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Foundation Passport vs KeepKey

Comparing
two wallets
Decided by
Editorial rating
Last reviewed
2026-08-26
Foundation Passport4.3Bitcoin-only

Bitcoin-only hardware from a US company, now sold as the $349 Passport Prime: keys, two factor codes, security keys and encrypted storage in one device.

KeepKey2.6Warning

Cheap open source device with the most readable screen of its era, and a seed a thief holding it for 15 minutes can extract.

Verdict: Foundation Passport

Foundation Passport rates higher on our rubric: 4.3 against 2.6 for KeepKey.

Criterion
Editorial rating
Foundation Passport
4.3
KeepKey
2.6

Foundation Passport and KeepKey, 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.

Foundation Passport and KeepKey compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactFoundation PassportKeepKey
Editorial rating4.3 (favoured on this row)2.6
StatusAvailableCaution: see the review
Made byFoundation DevicesKeepKey
Price$349$59.95
Who holds the keysself-custodial, keys held on dedicated hardware and isolated from sandboxed apps by the KeyOS microkernelself-custodial, keys generated and held on the device rather than on your computer
Bitcoin-onlyYesNo
Runs oniOS, AndroidWindows, macOS, Linux
ScreenNot stated3.12 inch OLED, 256 x 64 pixels
ConnectivityQuantumLink encrypted Bluetooth through a dedicated chip, plus NFC and USB for security key use; setup and updates run through the Envoy appUSB cable
ReleasedNot stated2015, though KeepKey's own site dates the brand to 2014
Countries on the maker's listNo published listNo published list
Last reviewed2026-08-262026-08-26

Pros and cons, side by side

Foundation Passport

What works

  • Bitcoin only, with open source apps and a published independent audit quote
  • KeyOS sandboxes apps so a compromised app cannot reach the master keys
  • Bluetooth runs through a dedicated chip rather than the processor holding your secrets
  • Envoy is distributed on F-Droid as well as the App Store and Google Play
  • Assembled in the USA, which matters if supply chain provenance is part of your threat model

What to watch

  • $349 is well above most bitcoin-only signers
  • Passport Core, the cheaper earlier model, has been discontinued
  • No reachable country list: the terms name a Shipping Policy that is not published anywhere, and Foundation may refuse an order over export or sanctions concerns
  • A smaller company with a shorter public track record than Ledger, Trezor or Coinkite

KeepKey

What works

  • The 3.12 inch OLED screen was the largest of its era and makes address checks easy to read
  • Firmware is still shipping: Taproot outputs in 2025, four more chains in 2026, on signed tags
  • Each release publishes the expected hash of a reproducible build, so you can verify the binary you flash
  • Schematics, PCB layout and bill of materials are published, and the chip is named: no other major vendor goes that far
  • One of the cheapest new hardware wallets at $59.95, with simple, sturdy, beginner-friendly hardware

What to watch

  • The seed can be extracted with 15 minutes of physical access, and Kraken found that no firmware update can close it
  • No secure element, which KeepKey presents as a design choice rather than a gap, so the seed lives in flash on a general purpose chip
  • The PIN is 1 to 9 digits, so once the encrypted seed is off the device it is trivial to brute force
  • The store advertises free firmware updates for life without linking the release history that backs the promise up
  • Releases are infrequent by the standards of the field: none at all between March 2024 and February 2025

Frequently asked questions

Is Foundation Passport or KeepKey better?

Foundation Passport rates higher on our rubric: 4.3 against 2.6 for KeepKey. 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.

Which is cheaper, Foundation Passport or KeepKey?

KeepKey, at $59.95 against $349, on each maker's own store price as of the review date.

Is Foundation Passport or KeepKey bitcoin-only?

Foundation Passport is bitcoin-only; KeepKey supports other assets too. 11 native chains plus EVM tokens by the vendor's own count, with THORChain swaps in the app

Does Foundation Passport or KeepKey carry a warning?

KeepKey: Kraken Security Labs published a voltage glitching attack in 2019 that lifts the encrypted seed off a KeepKey with about 15 minutes of physical access and roughly 75 dollars of equipment, then brute forces the short PIN that protects it. Kraken's own conclusion was that the weakness sits in the device's microcontroller and cannot be closed by firmware. The firmware itself is still shipping; the hardware is the problem, and a BIP39 passphrase is the mitigation.

The full reviews: Foundation Passport and KeepKey, each with its sources, and every wallet we review.

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