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Atomic Wallet vs Zengo

Comparing
two wallets
Decided by
Editorial rating
Last reviewed
2026-08-26
Atomic Wallet1.2Warning

Do not keep bitcoin here: over 5,500 wallets were emptied in June 2023 and the cause was never published.

Zengo3.4

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

Verdict: Zengo

Zengo rates higher on our rubric: 3.4 against 1.2 for Atomic Wallet.

Criterion
Editorial rating
Atomic Wallet
1.2
Zengo
3.4

Atomic Wallet 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.

Atomic Wallet and Zengo compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactAtomic WalletZengo
Editorial rating1.23.4 (favoured on this row)
StatusCaution: see the reviewAvailable
Made byAtomic WalletZengo
PriceFree downloadFree download
Who holds the keysself-custodial, keys generated on your device and encrypted with your passwordself-custodial MPC, with no seed phrase: one secret share on your phone, one on Zengo's server, never combined
Bitcoin-onlyNoNo
Runs oniOS, Android, Windows, macOS, LinuxiOS, Android
ScreenNot statedNot stated
ConnectivityNot statedNot stated
Released20172018
Countries on the maker's listNo published listNo published list
Last reviewed2026-08-262026-08-25

Pros and cons, side by side

Atomic Wallet

What works

  • Keys are held on your device, so a working install still lets you move your own coins out
  • Desktop builds are published for Windows, macOS, Ubuntu, Debian and Fedora, with a hashsum check for the download
  • One app covers bitcoin and more than a thousand other assets, which is why so many people kept so much in it

What to watch

  • More than 5,500 wallets were drained on June 2 and 3, 2023, for over $100 million by Elliptic's count
  • Atomic has never published a confirmed technical cause, offering four possibilities and picking none
  • No compensation has been paid to the people who lost money
  • Its first public statements put the damage at under 0.1% and then under 1% of users, which the on-chain evidence contradicted
  • The first class action was thrown out in 2024 on jurisdiction rather than on the facts, and a second is now pending in California
  • The homepage says nothing about the incident and still runs testimonials from a man who died in 2021

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 Atomic Wallet or Zengo better?

Zengo rates higher on our rubric: 3.4 against 1.2 for Atomic Wallet. 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 Atomic Wallet and Zengo free?

Yes, both are free to download. What differs is who holds the keys: Atomic Wallet is self-custodial, keys generated on your device and encrypted with your password; Zengo is self-custodial MPC, with no seed phrase: one secret share on your phone, one on Zengo's server, never combined.

Is Atomic Wallet or Zengo bitcoin-only?

Neither: both support assets beyond bitcoin. Atomic Wallet: Bitcoin plus more than 1,000 other coins and tokens, by Atomic's own count. Zengo: Bitcoin among 1,000+ assets, including Ethereum, Solana, TRON and stablecoins.

Does Atomic Wallet or Zengo carry a warning?

Atomic Wallet: On June 2 and 3, 2023, more than 5,500 Atomic Wallet users had their balances emptied in a single coordinated event. Elliptic put the total above $100 million and attributed it to North Korea's Lazarus Group. Atomic Wallet has never published a confirmed technical cause and no compensation has been paid. The first US class action was dismissed in September 2024 for lack of personal jurisdiction rather than on the facts, and a second was filed in California in June 2025. The company's own homepage carries no mention of any of it.

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

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