Blockstream Green vs Sparrow Wallet

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

Blockstream's own Bitcoin and Liquid wallet, whose 2FA cosigning multisig is its reason to exist and has been closed to new accounts since May 2025.

Sparrow Wallet4.7Bitcoin-only

The desktop wallet to coordinate hardware signers and multisig from, with a verification tool that also checks other projects' releases.

Verdict: Sparrow Wallet

Sparrow Wallet rates higher on our rubric: 4.7 against 3.7 for Blockstream Green.

Criterion: Editorial rating
Blockstream Green: 3.7
Sparrow Wallet: 4.7

Blockstream Green and Sparrow 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.

Blockstream Green and Sparrow Wallet compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
Fact	Blockstream Green	Sparrow Wallet
Editorial rating	3.7	4.7 (favoured on this row)
Status	Available	Available
Made by	Blockstream	Sparrow Wallet
Price	Free download	Free download
Who holds the keys	self-custodial, either single signature on your device or a 2-of-2 where Blockstream cosigns after your two-factor check	self-custodial, keys in an encrypted file on your own computer or on a hardware signer, with no account anywhere
Bitcoin-only	No	Yes
Runs on	iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Screen	Not stated	Not stated
Connectivity	Connects to your own node and routes over Tor with one tap, and pairs with the Blockstream Jade hardware wallet	Public Electrum servers, your own Electrum server, or Bitcoin Core, with Tor built in
Released	2014 as GreenAddress, renamed after Blockstream acquired it in 2016	Not stated
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

Blockstream Green

What works

A cosigning key behind two-factor authentication, so a thief with your unlocked phone still cannot spend
The cosigner cannot trap your coins: a CheckSequenceVerify timelock hands each deposit back to your key alone after about 360 days
An open source recovery tool exists for the case where the 2FA service is permanently switched off
Runs on iOS, Android (Google Play and F-Droid), Windows, macOS and Linux
Pairs natively with Blockstream Jade, so the keys can live on a device instead of the phone
Open source, no documents required, and it can connect to your own node over Tor

What to watch

New 2FA Protected accounts have not been available since May 2025, which is the feature most people came for
Keeping 2FA protection on older coins means redepositing them before each timelock expires
Not bitcoin only, and Liquid balances depend on the Liquid federation rather than on bitcoin's mining
The cosigning server sees a 2FA wallet's transactions, a privacy cost single signature does not have
Three names in circulation (Blockstream Green, the Blockstream app, Multisig Shield) make guides and support articles hard to line up

Sparrow Wallet

What works

Bitcoin only, open source and free, with no account and no server holding anything of yours
First-class multisig: build a quorum across several hardware signers and keep the descriptor
Works with hardware wallets over USB or fully air-gapped by QR code or SD card, with complete PSBT support
Full coin control and labels on every transaction, input and output, plus a transaction editor that shows the raw bytes
Every release ships a signed manifest, and Sparrow verifies the next download, Bitcoin Core and hardware wallet firmware from inside the app
Connects to your own Electrum server or Bitcoin Core, with Tor built in

What to watch

Desktop only: there is no iOS or Android app
The UTXO detail and the transaction editor are the point, and they are a lot to meet on day one
No built-in way to buy bitcoin, so the coins have to arrive from an exchange or a peer
Effectively a single maintainer, which is a concentration risk whatever the quality of the code

Frequently asked questions

Is Blockstream Green or Sparrow Wallet better?

Sparrow Wallet rates higher on our rubric: 4.7 against 3.7 for Blockstream Green. 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 Blockstream Green and Sparrow Wallet free?

Yes, both are free to download. What differs is who holds the keys: Blockstream Green is self-custodial, either single signature on your device or a 2-of-2 where Blockstream cosigns after your two-factor check; Sparrow Wallet is self-custodial, keys in an encrypted file on your own computer or on a hardware signer, with no account anywhere.

Is Blockstream Green or Sparrow Wallet bitcoin-only?

Sparrow Wallet is bitcoin-only; Blockstream Green supports other assets too. Bitcoin on chain, Lightning, and Liquid assets including Liquid bitcoin and Tether USDt

The full reviews: Blockstream Green and Sparrow Wallet, each with its sources, and every wallet we review.

More comparisons

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