Do wallets cost money?

Software wallets are free. Hardware costs something once. Neither charges a fee for holding your coins.

Software wallets are free to install and free to use. Hardware wallets are physical products with a one-off price, usually in the range of a decent pair of headphones.

What you pay in either case is the network fee when you send something, and that goes to the network rather than to the wallet's maker. Receiving costs nothing, and holding costs nothing — a wallet demanding a fee to "unlock", "activate" or "verify" a balance is a scam without exception.

Some wallets earn money from a built-in swap or buy feature, taking a margin on the exchange rate. That is legitimate as long as you know it is happening, and it is usually more expensive than doing the same trade elsewhere.

Buy hardware from the manufacturer's own site, never from a marketplace listing — a pre-configured device with a phrase already generated is a known way to lose everything at once.

Last checked 19 Oct 2026.