TL;DR
Three hardware wallets from three makers start at about $265 at the makers’ own prices on October 10, 2026; the three I use come to $198 plus €149 today. Add three metal backups and, if you have no spare one, a used laptop. The software is free. After that, the only running cost is a slightly higher fee when you spend.
Prices change, and shops show different currencies depending on where you are. Everything below is the price on the maker’s own shop on October 10, 2026. Check the shop before you order.
Hardware wallets
| Device | Price at the maker | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ledger Nano S Plus | $69 | Cheapest of the three I use. Bitcoin app 2.1 or newer for multisig. |
| Blockstream Jade | $67 (marked down from $79) | Common alternative. I haven’t used one myself. |
| Blockstream Jade Plus | from $149 (metal: $169) | Newer Jade. I haven’t used one myself. |
| Trezor Safe 5 | $129 (€129) | Color touchscreen. Set it to 24 words during setup. |
| BitBox02 Bitcoin-only | €149 | The shop showed euros when I checked. |
| BitBox02 Nova | €175 | Newer BitBox; works with iPhone. |
Where to buy: Trezor, BitBox, Ledger and Blockstream (that link gives 10% off, or use code Y9CHA5). Or Amazon.com itself: Trezor Safe 5, BitBox02, Ledger Nano S Plus, Jade. Only when the listing says “Ships from and sold by Amazon.com”, never from a third-party seller or a reseller (why not). The maker’s own shop is the safest choice.
Three ways to put it together
All three use three different makers. That part isn’t optional: it’s the whole point.
| Budget | Middle (my setup) | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key 1 | Ledger Nano S Plus, $69 | Trezor Safe 5, $129 | Trezor Safe 5, $129 |
| Key 2 | Blockstream Jade, $67 | BitBox02 Bitcoin-only, €149 | BitBox02 Nova, €175 |
| Key 3 | Trezor Safe 5, $129 | Ledger Nano S Plus, $69 | Blockstream Jade Plus, from $149 |
| Devices total | about $265 | $198 + €149 | $278 + €175 or more |
| Metal backups | Stamped or engraved blank plates | Three tile or punched plates | Tile plate plus an engraved second plate per box |
| Laptop | A spare one you wipe | A used business laptop | A used business laptop |
| Software | Sparrow, free | Sparrow, free | Sparrow, free |
The budget variant works fine: the Ledger registers your multisig and checks addresses on its own screen. The premium one mostly buys bigger or sturdier screens. None of them is more secure just because it costs more.
Metal seed backups
You need three, one per seed, in stainless steel or titanium. Never aluminum or brass: they melt in a house fire. The site estimate is $30 to $100 each. At the top of that range, the Billfodl was $99 on its maker’s site on October 10, 2026. Stamping or engraving your own blank plates is cheaper but takes an afternoon. Compare the types on the seed backups page and in tiles, punched or engraved.
On Amazon: Cryptosteel Capsule · Billfodl · Blockplate · blank stainless steel plates · letter stamp sets.
The small stuff
- A laptop that does nothing else. A spare one costs nothing; otherwise a used business laptop from a refurbisher (step 2). I don’t give a price: it varies too much.
- Two or three USB sticks for the wallet descriptor: on Amazon.
- Three small airtight boxes and silica gel: boxes, silica gel.
- Access to a printer and some zip bags.
Free
- Sparrow is free and open source (Apache 2.0 license).
- Trezor Suite, BitBoxApp and Ledger Wallet are free.
- Firmware updates are free.
Ongoing costs
- A slightly higher fee each time you spend, because a multisig transaction is bigger. Per coin you spend, roughly half as much again as single-sig. Details in how much more a multisig transaction costs.
- One-time fees to move your coins in, for example an exchange’s withdrawal fee.
- Now and then a replacement device, when one breaks or a maker stops supporting a model.
- No subscription. Skip paid extras such as Ledger Recover: your backup is your own metal plate.
Optional: your own bitcoin node, for privacy. That’s extra hardware, see running your own node.
Common mistakes
- Buying three devices of one brand to save money or effort.
- Saving a few dollars with a third-party seller on Amazon or eBay.
- Cheap aluminum or brass “steel” plates.
- Paying for an assisted service you don’t need. If you’d rather pay than learn, compare DIY multisig with Unchained or Casa first.