Best Monero desktop wallet for Windows, macOS and Linux
Feather Wallet is the best Monero desktop wallet for most people: light, fast, open source, with Tor built in and Ledger and Trezor support. Choose the official Monero GUI if you want to run your own full node for maximum privacy.
The short answer
- Feather Wallet: best everyday desktop wallet. Windows, macOS, Linux and Tails.
- Monero GUI: the official wallet; best if you run your own node.
- Monero CLI: the command-line reference wallet, for advanced users and scripts.
- Cake Wallet on macOS and Linux, and Stack Wallet on all three systems, if you want one app across phone and computer.
Desktop wallets compared
| Feather | Monero GUI | Cake Wallet | Stack Wallet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, Tails | Windows, macOS, Linux (CLI also FreeBSD) | macOS, Linux (Windows paused) | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Own full node | Can connect to one | Can run one built in | Can connect to one | Can connect to one |
| Tor | Bundled | Via SOCKS5 proxy | Built in | Optional |
| Ledger / Trezor | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes | No / No |
| Seed | Polyseed (restores 14 and 25 words) | 25 words | Polyseed, 25 words, BIP39 | Not documented |
| Coin control | Advanced | Basic | Basic | Basic |
| Latest release (Oct 2026) | v2.8.1 (14 Apr 2025) | 0.18.5.4 (16 Oct 2026) | v6.5.0 (Oct 2026) | v2.6.0 |
Feather: light and powerful
Feather starts quickly, connects to remote nodes while scanning locally, and bundles Tor. Its feature comparison shows things the GUI lacks: freezing and labelling individual outputs, manual input selection, and offline transaction signing with animated QR codes. Per its documentation it supports Ledger Nano S, S Plus, X, Flex and Stax, and Trezor Model T, Safe 3 and Safe 5 (not the Safe 7). It does not do multisig. Feather's last release, v2.8.1, dates from 14 April 2025; Debian packaged it again in October 2026, and we found no sign of a newer version. Full review: Feather Wallet.
Monero GUI: the reference
The GUI is built by the Monero Project and is the most conservative choice. In advanced mode it runs a full node (monerod) on your computer, so no third party sees your IP address or which transactions you broadcast. Simple mode uses a remote node instead. Version 0.18.5.0 (11 May 2026) added SOCKS5 proxy support and removed UPnP, and 0.18.5.4 followed in October 2026. A full node needs a large disk and a long first sync. Full review: Monero GUI and CLI.
Cake Wallet and Stack Wallet on desktop
Cake Wallet has desktop builds for macOS and Linux. Its Windows builds are paused "during a redesign slated for late 2026", per Cake's documentation, with only pre-v6 releases still on GitHub. Stack Wallet ships Windows, macOS and Linux builds (AppImage and Flatpak). Both are handy if you want the same app on your phone, but neither offers Feather's coin control.
Full node or remote node?
A desktop computer is the natural place to run your own node, and that is the biggest privacy upgrade available to a Monero user. With a remote node, the operator sees your IP address and the transactions you broadcast, and a malicious node could try to mislead your wallet about the chain. With your own node, nobody sits in between.
The cost is disk space, bandwidth and a first sync that can take a day or more on slower hardware. A pruned node keeps roughly a third of the data and is a good middle ground. You can run the node in the GUI, or run monerod separately and point Feather at it. Guides: run a Monero node and use a remote node safely.
Using a hardware wallet on desktop
The GUI, the CLI and Feather all support Ledger Nano S, S Plus and X and Trezor devices (except the Trezor Safe 7, which so far works only with Cake Wallet). The computer syncs the blockchain using the view key from the device, while the spend key stays on the device and every payment must be approved on its screen. This is the recommended setup for savings. See Monero hardware wallets.
Which should you choose?
| You want... | Choose |
|---|---|
| A quick setup and good privacy | Feather, with Tor on |
| To verify everything yourself | Monero GUI with a local node |
| To use a hardware wallet | GUI or Feather |
| A wallet on Tails | Feather |
| To automate payments | Monero CLI or wallet RPC; see accepting Monero payments |
Download safely
- Type the official address yourself: getmonero.org for the GUI and CLI, featherwallet.org for Feather. Lookalike sites are common, including a fake monero-wallet site reported in September 2025.
- Check the SHA256 hash against the signed hash list, and verify the GPG signature. This matters: getmonero.org served malicious CLI binaries for about a day in November 2019.
- Ignore update emails. The Monero Project does not announce releases by email.
- Keep your seed on paper, off the computer.
More: Monero scams and Monero cold storage.
Frequently asked questions
Is Feather Wallet better than the Monero GUI?
For daily use, many people prefer Feather because it is lighter, includes Tor and has stronger coin control. The GUI is better if you want to run a full node from the same app. Both are open source and support Ledger and Trezor.
Is Feather Wallet abandoned?
There is no sign of that, but its latest release, v2.8.1, is from 14 April 2025, and we found nothing newer as of October 2026. It still works with the current network. Keep an eye on featherwallet.org for updates before the FCMP++ upgrade.
Is there a Cake Wallet for Windows?
Not a current one. Cake's documentation says Windows desktop builds are paused during a redesign planned for late 2026. Cake is available on macOS and Linux.
How much disk space does a Monero full node need?
A full node needs well over a hundred gigabytes and grows over time; a pruned node needs much less. Check the current figure on getmonero.org before you start, and see our guide to running a node.