The Lightning Network has been hailed as the solution to bitcoin’s scalability challenges and, so far, the off-chain payments solution has managed to gain substantial traction. Since its launch in March 2018, the Lightning Network has grown to a network capacity of over 3,000 Bitcoin, which translates to about $123 million in BTC. In the past year, the network has grown its transaction capacity by 160%.
In this guide, you will discover the best Bitcoin Lightning Network wallets that you can use to send and receive bitcoin micropayments through the Lightning Network’s off-chain channels.
What is the Bitcoin Lightning Network?
The Bitcoin Lightning Network is a second layer on top of bitcoin, with the goal of speeding up bitcoin transactions. It does this by processing the transactions off-chain, so users can send and receive bitcoin quickly and cheaply.
The Lightning Network is a part of a newer class of blockchain technologies known as “Layer 2” blockchains. By offloading some transactions to the Layer 2 blockchain, the primary blockchain can function more efficiently.
While the Lightning Network can be used for any type of transfer, most people find it useful for small transfers or micro-payments that are typically uneconomical due to transaction fees. Notably, the Lightning Network doesn’t implement a new token, and it allows for the same freedoms as Bitcoin. Like Bitcoin, it’s permissionless, decentralized, and open-source.
Best Lightning Network Wallets
We have compiled a list of the best lightning network wallets that are currently available for bitcoin users. To rank the wallets, we have used criteria such as the number of supported operating systems, level of privacy, and user-friendliness, and number of Twitter followers, among others.
| Name | Launch Year | Number of Supported Operating Systems | User-Friendliness | Custodial | Number of Twitter Followers | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hexa | 2019 | 3 | 5 | No | 1464 | 5.0 |
| Joule | 2018 | 4 | 5 | No | 2525 | 4.5 |
| Zap | 2018 | 4 | 5 | No | 18900 | 4.5 |
| Muun | 2020 | 2 | 5 | No | 27500 | 4.5 |
| Blue Wallet | 2018 | 2 | 5 | No | 26500 | 4.0 |
| Tippin Me | 2018 | 3 | 5 | Yes | 9599 | 4.0 |
| Casa Node | 2018 | 1 | 5 | No | 38800 | 4.0 |
| Shockwallet | 2020 | 1 | 3.5 | No | NA | 4.0 |
| Breez | 2018 | 1 | 5 | No | 10400 | 3.5 |
| Eclair | 2017 | 1 | 5 | No | 12800 | 3.5 |
| Wallet of Satoshi | 2019 | 2 | 5 | Yes | 14800 | 3.5 |
| Bitcoin Lightning Wallet | 2015 | 3 | 3 | Yes | n.a. | 3.5 |
| Phoenix | 2019 | 5 | 4 | No | 5987 | 3.5 |
| Zeus | 2020 | 3 | 4 | Yes | 5198 | 3.5 |
| Spark | 2018 | 4 | 4 | No | NA | 3.0 |
Hexa
Launch Year: 2019
Number of Supported Operating Systems: 3
User Friendliness: 5
Custodial: No
Hexa is an open-source, advanced, Bitcoin-only Lightning Network wallet. It’s beginner-friendly and comes with test accounts so users can learn the basics before getting started. It also comes with a checking and savings account. Hexa receives a strong rating because its simple and secure and offers a variety of unique features. (BMJ Score: 5.0)
Joule
Launch Year: 2018
Number of Supported Operating Systems: 4
User Friendliness: 5
Custodial: No
Joule is a browser extension for the bitcoin lightning network. Once downloaded and installed, users have control of their own lighting node where they can send and receive payments. It is relatively easy to use. We gave Joule a high rating because of its intuitive interface and variety of available features. (BMJ Score: 4.5)
Zap
Launch Year: 2018
Number of Supported Operating Systems: 4
User Friendliness: 5
Custodial: No
Zap is a multi-platform Lightning Network wallet that is available for Android, iOS, Windows, and Linux. With a focus on ease of use, this wallet features an attractive user interface, which is one of its best qualities. We rated Zap highly due to its clean user interface and simple installation process. (BMJ Score: 4.5)
Muun
Launch Year: 2020
Number of Supported Operating Systems: 2
User Friendliness: 5
Custodial: No
Muun is a Bitcoin lightning wallet focused on usability and security. Security features include multi-signature confirmation, two-factor authentication, and a special recovery password. Muun also opens a new hierarchical deterministic wallet address every time you initiate a transaction which masks your real wallet address. Muun receives a high score because of its seamless integration of on-chain and lightning payments. (BMJ Score: 4.0)
Blue Wallet
Launch Year: 2018
Number of Supported Operating Systems: 2
User Friendliness: 5
Custodial: No
Blue Wallet is a popular mobile wallet. While available only on Android and iOS, the wallet is easy to use. It is also a non-custodial wallet, giving users full control of their funds. Blue wallet receives a high score from BMJ because of its high security and ease of use. (BMJ Score: 4.0)
Tippin.Me
Launch Year: 2018
Number of Supported Operating Systems: 3
User Friendliness: 5
Custodial: Yes
Tippin.Me is a custodial Bitcoin lightning Wallet, which means that the wallet holds funds on behalf of the user. While this may be a security concern for some, this wallet is meant to be used to tip small amounts of bitcoin on social media and this negates much of the risk for many. We gave Tippin.me a score of 4 because it creates a seamless user experience while keeping security a priority. (BMJ Score: 4.0)
Casa Node
Launch Year: 2018
Number of Supported Operating Systems: 1
User Friendliness: 5
Custodial: No
Casa Node is a hardware wallet. Similar to other physical wallets, the device is not free and retails for $300. It is non-custodial and enables Bitcoin Lightning Network transactions. Casa Node received its score because it’s simple and discreet (BMJ Score: 4.0)
Shockwallet
Launch Year: 2020
Number of Supported Operating Systems: 1
User Friendliness: 3.5
Custodial: No
Shockwallet is a non-custodial supper-app built for the Bitcoin Lightning Network. It connects to graph user nodes and a remote LND node to offer an open and decentralized social network. Shockwallet receives a high score thanks to its decentralized social network and the ability to run your node anywhere. (BMJ Score: 4.0)
Breez
Launch Year: 2018
Number of Supported Operating Systems: 1
User Friendliness: 5
Custodial: No
Breez is a mobile bitcoin wallet dedicated to facilitating instant bitcoin transfers over the Lightning Network. The wallet is non-custodial so users have control of their funds at all time. It is fast and easy to use. Breez received its score thanks to its robust website and beginner-friendly platform. However, it’s only supported by one operating system. (BMJ Score: 4.0)
Eclair
Launch Year: 2017
Number of Supported Operating Systems: 1
User Friendliness: 5
Custodial: No
The Eclair wallet was developed by Acinq, a Paris-based blockchain firm with a focus on the Bitcoin Lightning Network. This wallet is among the most popular Lightning Network wallets in the market today. Eclair mobile is only available for Android users and offers send-only functionality. While Eclair is easy to set up, we gave it a lower score because it only supports one operating system currently (BMJ Score: 3.5)
Wallet of Satoshi
Launch Year: 2019
Number of Supported Operating Systems: 2
User Friendliness: 5
Custodial: Yes
Wallet of Satoshi is designed for ease of use. While it succeeds in this area, it is a fully custodial wallet, which some users may have trouble with. It is available for both Android and iOS. While the Wallet of Satoshi is simple and beginner-friendly, more advanced users may not appreciate its lack of extra features (BMJ Score: 3.5)
Bitcoin Lightning Wallet
Launch Year: 2015
Number of Supported Operating Systems: 3
User Friendliness: 3
Custodial: Yes
Bitcoin Lightning Wallet is a non-custodial Bitcoin wallet that gives you total control over your funds. The wallet uses Olympus Servers, which provide partial payment routes and store encrypted backup of your payment channel, and provide watchtower services (this means you don’t need to be online to receive your funds). Bitcoin Lightning Wallet is super simple to operate, but it’s only available on Android devices (BMJ Score: 3.5)
Phoenix
Launch Year: 2019
Number of Supported Operating Systems: 5
User Friendliness: 4
Custodial: No
Phoenix is a self-contained lightning node, which means you don’t have to run another lightning node at home or on the cloud. It has an intuitive and simple UX design, making it easy for beginners. Phoenix received a solid score because it’s compatible with many operating systems. However, it doesn’t have the advanced security features of other wallets. (BMJ Score: 3.5)
Zeus
Launch Year: 2020
Number of Supported Operating Systems: 3
User Friendliness: 4
Custodial: Yes
Zeus is an open-source wallet that features a dynamic fee table that allows you to set fees at just the press of a button. It also allows you to adjust your routing fee rates on the fly and get a breakdown of your connected channels so you can see how they’re balanced. Zeus is easy to set up, but some users find that it’s easy to make mistakes with this wallet. (BMJ Score: 3.5)
Spark
Launch Year: 2018
Number of Supported Operating Systems: 4
User Friendliness: 4
Custodial: No
Spark is a bitcoin wallet that also supports the Lightning Network. The wallet is available on mobile devices as well as on a desktop. It supports both receive and send features. Spark is a great wallet because of its personalized themes, but some users find it doesn’t always display accurate balances. (BMJ Score: 3.5)
Our Top Pick: Hexa Wallet
Due to its user-friendliness and open source ethos, Hexa is our top pick for best blockchain wallet.
With that said, many of the wallets here are still in beta mode, and may have bugs. Do your own research and read user reviews carefully; you may wish to avoid storing large amounts of bitcoin.
Additionally, be careful of bitcoin transaction fees. While proponents claim that Lightning Network will drop fees on the main blockchain, blockchain congestion is just one reason why transaction fees are high. The Lightning Network also calls for transaction charges to open and close channels between two parties, as well as routing fees to transfer payments between channels.
Finally, the nodes on the Bitcoin Lightning Network are required to stay online at all times, which makes them more susceptible to malicious attacks.
At the current stage of development of these wallets and the Lightning Network itself, it is better to use Lightning Network wallets to play around with off-chain bitcoin transactions and their underlying technology. Use established bitcoin wallets to store large holdings.
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