Ethereum Browser Wallets Reviewed
The best choices for more casual crypto users
But why?
There's no question that the best crypto wallets are downloadable apps and hardware wallets and that browser-based solutions can be riskier, but for an average crypto user that has only a small amount of money in crypto, they can work perfectly, especially the ones that allow connecting using web3.
The wallets
For this review, I took a look at three wallets:
Metamask, the most popular
Guarda, a wallet supporting most big coins
MyEtherWallet (MEW), for beginners and amateurs
The reviews
MEW
I'll start with MEW, since it is by far the most interesting. They offer many ways to create an account, the recommended one being using the mobile app. Since I use my laptop for pretty much everything, I went with creation using a mnemonic of 12 words. What makes this system the most interesting for me is that it is more of an Ethereum account creation system than anything else, allowing the use of any wallet with your new account since you already have access to the mnemonic. It does however have its own browser wallet extension. MEW is also recommended by the official ethereum.org site as a casual wallet.
My final words on MEW: With a setup simple enough for a toddler to understand, I give MEW a 10/10.
Guarda
Next is Guarda, a multi-currency website and browser extension wallet supporting 55 different coins. Guarda is also geared towards beginners, with a simple interface and a noticeable lack of any complicated settings or options. You are given 26 of the 55 enabled by default, including all major coins suck as ETH and BTC. It also has options for finance such as loans, making it a decent all-purpose setup.
My final words on Guarda: Simple interface and access to many coins, but distinct lack of tokens nets this service a 6/10.
Metamask
Metamask is the wallet I personally use when browsing the web, but I won't let that cloud my judgement. The app provides easy access to tokens and and ETH, with built in swapping systems so you can easily manage finance. Metamask is a web3 wallet allowing it to connect to many sites and services. It makes creating new accounts, importing and linking them easy. It is however more complicated than MEW to set up and use, so it gets a lower score.
My final words on Metamask: Easy web3, easy token swapping, advanced options. An easy 9/10 from me.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed!
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