MetaMask scores 2 points above Phantom, led by key export and account recovery. MetaMask ranks #2 and Phantom #4 of 11 published wallets. Every term of the gap is on the ledger below; the inputs are on the audit receipt.
MetaMask80
vs
Phantom78
Scores are out of 100; published scores fall within 41–99 · ranks #2 and #4 of 11
MetaMask scores 2 points above Phantom, led by key export and account recovery.
MetaMask #2 of 1180
Phantom #4 of 1178
Scores are out of 100; published scores fall within 41–99; a bar is empty at 41 and full at 99.
Why, term by termMetaMask leads on 2 of 4 published criteria; Phantom on 1. The terms sum to the gap.
TermMetaMaskPhantomWeightPoints
Clear signing6/107/107.2−1.9for Phantom−1.0 of 32
Key export9/108/106.7+1.7for MetaMask+0.9 of 32
Account recovery9/107/104.3+2.2for MetaMask+1.2 of 32
Net of the terms+2.1
Criteria roundingThe criteria block is rounded to whole points before it is spread+0.2
Reproduced gap+2.3
Published gapAfter score rounding and bounds — see the note below8078+2.0
Weight is in points of the 86-point weighted total. Points are score points of the gap between the two.
MetaMask's lead rests on lighter criteria: Phantom is ahead on clear signing, which carries more weight (30) than any criterion MetaMask leads on (28).
MetaMaskScore 80The default EVM wallet: seed and per-account private-key export both documented on a stated BIP-44 path, a 2017-2025 public audit trail with three dated vendor advisories, and a pre-signature balance preview for contract interactions only, enforced onchain on 15 named networks for smart accounts on Extension.Strength: Key export — 9/10Watch-out: Read the fine print behind the three security claims on metamask.io before treating them as the product. All three are true and all three are narrower than they read. "Transaction protection available up to $10k" is not a wallet feature: it is Transaction Shield, "$9.99 monthly or $99 yearly", "Early access is now available on MetaMask Extension" only, capped at "Coverage of up to 100 transactions per month", and it explicitly "does not cover transactions deemed malicious by MetaMask" — so it does not pay out on the flagged case you most fear, and it does not exist on mobile. "Regularly audited by security firms" is backed by 17 genuinely public report links across 15 dated entries, but no report published since 2022 audits the shipped application itself: the 2023-2024 entries cover libraries, Snaps and build hardening, and the 2025 entries audit the mUSD stablecoin contract. And the pre-signature preview most buyers assume they are getting is, per MetaMask's own page (re-read 2026-09-28), available only "for contract interactions", not for native transfers; the enforced onchain simulation that reverts a transaction when execution diverges from the preview covers 15 named networks but is on by default only for "MetaMask smart accounts on Extension", and no page says what the confirmation screen shows when a simulation cannot be produced. If you pair a hardware device, two MetaMask troubleshooting pages tell you to enable blind signing, one of them with no qualifier at all. Finally, the exit that makes this record strong — pulling your encrypted vault out of local storage and decrypting it offline — is Chromium-desktop-only: MetaMask's own recovery page says it is "not currently possible" on Android or iOS, that the iOS method "is no longer working", that an Android solution is still being worked on, and that Firefox's data-encoding changes have made the instructions "of limited use".PhantomScore 78The Solana-native software wallet turned multichain money app, whose default new-user account now keeps its private key in a Phantom-run enclave that will not export it.Strength: Key export — 8/10Watch-out: Read 'Understanding Phantom KMS' before you commit, because the wallet a new user actually gets is not the wallet the reviews describe. The documented default is "create a new wallet with Google or Apple", and those wallets run on Phantom KMS, where "Wallet keys are stored remotely in a secure enclave, not on your device" and "the Show Private Key option is not available for these accounts." Every signature on that account is a request to Phantom's KMS API, authorised in a vendor-run Policy Engine enclave before a Signer enclave returns the signature - and no published audit covers KMS, because the audit repository has not been pushed since 2024-07-05. Since the August 2026 migration your Google or Apple account is the single factor protecting the wallet, and the vendor's own documentation has not caught up: one page (2026-08-15) says the four-digit PIN is gone while three others (2026-06-12, 2026-07-12 and the 2026-08-16 sign-in page itself) still require or prompt for it. The mitigation is real, portable and easy to skip: export the 12-word BIP-39 phrase from Settings > Security & Privacy > Show Recovery Phrase the day you install, because Phantom states it "works in any compatible wallet app" and, without it, "If you are logged out of Phantom on all devices and can't access your Google or Apple account, your wallet cannot be recovered." Two further traps: restoring by Google or Apple "restores only your first account automatically, regardless of how many accounts your wallet had before", so a multi-account user should restore from the phrase instead; and if you want keys on your own device from the start you must onboard on the browser extension, because a recovery-phrase wallet cannot be created in the mobile app at all.
Quick facts
At a glance
3 of 4 rows read the same for both.
FactMetaMaskPhantom
PricingSnapshot"Subscribing to Transaction Shield is $9.99 monthly or $99 yearly, and includes: Transaction Protection of up to $10,000 per month for eligible interactions", with "Coverage of up to 100 transactions per month", "Try it free for 14 days." and "Early access is now available on MetaMask Extension." (support.metamask.io/manage-crypto/transactions/transaction-shield/, fetched 28 October 2026). The wallet client itself carries no download or subscription price on any vendor page; MetaMask monetises through transaction fees, both vendor-stated on their own pages: the buy FAQ says "MetaMask receives a 1% fee on every transaction, calculated as a percentage of the fiat value you request" (support.metamask.io/manage-crypto/move-crypto/buy/faqs/, fetched 28 October 2026), and the swaps guide breaks a quote into "Quote rate", "Network fee" and "MetaMask fee: 0.875%" (support.metamask.io/trade/swap/user-guide-swaps/, fetched 28 October 2026).Swap fees, from help.phantom.com/articles/5985106844435 (fetched 28 October 2026): Phantom fee "0.85%, applies to most swaps. Some flows, such as deposits to your perps balance, and swaps from USDC , USDT , USDG , PYUSD into your Cash account, do not carry this fee." Network fee "Varies, and may be sponsored if the swap is gasless." The same page sets a floor: "Cross-chain swaps and swaps on Robinhood Chain may have a minimum of $2 (USD value)." The client itself is free: "Download Phantom for free on iOS, Android, or as a browser extension at phantom.com/download ." (help.phantom.com/articles/36482144712083, fetched 28 October 2026). Cash-account rails are priced separately on help.phantom.com/articles/44800531617939 (fetched 28 October 2026): add cash by debit card "1.75%", credit card "3.50%", direct deposit from a US bank account "0.30%", domestic wire from a US bank account "1.00%", standard ACH withdrawal "Free", fast ACH withdrawal "$1.00 flat + 0.75% (min $1.50)".
Asset coverageEditorial——
Region fitSnapshotglobalglobal
Custody modelEditorialSelf-custody: the vendor cannot move funds without your keySelf-custody: the vendor cannot move funds without your key
From the published criteria
Which should you pick?
MetaMask
80#2 of 11
Leads
Pick it when
Pick MetaMask if key export matters most — it scores 9/10 to Phantom's 8/10 there (weight 28).
Strength
Key export — 9/10
Tradeoff
Read the fine print behind the three security claims on metamask.io before treating them as the product. All three are true and all three are narrower than they read. "Transaction protection available up to $10k" is not a wallet feature: it is Transaction Shield, "$9.99 monthly or $99 yearly", "Early access is now available on MetaMask Extension" only, capped at "Coverage of up to 100 transactions per month", and it explicitly "does not cover transactions deemed malicious by MetaMask" — so it does not pay out on the flagged case you most fear, and it does not exist on mobile. "Regularly audited by security firms" is backed by 17 genuinely public report links across 15 dated entries, but no report published since 2022 audits the shipped application itself: the 2023-2024 entries cover libraries, Snaps and build hardening, and the 2025 entries audit the mUSD stablecoin contract. And the pre-signature preview most buyers assume they are getting is, per MetaMask's own page (re-read 2026-09-28), available only "for contract interactions", not for native transfers; the enforced onchain simulation that reverts a transaction when execution diverges from the preview covers 15 named networks but is on by default only for "MetaMask smart accounts on Extension", and no page says what the confirmation screen shows when a simulation cannot be produced. If you pair a hardware device, two MetaMask troubleshooting pages tell you to enable blind signing, one of them with no qualifier at all. Finally, the exit that makes this record strong — pulling your encrypted vault out of local storage and decrypting it offline — is Chromium-desktop-only: MetaMask's own recovery page says it is "not currently possible" on Android or iOS, that the iOS method "is no longer working", that an Android solution is still being worked on, and that Firefox's data-encoding changes have made the instructions "of limited use".
Phantom
78#4 of 11
Pick it when
Pick Phantom if clear signing matters most — it scores 7/10 to MetaMask's 6/10 there (weight 30).
Strength
Key export — 8/10
Tradeoff
Read 'Understanding Phantom KMS' before you commit, because the wallet a new user actually gets is not the wallet the reviews describe. The documented default is "create a new wallet with Google or Apple", and those wallets run on Phantom KMS, where "Wallet keys are stored remotely in a secure enclave, not on your device" and "the Show Private Key option is not available for these accounts." Every signature on that account is a request to Phantom's KMS API, authorised in a vendor-run Policy Engine enclave before a Signer enclave returns the signature - and no published audit covers KMS, because the audit repository has not been pushed since 2024-07-05. Since the August 2026 migration your Google or Apple account is the single factor protecting the wallet, and the vendor's own documentation has not caught up: one page (2026-08-15) says the four-digit PIN is gone while three others (2026-06-12, 2026-07-12 and the 2026-08-16 sign-in page itself) still require or prompt for it. The mitigation is real, portable and easy to skip: export the 12-word BIP-39 phrase from Settings > Security & Privacy > Show Recovery Phrase the day you install, because Phantom states it "works in any compatible wallet app" and, without it, "If you are logged out of Phantom on all devices and can't access your Google or Apple account, your wallet cannot be recovered." Two further traps: restoring by Google or Apple "restores only your first account automatically, regardless of how many accounts your wallet had before", so a multi-account user should restore from the phrase instead; and if you want keys on your own device from the start you must onboard on the browser extension, because a recovery-phrase wallet cannot be created in the mobile app at all.
Self-identify in 10 seconds
Which one is actually for you?
MetaMaskLeads
Choose MetaMask if key export matters most
Key export: 9/10 against 8/10 for Phantom (weight 28)
Account recovery: 9/10 against 7/10 for Phantom (weight 18)
MetaMaskScore 80The default EVM wallet: seed and per-account private-key export both documented on a stated BIP-44 path, a 2017-2025 public audit trail with three dated vendor advisories, and a pre-signature balance preview for contract interactions only, enforced onchain on 15 named networks for smart accounts on Extension.Strength: Key export — 9/10Watch-out: Read the fine print behind the three security claims on metamask.io before treating them as the product. All three are true and all three are narrower than they read. "Transaction protection available up to $10k" is not a wallet feature: it is Transaction Shield, "$9.99 monthly or $99 yearly", "Early access is now available on MetaMask Extension" only, capped at "Coverage of up to 100 transactions per month", and it explicitly "does not cover transactions deemed malicious by MetaMask" — so it does not pay out on the flagged case you most fear, and it does not exist on mobile. "Regularly audited by security firms" is backed by 17 genuinely public report links across 15 dated entries, but no report published since 2022 audits the shipped application itself: the 2023-2024 entries cover libraries, Snaps and build hardening, and the 2025 entries audit the mUSD stablecoin contract. And the pre-signature preview most buyers assume they are getting is, per MetaMask's own page (re-read 2026-09-28), available only "for contract interactions", not for native transfers; the enforced onchain simulation that reverts a transaction when execution diverges from the preview covers 15 named networks but is on by default only for "MetaMask smart accounts on Extension", and no page says what the confirmation screen shows when a simulation cannot be produced. If you pair a hardware device, two MetaMask troubleshooting pages tell you to enable blind signing, one of them with no qualifier at all. Finally, the exit that makes this record strong — pulling your encrypted vault out of local storage and decrypting it offline — is Chromium-desktop-only: MetaMask's own recovery page says it is "not currently possible" on Android or iOS, that the iOS method "is no longer working", that an Android solution is still being worked on, and that Firefox's data-encoding changes have made the instructions "of limited use".
Phantom
Choose Phantom if clear signing matters most
Clear signing: 7/10 against 6/10 for MetaMask (weight 30)
PhantomScore 78The Solana-native software wallet turned multichain money app, whose default new-user account now keeps its private key in a Phantom-run enclave that will not export it.Strength: Key export — 8/10Watch-out: Read 'Understanding Phantom KMS' before you commit, because the wallet a new user actually gets is not the wallet the reviews describe. The documented default is "create a new wallet with Google or Apple", and those wallets run on Phantom KMS, where "Wallet keys are stored remotely in a secure enclave, not on your device" and "the Show Private Key option is not available for these accounts." Every signature on that account is a request to Phantom's KMS API, authorised in a vendor-run Policy Engine enclave before a Signer enclave returns the signature - and no published audit covers KMS, because the audit repository has not been pushed since 2024-07-05. Since the August 2026 migration your Google or Apple account is the single factor protecting the wallet, and the vendor's own documentation has not caught up: one page (2026-08-15) says the four-digit PIN is gone while three others (2026-06-12, 2026-07-12 and the 2026-08-16 sign-in page itself) still require or prompt for it. The mitigation is real, portable and easy to skip: export the 12-word BIP-39 phrase from Settings > Security & Privacy > Show Recovery Phrase the day you install, because Phantom states it "works in any compatible wallet app" and, without it, "If you are logged out of Phantom on all devices and can't access your Google or Apple account, your wallet cannot be recovered." Two further traps: restoring by Google or Apple "restores only your first account automatically, regardless of how many accounts your wallet had before", so a multi-account user should restore from the phrase instead; and if you want keys on your own device from the start you must onboard on the browser extension, because a recovery-phrase wallet cannot be created in the mobile app at all.
Criterion by criterion
Scorecard
Published criteria · weight in points of 868 of 8 cells scored. Strength is read from the evidence file; the weight is the published one. Methodology
Key export
by 1 of 10weight 6.7 of 86MetaMask leads
MetaMask9/10 out of 10
Phantom8/10 out of 10
Clear signing
by 1 of 10weight 7.2 of 86Phantom leads
MetaMask6/10 out of 10
Phantom7/10 out of 10
Incident record
weight 5.8 of 86Tie
MetaMask8/10 out of 10
Phantom8/10 out of 10
Account recovery
by 2 of 10weight 4.3 of 86MetaMask leads
MetaMask9/10 out of 10
Phantom7/10 out of 10
Score dimensions
weights sum to 86
The published score is five dimensions, each weighted for the category. "Published criteria" is the criteria block above; the other four are the engine's own terms — availability, friction, trust record, measured data. Each bar is one side's points out of that dimension's maximum; the weight beside the name is its points of the 86-point weighted total. The published criteria above can fill 24 of the block’s 30. A weight marked “constant here” belongs to a dimension every ranked product in the category holds at the same value: it still counts in the total, and it orders nothing here.
Availabilityweight 20 of 86 · constant here
MetaMask14/20Phantom14/20
Tie
Published criteriaweight 30 of 86
MetaMask18.9/30Phantom18/30
MetaMask leads
Frictionweight 10 of 86 · constant here
MetaMask2.7/10Phantom2.7/10
Tie
Trust recordweight 8 of 86 · constant here
MetaMask3.2/8Phantom3.2/8
Tie
Measured dataweight 18 of 86 · constant here
MetaMask8.3/18Phantom8.3/18
Tie
Decision rulePublished order
Choose MetaMask unless the term Phantom leads on is the one you are buying.
Pick Phantom if clear signing matters most — it scores 7/10 to MetaMask's 6/10 there (weight 30).
The published order weighs every criterion the same way for everyone. To weigh them your way, run .
From the published order
Next best action
If this isn't your case
Other matchups worth comparing
How you can lose money here, and what the ranking scores
Key failure: your own keys are made, shown or recovered unsafely.
Scored by Can I export my own keys and use them elsewhere? · 28% (MetaMask 9/10, Phantom 8/10)
Scored by Can I see exactly what I am signing? · 30% (MetaMask 6/10, Phantom 7/10)
Scored by What has gone wrong, and did they publish it? · 24% (MetaMask 8/10, Phantom 8/10)
Scored by If I lose my device, how do I get back in? · 18% (MetaMask 9/10, Phantom 7/10)
MetaMask scores 2 points above Phantom, led by key export and account recovery. Published scores, out of 100: MetaMask 80 (rank 2 of 11 wallets), Phantom 78 (rank 4 of 11).
ReviewedRe-read in progressOverdue; re-read by 10 November 2026.Methodology v2026.10.18
How this page is reviewed
Reviewed means both products compared here was read against its sources on or after that date; every ranked category is re-read at least every 45 days. Models research, extract and parse. A deterministic engine ranks. Every quote passes an adversarial refute pass.
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