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Muun vs Sparrow Wallet

Comparing
two wallets
Decided by
Editorial rating
Last reviewed
2026-08-25
Muun3.8Bitcoin-only

On-chain and Lightning in one balance behind a 2-of-2 multisig, backed up by an Emergency Kit file rather than twelve words.

Sparrow Wallet4.7Bitcoin-only

The desktop wallet to coordinate hardware signers and multisig from, with a verification tool that also checks other projects' releases.

Verdict: Sparrow Wallet

Sparrow Wallet rates higher on our rubric: 4.7 against 3.8 for Muun.

Criterion
Editorial rating
Muun
3.8
Sparrow Wallet
4.7

Muun and Sparrow Wallet, 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.

Muun and Sparrow Wallet compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactMuunSparrow Wallet
Editorial rating3.84.7 (favoured on this row)
StatusAvailableAvailable
Made byMuunSparrow Wallet
PriceFree downloadFree download
Who holds the keysself-custodial, a 2-of-2 multisig where your phone holds one key and your Emergency Kit holds bothself-custodial, keys in an encrypted file on your own computer or on a hardware signer, with no account anywhere
Bitcoin-onlyYesYes
Runs oniOS, AndroidWindows, macOS, Linux
ScreenNot statedNot stated
ConnectivityOne balance across on-chain and Lightning, with submarine swaps moving funds between the twoPublic Electrum servers, your own Electrum server, or Bitcoin Core, with Tor built in
ReleasedAnnounced for iOS in October 2019, after the Android appNot stated
Countries on the maker's listNo published listNo published list
Last reviewed2026-08-252026-08-25

Pros and cons, side by side

Muun

What works

  • One balance for on-chain and Lightning, so you never have to choose a rail before paying
  • 2-of-2 multisig means a stolen or malware-infected phone alone cannot spend your bitcoin
  • The Emergency Kit carries both keys and the output descriptors, so recovery does not depend on Muun
  • Mempool-based fee estimator, with the method published rather than asserted
  • Free, self-custodial and bitcoin only on both iOS and Android

What to watch

  • Your backup is an Emergency Kit file plus a recovery code, not twelve words you can stamp into steel
  • The newest post on Muun's blog was written days before taproot activated in November 2021
  • Payments that need a submarine swap settle on chain, and mining fees on those have surprised users
  • No coin control, no hardware wallet pairing and no way to point it at your own node

Sparrow Wallet

What works

  • Bitcoin only, open source and free, with no account and no server holding anything of yours
  • First-class multisig: build a quorum across several hardware signers and keep the descriptor
  • Works with hardware wallets over USB or fully air-gapped by QR code or SD card, with complete PSBT support
  • Full coin control and labels on every transaction, input and output, plus a transaction editor that shows the raw bytes
  • Every release ships a signed manifest, and Sparrow verifies the next download, Bitcoin Core and hardware wallet firmware from inside the app
  • Connects to your own Electrum server or Bitcoin Core, with Tor built in

What to watch

  • Desktop only: there is no iOS or Android app
  • The UTXO detail and the transaction editor are the point, and they are a lot to meet on day one
  • No built-in way to buy bitcoin, so the coins have to arrive from an exchange or a peer
  • Effectively a single maintainer, which is a concentration risk whatever the quality of the code

Frequently asked questions

Is Muun or Sparrow Wallet better?

Sparrow Wallet rates higher on our rubric: 4.7 against 3.8 for Muun. 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 Muun and Sparrow Wallet free?

Yes, both are free to download. What differs is who holds the keys: Muun is self-custodial, a 2-of-2 multisig where your phone holds one key and your Emergency Kit holds both; Sparrow Wallet is self-custodial, keys in an encrypted file on your own computer or on a hardware signer, with no account anywhere.

Is Muun or Sparrow Wallet bitcoin-only?

Both are bitcoin-only: neither supports another coin, which is a deliberate design choice for a smaller codebase.

The full reviews: Muun and Sparrow Wallet, each with its sources, and every wallet we review.

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