Crypto hardware wallet comparison KeepKey vs Trezor Safe 5
Our impressions
KeepKey
Trezor Safe 5
- Has a great community and (d)app ecosystem
- Small form factor and portable
- Touchscreen with Gorilla® Glass 3
- Excellent value at a reasonable price point
- Outdated microUSB port
- Needs constant USB connection
- Requires constant USB connection to operate
- In our tests touch input was not as accurate as with the older Model T. We experienced situations that felt like lag, where we had to press multiple times, and adjacent letters to the ones we tried to enter. It is not a deal-breaker, but hopefully something that can improve with future firmware updates.
The product has a nice build quality and finish, a solid (d)app ecosystem, and a great community. The product launched in 2015 and it shows its age, compared to newer hardware wallet products. Most notably it has no secure element, a microUSB port, and limits itself to a single button for on-device input.
That being said, we would still prefer it over any software wallet, though.
The second product in the first line of Trezor products incorporating a secure element. The Trezor flagship model with touchscreen and successor of the Model T. Main difference being, that it lost the convenient magnetic dock, gained a Gorilla® Glass 3 front , snappier hardware, and a minimally sleeker form factor.
Is it worth it?
If you are in the market for a new hardware wallet this seems one of the most secure, versatile, and portable options.Trezor is the most veteran and one of the biggest players in the hardware wallet market for a reason. Their newest products belong to the best products you can get currently.
If you already have a Model T and use wallets with long custom 25th word there is not really a compelling need for the upgrade.
Even if you don’t have a Model T and are looking for a new hardware wallet, the Trezor Safe 3 is a very strong competitor. It too has a Secure Element, is even a tiny bit smaller and easier to carry, and has a phenomenal alternative text input method with two buttons – which does not feel much inferior to touchscreen input TBH. Given that it boasts almost the same feature-set, coin support, and costs less than half the Trezor Safe 5 we feel like the Trezor Safe 3 is the logical choice.
We recommend you go for the Trezor Model 5 only if you prefer touch input, want to make use of the advanced SD card feature, or need to have the latest and shiniest gadget.
Disclaimer: Our impressions are based on a compilation of factors tailored to the average user’s perspective. It is also important to note that whether a feature is a “pro” or “con” can depend on your situation and preferences. What may be an advantage in one scenario could be a challenge in another, and vice versa. Therefore, while reviewing these points, it’s essential to consider your unique requirements and circumstances when making decisions. This list aims to provide an idea of what to anticipate, but it is not the ultimate guide to determining whether something will work for you or not.
Key features
KeepKey
Trezor Safe 5
2015
2024
Supports multiple coins
Supports 7.000+ assets on 340+ blockchains
Supports multiple coins, Bitcoin-only mode available
- BTC, ETH, LTC, XLM , DOGE, DASH, ZEC, NEM,
- and a thousand others. See a full list at trezor.io/coins
- Firmware
- Companion software
- Firmware
- Companion software
- BIP-39 (Mnemonic phrase)
- Passphrase
- BIP-39 (Mnemonic phrase)
- SLIP-39 (Shamir backup)
- Passphrase
- On device PIN entry
after 3 wrong PIN entries an increasing timeout is applied for each wrong PIN (we stopped testing at 256 seconds around wrong PIN #8 or so)
- Secure element
- On device PIN entry
- Factory reset with wrong PIN
- Factory reset with decoy PIN
- On device passphrase entry
- On device recovery
Secure Element protected Certified Chip EAL6+
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
- Android
on Linux make sure to add udev rules
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
- Android
- iOS
- ChromeOS
iOS view only, ChromeOS is not officially supported, but it should work via Google chrome WebUSB protocol.
- FIDO U2F
- FIDO2 Webauthn
- SSH
can be used in conjunction with the companion app to store TOTP secrets and generate codes for TOTP based 2FA
Technical specifications
KeepKey
Trezor Safe 5
94 mm x 38.4 mm x 12.2 mm
3.7 in x 1.51 in x 0.48 in
65.9 mm x 40 mm x 8 mm
2.59 in x 1.57 in x 0.31 in
52 g
1.83 oz
23 g
0.81 oz
- Monochrome
- OLED
256×64 pixels
- Color
- Touchscreen
Color touchscreen with haptic feedback
240 x 240 px
- micro USB
- USB-C
- microSD card
160MHz embedded ARM processor (Cortex M33)
CE and RoHS certifications
Airplane and X-ray safe
Black plastics and Anodized Aluminum
Durable PC-ABS plastic, tamper-evident casing, anodized aluminum backplates, and intricate laser engraving
Available in black and multiple colors