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Ledger Stax vs SafePal S1

Comparing
two wallets
Decided by
Editorial rating
Last reviewed
2026-08-26
Ledger Stax3.6

Ledger's $399 flagship, with the biggest screen it sells and exactly the same secure element as the $59 Nano S Plus.

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 Stax

Ledger Stax rates higher on our rubric: 3.6 against 3.5 for SafePal S1.

Criterion
Editorial rating
Ledger Stax
3.6
SafePal S1
3.5

Ledger Stax 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 Stax and SafePal S1 compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactLedger StaxSafePal S1
Editorial rating3.6 (favoured on this row)3.5
StatusAvailableAvailable
Made byLedgerSafePal
Price$399Not 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
Screen3.7 inch curved E Ink touchscreen, 16 grayscale, 400 x 670 pixels, with an anti-glare coatingSmall color screen with a camera for reading QR codes
ConnectivityUSB-C, Bluetooth (BLE 5.2) for iOS and Android, NFC, and wireless Qi chargingQR codes only: no USB data, WiFi, Bluetooth or NFC
ReleasedNot statedNot stated
Countries on the maker's list218No published list
Last reviewed2026-08-262026-08-25

Pros and cons, side by side

Ledger Stax

What works

  • The 3.7 inch curved E Ink touchscreen is the largest display Ledger sells, so addresses read in one view
  • Same ST33K1M5 secure element, certified to CC EAL6+, as every other current Ledger
  • USB-C, Bluetooth and NFC, plus wireless Qi charging that no other Ledger has
  • Ships with a Ledger Recovery Key and a protective magnet shell included in the box

What to watch

  • At $399 it costs nearly seven times the $59 Nano S Plus for the same certified secure element
  • The $249 Flex has the same chip and more screen pixels, at 480 x 600 against 400 x 670
  • Closed source firmware, unlike Trezor and BitBox

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 Stax or SafePal S1 better?

Ledger Stax rates higher on our rubric: 3.6 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 Stax or SafePal S1 bitcoin-only?

Neither: both support assets beyond bitcoin. Ledger Stax: 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 Stax and SafePal S1, each with its sources, and every wallet we review.

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