Comprehensive Monero Wallet Guide
A comprehensive guide to Monero wallets compares desktop and mobile options for XMR, then covers Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Zcash setups in the same reference. Pick by platform and threat model first; follow the setup section for the wallet you chose.
Wallet comparison at a glance
| Wallet | Coins | Platform | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monero GUI | XMR | Win/Mac/Linux | Official full node wallet; maximum control |
| Feather | XMR | Desktop | Lightweight Monero with Tor-friendly remotes |
| Cake Wallet | XMR (+BTC) | iOS/Android | Mobile Monero with built-in exchange |
| Monerujo | XMR | Android | Open-source Android Monero |
| Electrum | BTC | Desktop | Light Bitcoin wallet; pairs with hardware signers |
| Electrum-LTC | LTC | Desktop | Litecoin counterpart to Electrum |
| Mustard Wallet | LTC | Desktop | Chaumian CoinJoin for Litecoin privacy |
| Zashi / YWallet / Zingo | ZEC | Mobile/Desktop | Shielded Zcash with unified or Orchard addresses |
How to Install Monero GUI Wallet
Download from getmonero.org. Verify the signed hash. On first launch choose Simple mode to use a remote node, or Advanced to run your own monerod (see our node guide). Write down the 25-word seed on paper before receiving funds.
How to Install Feather Wallet (Monero)
Download Feather from featherwallet.org or the project's signed release channel. Verify the hash before opening the installer. On first launch, choose Create a new wallet, write the 25-word seed on paper, and set a local password.
Under Network, either point at your own monerod on localhost or pick a remote node you trust. Enable Route over Tor if you do not want your home IP associated with wallet sync traffic. Feather keeps a lightweight local cache instead of downloading the full chain like the GUI.
For receiving, copy the primary address or generate a subaddress per deposit. Feather supports view-only wallets and hardware signing workflows if you later pair a Ledger — useful when you want Monero without the full GUI footprint.
How to Install and Use Cake Wallet
Install Cake from the iOS App Store or Google Play and confirm the publisher matches the official Cake Wallet team. Open the app, tap Create a new wallet, and back up the 25-word seed offline before funding; screenshots are not a backup.
In settings, disable analytics if prompted and choose a remote node or your own monerod. Cake can hold XMR and optional BTC in the same app; treat the built-in exchange/swap buttons as third-party services that see amounts and timing.
Use subaddresses for each incoming payment. If you migrate from MyMonero or another mobile wallet, restore with the same seed here rather than leaving XMR on a sunsetting web login.
How to Install Electrum Bitcoin Wallet
Download from electrum.org and verify the GPG signature. Choose Standard wallet → Create a new seed → write down the seed. Connect to your own ElectrumX server or a trusted public server over Tor for better privacy.
MyMonero Setup & Migration Guide
MyMonero is sunsetting. If you still have a login, export your seed immediately and restore it in Feather, Cake, or the official GUI. Do not leave XMR in a web wallet past the published shutdown date.
Mobile Monero: Monerujo, Stack, Unstoppable, Edge, Guarda
Monerujo (Android): install from F-Droid or GitHub releases, connect to your node or a public one. Stack Wallet: multi-coin including XMR; verify download source. Unstoppable: enable Tor in settings before first sync. Edge and Guarda use encrypted backups, but understand their custodial/MPC trade-offs before storing large balances; Guarda's backup file is the whole key.
Setting Up a Monero Multisig Wallet
Multisig in Monero requires coordinated setup in the GUI or CLI: each participant generates a multisig seed, exchanges info files, then completes the round-robin import. Use only for arrangements where each cosigner runs their own trusted machine.
Litecoin wallets
How to Use Electrum-LTC
How to Use Electrum-LTC follows the same workflow as Bitcoin Electrum: download from the official site, verify signatures, create a new seed, and use SegWit receiving addresses. Optional hardware signer support applies for cold storage.
Zcash wallets: Zashi, ZecWallet, Zingo, YWallet
Zashi (iOS/Android): install from the official Electric Coin Co. release channel, back up the seed before first shielded receive, and keep the wallet on the latest build so Orchard/unified-address support stays current. Default to shielded receives when privacy matters.
ZecWallet Lite syncs faster than a full node; run the full node build only if you want to verify every block locally. Zingo and YWallet on mobile also support Orchard and unified addresses. Write down the seed on paper before sending ZEC.
Multi-coin software wallets (Atomic, Bitget, Exodus)
These bundle many assets in one app. Atomic and Exodus had past security incidents in the wider ecosystem, so verify hashes, keep backups offline, and do not treat swap features as private. Bitget Wallet uses MPC; understand who holds key shares. For market use, prefer coin-specific wallets above.