Best Monero Wallets for iOS and Android (2026)
Honest comparison of the best Monero wallets on mobile: Monero One, Cake Wallet, Monerujo, and Monero GUI.
The best Monero wallet for most people in 2026 is one that connects directly to the Monero network, keeps your keys on your device, and doesn't collect data. On iOS, that's Monero One. On Android, Monero One (in beta) and Monerujo both connect directly to nodes. Cake Wallet is faster but uses a light wallet server that sees your transactions. Here's how they compare.
Best Monero Wallets Compared
Most wallet comparison articles list features in a table and stop there. The real differences are architectural, and they affect your privacy.
How does it connect to the network? Light wallet servers (LWS) scan the blockchain for you. Fast, but the server operator sees your view key and every transaction you receive. Direct node connections keep your view key on your device. Slower, but private.
Is it still maintained? MyMonero shut down partly because LWS infrastructure is expensive to run. If your wallet's backend disappears, so does your access.
Does it actually respect privacy? Some wallets marketed as "private" ship analytics SDKs. Check the privacy manifest.
The Wallets
Monero One
Platforms: iOS (App Store), Android (beta)
Source: GitHub
Network: Direct node connection via RPC
We built Monero One because we wanted a Monero wallet that doesn't require trusting a third-party server with your view key. The default node is node.monero.one, but you can use Hashvault, Seth for Privacy, or your own. Two Tor onion nodes are included out of the box.
Polyseed support means 16-word seeds with embedded wallet birthdays for fast restoration. Trusted Locations lets you geofence where your wallet syncs. Dynamic Island shows live sync progress without opening the app. Full VoiceOver accessibility. The iOS privacy manifest declares only UserDefaults access. No analytics, no tracking, no telemetry.
Pros: Direct node connection, Tor support, Trusted Locations, Polyseed, native iOS features, zero data collection
Cons: Newer app with a smaller community. Initial sync takes longer than LWS-based wallets.
Cake Wallet
Platforms: iOS, Android
Source: GitHub
Network: Light wallet server
The most popular Monero wallet on mobile. Around since 2018, supports Bitcoin and Litecoin alongside Monero, and includes a built-in exchange. Sync is fast because their LWS infrastructure does the heavy lifting.
The trade-off: their server scans the blockchain using your view key. They can see your incoming transactions and balance. Cake Wallet is also a multi-coin wallet, so Monero-specific features get less attention than in a Monero-only app.
Pros: Established since 2018, fast sync, multi-coin, built-in exchange, large community
Cons: LWS trust model means the server sees your transactions. Multi-coin scope dilutes Monero focus.
Monerujo
Platforms: Android only
Source: GitHub
Network: Direct remote node connection
A Monero-only wallet for Android that connects directly to remote nodes, similar to Monero One. Maintained by a small team for years. Simple, lightweight, gets the job done.
Pros: Monero-focused, direct node connection, custom node support, long track record
Cons: Android only. No iOS version. Basic interface. Development has slowed down.
Monero GUI Wallet
Platforms: Desktop only (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Source: Official Monero project
Network: Full node or remote node
The reference implementation from the Monero project. Can run a full local node for maximum trustlessness. Not a mobile option, but it's the gold standard for desktop users and large holdings.
Pros: Official, full node support, most complete feature set
Cons: Desktop only, slow initial sync, steep learning curve
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Monero One | Cake Wallet | Monerujo |
|---|---|---|---|
| iOS | Yes | Yes | No |
| Android | Beta | Yes | Yes |
| Monero-only | Yes | No | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Network model | Direct RPC | Light wallet server | Direct RPC |
| Tor support | Yes | Yes | No |
| Custom node | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Polyseed (16-word) | Yes | No | No |
| Dynamic Island | Yes | No | No |
| Live Activities | Yes | No | No |
| Trusted Locations | Yes | No | No |
The LWS Question
This is the biggest difference between these wallets and most comparison articles ignore it completely.
Light wallet servers work like this: you give the server your view key, it scans the blockchain, and returns your transactions and balance. The server operator can see every incoming transaction, your total balance, and your full transaction history. For a cryptocurrency that exists specifically because of privacy, trusting a third party with all that data is a real concession.
Direct node connections work differently. Your phone requests raw blockchain data from a node and scans it locally. The node serves blocks but can't see your transactions because it never has your view key. It's slower because your phone does the work, but the trust model is clean.
MyMonero pioneered the LWS approach and shut down partly because the server costs were unsustainable. When an LWS provider disappears, wallets that depend on it stop working. Direct node wallets just point at a different node.
We wrote more about this trade-off in our guide on how to store Monero safely.
Which Monero Wallet Should You Use?
iOS, privacy-focused: Monero One. Direct node connection, Tor, zero data collection.
Fastest sync, multi-coin: Cake Wallet. Fast LWS sync, supports other cryptocurrencies alongside Monero.
Android, simple and proven: Monerujo. Direct node connection, been around for years. Monero One's Android beta is also worth trying.
All of these wallets are non-custodial and open source. The decision comes down to whether you prioritize sync speed or the trust model of your network connection.