"Metal wallet" is the search people type when they mean a metal backup for their recovery phrase. It is not a wallet in the sense of a device that signs transactions; it is the fireproof, waterproof copy of the 12 or 24 words that your real wallet, a Ledger, Trezor or BitBox, can be restored from. This guide compares the metal backups we sell by material, method, size and price, and explains how to pair one with a hardware wallet.
Why steel beats paper
A recovery card is fine for the first week. It is not fine for the next ten years. Paper is destroyed by fire at a few hundred degrees, ruined by water, and faded by sunlight. The most common failure we hear about is not fire at all; it is the card going missing during a house move or being thrown out by a family member. Steel and titanium plates survive all of that, and they look like something worth keeping.
The materials
Stainless steel melts at roughly 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit, well above a house fire. Marine grade 316 steel also resists salt and corrosion. It is the material of the Billfodl, Cryptosteel and Keystone Tablet. Titanium melts at over 3,000 degrees and is lighter and harder, which is why Cryptotag uses it. For a backup kept in a safe or a bank box either material will outlast you; titanium is for people who want the widest margin.
Side by side
| Backup | Material | Method | Words | Reversible | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billfodl | 316 stainless | Sliding tiles | 12 or 24 | Yes | Around $100 |
| Cryptosteel Capsule Solo | Stainless | Threaded tiles in a tube | 12 or 24 | Yes | Around $99 |
| Trezor Keep Metal | Stainless | Center punch | 24 | No | Around $99 |
| Cryptotag Zeus | Titanium | Center punch | 24 | No | Around $169 |
| Keystone Tablet | Stainless | Sliding tiles | 12 or 24 | Yes | Around $50 |
| Billfodl Multishard | 316 stainless | Sliding tiles, 3 plates | 24 split | Yes | Around $235 |
Prices are current at the time of writing; product pages show today's figure.
Which one for which person
- First backup, want it done tonight: Billfodl. Tiles, no tools, fixable if you slip.
- Need to hide it somewhere small: Cryptosteel Capsule. A tube the size of a lipstick.
- Own a Trezor and want a matching kit: Trezor Keep Metal.
- Want maximum durability and do not mind the work: Cryptotag Zeus.
- Tight budget: Keystone Tablet.
- Want copies in two places without either being complete: Billfodl Multishard, where any two of three plates recover the phrase.
Pairing a backup with your wallet
The backup works with any wallet that uses the BIP39 standard, which is all of the ones we sell: Ledger, Trezor, BitBox, Keystone, SafePal, Tangem when you choose to export a phrase, Coldcard, Jade and the rest. The order of the words is what matters, so number the slots and copy carefully. If your wallet uses a passphrase, keep it off the plate.
If you have not bought the wallet yet, our bundles pair a Ledger or Trezor with a Billfodl or Cryptotag and save a little on the combined price. The two most popular are the Trezor Model T with Billfodl and the Ledger Billfodl Hodler bundle.
Filling it in without mistakes
- Lay the plate, the tiles or punch, and your paper card on a table with no cameras in the room.
- Record the first four letters of each word. BIP39 words are unique in their first four letters, so this is enough to recover the full word.
- Check every slot against the card, then seal or close the plate.
- Test it. Wipe a spare device, or your main one if you are confident, and restore from the plate alone. If the balance appears, the backup is good.
Storing it
Keep the plate away from the device, ideally in a bolted safe or a bank box. A backup kept in the same drawer as the wallet protects you from fire but not from a thief. Tell one trusted person where it is and what it is.
Common questions
Is a metal backup worth it for a small holding?
If the holding would hurt to lose, yes. The cheapest option here costs about as much as a dinner out and lasts decades.
Can a metal plate be hacked?
There is nothing electronic to hack. The risk is physical access, which is why storage location matters more than the brand.
What if I make a mistake on a punched plate?
Cryptotag and Trezor include spare space or a second plate for exactly this reason. Tile based backups can simply be re-done.
Buying
Every backup on this page ships from The Crypto Merchant with free US delivery. We are an authorized reseller for Billfodl, Cryptosteel, Cryptotag, Trezor and Keystone, and we are happy to talk through which one suits your setup before you order.
