Bitcoin Core vs Wasabi Wallet

Comparing: two wallets
Decided by: Editorial rating
Last reviewed: 2026-08-25

The reference implementation, and the only wallet here that checks the rules itself instead of trusting somebody else's server.

Wasabi Wallet3.6Bitcoin-onlyWarning

Still a working bitcoin wallet, but the coinjoin coordinator that made its name was switched off by zkSNACKs on June 1, 2024.

Verdict: Bitcoin Core

Bitcoin Core rates higher on our rubric: 4.7 against 3.6 for Wasabi Wallet.

Criterion: Editorial rating
Bitcoin Core: 4.7
Wasabi Wallet: 3.6

Bitcoin Core and Wasabi Wallet, 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.

Bitcoin Core and Wasabi Wallet compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
Fact	Bitcoin Core	Wasabi Wallet
Editorial rating	4.7 (favoured on this row)	3.6
Status	Available	Caution: see the review
Made by	Bitcoin Core project	zkSNACKs
Price	Free download	Free download
Who holds the keys	self-custodial, keys in a wallet file on a machine that validates every block for itself	self-custodial, keys generated and stored on your own computer, never held by zkSNACKs
Bitcoin-only	Yes	Yes
Runs on	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Screen	Not stated	Not stated
Connectivity	Validates every block itself over the peer-to-peer network, so no third-party server learns your addresses	All traffic over Tor by default, compact block filters instead of a server that learns your addresses, and hardware signing through HWI for Trezor, Coldcard, Ledger, Blockstream Jade and BitBox02
Released	January 2009, as the original bitcoin client	2018; the download page serves version 2.8.1 for Windows, macOS and Linux
Countries on the maker's list	No published list	No published list
Last reviewed	2026-08-25	2026-08-25

Pros and cons, side by side

Bitcoin Core

What works

Validates every rule for itself, so your balance does not depend on someone else's server being honest
Bitcoin only, with the keys in a wallet file on your own machine and no account anywhere
Every vulnerability the project has fixed is published, dated and classified on its own advisory page
Free and open source, maintained by a large contributor base rather than by a company
Doubles as the private backend for friendlier wallets such as Sparrow
Pruned mode still validates every block while keeping a far smaller amount of data on disk

What to watch

The first sync downloads and verifies the whole chain, which costs hours and a lot of disk space
Desktop or server only: there is no phone app
A plain wallet interface with no fiat on-ramp, no price display and no hand holding
Running an old version leaves you exposed to bugs the advisory page has already described

Wasabi Wallet

What works

Bitcoin only and open source under an MIT license, with a public repository that is still actively developed
Self-custodial: keys are generated and stored on your own computer, and zkSNACKs never held funds
Every connection runs over Tor by default, and compact block filters mean no server learns which addresses are yours
Hardware wallet signing through HWI for Trezor, Coldcard, Ledger, Blockstream Jade and BitBox02
Full coin control, transaction labeling and privacy suggestions that name who will learn about a payment
Coinjoin is still in the software: you add a third-party coordinator in place of the one zkSNACKs ran

What to watch

zkSNACKs switched off its coinjoin coordinator on June 1, 2024, so the feature Wasabi was known for no longer works out of the box
Choosing and vetting a third-party coordinator is now your problem, and each sets its own fees and terms
Desktop only: Wasabi's own site states it is not available on mobile
Trezor Suite coinjoin and BTCPay Server integrations that used the same coordinator broke on the same day
Silent payments are send-only: Wasabi cannot yet generate or receive to a silent payment address

Frequently asked questions

Is Bitcoin Core or Wasabi Wallet better?

Bitcoin Core rates higher on our rubric: 4.7 against 3.6 for Wasabi 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 Bitcoin Core and Wasabi Wallet free?

Yes, both are free to download. What differs is who holds the keys: Bitcoin Core is self-custodial, keys in a wallet file on a machine that validates every block for itself; Wasabi Wallet is self-custodial, keys generated and stored on your own computer, never held by zkSNACKs.

Is Bitcoin Core or Wasabi Wallet bitcoin-only?

Both are bitcoin-only: neither supports another coin, which is a deliberate design choice for a smaller codebase.

Does Bitcoin Core or Wasabi Wallet carry a warning?

Wasabi Wallet: zkSNACKs announced on May 2, 2024, days after US prosecutors charged the founders of Samourai Wallet, that it would discontinue the coinjoin coordination service behind Wasabi's headline privacy feature, and switched it off on June 1, 2024. The wallet is still developed and still works as a self-custodial, bitcoin-only desktop wallet, and coinjoin remains in the software, but you now have to find and trust a third-party coordinator to use it.

The full reviews: Bitcoin Core and Wasabi Wallet, each with its sources, and every wallet we review.

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