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KeepKey vs SafePal S1

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.

SafePal S13.5

Budget air-gapped signer with no USB data, WiFi, Bluetooth or NFC: every transaction crosses as a scanned QR code.

Verdict: SafePal S1

SafePal S1 rates higher on our rubric: 3.5 against 2.6 for KeepKey.

Criterion
Editorial rating
KeepKey
2.6
SafePal S1
3.5

KeepKey and SafePal S1, 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 SafePal S1 compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactKeepKeySafePal S1
Editorial rating2.63.5 (favoured on this row)
StatusCaution: see the reviewAvailable
Made byKeepKeySafePal
Price$59.95Not published
Who holds the keysself-custodial, keys generated and held on the device rather than on your computerself-custodial, keys held offline on a device with no USB data, WiFi, Bluetooth or NFC connection
Bitcoin-onlyNoNo
Runs onWindows, macOS, LinuxiOS, Android
Screen3.12 inch OLED, 256 x 64 pixelsSmall color screen with a camera for reading QR codes
ConnectivityUSB cableQR codes only: no USB data, WiFi, Bluetooth or NFC
Released2015, though KeepKey's own site dates the brand to 2014Not stated
Countries on the maker's listNo published listNo published list
Last reviewed2026-08-262026-08-25

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

SafePal S1

What works

  • No USB data, WiFi, Bluetooth or NFC: the only channel in or out is a QR code on a camera
  • SafePal's budget cold storage line, positioned below the newer Bluetooth X1
  • Broad asset support with swap, buy and DeFi features for people who hold more than bitcoin
  • SafePal accepted an outside security report from Kraken Security Labs and shipped a fix

What to watch

  • Not bitcoin-only, and the companion app is a broad crypto app rather than a focused signer
  • The February 2021 Kraken disclosure showed the firmware update check could be downgraded without the user noticing
  • Verification happens on a small screen, which makes careful address checking slower
  • SafePal publishes no shipping country policy, pointing at a reseller network instead

Frequently asked questions

Is KeepKey or SafePal S1 better?

SafePal S1 rates higher on our rubric: 3.5 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.

Is KeepKey or SafePal S1 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. SafePal S1: Multi-asset: bitcoin among a long list of chains and tokens, managed through the SafePal app.

Does KeepKey or SafePal S1 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 SafePal S1, each with its sources, and every wallet we review.

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