Secure ElementNFC13+ networks
Trezor Model T vs Trezor Safe 5
Trezor Model T stands out with a 1.54" color touchscreen, open-source code, Shamir Backup. Trezor Safe 5 is a solid alternative — Trezor Safe 5 costs less.
2 wallets
Security notice ·
October 2026: suspected implant in a Trezor bought from CryptoBilis
On 28 October 2026 Trezor received a report from a buyer in Indonesia of an extra circuit board inside a Trezor Safe 5 bought in August 2026 from CryptoBilis, the same Southeast Asian reseller whose Ledger devices carried hardware implants. According to the report, the board sits between the main board and the screen, reads what the screen shows, including the recovery phrase, and sends it out over a mobile network. Trezor has not yet examined the device, calls the report credible and is having the unit sent to its lab.
Trezor says it has no reports involving any other reseller and no evidence that any customer has lost funds; the person who reported the implant had already moved their funds. Trezor removed CryptoBilis from its authorized resellers on 9 October 2026.
Trezor’s advice applies to every Trezor model bought from CryptoBilis from March 2026 onwards:
- If the device is not set up yet, do not set it up and never enter an existing recovery phrase on it.
- If you already use it, move your funds as soon as possible to a new wallet with a newly generated recovery phrase. Restoring the old phrase on another device does not help.
- Keep the device and contact Trezor Support: affected buyers can get a new device or a voucher. Do not open it; Trezor says weighing it is not a reliable test.
The report concerns how one device reached a buyer, not the device design, so it does not change our ratings. We will update this notice when Trezor publishes the result of its examination.
Sources
Open-formula rating|40+ criteria analyzed|Last updated November 2026|No sponsored rankingsSee methodology
Key Takeaways
- Trezor Safe 5 wins in security (86/100)
- Usability scores are close (within 4 points)
- Trezor Safe 5 is more affordable ($129)
- Both support 52+ cryptocurrencies
- Best for beginners: Trezor Safe 5 (easier setup)
Trezor Model T vs Trezor Safe 5: Key Differences
Both Trezor Model T and Trezor Safe 5 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: Trezor Model T (Trezor) lands at 53/100, Trezor Safe 5 (Trezor) at 81/100. The $0 gap between $129 and $129 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
Trezor Model T40/100
Trezor Safe 5Winner86/100
Ease of Use
Trezor Model T64/100
Trezor Safe 5Winner68/100
Price
TieTrezor Model T$129
Trezor Safe 5$129
Coin Support
TieTrezor Model T52+
Trezor Safe 552+
Privacy
TieTrezor Model T83/100
Trezor Safe 583/100
Beginner Friendly
TieTrezor Model T64/100
Trezor Safe 568/100
Comparing:
Trezor Model T
Trezor Safe 5
Comparison Table
Key specifications for your decision
| Criteria |  Trezor Model T Trezor $129 |  Trezor Safe 5 Trezor $129 |
|---|---|---|
Overall Rating | 53 | 81 |
Security | 40 | 86 |
Usability | 64 | 68 |
Price | $129 | $129 |
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 | No | 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 | Firmware | Firmware |
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 | Yes | Yes |
Networks | 52+ | 52+ |
Wallet apps | — | Sparrow, Electrum, Nunchuk, Specter, MetaMask, Rabby |
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 | Color Touchscreen | 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 | 20-word + Shamir | 20-word + Shamir |
Setup Time | ~15 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 | None | None |
Which other apps each device works with, and how it connects: software compatibility matrix
Our Verdict: Trezor Model T or Trezor Safe 5?
Trezor Model T is discontinued
Trezor no longer sells this model. If you already own one, the full review covers how to keep using it; for a new purchase, pick one of the models on this page that are still on sale.
Choose Trezor Safe 5 if...
- You want the highest-rated wallet in this comparison
- Security is your absolute top priority
- You prioritize ease of use and intuitive interface
Our pick for most users
Based on the overall rating, Trezor Safe 5 scores 81/100 and offers the best balance of security, usability, and value in this comparison.
Bottom line: Usability is close enough to call a wash. Trezor Safe 5 pulls ahead on security — which is where it matters most. Prices are close enough that they shouldn't drive the decision.
Price: Trezor Model T vs Trezor Safe 5
Trezor Model T costs $129, while Trezor Safe 5 is priced at $129 — a $0 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
Trezor Model T
$129Best for:
Better privacy featuresCoin controlTor supportFull node support
Pros
- +Open-source firmware and hardware, with reproducible firmware builds
- +Colour touchscreen: PIN and passphrase are entered on the device, and transactions are clear-signed
- +Multi-share (Shamir) backup as well as standard BIP39 phrases
- +Software updates promised until at least 2031 and security fixes until at least 2036
Cons
- −No secure element: the seed can be extracted with physical access unless a passphrase is used
- −Discontinued: Trezor no longer sells it
- −No iPhone signing: Trezor Suite on iOS is view-only
- −Plastic body and no haptic feedback, unlike the Safe 5
Trezor Safe 5
$129Best for:
Better privacy featuresCoin controlTor supportFull node support
Pros
- +Infineon OPTIGA Trust M (V3) secure element, certified to Common Criteria EAL6+ according to Trezor
- +Open-source firmware with reproducible builds, published in Trezor’s GitHub repository
- +1.54-inch 240×240 color touchscreen under Gorilla Glass 3, with haptics and a shuffled PIN keypad
- +20-word SLIP-39 backup by default; multi-share Shamir or 12/24-word BIP39 can be chosen at setup
Cons
- −USB-C only: no Bluetooth, NFC or QR, and no battery for use away from a computer or phone
- −Limited iOS support: no setup, sending, swaps or device management on an iPhone
- −No encrypted host channel; Trezor’s THP encryption is reserved for the Safe 7
- −No published IP rating for dust or water resistance
Best for These Profiles
Pre-Purchase Checklist
Important points to verify regardless of your choice
Every wallet linked here ships from its manufacturer's official store with full warranty.
Trezor Model T vs Trezor Safe 5: Frequently Asked Questions
Answers about Trezor Model T vs Trezor Safe 5
Is Trezor Model T better than Trezor Safe 5?
On the numbers, Trezor Safe 5 comes out ahead — 81/100 vs 53/100 — but 'better' isn't quite the right frame. Trezor Model T has fully open-source firmware, which matters more for some buyers than overall score does. If overall rating is what you actually weigh first, take Trezor Safe 5. If transparency is the constraint that shapes your decision, Trezor Model T is the smarter buy. Either way, both are real hardware wallets — neither is a mistake.
How much do Trezor Model T and Trezor Safe 5 cost?
Trezor Model T costs $129, Trezor Safe 5 costs $129. 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.
Which wallet is better for DeFi and Web3: Trezor Model T or Trezor Safe 5?
Trezor Model T — and the gap is bigger than the spec sheets make it look. Trezor Model T has WalletConnect built in, which means you sign DeFi transactions directly from a hardware wallet without exposing keys to a hot wallet. Trezor Safe 5 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.
Do Trezor Model T and Trezor Safe 5 come with a warranty?
Yes — both ship with a manufacturer warranty (typically 1–2 years) when bought from the official store. That said, a hardware wallet warranty is mostly about hardware defects, not lost funds. If the device fails, the manufacturer will replace it — but your seed phrase or backup cards are what actually restore your crypto onto the new device. The warranty is real but secondary; what protects your funds is your backup discipline, not a piece of paper from {{wallet1}} or {{wallet2}}.
Which is the best wallet: Trezor Model T, Trezor Safe 5?
There isn't a single 'best' here — and that's not a hedge. Trezor Safe 5 has the highest overall rating in this group, so if you want the safest default, that's it. Trezor Safe 5 is the most affordable, which matters if you're holding a smaller portfolio where a $100 wallet eating 5% of your stack is hard to justify. The honest path: figure out two things first — the operating systems you'll use to manage it (iPhone vs Android vs desktop), and whether you want a screen on the device or not. That cuts the decision in half before you ever look at price.
Which of these 2 wallets is the most secure?
There's no single answer because 'secure' has at least three different meanings. Against physical attacks (someone gets the device), a certified Secure Element (CC EAL5+ or higher) is what you want. Against firmware backdoors, open-source code that anyone can audit is the strongest signal. Against supply-chain tampering, buying directly from the manufacturer matters more than the device itself. The wallets in the table above sit at different points on these axes — match the one that hardens your weakest link, not the one with the highest score on paper.
Which wallet is best for beginners?
For first-time buyers, ease of setup matters more than any single security feature — because a wallet you don't understand is a wallet you'll use wrong. Look at three things in the table above: the usability score (anything 80+ is genuinely beginner-friendly), whether it has a mobile app you'll actually open, and how long the initial setup takes. We'd also push back on the instinct to buy the cheapest one for your first wallet — the difference between a $60 and $130 device usually shows up in the things beginners need most: clearer UX, on-device verification, and better support if you get stuck.
Made your decision?
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