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Aqua vs Zengo

Comparing
two wallets
Decided by
Editorial rating
Last reviewed
2026-08-25
Aqua3.6

A self-custodial Bitcoin, Liquid and Tether USDt wallet built for people who need cheap dollars on a phone, not only bitcoin.

Zengo3.4

The wallet with no seed phrase: two MPC shares replace the private key, which removes one risk and adds a dependency.

Verdict: Aqua

Aqua rates higher on our rubric: 3.6 against 3.4 for Zengo.

Criterion
Editorial rating
Aqua
3.6
Zengo
3.4

Aqua and Zengo, fact by fact

Every row is from the two reviews as of their review dates, with sources on each. A check marks the side a decidable criterion favours; rows without one are information, not a score.

Aqua and Zengo compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactAquaZengo
Editorial rating3.6 (favoured on this row)3.4
StatusAvailableAvailable
Made byJAN3Zengo
PriceFree downloadFree download
Who holds the keysself-custodial, with the seed stored on your device in Keychain on iOS or EncryptedSharedPreferences on Androidself-custodial MPC, with no seed phrase: one secret share on your phone, one on Zengo's server, never combined
Bitcoin-onlyNoNo
Runs oniOS, AndroidiOS, Android
ScreenNot statedNot stated
ConnectivityOn-chain bitcoin, the Liquid Network, and Lightning through submarine swaps rather than channels of its ownNot stated
Released2024, by JAN32018
Countries on the maker's listNo published listNo published list
Last reviewed2026-08-252026-08-25

Pros and cons, side by side

Aqua

What works

  • Self-custodial, with the seed kept in the phone's own secure storage and no documents required to open a wallet
  • Bitcoin, Liquid and Tether USDt in one app, which is the point for anyone who is paid or saves in dollars
  • Aqua's own figures put a $100 USDt transfer at three cents over Liquid against eight dollars over Ethereum
  • Network fees on USDt can be paid in USDt, so there is no separate gas token to hold
  • Replace-by-fee support, so a stuck transaction can be bumped instead of waited out
  • Client source published on GitHub, and Aqua says it collects no personal data or transaction logs

What to watch

  • Not bitcoin only: a large part of the app is about stablecoins
  • Liquid balances are secured by the Liquid federation rather than by bitcoin's own mining
  • Lightning runs through third-party submarine swaps rather than channels Aqua manages
  • USDt transfers over Tron or Ethereum depend on SideShift's liquidity, as Aqua's own FAQ says
  • In-app bitcoin purchases are run by outside providers, so the country rules and the support queue are theirs
  • A prepaid card and lending are advertised as coming rather than shipped

Zengo

What works

  • No seed phrase exists, so there is nothing to write down, photograph, or be tricked into typing
  • Two independently created MPC shares, one on your phone and one on Zengo's server, that are never combined
  • Three factor recovery, with a documented option to register a backup for each of the three
  • Zengo says its MPC cryptography is open source, audited and peer reviewed
  • Support is available 24/7 from inside the app, which is rare in self-custody

What to watch

  • Signing requires Zengo's server, so the wallet depends on the company staying reachable in a way a seed phrase does not
  • The wallet app itself is closed source; only the cryptography underneath it is published
  • Recovery runs through your email, your cloud account and a face scan, which is three dependencies instead of one piece of paper
  • Never hacked and 2+ million wallets are Zengo's own claims on Zengo's own homepage, with no independent confirmation
  • Mobile only, with no desktop app and no hardware signing

Frequently asked questions

Is Aqua or Zengo better?

Aqua rates higher on our rubric: 3.6 against 3.4 for Zengo. The rating follows the product rubric published on our about page; the rows above set custody, price and platforms side by side so you can check it.

Are Aqua and Zengo free?

Yes, both are free to download. What differs is who holds the keys: Aqua is self-custodial, with the seed stored on your device in Keychain on iOS or EncryptedSharedPreferences on Android; Zengo is self-custodial MPC, with no seed phrase: one secret share on your phone, one on Zengo's server, never combined.

Is Aqua or Zengo bitcoin-only?

Neither: both support assets beyond bitcoin. Aqua: Multi-asset: bitcoin on chain, Liquid bitcoin, and Tether USDt on Liquid and several other chains. Zengo: Bitcoin among 1,000+ assets, including Ethereum, Solana, TRON and stablecoins.

The full reviews: Aqua and Zengo, each with its sources, and every wallet we review.

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