Hardware wallet
Coldcard vs Ledger
Same kind of product, two profiles. Affiliate status is not how this page is ordered.
Coldcard
Coldcard is a Bitcoin-only hardware wallet. It is the wrong default if you need Ethereum or Solana. Price was not verified.
Ledger
Ledger sells hardware wallets. The private keys are meant to stay inside the device, and you confirm transactions on the device screen. Current model names, prices, and certification claims were not re-verified, so none are quoted.
Facts
| Fact | Coldcard | Ledger |
|---|---|---|
| Type | COLDCARD says it is a Bitcoin-only hardware wallet, with no required companion account or app. Verified 2026-10-26 | Ledger sells hardware wallets and describes them as non-custodial: you hold the private keys. Verified 2026-10-26 |
| Firmware | COLDCARD says the firmware is open source and reproducible. Verified 2026-10-26 | — |
| Security model | COLDCARD says the seed is split across two secure elements from different vendors, and that you can sign air-gapped with PSBT files. Verified 2026-10-26 | Ledger says the devices keep private keys offline in a Secure Element, and that a Secret Recovery Phrase restores a lost device. Ledger describes the device software as its own OS. Verified 2026-10-26 |
| App | — | Ledger says you pair the device with the Ledger Wallet app. Verified 2026-10-26 |
Coldcard sources
- Type
Verified 2026-10-26
COLDCARD says it is a Bitcoin-only hardware wallet, with no required companion account or app.
- Firmware
Verified 2026-10-26
COLDCARD says the firmware is open source and reproducible.
- Security model
Verified 2026-10-26
COLDCARD says the seed is split across two secure elements from different vendors, and that you can sign air-gapped with PSBT files.
Ledger sources
- Type
Verified 2026-10-26
Ledger sells hardware wallets and describes them as non-custodial: you hold the private keys.
- Security model
Verified 2026-10-26
Ledger says the devices keep private keys offline in a Secure Element, and that a Secret Recovery Phrase restores a lost device. Ledger describes the device software as its own OS.
- App
Verified 2026-10-26
Ledger says you pair the device with the Ledger Wallet app.
Order on this site follows published fees. An Affiliate tag does not change it.