Electrum vs MetaMask

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

Electrum4.4Bitcoin-only

The oldest bitcoin wallet still in active development, and the one whose users are hunted by a fake-update scam running since December 2018.

MetaMask3.0

MetaMask holds real bitcoin since December 15, 2025, but it is still an Ethereum wallet with a BTC address attached.

Verdict: Electrum

Electrum rates higher on our rubric: 4.4 against 3.0 for MetaMask.

Criterion: Editorial rating
Electrum: 4.4
MetaMask: 3.0

Electrum and MetaMask, 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.

Electrum and MetaMask compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
Fact	Electrum	MetaMask
Editorial rating	4.4 (favoured on this row)	3.0
Status	Available	Available
Made by	Electrum Technologies GmbH	Consensys
Price	Free download	Free download
Who holds the keys	self-custodial, keys generated and encrypted on your own machine, with transactions checked by SPV	self-custodial, keys generated on your device from a 12 word Secret Recovery Phrase Consensys never sees
Bitcoin-only	Yes	No
Runs on	Android, Windows, macOS, Linux	iOS, Android, Browser extension
Screen	Not stated	Not stated
Connectivity	Connects to public Electrum servers or one you run yourself, verifying your transactions by SPV	Not stated
Released	November 2011, written by Thomas Voegtlin	2016
Countries on the maker's list	No published list	228
Last reviewed	2026-08-25	2026-08-25

Pros and cons, side by side

Electrum

What works

Continuously maintained since November 2011, which nothing else on this list can claim
Lightweight: it checks your transactions by SPV instead of downloading the whole chain
Reproducible builds, signed by several independent builders, with signatures published next to every download
Hardware wallet support for Ledger, Trezor and KeepKey, plus multisig and watch-only cold storage
MIT licensed, and anyone can run the server software it talks to, so no company controls the network
An official Android build on both Google Play and F-Droid

What to watch

Users are the target of a fake-update scam that ZDNet traced to more than 22 million dollars of thefts by October 2020
The interface assumes you already know what a change address and a derivation path are
Windows builds are often flagged by antivirus heuristics, which the project says it cannot do anything about
No iOS version, and no built-in way to buy bitcoin
Two-factor signing runs through a third party, Trustedcoin, rather than the wallet alone

MetaMask

What works

Native bitcoin support since December 15, 2025, with a BTC address generated for you automatically
Swaps from Ethereum, other EVM networks or Solana into bitcoin without leaving the wallet
Buying supports debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, PayPal and bank transfer, depending on your region
Keys are generated on your device, and Consensys holds nothing it could freeze or reset
The extension almost every dapp is tested against, so connections rarely break

What to watch

Bitcoin support is native SegWit only: MetaMask's own announcement says Taproot is still to come
The app now bundles perpetual futures at up to 50x leverage, prediction markets and tokenized stocks next to your keys
Those extra products carry their own eligibility rules, which are separate from the wallet and change without notice
A hot wallet in a browser extension or phone app, with no secure element and no offline signing
Bitcoin is one chain among many, and the product's center of gravity is Ethereum

Frequently asked questions

Is Electrum or MetaMask better?

Electrum rates higher on our rubric: 4.4 against 3.0 for MetaMask. 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 Electrum and MetaMask free?

Yes, both are free to download. What differs is who holds the keys: Electrum is self-custodial, keys generated and encrypted on your own machine, with transactions checked by SPV; MetaMask is self-custodial, keys generated on your device from a 12 word Secret Recovery Phrase Consensys never sees.

Is Electrum or MetaMask bitcoin-only?

Electrum is bitcoin-only; MetaMask supports other assets too. Ethereum and EVM networks, Solana, Monad and Sei, plus native bitcoin since December 15, 2025

The full reviews: Electrum and MetaMask, each with its sources, and every wallet we review.

More comparisons

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