Secure ElementNFC13+ networks
Ellipal X Card vs Tangem Wallet (3 Cards)
Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) stands out with seedless design, IP69K water resistance. Ellipal X Card is a solid alternative — Ellipal X Card costs $1 less.
2 wallets
Screen vs Screenless
No IP rating vs IP69K
Quick VerdictUpdated 2026
Ellipal X Card
Best value
Tangem Wallet (3 Cards)
Best overall
$69.90
Security notice ·
July 2026: laboratory attack on Tangem card access codes
Ledger’s Donjon security team, which works for a competing manufacturer, published a laser fault-injection attack on Tangem cards on 9 July 2026. With a card physically in hand, the researchers opened it and used precisely timed laser pulses to skip a check, which let them set a new access code without knowing the old one and then sign transactions. The private key is not extracted. According to Donjon, the attack applies to all Tangem cards in circulation, and because the cards have no firmware update mechanism it cannot be patched on cards already sold.
The attack requires stealing the card, visibly damaging it, laboratory equipment costing roughly $250,000 and specialist skills. Tangem calls the risk to everyday users “virtually non-existent” and says no funds have been lost to this method; none has been reported in the wild.
What this means for owners: the practical exposure is a lost or stolen card. Keep track of your cards, and if one goes missing, move funds to a wallet the missing card cannot access.
Sources
Open-formula rating|40+ criteria analyzed|Last updated October 2026|No sponsored rankingsSee methodology
Key Takeaways
- Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) wins in security (78/100)
- Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) wins in ease of use (86/100)
- Ellipal X Card is more affordable ($69)
- Both support 45+ cryptocurrencies
- Best for beginners: Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) (easier setup)
Ellipal X Card vs Tangem Wallet (3 Cards): Key Differences
Both Ellipal X Card and Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) 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, Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) (Tangem) at 70/100. The $1 gap between $69 and $69.90 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
Tangem Wallet (3 Cards)Winner78/100
Ease of Use
Ellipal X Card70/100
Tangem Wallet (3 Cards)Winner86/100
Price
TieEllipal X Card$69
Tangem Wallet (3 Cards)$69.90
Coin Support
Ellipal X Card45+
Tangem Wallet (3 Cards)Winner100+
Privacy
Ellipal X Card14/100
Tangem Wallet (3 Cards)Winner21/100
Beginner Friendly
Ellipal X Card70/100
Tangem Wallet (3 Cards)Winner86/100
Comparing:
Ellipal X Card
Tangem Wallet (3 Cards)
Comparison Table
Key specifications for your decision
| Criteria | Ellipal X Card Ellipal $69 | Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) Tangem $69.90 |
|---|---|---|
Overall Rating | 60 | 70 |
Security | 66 | 78 |
Usability | 70 | 86 |
Price | $69 | $69.90 |
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 | No |
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 | No |
Networks | 45+ | 100+ |
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) | None |
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 | Multi-card |
Setup Time | ~3 min | ~3 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 | IP69K |
Our Verdict: Ellipal X Card or Tangem Wallet (3 Cards)?
Choose Ellipal X Card if...
- You want on-device transaction verification via a built-in screen
- You are comfortable managing a seed phrase
Skip Ellipal X Card if...
- ×You need a device with an official IP rating against water and dust
Choose Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) if...
- You prefer a compact, screenless form factor
- You are comfortable managing a seed phrase
- You need a durable, IP69K-rated waterproof device
Skip Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) if...
- ×You want to verify transactions on the wallet's own screen
Our pick for most users
Based on the overall rating, Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) scores 70/100 and offers the best balance of security, usability, and value in this comparison.
Bottom line: Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) is our pick — it leads on both security and ease of use, and the overall score reflects that. Prices are close enough that they shouldn't drive the decision.
Price: Ellipal X Card vs Tangem Wallet (3 Cards)
Ellipal X Card costs $69, while Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) is priced at $69.90 — a $1 difference. At similar price points, the choice comes down to features rather than budget — compare the specific capabilities above.
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
Tangem Wallet (3 Cards)
$69.90Best for:
AffordableGreat priceWater resistanceWalletConnect support
Pros
- +Three equal cards: the wallet stays accessible even if two of them are lost
- +$69.90 for three cards, about $23.30 per card versus $27.45 in the 2-card set
- +Samsung S3D232A secure element; chip platform certified CC EAL6+ (ANSSI-CC-2024/15)
- +No seed phrase by default; optional 12- or 24-word BIP39 phrase or import at setup
Cons
- −No screen: transaction details are visible only in the phone app
- −Closed, non-updatable firmware: Ledger Donjon's 2026 laser reset of the access code cannot be patched
- −Seedless backups work only with Tangem cards and the Tangem app
- −App analytics (Firebase, Amplitude, AppsFlyer) are on by default without an in-app opt-out
Best for These Profiles
Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) comes out ahead for every buyer profile we compare (Security maximalist, Frequent traveler, Bitcoin & privacy focus, Multi-chain holder), so this comparison has no profile where another pick is clearer.
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 Tangem Wallet (3 Cards): Frequently Asked Questions
Answers about Ellipal X Card vs Tangem Wallet (3 Cards)
Is Ellipal X Card better than Tangem Wallet (3 Cards)?
On the numbers, Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) comes out ahead — 70/100 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 Tangem Wallet (3 Cards). 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 Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) cost?
Ellipal X Card costs $69, Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) costs $69.90. 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.
Is Ellipal X Card waterproof?
No — Ellipal X Card has no official water or dust resistance rating, so treat it like any other small electronic. A spilled drink or a rainstorm in your jacket pocket is enough to brick it. Tangem Wallet (3 Cards), by contrast, carries an IP69K rating, which means it's tested against dust and pressurized water — that's the device you'd actually take camping or to a beach. For most people, water resistance isn't a deciding factor, but it matters if you travel light or carry your wallet daily.
Which wallet is better for DeFi and Web3: Ellipal X Card or Tangem Wallet (3 Cards)?
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. Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) 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 Tangem Wallet (3 Cards): which has better backup options?
Ellipal X Card uses multiple linked NFC cards as encrypted backups (no seed phrase). Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) uses multiple linked NFC cards as encrypted backups (no seed phrase). 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 Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) safe to use without a screen?
It can be — depending on your threat model. Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) shows transaction details on your phone or computer, which is the same screen that could be compromised by malware. The classic attack: malware swaps the destination address right before you sign, and you'd never know. Ellipal X Card lets you verify the actual address and amount on the hardware wallet itself, a screen the host computer can't touch. For day-to-day transactions under a few thousand dollars, the convenience of Tangem Wallet (3 Cards) is fine. For larger transfers, the on-device screen on Ellipal X Card is the kind of thing you only miss once.
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?
Check out full reviews or find the best price from official vendors.
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Official store
Ellipal X Card$69 · 60/100
Tangem Wallet (3 Cards)$69.90 · 70/100
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