Secure ElementNFC13+ networks
Ellipal X Card vs Keystone 3 Pro
Keystone 3 Pro stands out with open-source code, a 4" color touchscreen. Ellipal X Card is a solid alternative — Ellipal X Card costs $80 less.
2 wallets
Open-source vs Closed
USB vs NFC
$80 price gap
Quick VerdictUpdated 2026
Ellipal X Card
Best value
Keystone 3 Pro
Best overall
$149
Security notice ·
October 2026: Keystone store order data accessed
Keystone detected unauthorized access to its online store on 20 October 2026 and confirmed on 23 October that customer order records were taken: names, contact details, shipping addresses and what was bought. According to Keystone, payment details, recovery phrases, private keys and wallet passwords were not exposed. The number of affected customers and the cause have not been published; Keystone says it has closed the access and is emailing affected customers.
Keystone’s advice: expect scammers posing as Keystone by phone, text, email or post offering refunds, replacements or fixes. Do not follow links in such messages, and never enter a recovery phrase into a device you did not order yourself.
The breach concerns customer data, not the device, so it does not change our ratings. We will update this notice when Keystone publishes its report.
Sources
Open-formula rating|40+ criteria analyzed|Last updated October 2026|No sponsored rankingsSee methodology
Key Takeaways
- Keystone 3 Pro wins in security (82/100)
- Usability scores are close (within 3 points)
- Ellipal X Card is more affordable ($69)
- Both support 45+ cryptocurrencies
- Best for beginners: Ellipal X Card (easier setup)
Ellipal X Card vs Keystone 3 Pro: Key Differences
Both Ellipal X Card and Keystone 3 Pro can keep your crypto safe — the real question is which one fits the way you actually use it. We've put both through our open-formula scoring on 40+ criteria: Ellipal X Card (Ellipal) lands at 60/100, Keystone 3 Pro (Keystone) at 72/100. The $80 gap between $69 and $149 isn't arbitrary — these are two different bets on what matters in a hardware wallet, and the right pick depends on which bet you'd take.
Winner by Category
Which wallet leads in each area
Security
Ellipal X Card66/100
Keystone 3 ProWinner82/100
Ease of Use
TieEllipal X Card70/100
Keystone 3 Pro67/100
Price
Ellipal X CardWinner$69
Keystone 3 Pro$149
Coin Support
Ellipal X Card45+
Keystone 3 ProWinner200+
Privacy
Ellipal X Card14/100
Keystone 3 ProWinner69/100
Beginner Friendly
TieEllipal X Card70/100
Keystone 3 Pro67/100
Comparing:
Ellipal X Card
Keystone 3 Pro
Comparison Table
Key specifications for your decision
| Criteria | Ellipal X Card Ellipal $69 | Keystone 3 Pro Keystone $149 |
|---|---|---|
Overall Rating | 60 | 72 |
Security | 66 | 82 |
Usability | 70 | 67 |
Price | $69 | $149 |
A secure element is a tamper-resistant chip built to store secrets and resist physical attacks such as side-channel analysis and fault injection. Learn more — Secure Element | Yes | Yes |
Open Source Firmware refers to firmware in hardware devices, like wallets, where the source code is publicly available, allowing transparency, auditability, and customization. Learn more — Open Source | No | Firmware, in part |
Bluetooth Connectivity enables wireless communication between devices, like hardware wallets and smartphones, using Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for secure data transfer. Learn more — Bluetooth | No | No |
USB | No | Yes |
Networks | 45+ | 200+ |
A passphrase is an additional security layer for cryptocurrency wallets, acting as a 25th word in the BIP39 seed phrase, protecting access to hidden wallets. Learn more — Passphrase | Yes | Yes |
A touchscreen display is a screen that allows users to interact with a device by touching the surface, commonly used in hardware wallets for easy navigation and transaction confirmation. Learn more — Display | None (No Screen On The Card; Transactions Reviewed In The Phone App) | LCD Color Touchscreen |
Recovery is the process of restoring access to a cryptocurrency wallet using its seed phrase or mnemonic backup if the original wallet is lost or inaccessible. Learn more — Backup Method | Multi-card | 24-word + Shamir |
Setup Time | ~3 min | ~15 min |
IP Rating refers to the level of protection a device has against dust and water, often used for hardware wallets to indicate their durability in various environments. Learn more — Water Resist | Yes | None |
Our Verdict: Ellipal X Card or Keystone 3 Pro?
Choose Ellipal X Card if...
- You prefer seedless backup via multiple linked cards
- You want wireless NFC connectivity — no cables needed
- You want to save $80 without sacrificing core security
- You want a quick ~3-minute setup
Skip Ellipal X Card if...
- ×You manage crypto from a desktop (no Windows, macOS, or Linux app)
- ×Open-source firmware is non-negotiable for you
- ×You hold a wide range of altcoins beyond what this device supports (45 networks)
Choose Keystone 3 Pro if...
- You want verifiable, open-source firmware and software
- You want advanced backup with Shamir Secret Sharing
- You are comfortable managing a seed phrase
- You need full desktop support (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Skip Keystone 3 Pro if...
- ×Budget is tight — you'd be better served by a cheaper option in this comparison
- ×You want wireless NFC connection — no cables
- ×You want a seedless backup design instead of a 12/24-word phrase
Our pick for most users
Based on the overall rating, Keystone 3 Pro scores 72/100 and offers the best balance of security, usability, and value in this comparison.
Bottom line: Usability is close enough to call a wash. Keystone 3 Pro pulls ahead on security — which is where it matters most. If budget is real, Ellipal X Card comes in $80 cheaper without giving up the basics.
Price: Ellipal X Card vs Keystone 3 Pro
Ellipal X Card costs $69, while Keystone 3 Pro is priced at $149 — a $80 difference. The extra cost of Keystone 3 Pro gets you a 12-point higher overall rating. For budget buyers, Ellipal X Card offers solid security at a lower price point.
Who Should Pick Which Wallet
Recommendations based on real-world use cases
Ellipal X Card
$69Best for:
AffordableWalletConnect supportAndroid supportiOS support
Pros
- +Always creates a standard BIP39 seed phrase, so recovery does not depend on Ellipal or on the cards
- +Credit-card format with no battery, cable or charging; signs by tapping an iPhone or Android phone
- +Secure chip that Ellipal describes as CC EAL6+, with keys generated by its hardware random number generator
- +Optional duplicate cards and passphrase (hidden wallet) support
Cons
- −No screen on the card: addresses and amounts are checked only in the phone app
- −Firmware is locked at the factory and can never be updated, so a flaw could not be patched
- −No published chip model, certificate or independent audit; security claims are Ellipal's
- −No desktop app: phone with NFC only
Keystone 3 Pro
$149Best for:
Built-in batteryCoin controlFull node supportAndroid support
Pros
- +Three secure chips (ATECC608B, DS28S60, MAX32520) listed in Keystone's published bill of materials
- +QR and microSD workflows by default; USB data can be switched off so the port only charges
- +Firmware source on GitHub with documented reproducible builds and an on-device checksum
- +12- or 24-word BIP39, Shamir shares, passphrase wallets and up to three separate seed phrases
Cons
- −No Common Criteria EAL certification is claimed for the device or any of its secure chips
- −Only partly open source: the MH1903 vendor library is a binary and the bootloader is not public
- −SlowMist is named as a reviewer, but no SlowMist report for this device has been published
- −No Bluetooth or NFC; phone use relies on scanning QR codes with the camera
Best for These Profiles
Pre-Purchase Checklist
Important points to verify regardless of your choice
All wallets ship from official manufacturer stores with full warranty.
Ellipal X Card vs Keystone 3 Pro: Frequently Asked Questions
Answers about Ellipal X Card vs Keystone 3 Pro
Is Ellipal X Card better than Keystone 3 Pro?
On the numbers, Keystone 3 Pro comes out ahead — 72/100 vs 60/100 — but 'better' isn't quite the right frame. Ellipal X Card is more affordable at $69, which matters more for some buyers than overall score does. If overall rating is what you actually weigh first, take Keystone 3 Pro. If budget is the constraint that shapes your decision, Ellipal X Card is the smarter buy. Either way, both are real hardware wallets — neither is a mistake.
How much do Ellipal X Card and Keystone 3 Pro cost?
Ellipal X Card costs $69, Keystone 3 Pro costs $149. These are list prices for the standard edition from official manufacturer stores. A few things worth knowing: hardware wallet prices barely move during the year, so 'waiting for a sale' rarely pays off — Black Friday is the one exception, with 10–20% off being typical. Avoid third-party listings even if they're cheaper; the supply chain risk on a tampered device wipes out any savings the first time you load funds. And don't buy a 'used' hardware wallet, ever — even if it claims to be reset.
What happens if I lose all my Ellipal X Card cards?
Funds are unrecoverable. There's no seed phrase to fall back on, no recovery service, no manufacturer override — that's the explicit design trade-off. The mitigation is the multi-card set: every card you receive is a complete, independent backup of the same wallet. Realistic plan: keep one card on you, one at home in a safe, and one with a trusted person or in a bank deposit box. Lose any two and you're still fine. Lose all of them and the coins are gone forever.
Which wallet is better for DeFi and Web3: Ellipal X Card or Keystone 3 Pro?
Ellipal X Card — and the gap is bigger than the spec sheets make it look. Ellipal X Card has WalletConnect built in, which means you sign DeFi transactions directly from a hardware wallet without exposing keys to a hot wallet. Keystone 3 Pro can technically work with DeFi via third-party software, but every extra step is one more place an attacker can intercept the transaction you're approving. If you're going to be clicking 'Sign' on smart contracts more than once a month, the difference compounds fast.
Ellipal X Card vs Keystone 3 Pro: which has better backup options?
Ellipal X Card uses multiple linked NFC cards as encrypted backups (no seed phrase). Keystone 3 Pro uses a 24-word seed phrase with optional Shamir Secret Sharing for split backups. Both work — but they reflect different ideas about what 'backup' should be. The seed phrase approach (BIP-39) is the open industry standard: portable across most wallets, well-documented, and recoverable on any compatible device. The downside is well-known too — it's a piece of paper that's a single photograph or careless moment away from disaster. Card-based backups can't be photographed and don't write themselves down, but they're proprietary, which means you trust one manufacturer to stay in business and keep the format alive. Pick based on which failure mode worries you more.
Is Keystone 3 Pro more secure than Ellipal X Card because it's open-source?
Not automatically — and this is a more nuanced question than the marketing suggests. Open-source (Keystone 3 Pro) lets anyone (researchers, hobbyists, paranoid users) read the firmware and verify there are no backdoors. That's the strongest possible trust signal. Ellipal X Card keeps source code private but compensates with paid third-party audits from and certifications like CC EAL5+/EAL6+ on the secure element. Open-source is the more transparent posture; audited closed-source can still be cryptographically airtight. Our honest take: if open-source is the deciding factor for you philosophically, pick Keystone 3 Pro — but don't dismiss Ellipal X Card as 'less secure' purely on that basis.
Can Ellipal X Card be used with a desktop computer?
No — Ellipal X Card is mobile-only with no Windows, macOS, or Linux app available. If you do most of your crypto work on a laptop or desktop (DeFi power users, traders, anyone running a full node), this is a real limitation, not a minor inconvenience. Keystone 3 Pro supports all three desktop operating systems with a polished companion app, and that's the practical pick if desktop is your main interface.
Where to buy Ellipal X Card at the best price?
Always buy Ellipal X Card from the official Ellipal store — never from Amazon, eBay, or third-party marketplaces, even if the price looks better. Hardware wallets have been physically tampered with in the supply chain before (compromised devices shipped to unsuspecting buyers, then drained the moment funds were loaded). Buying direct from Ellipal gets you a sealed unit with full warranty, firmware integrity, and a clean chain of custody. Free shipping and occasional discounts at the source make the price difference negligible anyway.
Made your decision?
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Brand-level comparison: Ellipal vs Keystone
Official store
Ellipal X Card$69 · 60/100
Keystone 3 Pro$149 · 72/100
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