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Mycelium vs Zengo

Comparing
two wallets
Decided by
Editorial rating
Last reviewed
2026-08-25
Mycelium3.7

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

Zengo3.4

The wallet with no seed phrase: two MPC shares replace the private key, which removes one risk and adds a dependency.

Verdict: Mycelium

Mycelium rates higher on our rubric: 3.7 against 3.4 for Zengo.

Criterion
Editorial rating
Mycelium
3.7
Zengo
3.4

Mycelium and Zengo, 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.

Mycelium and Zengo compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactMyceliumZengo
Editorial rating3.7 (favoured on this row)3.4
StatusAvailableAvailable
Made byMyceliumZengo
PriceFree downloadFree download
Who holds the keysself-custodial, keys generated and held on the phone, recoverable only from a backup you write downself-custodial MPC, with no seed phrase: one secret share on your phone, one on Zengo's server, never combined
Bitcoin-onlyNoNo
Runs oniOS, AndroidiOS, Android
ScreenNot statedNot stated
ConnectivityOptional Tor, connection to your own Bitcoin node, NFC, and hardware wallet support for Trezor, Ledger and KeepKeyNot stated
ReleasedAndroid on July 1, 2013 and iPhone on December 17, 2014, per WalletScrutiny2018
Countries on the maker's listNo published listNo published list
Last reviewed2026-08-252026-08-25

Pros and cons, side by side

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

Zengo

What works

  • No seed phrase exists, so there is nothing to write down, photograph, or be tricked into typing
  • Two independently created MPC shares, one on your phone and one on Zengo's server, that are never combined
  • Three factor recovery, with a documented option to register a backup for each of the three
  • Zengo says its MPC cryptography is open source, audited and peer reviewed
  • Support is available 24/7 from inside the app, which is rare in self-custody

What to watch

  • Signing requires Zengo's server, so the wallet depends on the company staying reachable in a way a seed phrase does not
  • The wallet app itself is closed source; only the cryptography underneath it is published
  • Recovery runs through your email, your cloud account and a face scan, which is three dependencies instead of one piece of paper
  • Never hacked and 2+ million wallets are Zengo's own claims on Zengo's own homepage, with no independent confirmation
  • Mobile only, with no desktop app and no hardware signing

Frequently asked questions

Is Mycelium or Zengo better?

Mycelium rates higher on our rubric: 3.7 against 3.4 for Zengo. 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 Mycelium and Zengo free?

Yes, both are free to download. What differs is who holds the keys: Mycelium is self-custodial, keys generated and held on the phone, recoverable only from a backup you write down; Zengo is self-custodial MPC, with no seed phrase: one secret share on your phone, one on Zengo's server, never combined.

Is Mycelium or Zengo bitcoin-only?

Neither: both support assets beyond bitcoin. Mycelium: Bitcoin first, with Ethereum and ERC-20 accounts in the same app. Zengo: Bitcoin among 1,000+ assets, including Ethereum, Solana, TRON and stablecoins.

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

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