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KeepKey vs Ledger Nano S Plus

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

Ledger Nano S Plus4.3

Ledger's $59 entry device: the same certified secure element as the $399 Stax, no Bluetooth, and no iPhone support at all.

Verdict: Ledger Nano S Plus

Ledger Nano S Plus rates higher on our rubric: 4.3 against 2.6 for KeepKey.

Criterion
Editorial rating
KeepKey
2.6
Ledger Nano S Plus
4.3

KeepKey and Ledger Nano S Plus, 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.

KeepKey and Ledger Nano S Plus compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactKeepKeyLedger Nano S Plus
Editorial rating2.64.3 (favoured on this row)
StatusCaution: see the reviewAvailable
Made byKeepKeyLedger
Price$59.95$59
Who holds the keysself-custodial, keys generated and held on the device rather than on your computerself-custodial, keys held in a CC EAL6+ certified secure element chip
Bitcoin-onlyNoNo
Runs onWindows, macOS, LinuxAndroid, Windows, macOS, Linux
Screen3.12 inch OLED, 256 x 64 pixels1.1 inch monochrome OLED, 128 x 64 pixels, with two physical buttons
ConnectivityUSB cableUSB-C only, for desktop and Android use; no Bluetooth and no battery
Released2015, though KeepKey's own site dates the brand to 20142022
Countries on the maker's listNo published list218
Last reviewed2026-08-262026-08-26

Pros and cons, side by side

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

Ledger Nano S Plus

What works

  • Cheapest current Ledger at $59 on Ledger's own store
  • Same ST33K1M5 secure element, certified to CC EAL6+, as the $399 Stax
  • Far more coin app storage than the original Nano S it replaced
  • No Bluetooth and no battery, so there is no radio attack surface and nothing to wear out

What to watch

  • No iOS support: Ledger's system requirements list Windows, macOS, Ubuntu and Android only
  • Cable only, so you cannot sign from a phone without plugging in
  • The 128 x 64 pixel screen turns checking a long address into a multi step scroll
  • Closed source firmware, unlike Trezor and BitBox

Frequently asked questions

Is KeepKey or Ledger Nano S Plus better?

Ledger Nano S Plus 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, KeepKey or Ledger Nano S Plus?

Ledger Nano S Plus, at $59 against $59.95, on each maker's own store price as of the review date.

Is KeepKey or Ledger Nano S Plus bitcoin-only?

Neither: both support assets beyond bitcoin. KeepKey: 11 native chains plus EVM tokens by the vendor's own count, with THORChain swaps in the app. Ledger Nano S Plus: Bitcoin plus more than 500 assets in the Ledger Wallet app, and thousands more through third party wallets.

Does KeepKey or Ledger Nano S Plus 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: KeepKey and Ledger Nano S Plus, each with its sources, and every wallet we review.

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