The Best Monero (XMR) Wallets in 2025

Monero (XMR) is still one of the most privacy-focused cryptocurrencies on the market, but the coin alone cannot guarantee anonymity. The wallet you use matters just as much: it stores your private keys, handles transactions, and protects you from data leaks through untrusted apps or centralized platforms.

In this guide, we review the best Monero wallets in 2025 — hardware, desktop and mobile — and explain which option is better for long-term storage, everyday payments, or managing a diversified crypto portfolio.

In short (TL;DR):

• Ledger Nano X / Ledger Nano S Plus — the most reliable setup for long-term cold storage of large XMR balances.
• Monero GUI Wallet — the official full-node desktop wallet with maximum control and privacy.
• Cake Wallet / Monerujo — convenient mobile wallets for everyday XMR payments.
• Guarda Wallet — a non-custodial multi-currency wallet that supports XMR alongside many other assets.
• Always keep your seed phrase offline and download wallets only from official sources.

Table of contents:

• Why choosing the right Monero wallet matters
• How Monero keeps your transactions private
• Best Monero (XMR) wallets in 2025
• How to choose the best Monero wallet for your needs
• Best practices for storing XMR safely
• How to buy Monero (XMR)
• Monero wallet FAQ
• Conclusion
• Disclaimer

Why choosing the right Monero wallet matters

Privacy is Monero’s main strength, but a poorly implemented or untrusted wallet can easily compromise it. Your choice of wallet should match your strategy: long-term holding, active trading, or daily payments.

When evaluating wallets, keep the following criteria in mind.

1. Key ownership and security

The basic rule is simple: you truly own your XMR only if you control the private keys and seed phrase. Hardware wallets and full-node desktop wallets offer the highest level of control. Custodial solutions, where a third party controls the keys, may be convenient but introduce additional counterparty and security risks.

2. Privacy and open-source code

For Monero, it is crucial that the wallet correctly implements privacy features such as stealth addresses, ring signatures, and RingCT. Open-source code allows independent auditors to review the implementation and reduces the probability of hidden vulnerabilities or intentional backdoors.

3. Usability and performance

Full-node wallets provide maximum control but require downloading and synchronizing the entire blockchain, which takes time and disk space. Lightweight and mobile wallets are much easier to set up and use, but they rely on remote nodes. For most beginners, a mobile wallet is the easiest starting point, while larger balances are better kept on hardware devices combined with a desktop wallet.

4. Project support and updates

Monero is an actively evolving protocol. There are regular upgrades that improve privacy and performance. Wallets that are not maintained can quickly become outdated or insecure. Whenever possible, choose solutions that are updated regularly and supported by an active team and community.

How Monero keeps your transactions private

To understand what you should expect from a wallet, it helps to briefly look at how Monero achieves on-chain privacy.

Monero uses several privacy technologies:

• Stealth addresses — each payment is sent to a unique one-time address, which makes it impossible to view a wallet’s balance from the outside;
• Ring signatures — each transaction input is mixed with several decoy inputs, making it hard to determine which address actually spent the funds;
• RingCT — hides the transaction amount while still allowing cryptographic verification of the transfer.

The way your wallet handles these mechanisms — which privacy settings are available and how it connects to the network — has a direct impact on your overall level of anonymity.

Best Monero (XMR) wallets in 2025

Below are some of the most popular and battle-tested Monero wallets that remain relevant in 2025. We group them into hardware, desktop, and mobile solutions.

1. Ledger Nano X / Ledger Nano S Plus (hardware wallets)

Ledger hardware wallets remain one of the most secure ways to store Monero for the long term. Private keys never leave the device, and all transactions are signed inside the secure chip. The device interacts with the network through companion software such as the official Monero GUI Wallet or compatible apps.

Pros:

• offline storage of private keys;
• secure chip and mature security architecture;
• ability to store XMR alongside many other coins and tokens;
• works with Monero GUI Wallet and other compatible interfaces.

Cons:

• requires purchasing a hardware device;
• initial setup might feel complex for complete beginners;
• you still need a desktop or mobile interface to create and send transactions.

Ledger is ideal if you hold a significant amount of XMR and mainly follow a “buy and hold” strategy, with only occasional transactions.

2. Monero GUI Wallet (desktop, full node)

The Monero GUI Wallet is the official desktop wallet from the Monero core team. It allows you to run a full node, downloading and verifying the entire blockchain and giving you full control over how you connect to the network.

Pros:

• official open-source project maintained by the Monero community;
• full control over your node and network settings;
• maximum trust in transaction verification;
• fine-grained privacy and fee settings.

Cons:

• requires significant disk space and a stable internet connection;
• the interface and settings can be overwhelming for newcomers;
• initial synchronization takes time, especially on laptops.

Monero GUI Wallet is best suited for users who value full autonomy and are ready to dedicate a machine or VPS to running a full node. It is also a good fit for advanced users, developers, and anyone who treats privacy as a top priority.

3. Cake Wallet (iOS/Android) and Monerujo (Android)

Cake Wallet and Monerujo are two popular mobile wallets designed for everyday Monero usage. They are perfect for small and medium amounts, daily payments, and quick transfers between your own wallets or to friends and business partners.

Cake Wallet is available for both iOS and Android. It supports Monero and several other crypto assets, allows you to manage multiple accounts, and provides basic privacy and fee customization. The interface is beginner-friendly, making it a good starting point for new XMR users.

Monerujo is an open-source Android wallet built specifically for Monero. It relies on remote nodes, offers flexible fee management, and supports multiple profiles within a single app.

Pros of mobile wallets:

• very convenient for everyday use;
• fast installation and easy setup;
• well-suited for small and medium balances;
• recovery via a standard seed phrase.

Cons:

• security depends on your phone (screen lock, OS updates, absence of malware);
• using remote nodes means less control over the network connection;
• not the best choice for storing large long-term holdings.

4. Guarda Wallet (desktop / mobile / web)

Guarda Wallet is a multi-currency, non-custodial wallet that supports Monero and thousands of other assets. It is a good fit if XMR is part of a broader portfolio and you prefer to manage all holdings from a single interface.

Pros:

• supports a large number of coins and tokens;
• available on desktop, mobile, and as a web interface;
• non-custodial model gives you control over your seed phrases;
• convenient for managing multiple wallets and assets.

Cons:

• not fully open source, which limits independent audits;
• Monero-specific privacy features are implemented in a more basic way than in official wallets;
• some features depend on the service infrastructure.

Guarda is a reasonable choice if you focus on convenience and portfolio management, while using hardware wallets or full-node solutions for large XMR holdings.

Monero wallet comparison

Wallet	Type	Key control	Privacy level	Beginner friendliness	Best use case
Ledger Nano X / S Plus	Hardware	Maximum	High (with Monero GUI, etc.)	Medium	Long-term cold storage of large balances
Monero GUI Wallet	Desktop, full node	Maximum	Maximum	Advanced	Maximum privacy and full control
Cake Wallet	Mobile	High	High	High	Daily payments and transfers
Monerujo	Mobile (Android)	High	High	Medium	Active Monero users on Android
Guarda Wallet	Multi-currency, desktop/mobile/web	High	Medium	High	Managing a diversified portfolio

How to choose the best Monero wallet for your needs

Your ideal wallet depends on how you plan to use XMR. Here are some typical scenarios.

For long-term storage: a combination of Ledger and Monero GUI Wallet is hard to beat. The hardware device protects your private keys, while the desktop wallet gives you fine-grained control over privacy and network settings.

For frequent transfers and everyday payments: Cake Wallet and Monerujo are the most convenient options. They are quick to set up and make it easy to send and receive XMR on the go.

For a multi-coin portfolio: if you hold tens of different coins and tokens and XMR is only one position among many, a multi-asset wallet such as Guarda can simplify day-to-day management, while hardware wallets can handle long-term storage of significant XMR balances.

Best practices for storing XMR safely

Regardless of which wallet you choose, there are several universal rules that will help keep your funds safe.

• Keep your seed phrase offline. Write it down on paper or use a metal backup plate. Do not store it in screenshots, plain text notes, or cloud storage.
• Create backups. Keep at least one additional copy of your seed phrase in a separate secure location to protect against theft, fire, or hardware failure.
• Use official sources only. Download wallets from official websites and repositories, and verify file hashes or signatures whenever possible.
• Separate long-term holdings from spending funds. Use hardware or full-node wallets for large balances and mobile wallets for everyday spending.
• updаte your software regularly. Keep your operating systеm and wallet software up to date to avoid known vulnerabilities.
• Beware of phishing. Never enter your seed phrase on random websites and never share it with anyone claiming to be “support”.

How to buy Monero (XMR)

A wallet alone does not give you XMR — you still need to acquire it. You can buy Monero on exchanges, via p2p platforms, or through services that let you swap popular coins and stablecoins for XMR using a simple interface.

For example, the Xgram service allows you to exchange BTC, ETH, TON, stablecoins and other popular assets for Monero using an intuitive exchange form and transparent fees.

The general process of buying XMR looks as follows:

1. Install and configure your wallet. Choose a suitable wallet from the list above, create a new XMR address, and securely store your seed phrase.
2. Choose how you will pay. Decide whether you want to buy XMR using bitcoin, ether, other altcoins, or stablecoins.
3. Specify your wallet address. When setting up the exchange, carefully paste your XMR address from the wallet app and double-check it.
4. Send the funds. Transfer the cryptocurrency you are paying with to the address provided by the service. Pay attention to the network fee.
5. Wait for confirmation. After the incoming transaction is confirmed, the service sends XMR to your wallet. You will see an incoming transaction in your wallet history.

Monero wallet FAQ

Conclusion

The best Monero wallet in 2025 is the one that matches your priorities. If you care most about security and long-term storage, hardware wallets combined with the official Monero GUI Wallet remain the gold standard. If you value speed and convenience for everyday payments, mobile options like Cake Wallet and Monerujo are hard to beat. And if you manage a diversified crypto portfolio, a multi-currency wallet such as Guarda can simplify your daily routine.

Whichever option you choose, remember that your own practices matter more than any specific app. Store your seed phrase safely, verify that you are using official software, and keep your systеm up to date. In the Monero ecosystem, privacy begins with personal responsibility for your keys.

Disclaimer

This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Always do your own research and, if necessary, consult with qualified professionals before making investment decisions.