Cake Wallet is a free, open source, non-custodial wallet from Cake Labs that handles Monero along with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and many other coins. It runs on Android, iOS and Linux, with macOS builds listed in its repository. This Cake Wallet review covers its Monero features, the built-in swaps, its role as the successor steward of MyMonero, and who should choose it over a Monero-only or browser wallet like MonkStash.
- Cake Wallet is open source (MIT), non-custodial and multi-coin, made by Cake Labs. Monero.com is its Monero-only sibling.
- Strengths: phone-first design, many coins in one app, Ledger support for Monero, Tor option, custom nodes.
- Watch for: built-in swaps use third-party providers, and seeds come in several formats.
- MyMonero users: restore your 25-word seed as the Legacy type. We could not verify 13-word support.
What Cake Wallet is
Cake Wallet describes itself as an open source, non-custodial, private multi-currency wallet. Its code is on GitHub under the MIT license, with the copyright held by Cake Labs LLC. Its own site says it began as the first Monero wallet for iOS, and Monero is still listed first among the coins it supports.
Platforms. The Cake site lists iOS (App Store), Android (Google Play, an APK and Accrescent) and Linux. The repository README says Android, iOS, macOS and Linux, with F-Droid and the Mac App Store among the channels. Cake's MyMonero migration guide adds that Windows desktop builds are currently paused. Availability shifts, so use the official site to see what is offered today.
Coins. Besides Monero, the site lists Bitcoin (including Lightning), Litecoin, Ethereum, Solana, Tron, Zcash, Dogecoin and others, plus stablecoins. If you hold only Monero, that breadth is extra surface you do not need. If you hold several coins, it saves you from running several apps.
Cake Wallet vs Monero.com
Monero.com is a separate app from Cake Labs, built for Monero only. Its site lists Android, iOS and an APK on GitHub, says it is non-custodial, supports subaddresses and accounts, and lets you connect to remote nodes of your choice, including your own. It also includes the same built-in exchange feature. If you search for "monero.com wallet," that is the app you want, and the address is worth double-checking, because look-alike sites exist for every wallet name.
Which one to pick is simple. Want one app for several coins? Cake Wallet. Want Monero and nothing else? Monero.com, or one of the other wallets in our Monero wallet comparison.
What Cake Wallet does well
- Mobile first. It is one of the best-known Monero options on iPhone, as our iPhone wallet page notes, and it also covers Android.
- Non-custodial and open source. The README says "Your keys, your coins," and you can read the code.
- Monero conveniences. Subaddresses, accounts, restore height settings, batch sending and multiple wallets are listed in the README.
- Custom nodes. You can point it at a node you choose, which matters for privacy. See using a remote node.
- Sync on your device. Cake's migration guide says it syncs on the device rather than sending your view key to a server.
- Hardware and air-gapped options. More below.
Seed formats
New Monero wallets in Cake default to Polyseed, a 16-word format. It can also restore a classic Legacy 25-word Monero seed: Cake's guide tells users to switch the seed type from Polyseed (16 words) to Legacy (25 words) when restoring. Its announcement also mentions a 12-word BIP 39 seed option that can be shared across other currencies.
The practical lesson: write down which type you used, not just the words. Entering words with the wrong seed type selected will fail or give you the wrong wallet, and our restore guide shows how to check. MonkStash uses 25-word seeds, which Cake can restore as Legacy. A Cake Polyseed would need a wallet that reads Polyseed, so check before you move it.
Tor, nodes and hardware wallets
Tor. The README lists "Tor-only connections" as a privacy setting and says its Monero node proxies are compatible with Tor and i2p. It does not say how much of the app that covers, so open the settings in your version.
Nodes. Like most light-style wallets, Cake asks a Monero node about the network while scanning on your device, so the node does not get your keys. It can still see your connection unless you use Tor or your own node. Read what a node is for the details.
Hardware wallets. Cake's documentation lists Monero support for Ledger and Trezor. It connects over Bluetooth or USB (on iOS only Bluetooth), and the wallet opens in a mode tied to the device. The Monero project's downloads page lists Cake Wallet and Monero.com as Ledger-compatible but names Trezor only for other wallets. Those two sources disagree, so check both before you buy a device for this. It also lists an air-gapped signing app called Cupcake. Our hardware wallet page explains the options.
Hardware support changes by device, firmware and coin. Confirm the exact pairing in the current docs.
Built-in swaps and buying
Cake includes an exchange feature for swapping one coin for another, plus options to buy and sell with fiat. Cake says third parties set the rates and fees, and you see them in the quote before you confirm. Its documentation names providers such as ChangeNOW, Exolix, Trocador and others for swaps.
What this means in practice:
- A swap is carried out by an outside company, not by Cake. Cake's docs say it never holds the swap funds and cannot reverse a completed swap on its own.
- Cake states that using the wallet itself needs no account. Identity checks (KYC) in the docs belong to fiat buy and sell providers, not to the wallet. Each swap provider has its own terms, so read them for larger amounts.
- Your keys never leave your device, but the provider still sees the deposit and the destination you give it.
If you only want to buy Monero, our guide to buying Monero compares routes. If you simply want to hold it, you can ignore the swap screens entirely.
Cake Wallet and MyMonero
On 6 October 2025, MyMonero announced it would sunset its service and entrust Cake Wallet with stewardship of its users and systems. The MyMonero service went offline on 6 January 2026, and the announcement said its server data, including view keys and transaction history, would be destroyed within 30 days. It also said Cake Wallet would not receive view keys, addresses or transaction history.
The announcement gave three paths:
- Export your 25-word seed from MyMonero and restore it in Cake Wallet.
- Create a new Polyseed wallet in Cake and send your funds to it.
- Use a 12-word BIP 39 seed that can hold several currencies.
In Cake's migration guide, a MyMonero restore means choosing Monero, entering the 25 words, switching the seed type to Legacy (25 words), setting a restore date or height near when you started, and waiting for the sync.
If you are leaving MyMonero and want options, see our MyMonero alternative page. Cake Wallet is one reasonable destination, and it is the one MyMonero itself pointed people to.
Is Cake Wallet safe?
Cake Wallet is non-custodial and open source, which are the right foundations. The risks are the usual ones: a fake app or site, a phone with malware, a lost seed, and, if you use swaps, the terms of third-party providers. Install from the official site or a store listing you have checked (cakewallet.com), back up your seed on paper, and start with a small amount. Cake's site also describes how to check an Android APK against its signing certificate hash. We have not audited it. For why this matters, see how to spot fake Monero sites.
Trade-offs
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Open source (MIT) and non-custodial | Many coins and features you may not need |
| Android, iOS and Linux apps | Desktop availability varies; Windows builds are paused |
| Polyseed and Legacy 25-word restore | Seed types are easy to mix up |
| Custom nodes and a Tor option | Not a Monero-only experience (Monero.com is) |
| Ledger support for Monero | Docs and Monero project differ on Trezor |
| Built-in swaps and buying | Third-party providers with their own terms |
Cake Wallet vs MonkStash
| Feature | Cake Wallet | MonkStash |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Mobile and desktop apps | Web wallet in a browser |
| Coins | Many, including Monero | Monero only |
| Install needed | Yes (store or download) | No |
| Account or email | No account for the wallet | No |
| Seed words | 16 (Polyseed) or 25 (Legacy) | 25 |
| Hardware wallet | Yes, per Cake's docs | Not supported |
| Built-in swaps | Yes, via third parties | No |
| Open source | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Independent audit | Check the project | Not yet (early preview) |
Who should use Cake Wallet
Pick Cake Wallet instead of MonkStash if:
- You want an app on your phone, including an iPhone, with the option to hold other coins.
- You want to use a Ledger with a mobile wallet.
- You are a former MyMonero user with a 25-word seed, and want the wallet MyMonero pointed to.
- You want swaps in the same app, and accept third-party providers.
Pick MonkStash instead if you want to start in a couple of minutes with nothing to install, or you prefer a Monero-only tool with no exchange features. Many people use both: a phone app for daily use and a hardware wallet for savings. For a wider view see the Android and wallet comparison pages, or open MonkStash with a small amount while it is an early preview.
Sources checked
cakewallet.com, the Cake Wallet repository, monero.com, the MyMonero stewardship announcement, Cake's MyMonero guide, and the Monero project's downloads page, all checked on 15 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cake Wallet safe?
Cake Wallet is open source (MIT license) and non-custodial, so your keys stay on your device. That is a good foundation, but no wallet is risk free. Install it only from the official site or store listings, back up your seed on paper, and note that built-in swaps involve third-party providers. MonkStash has not audited Cake Wallet.
Is Cake Wallet non-custodial?
Yes. Cake Wallet and its Monero.com app describe themselves as non-custodial, meaning you hold your own keys and seed. The swap and buy features use outside providers, and those providers have their own rules.
Does Cake Wallet support Monero?
Yes. Monero is the coin Cake Wallet started with, and it sits alongside Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and many others. Cake Labs also makes Monero.com, a separate Monero-only app.
Is Cake Wallet the same as Monero.com?
They are two apps from the same company, Cake Labs. Cake Wallet supports many coins. Monero.com is limited to Monero and is available on Android and iOS.
What happened to MyMonero and Cake Wallet?
MyMonero announced in October 2025 that it would shut down and hand stewardship of its users to Cake Wallet. The service went offline on 6 January 2026. Cake's guide tells users to restore their 25-word MyMonero seed in Cake Wallet as the Legacy seed type.
Does Cake Wallet support the 13-word MyMonero seed?
We could not verify it. Cake's migration guide and the stewardship announcement only describe 25-word seeds. If you have a 13-word phrase, follow our MyMonero restore guide rather than assuming it will work.
Does Cake Wallet work with a Ledger?
Cake's documentation lists Ledger devices for Monero, connected by Bluetooth or USB (iOS supports Bluetooth only). The Monero project's downloads page also lists Cake Wallet as compatible with Ledger. Cake's docs additionally list Trezor, which the Monero page does not, so check before relying on it.
Does Cake Wallet use Tor?
The app has a Tor-only connection setting, and its Monero node proxy is described as compatible with Tor and i2p. Check the settings in your version to see exactly what it covers.