Edge vs Guarda Wallet

Comparing: two wallets
Decided by: Editorial rating
Last reviewed: 2026-08-26

Open source mobile wallet that trades the seed phrase for a username and password, and published every detail of the one time it failed.

Guarda Wallet3.0

A capable multi-platform wallet whose 2020 domain hijack exposed the real weakness: a login flow built on uploading your backup.

Verdict: Edge

Edge rates higher on our rubric: 3.2 against 3.0 for Guarda Wallet.

Criterion: Editorial rating
Edge: 3.2
Guarda Wallet: 3.0

Edge and Guarda 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.

Edge and Guarda Wallet compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
Fact	Edge	Guarda Wallet
Editorial rating	3.2 (favoured on this row)	3.0
Status	Available	Available
Made by	Edge	Guarda
Price	Free download	Free download
Who holds the keys	self-custodial, keys encrypted on your device under your password before any backup leaves it	self-custodial, keys generated on your device and encrypted under a password you choose
Bitcoin-only	No	No
Runs on	iOS, Android	iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, Browser extension
Screen	Not stated	Not stated
Connectivity	Not stated	Not stated
Released	2014 as Airbitz, relaunched as Edge	2017
Countries on the maker's list	No published list	No published list
Last reviewed	2026-08-26	2026-08-25

Pros and cons, side by side

Edge

What works

The source is public at github.com/EdgeApp, and the same key management is sold to other developers as an SDK
Username and password login, so a beginner is never handed a seed phrase to lose on day one
Backups are encrypted on your device, so Edge holds a blob it cannot read rather than your keys
A signed APK is offered for Android, so you are not dependent on Google Play
Buying, selling, swapping, gift cards and mobile top-ups are all built in through named partners

What to watch

Your password is the single thing protecting the wallet, and passwords are the secret people reuse
The logging routine that leaked keys was committed in 2019 and went unnoticed until a user lost money in 2023
The 2023 logging bug wrote unencrypted private keys into logs uploaded to Edge's servers, which cost some users real money
Encrypted key blobs pass through Edge's infrastructure, unlike wallets that keep everything local
Mobile only, hot wallet, no hardware signing and no secure element

Guarda Wallet

What works

Guarda's CEO published a dated, detailed account of the 2020 attack, including the registrar's own logs
Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, a web app and a Chrome extension
Keys are generated locally and encrypted under your own password, and Guarda never holds them
Staking on 14 networks, multisig support and 24/7 live support, per Guarda's own site
Buying built in with cards and Apple Pay across a wide asset range

What to watch

The web and extension flow involves uploading your backup file, which is precisely what the 2020 phishing page was built to collect
The 2020 breakdown came through a domain registrar account, a dependency Guarda does not control and cannot audit
Third party perpetual futures and prediction markets now sit inside the wallet, which is more moving parts than holding bitcoin needs
The user, token and blockchain counts are Guarda's own figures, published on its own homepage
A hot wallet with no hardware signing of its own

Frequently asked questions

Is Edge or Guarda Wallet better?

Edge rates higher on our rubric: 3.2 against 3.0 for Guarda 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 Edge and Guarda Wallet free?

Yes, both are free to download. What differs is who holds the keys: Edge is self-custodial, keys encrypted on your device under your password before any backup leaves it; Guarda Wallet is self-custodial, keys generated on your device and encrypted under a password you choose.

Is Edge or Guarda Wallet bitcoin-only?

Neither: both support assets beyond bitcoin. Edge: Bitcoin plus Ethereum, Litecoin, Monero, XRP, Dogecoin, Dash, Solana and more. Guarda Wallet: Bitcoin plus more than 70 blockchains, by Guarda's own count.

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

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