How To Find the Best Solana Wallet for Your Needs in 2024

Solana is a fast, decentralized blockchain, popular for things like memecoins, Solana NFTs and gaming. Its main innovation is proof of history (PoH) which uses hashed timestamps to confirm when transactions happen. While you’re looking for the best Solana wallet, it’s important to make sure it's Solana-compatible. If it’s not, you won’t be able to store or manage Solana-based assets like SOL tokens and NFTs. 

This guide will help you find the best Solana wallet for your needs by taking you through some of the most popular wallets; Magic Eden Wallet, Phantom, Solflare and Backpack. We’ll go through things like security features, UX, the setup process, additional features and any fees or costs that go with each. Let’s dive into it.

Magic Eden Wallet for Solana

The Magic Eden Wallet is a great option for those who want to easily interact with multiple chains, including Solana. This cross-chain wallet has robust security features, an easy to navigate design and integrates with the Magic Eden platform to buy, list and make offers on your favorite NFTs. This wallet also partners with projects across Solana and multiple other chains to give exclusive perks to Magic Eden Wallet users. 

Features

• Comprehensive view of your Solana balance, current price, transaction history and options to buy, swap, receive and send. 
• Buy SOL with your debit card and top up funds in seconds.
• Magic Eden is a cross-chain wallet, meaning that your activities aren't just restricted to Solana when you’re using this wallet.
  • With this also comes multi-chain portfolio management, letting you see your portfolio, pricing and transaction history in real time across chains. 
  • You can also swap different assets across chains, like BTC to SOL, within the wallet. 

• Unique loyalty rewards and partnerships with top projects, giving users access to things like rewards, tokens and Whitelists.
• Quickly (and accurately) copy your Solana address with one-click copy.

UX

• The wallet is very straightforward, with 5 tabs to view your NFTs, assets, swap, buy/sell and see your profile.
• Finding your Solana-based address, features and assets are incredibly simple and straightforward, especially for someone new coming into Web3. 
• Another feature of the Magic Eden Wallet design is that it’s easy to find support. You can find the support button under the profile view, which is the last tab on the bottom of the screen. 

Security

• Magic Eden Wallet’s code has been thoroughly reviewed by third-party security auditor Halborn. You can check out the audit for yourself here. 
• This wallet allows you to move unwanted, spam NFTs into a hidden folder. 
• Scam Detection with Magic Eden Wallet’s Fraud Detection engine works across all chains (including Solana, of course) to prevent fraud and protect what’s in your wallet. 
• Ledger support is available for added security. 
• Magic Eden doesn’t hold or access your funds or any personally identifiable information. 
• Magic Eden Wallet is self-custodial, meaning that your keys are in your hands only. No one else has access to your wallet and personal information.
• Magic Eden Wallet offers a bug bounty to encourage and incentivize community members to report any issues they find with the wallet. 

Setup

• After downloading the Magic Eden Wallet, the process is simple and straightforward with all the typical setup steps: create a password, save your seed phrase and pin to the browser for easy access. 

Fees/Costs

• Magic Eden Wallet is free to download. 

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Phantom Wallet for Solana

Phantom gives users a great looking UI, a variety of security features and is available for desktop and mobile. Phantom’s wallet is also cross-chain, and offers clean charts to track prices on things like SOL. 

Features

• Phantom is available on mobile for iOS and Android, as well as on desktop for Firefox, Chrome, Brave and Edge. 
• This is a cross-chain wallet, meaning you can interact with multiple chains with Phantom. 
• Clicking into Solana on the first tab will bring you to a simple page where you can grab your QR code or copy your Solana address, swap, stake and view activity on Solscan. 
• The Solana tab also allows you to see 24 hour pricing changes to SOL, and when you click into it, you can choose between daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and all-time charts. This page also allows you to see different info on the token, such as its market cap, total and circulating supply. 
• 24/7 support is available through both articles and chat on their site. 
• Besides searching for compatible sites, tokens, collections and quests, their explore tab offers a “Learn” section, where you can read through different articles to help your web3 knowledge. 

UX

• Phantom offers 5 tabs; one to view your balances and receive, send, swap and buy cryptocurrencies, another to view NFTs, one to swap assets, an activity tab and an explore page to find different sites, tokens, collections and to learn more through articles. 
• Hovering over your account name also lets you quickly copy your Solana address, and any other addresses you may need, directly to your clipboard. 
• Phantom’s UX is straight-forward and doesn’t require pre-existing knowledge to use it. 

Security

• Phantom is self-custodial, meaning that your wallet remains completely under your control, with only you holding the keys.
• You can connect your Ledger, which is an external hardware wallet, to add an extra layer of security. 
• This wallet features scam detection flags, which warn you if they believe what you’re interacting with is unsafe. 
• Phantom’s code has been independently audited by Kudelski Security. You can read the report here. 
• A bug bounty program is offered with Phantom, allowing for white hat hackers to be rewarded for finding issues that could make users lose funds. 

Setup

• Select your desired download spot (between different browsers or mobile devices) and then go through the typical steps; create a new wallet, password, agree to the terms of service and write down your secret recovery phrase. After these steps are completed, just pin it to your browser and you’re good to go. 

Fees/Costs

• Phantom does not require any upfront fees to download and use the wallet. 

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Solflare Wallet for Solana

Solflare is a Solana-exclusive wallet that offers a desktop extension, site and mobile app. This wallet also allows you to stake SOL within their wallet and get a full rundown on prices with their built-out chart options. 

Features

• Solflare is available on desktop and mobile devices.
• You can stake SOL within the wallet with the Solflare validator to earn staking rewards. 
• Unlike other wallets we’ve looked at so far, Solflare is a Solana-exclusive wallet, meaning you’ll need to use another wallet if you’d like to participate in activities on Bitcoin, Ethereum and so on. 
• Under Portfolio for their desktop site, clicking into Solana will give you a full rundown of how much SOL you have, candlestick and line chart Trading View options for multiple timeframes and extra information on the token such as market cap, 24hr volume and liquidity. This tab will also allow you to buy, receive, send, stake and view your transactions in the explorer. 

UX

• Solflare offers a desktop extension, site and mobile app. 
• The site seems to have the most features between this and the desktop extension. The wallet on the site offers 6 tabs in addition to the setting and profile tab; Portfolio, Collectibles (your NFTs), Staking, Trade (swaps), Bridge and Activity. 
• If you choose to use the browser extension, the tabs that you’ll see will be your Wallet/Portfolio, NFTs, Swaps, Activity and Settings. 
• On the first tab (Wallet/Portfolio), you’ll also see options to receive, buy, swap, stake and send, with a QR code and quick-copy Solana address available as well. 
• Their UX is fairly clean and simple, with most language and features being straight forward. 

Security

• Solflare simulates transactions so that you can see what will leave your wallet before signing. 
• This wallet supports Ledger hardware wallets for both web and mobile. 
• Solflare detects and warns you before you interact with possibly unsafe sites. 
• You can quickly and easily get support through Solflare’s support tab and ‘Get Help’ button, which brings you to the Solflare Academy where you can look at guides on common issues, or directly contact support through their chat function. 

Setup

• Setup is simple and quick, and Solflare allows you to copy your recovery phrase right to your keyboard or download it. Solflare also offers extra tips on the right hand side of the screen as you set up your wallet. 

Fees/Costs

• Solflare is free to download.

Backpack Wallet for Solana

Backpack is a minimalistic, multi-chain wallet that gives users the option to download on mobile and desktop. Backpack has some interesting security features, such as locking select NFT collections, and also gives users access to xNFTs, which are dApps that operate within Backpack.

Features

• You can download Backpack for mobile on the Apple app store, Google Play and on Android. Backpack also offers desktop downloads for Chrome, Brave and Arc. 
• Backpack is multi-chain, allowing you to connect to Etherum, Arbitrum or Solana, and add multiple wallets under each. 
• Backpack gives users access to xNFTs, which are dApps that operate within Backpack and have functions like embedded mint and claim, token-gated chats, loyalty rewards and more. 
• Backpack’s explore page is fairly robust, allowing you to see compatible apps as well as “Top Gainers” and “Top Assets” for different tokens.

UX

• Backpack’s UX is one of the most minimalistic on our list with only four tabs: Tokens (your portfolio), Collectibles (NFTs), Activity and an Explore tab to look at different apps and tokens. 
• Backpack makes it easy to have multiple wallets for the network you choose (in this case, Solana), and also allows you to quickly copy those addresses to your clipboard.
• Backpack’s Chrome extension also allows you to “snap” the wallet into the side of the screen so that it stays open as you’re browsing. You can see this in the images below.  

Security

• Backpack is non-custodial, meaning that it enables users to have complete control over their assets with users having complete ownership over their private keys. 
• This wallet has the ability to lock select NFT collections for safe-keeping, so that the wallet automatically rejects any transaction requests when it’s in this mode. 
• Backpack's is open source, allowing users to see their code for full transparency. 

Setup

• Setup is standard and simple. Quick-copy your seed phrase to your clipboard, select the chain you’d like to use the wallet for, name your account and pin in to the browser. Their final setup screen also gives you direct links to their Support, Twitter (X) and Discord, as well as a link to open their exchange. 

Fees/Costs

• Downloading Backpack is free. 

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How to Get a Solana Wallet

There are a bunch of ways to get yourself a Solana wallet, all depending on what tickles your fancy.

The first question you’ll need to ask yourself is do you prefer a mobile wallet, a browser extension wallet or a desktop application? 

The good news is that most top Solana wallets support multiple platforms, so you can easily hop between your computer and smartphone.

Next, you’ll need to pick a wallet that speaks to you the most—or rather, one that has the features you want. You can then download and install the wallet directly from the website or through app stores such as Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Most wallets are pretty easy to set up: download and install them, then follow the steps to set up a secure password and store your seed phrase in a secure place. Remember, your seed phrase is the only way to regain access to your wallet if your device gets damaged or you accidentally delete the app. That’s why it’s super important to keep it somewhere safe.

To get your wallet, follow these steps:

• Head over to the wallet’s website and look for the download options. You’ll see there whether it’s a browser extension, desktop app or mobile app—choose the one that works for you
• You’re all set! The next step is funding your wallet, which we’ll cover in the next part..
• Follow the installation steps. There’s usually nothing fancy here; just give the program the green light to install on your device.
• Set up a new wallet or connect an existing one. This will depend on whether it’s your first time using this wallet or if you’re just changing devices. Setting up a new wallet means setting a secure password and backing up your seed phrase. If you’re connecting an old one, you’ll need to verify it’s yours.

How to fund your new Solana Wallet

After you select the best Solana wallet for you needs, you’ll need to fund it! Funding your wallet is easy, and only requires a few steps.

1. Buy SOL Tokens: SOL is the native currency for Solana. You can purchase SOL from most cryptocurrency exchanges. Popular options include Coinbase, Binance, and Kraken.
2. Transfer SOL to your Solana wallet: Next, you need to move the SOL from your account on the exchange to your wallet.
   1. Find your Solana address from the wallet you just created.
   2. Withdraw the SOL you purchased in step 1. Enter your Solana address. Make sure to double check that the address matches the one in your wallet. Most wallets support a copy-and-paste feature to eliminate mistakes.
3. Use Solana: Your wallet is now funded! You can use your new funds to pay for on-chain transactions, including buying NFTs, exchanging for tokens, or playing Solana games.

You’ve made it to the end of the list! We hope you feel informed enough to take Solana by storm with your new crypto wallet. If you’re still deciding, you can download Magic Eden Wallet in the meantime to experience all your favorite chains, including Solana, with the wallet.

FAQs

What is Solana's official wallet?

There’s no official wallet for Solana. Instead, you get to choose a wallet that works best for you. That’s where your research comes in: you’ll need to know what you’re looking for in a Solana wallet, what kind of device you’ll be using it on and whether you have preferences for things you’d like to see. 

This is also the purpose of well-researched guides: they’re here to offer you a list of pros and cons, so you can look into the available options and see which one’s best for you.

What is the best wallet for Solana?

It’s pretty hard to say which one’s the best wallet for Solana because what’s best for you might not be the best for someone else. Your wallet choice depends on your specific needs as a Solana user. 

For example, if you’re looking to trade a lot on the go, you’ll need a mobile wallet with a seamless in-app trading interface. If you’re looking to spice up your NFT collection with some of the latest drops from the Solana ecosystem and prefer to marvel at your NFTs on your desktop, you’d probably prefer a desktop or browser extension wallet.