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Ledger Flex vs SafePal S1

Comparing
two wallets
Decided by
Editorial rating
Last reviewed
2026-08-26
Ledger Flex4.0

The Ledger to buy if you want a touchscreen: $249, the same certified chip as the Stax, and more screen pixels than it.

SafePal S13.5

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

Verdict: Ledger Flex

Ledger Flex rates higher on our rubric: 4.0 against 3.5 for SafePal S1.

Criterion
Editorial rating
Ledger Flex
4.0
SafePal S1
3.5

Ledger Flex 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.

Ledger Flex and SafePal S1 compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactLedger FlexSafePal S1
Editorial rating4.0 (favoured on this row)3.5
StatusAvailableAvailable
Made byLedgerSafePal
Price$249Not published
Who holds the keysself-custodial, keys held in a CC EAL6+ certified secure element chipself-custodial, keys held offline on a device with no USB data, WiFi, Bluetooth or NFC connection
Bitcoin-onlyNoNo
Runs oniOS, Android, Windows, macOS, LinuxiOS, Android
Screen2.8 inch flat E Ink touchscreen, 16 grayscale, 480 x 600 pixels, Gorilla Glass with an anti-glare coatingSmall color screen with a camera for reading QR codes
ConnectivityUSB-C, Bluetooth and NFC, for iOS, Android and desktop computersQR codes only: no USB data, WiFi, Bluetooth or NFC
ReleasedJuly 2024Not stated
Countries on the maker's list218No published list
Last reviewed2026-08-262026-08-25

Pros and cons, side by side

Ledger Flex

What works

  • A 2.8 inch E Ink touchscreen at 480 x 600 pixels, more pixels than the larger and dearer Stax screen
  • Same ST33K1M5 secure element, certified to CC EAL6+, as the $399 Stax
  • USB-C, Bluetooth and NFC, so it works with an iPhone as well as a desktop
  • A Ledger Recovery Key is included in the box, so your seed backup is not only on paper

What to watch

  • $249 is more than four times the $59 Nano S Plus for the same certified secure element
  • Closed source firmware, unlike Trezor and BitBox
  • Plastic body with a Gorilla Glass front, where the Stax uses aluminum with stacking magnets

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 Ledger Flex or SafePal S1 better?

Ledger Flex rates higher on our rubric: 4.0 against 3.5 for SafePal S1. 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 Ledger Flex or SafePal S1 bitcoin-only?

Neither: both support assets beyond bitcoin. Ledger Flex: Bitcoin plus more than 500 assets in the Ledger Wallet app, and thousands more through third party wallets. SafePal S1: Multi-asset: bitcoin among a long list of chains and tokens, managed through the SafePal app.

The full reviews: Ledger Flex and SafePal S1, each with its sources, and every wallet we review.

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