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MetaMask vs Mycelium

Comparing
two wallets
Decided by
Editorial rating
Last reviewed
2026-08-25
MetaMask3.0

MetaMask holds real bitcoin since December 15, 2025, but it is still an Ethereum wallet with a BTC address attached.

Mycelium3.7

One of the oldest bitcoin wallets still shipping, strong on Android with deep UTXO control, and an iPhone build nobody has verified.

Verdict: Mycelium

Mycelium rates higher on our rubric: 3.7 against 3.0 for MetaMask.

Criterion
Editorial rating
MetaMask
3.0
Mycelium
3.7

MetaMask and Mycelium, 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.

MetaMask and Mycelium compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactMetaMaskMycelium
Editorial rating3.03.7 (favoured on this row)
StatusAvailableAvailable
Made byConsensysMycelium
PriceFree downloadFree download
Who holds the keysself-custodial, keys generated on your device from a 12 word Secret Recovery Phrase Consensys never seesself-custodial, keys generated and held on the phone, recoverable only from a backup you write down
Bitcoin-onlyNoNo
Runs oniOS, Android, Browser extensioniOS, Android
ScreenNot statedNot stated
ConnectivityNot statedOptional Tor, connection to your own Bitcoin node, NFC, and hardware wallet support for Trezor, Ledger and KeepKey
Released2016Android on July 1, 2013 and iPhone on December 17, 2014, per WalletScrutiny
Countries on the maker's list228No published list
Last reviewed2026-08-252026-08-25

Pros and cons, side by side

MetaMask

What works

  • Native bitcoin support since December 15, 2025, with a BTC address generated for you automatically
  • Swaps from Ethereum, other EVM networks or Solana into bitcoin without leaving the wallet
  • Buying supports debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, PayPal and bank transfer, depending on your region
  • Keys are generated on your device, and Consensys holds nothing it could freeze or reset
  • The extension almost every dapp is tested against, so connections rarely break

What to watch

  • Bitcoin support is native SegWit only: MetaMask's own announcement says Taproot is still to come
  • The app now bundles perpetual futures at up to 50x leverage, prediction markets and tokenized stocks next to your keys
  • Those extra products carry their own eligibility rules, which are separate from the wallet and change without notice
  • A hot wallet in a browser extension or phone app, with no secure element and no offline signing
  • Bitcoin is one chain among many, and the product's center of gravity is Ethereum

Mycelium

What works

  • Shipping on Android since July 1, 2013, one of the longest unbroken runs of any mobile bitcoin wallet
  • Real UTXO control on a phone: unspent output visibility, fee bumping, watch-only and single-address savings accounts
  • Passed all seven of WalletScrutiny's wallet tests, including public source code and an unobfuscated binary
  • Hardware wallet support for Trezor, Ledger and KeepKey, plus spending directly from paper wallets
  • Direct APK download, an Obtainium link and a published signing certificate, so Google Play is not the only way in
  • Optional Tor and your own node, with each third-party service able to be turned off on its own

What to watch

  • The iPhone app trails badly: WalletScrutiny lists 3.22.0.2 for Android against 2.10 for iPhone
  • Mycelium's iOS source repository on GitHub is archived, with no commits since June 2024
  • WalletScrutiny says no iOS build has ever been reproduced, so the reproducibility claim covers Android and not iPhone
  • WalletScrutiny discloses that its own authors have contributed to Mycelium, so its verdict is not fully independent
  • No longer bitcoin only: Ethereum and ERC-20 accounts add code a bitcoin-only wallet does not carry
  • Dated interface, and support runs through a single email address with no live channel

Frequently asked questions

Is MetaMask or Mycelium better?

Mycelium rates higher on our rubric: 3.7 against 3.0 for MetaMask. 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.

Are MetaMask and Mycelium free?

Yes, both are free to download. What differs is who holds the keys: MetaMask is self-custodial, keys generated on your device from a 12 word Secret Recovery Phrase Consensys never sees; Mycelium is self-custodial, keys generated and held on the phone, recoverable only from a backup you write down.

Is MetaMask or Mycelium bitcoin-only?

Neither: both support assets beyond bitcoin. MetaMask: Ethereum and EVM networks, Solana, Monad and Sei, plus native bitcoin since December 15, 2025. Mycelium: Bitcoin first, with Ethereum and ERC-20 accounts in the same app.

The full reviews: MetaMask and Mycelium, each with its sources, and every wallet we review.

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