BitBox02 vs SafePal Comparison
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 7.6 | 5.5 |
| Type | Hardware wallet | Software wallet |
| Price | BitBox02 Multi edition: $139 one-time; BitBox02 Bitcoin-only edition: $139 one-time | Not specified |
| Free to use | No | Yes |
| Established | 2015 | 2018 |
| Platforms | ||
| Networks | ||
| Keys & recovery | ||
| Who holds the keys | You hold the keysShow detailsHide detailsA new wallet gets 24 BIP39 recovery words; the device can also restore 12-word phrases. The default backup is a file with the wallet secret on the included microSD card, which is not encrypted; the 24 words can be shown on the device screen at any time after you re-enter the device password. | You hold the keysShow detailsHide detailsThe phone app creates a 12- or 24-word BIP39 phrase (BIP39/44 derivation); the browser extension creates its own phrase at setup. Wallets can also be imported from a private key. |
| Seed format | Standard phrase (BIP39) | Standard phrase (BIP39) |
| Seed portability | Restores in other wallets | Restores in other wallets |
| Passphrase | Yes | Yes |
| Recovery | Seed phrase | Seed phrase |
| Multisig | Built in | Not supported |
| Network & metadata | ||
| Default server | The vendor's servers | The vendor's servers |
| Own node | Limited | Limited |
| Tor | Through a proxy you set up | Not supported |
| Coin control | Full | Limited |
| ID for in-app buying | Yes | Yes |
| Device purchase | Tied to your identityShow detailsHide detailsThe BitBox shop ships only to a name and postal address and asks for an email address. You can pay with Bitcoin or Lightning through BitBox's own BTCPay Server instead of a card. BitBox says order data is anonymised after 30 days, but invoices are kept for ten years under Swiss law. | Not applicable |
| Device | ||
| Secure element | In some models | Not applicable |
| Air-gapped | No | Not applicable |
| Firmware code | Fully open sourceShow detailsHide detailsBitBox says each device receives an attestation key at the factory, which the BitBoxApp checks every time you connect, and that the chips are covered in epoxy and the case halves are glued so that opening them breaks plastic pins. The device ships in a vacuum-sealed bag with a patterned seal. BitBox itself says these checks cannot rule out every physical modification of a genuine device. | Not applicable |
| Trust & transparency | ||
| App code | Fully open source | Closed source |
| Server code | Partly open source | Closed source |
| Reproducible builds | Yes | No |
| Security audit | None on record | None on record |
| Bug bounty | Yes | No |
| Jurisdiction | SwitzerlandShow detailsHide detailsShift Crypto AG is registered in the Canton of Zurich, with its address in Adliswil. Its privacy policy follows the Swiss data protection act and the GDPR, and says personal data is stored in the EU. | Not statedShow detailsHide detailsSafePal's terms and privacy policy name SkyGenesis Holdings Limited but give no country of registration or governing law. The App Store lists the seller as SAFEPAL LTD.; Google Play lists the developer as BitTech Group Limited with an address in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. The privacy policy says personal data may be moved to Singapore, Hong Kong, mainland China and the United States. |
| Owner | Shift Crypto AGShow detailsHide detailsA privately held Swiss company that sells under the BitBox brand. Its founders started the BitBox line in 2015; the BitBox02 came out in 2019. | SkyGenesis Holdings LimitedShow detailsHide detailsFounded in 2018 by Veronica Wong and two co-founders, starting as a hardware wallet maker. SafePal names Binance, Animoca Brands and Superscrypt as its backers, and says it has made a strategic investment in Fiat24, the Swiss-regulated financial institution behind its in-app IBAN account and Mastercard. |
| Telemetry | No telemetry | Always on |
| Past incident | Yes | Yes |