally, be sure to do your research and find the best desktop crypto wallets that would have (perform) constant updates to their firmware, too. Cryptocurrency wallets that have developer support are always going to be so, so much better than those that don’t - this way, a wallet is able to stay ahead of the curve, and implement security features that would guard you against any modern security threats.

With all of that being said, we can finally move on to the list of the best desktop wallets of the current year!

How to Pick the Best Desktop Wallet for Yourself?

Now, as you might have gathered by now, picking out the best desktop wallet can be a bit of a tricky feat. You have your desktop-dedicated wallets, then there are also hardware wallets that support some amazing desktop user interfaces, and even app-based wallets that allow hardware wallet integrations.

All of that can get pretty confusing, especially if you’re completely new to the crypto scene. Worry not, though, since we’re here to figure these things out!

There are a few specific ‘rules of thumb’ that you can follow in order to narrow down the list, and find the right wallet for yourself. The first one of these rules has to do with getting your priorities straight.

What I mean by that is pretty simple - you should sit down, and decide which features of the best desktop crypto wallets are going to be the most important to you. Naturally, you have things like security at the top, but the list can get rather extensive - it’s important to prioritize! By doing that, you’ll be able to narrow your choice pool by quite a bit.

Another thing to think about has to do with the use of multiple crypto wallets. You can, for a fact, use a couple or a few different cryptocurrency wallets for your asset storing needs. This is an especially popular method of storing crypto when it comes to hardware wallets.

Think about it yourself - if you’re an active crypto trader, and are constantly observing the market in order to analyze the best times to purchase and sell some coins, you’d naturally want to use a wallet that would allow you to perform these actions quickly. Hot wallets - including some of the best desktop cryptocurrency wallets - are among the best options in this regard.

However, even in a situation like this, you’d probably want to have a place to keep the bulk of your coins in - coins that you’re not planning on trading, and instead, would like to keep in a secure environment for a later date. This is where hardware wallets come in.

Frankly, a good idea is to use both a desktop-based wallet, and also a hardware one, in conjunction with one another. This way, you’ll be able to receive the best of both worlds - top-tier cold wallet security, and also the leniency and speed that hot wallets provide, too.

You’ve got Your Wallet… What Now?

So, then - you’ve picked out the best desktop wallet for yourself (or even a couple), and are ready to start trading cryptos. Where do you begin, though?

One option is to purchase and sell your cryptocurrencies from within the wallet interface. This, obviously, is very convenient - it allows you to do everything from the comfort of your wallet, not needing to venture out to some exchange or other trading platform.

This type of crypto trading also eliminates the possibility of human error, too. What I mean is that you won’t need to input wallet addresses onto an exchange, or vice versa - if you were to get even a single symbol wrong, this would basically make your cryptos go to a completely different address, and be lost forever.

That said, using wallet crypto trading features is actually not advised. There are a few reasons why that’s the case, too.

First of all, you will have to provide a lot of information about yourself to the wallet owner company or the exchange platform that they’ve integrated into their product. This is never ideal, since it compromises your security - using a high-end exchange, though, you can be sure that your information is going to be safe and sound.

Furthermore, you should take things such as fees into account, too. Multiple exchanges out there have a wide range of fees and fee models that you can pick and choose from. With wallet built-in exchange platforms, however, the fees are usually much higher than average - you would actually stand to lose a lot more money than by using an exchange!

To put it short, even if you were to use the best desktop wallet on the entire market, it’s still a better idea to do your cryptocurrency shopping on a separate, dedicated exchange.

How to know which exchange you should pick, though? Well, one way of finding out is by taking a look at the top-rated crypto trading platforms on the market, and picking out the one that appears to suit you best!

Binance, Coinbase, KuCoin, and Kraken are platforms that you simply can’t go wrong with. They are reliable, have great user interfaces, competitive fee models, and a wide variety of crypto coins to trade and exchange with.

Naturally, you should do your own research, and find an exchange that’s best for you. However, finding the best desktop wallet is already a huge step in the right direction - once you’ve taken care of the security side of things, everything else should be smooth sailing, from there on out!

Conclusions

We’ve reached the very end of our list of the best desktop wallets of the current year. At this point, you should be able to make the right choice, and pick out the wallet that will suit your wants and needs best.

Once again, though - as you’ve likely noticed, desktop wallets are pretty complicated! Desktop-dedicated storage is difficult to find - at least when it comes to reliable wallets. This is why, oftentimes, one looks at various alternatives - hardware devices that have desktop wallet functionality, apps that integrate with other software or hardware wallets, and so on.

In general, though, whether you’re looking for the best Bitcoin desktop wallet or a place to store any of your altcoins, you should always focus on the aspect of security. If you aren’t sure about a desktop-specific wallet, and fear that it may not be an ideal choice for the safety of your coins, do not use it - it’s not worth it!

	LEDGER NANO X	TREZOR MODEL T
Wallet Software	Android App iOS App Windows Software MacOS Software Linux	Windows Software MacOs Software Android App iOS App
Software Functions	Receive Send Store	Receive Send Store Trade
Transaction Fee Control
Extra Features	Password Manager	N/A
Transparency	Open-Source	Open-Source
Customer Support	| | | | | Very Poor Average Excellent	| | | | | Very Poor Average Excellent
	Visit site	Visit site

Table: The software features of the Ledger Nano X and the Trezor Model T

Instead, a better choice is to then find an alternative - whether it be an exchange-based wallet or even a hardware one, it’s much better to pick a different way to store your crypto coins than originally intended, but to be sure of their safety, and have peace of mind!

Finally, as far as trading, buying, and selling crypto assets goes, your best bet is to choose an exchange platform that both has a good reputation within the industry, and is secure and reliable, too. Binance, Coinbase, and KuCoin are the three leaders in this regard, but there are surely more amazing options to pick from, too!

With all of that said, I thank you for reading this list of the best desktop wallets, and hope that it was useful to you! Best of luck, and until next time!