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BlueWallet vs Sparrow Wallet

Comparing
two wallets
Decided by
Editorial rating
Last reviewed
2026-08-25
BlueWallet4.2Bitcoin-only

Bitcoin-only phone wallet with real coin control and multisig vaults, whose Lightning side is custodial unless you run the server yourself.

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 4.2 for BlueWallet.

Criterion
Editorial rating
BlueWallet
4.2
Sparrow Wallet
4.7

BlueWallet 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.

BlueWallet and Sparrow Wallet compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactBlueWalletSparrow Wallet
Editorial rating4.24.7 (favoured on this row)
StatusAvailableAvailable
Made byBlueWalletSparrow Wallet
PriceFree downloadFree download
Who holds the keysself-custodial on-chain, while a Lightning balance is only as self-custodial as the LNDHub server behind itself-custodial, keys in an encrypted file on your own computer or on a hardware signer, with no account anywhere
Bitcoin-onlyYesYes
Runs oniOS, AndroidWindows, macOS, Linux
ScreenNot statedNot stated
ConnectivityTalks to public Electrum servers or one you run; Lightning needs an LNDHub server, yours or someone else'sPublic Electrum servers, your own Electrum server, or Bitcoin Core, with Tor built in
ReleasedBlueWallet dates itself to the 2017 fork wars; the iOS and Android apps followedNot stated
Countries on the maker's listNo published listNo published list
Last reviewed2026-08-252026-08-25

Pros and cons, side by side

BlueWallet

What works

  • Bitcoin only, open source and free, from the App Store, Google Play or a direct download
  • Genuine coin control: label and freeze individual coins, batch sends, and speed up or cancel with RBF and CPFP
  • Signs for Coldcard, Passport, Jade, Keystone and other PSBT hardware wallets, and runs watch-only so keys never touch the phone
  • Multisig vaults for larger holdings, documented step by step by the project
  • Connects to your own Electrum server, so you do not have to hand your addresses to a stranger's
  • Plausible deniability storage for a forced-disclosure situation

What to watch

  • A Lightning wallet here is an account on an LNDHub server, and whoever runs it can move those funds
  • Running your own LNDHub means a VPS or a home node, which is far past what most phone users will do
  • Lightning funds are not covered by the on-chain recovery phrase and need a separate backup
  • A hot wallet on a phone, so device malware or an unlocked screen reaches what the app can spend

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 BlueWallet or Sparrow Wallet better?

Sparrow Wallet rates higher on our rubric: 4.7 against 4.2 for BlueWallet. 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 BlueWallet and Sparrow Wallet free?

Yes, both are free to download. What differs is who holds the keys: BlueWallet is self-custodial on-chain, while a Lightning balance is only as self-custodial as the LNDHub server behind it; Sparrow Wallet is self-custodial, keys in an encrypted file on your own computer or on a hardware signer, with no account anywhere.

Is BlueWallet or Sparrow Wallet bitcoin-only?

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

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

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