Comparison

Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet vs AQUA Wallet

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet

A secure and user-friendly Bitcoin wallet designed for both beginners and experienced users. It offers easy setup, direct Bitcoin purchasing, and advanced features like Lightning Network and Liquid asset support. Prioritizes privacy with no KYC required and optional Tor connectivity.

Highlights
  • Simple wallet setup
  • Buy Bitcoin directly
  • Open-source and community-trusted
  • Track portfolio and history
  • Hardware wallet support
  • Lightning Network and Liquid support
  • Connect to your own node
Features
Read full description

Buy, send, and secure your bitcoin with no sign-up required. The Blockstream app is a self-custodial wallet that works across all three layers of Bitcoin: On-chain, Lightning, and Liquid. Create your wallet, unlock with PIN or Face ID, and start in seconds. 100% open-source, built by Blockstream, the global leader in Bitcoin infrastructure. KEY FEATURES Transact Between Layers: Hold on-chain bitcoin, make instant Lightning payments, and use Liquid for fast, confidential transactions. Swap between networks directly inside the app. Buy Bitcoin: Purchase bitcoin in 200+ currencies using Apple Pay, card, or bank transfer. Funds arrive in your self-custodial wallet. No Sign-Up Required: Create a wallet with Face ID alone. No email, phone number, or personal information collected. Security That Grows with You: Start with a PIN. Store your recovery phrase when you're ready. Upgrade to a hardware wallet as your holdings grow. Each layer adds protection without switching apps. Hardware Wallet Ready: Pair with Blockstream Jade for cold storage that works seamlessly with Lightning and Liquid. Jade signs transactions while staying offline. Also supports Ledger, Trezor, Coldcard, and more through direct pairing or watch-only import. Lightning Without the Complexity: Lightning payments work through trustless atomic swaps. No channels to manage, no inbound liquidity to worry about, no node to run. Just scan and pay. Privacy First: No KYC. No mandatory personal data. Connect through Tor with a single tap. Route through your own Bitcoin node. Address rotation by default. Flexible & Functional: Liquid asset support. Replace-by-fee for stuck transactions. Custom fee settings. PSBT export for watch-only workflows. Testnet support for developers. Open Source: Every line of code is publicly auditable under GPL-3.0. Built on GDK, Blockstream's cross-platform wallet library.

About

AQUA Wallet

Manage Bitcoin and Layer 2 assets with speed and flexibility. This app offers self-custody, seamless transactions on Lightning and Liquid, and native Tether USDt support. Access a marketplace of financial services and on-ramps for a global financial passport.

Highlights
  • Self-custody Bitcoin
  • Lightning and Liquid transactions
  • Native Tether USDt support
  • In-app financial services marketplace
  • Asset swapping
  • Layer 2 Bitcoin transactions
Read full description

AQUA is a Bitcoin wallet that brings Bitcoin, Liquid, Lightning, and Tether USDt together in one simple app. Send low-fee payments, get a unique Lightning Address, buy Bitcoin, swap assets, and access local services — all while keeping full control of your money. Why AQUA: - Self custody your Bitcoin and seamlessly transact in Lightning and Liquid assets, as well as stablecoins like Tether USDt. - Receive Bitcoin to your own @aqua.net Lightning Address and customize it too. - Native Tether USDt support on Liquid means you can pay for network fees in USDt. - Transact fluidly across the most popular USDt blockchains like Solana, Tron, Polygon, and more. - Connect to BTCPay Server via SamRock to accept Bitcoin, Liquid, and Lightning payments directly in AQUA. - Easily swap between assets and move Bitcoin to Layer 2 for faster and cheaper transactions. - In-app access to a growing marketplace of the best services and on-ramps to stack Bitcoin. Be like water! AQUA's intuitive design ensures a smooth user experience, making it ideal for beginners, while its powerful capabilities meet the high expectations of Bitcoin Maximalists worldwide. Download AQUA, the Bitcoin Superapp built for freedom.

Screenshots

Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet4 screens
AQUA Wallet4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet at 4.7 against AQUA Wallet's 4.1. Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet also leads on ratings volume (1.3K vs 78) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). AQUA Wallet's advantage is review sentiment (57% vs 48%) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet has 1.3K ratings behind it against 78, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 48% of Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet's written reviews are positive against 57% of AQUA Wallet's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet ships an update every 2 weeks, AQUA Wallet every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet versus AQUA Wallet: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlockstream Bitcoin WalletAQUA Wallet
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.3K ratings) — better4.1 (78 ratings)
Positive reviews47.9% of reviews56.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.3K — better78
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size169 MB247 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBlockstreamJan3 LLC

Customer experience

Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet

All ratings1,233 ratings
Positive93.1%
Neutral1.8%
Negative5.1%
Written reviews265 reviews
Positive47.9%
Neutral7.2%
Negative44.9%

AQUA Wallet

All ratings77 ratings
Positive75.3%
Neutral3.9%
Negative20.8%
Written reviews67 reviews
Positive56.7%
Neutral9.0%
Negative34.3%

User reviews

Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🔒 Top notch security
  • 👍 User-friendly
  • 🚀 Secure app
  • 👍 Trustworthy and easy to navigate
  • 👍 Simple, agile, and easy to understand

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and poor support
  • 🔍 Privacy issues
  • 🐛 Connectivity issues with iOS and Bluetooth
  • 🐛 Unreliable balance updates
  • 🐛 Wallet deletion and management issues

AQUA Wallet

From 78 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 User-friendly interface
  • ⚡️ Good for Lightning and Liquid
  • 🔒 Self-custodial
  • 🚀 Fast transactions
  • 💡 Integrates Tether

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🐌 Slow performance
  • ❌ Swap feature issues
  • 🚫 Transaction limits
  • 🔒 Security concerns (seed phrase visibility)

Bugs and requests

Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Login/connection issues
  • Wallet restoration problems
  • Disappearing transaction history
  • Incompatibility with newer iOS devices
  • 2FA-related bugs locking users out of their wallets

Requested features

5 requests
  • Support for Taproot addresses
  • Lightning network integration
  • Advanced reporting and export options
  • Improved wallet management (renaming, deleting, etc.)
  • Ability to see balance without hardware device connected

AQUA Wallet

Reported bugs

21 issues
  • Swap feature not working/freezing
  • Cannot send USDT to another address
  • App hangs/freezes after password entry
  • App freezes and won't open
  • Unresponsive white screen
Show 16 more
  • Cannot buy Bitcoin with Apple Pay
  • Marketplace glitching with wallet address
  • Seed phrase visible without PIN
  • Cannot withdraw funds/insufficient balance error
  • Funds stuck/unable to send
  • Deposit limits
  • Withdrawal limits
  • Lightning receive not loading invoice (Boltz issues)
  • Cannot access camera for QR code scanning
  • Wallet doesn't always log out when app is closed
  • Bitcoin price and balance in CAD overstated
  • Erroneous fees on swaps
  • New release (0.2.0) broken
  • Hidden BTC send options
  • No fee options shown for sending BTC
  • Swapping fees higher than stated

Requested features

9 requests
  • Add Chinese language support
  • Support for PPRGB
  • Hardware wallet support (Blockstream Jade)
  • Ability to send via Lightning without an invoice
  • "Drain wallet" option
Show 4 more
  • Dark mode option
  • Improved UI/UX for swap
  • Ability to input desired Bitcoin wallet address for purchases
  • Biometric login (PIN/Face ID) for all users

In-app purchases

None

Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet

No in-app purchases

None

AQUA Wallet

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet free?
Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is AQUA Wallet free?
AQUA Wallet is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet or AQUA Wallet?
Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet is rated higher. Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while AQUA Wallet averages 4.1 from 78 ratings.
Do Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet or AQUA Wallet have ads?
Neither Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet nor AQUA Wallet shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet or AQUA Wallet?
Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet ships an update every 2 weeks, and AQUA Wallet every 6 weeks. Most recently, Blockstream Bitcoin Wallet was updated on November 2, 2026 and AQUA Wallet on November 4, 2026.

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