[Wallets](https://revain.org/wallets/) › Sparrow Wallet

# Sparrow Wallet: keys, security, fees and reviews

## In short

- **Key control**: Non-custodial: keys are created and kept on the user's computer or hardware wallet; software wallets are normally encrypted and unlocked only while signing.
- **Fees**: Wallet: Open-source software under Apache 2.0 with no listed wallet fee; the site links a Donate page. Bitcoin network fees are chosen by the user.
- **Risks and caveats**: There is no support team; help comes from the documentation and the community.
- **Checked**: 31 October 2026

## Key facts

- **Official site**: [sparrowwallet.com](https://sparrowwallet.com/)

Key facts checked on 31 October 2026 against official sources.

## What is Sparrow Wallet

Sparrow Wallet is a free, open-source desktop Bitcoin wallet for Windows, macOS and Linux, aimed at users who want detailed control over transactions, privacy and hardware-wallet signing. It is developed by Craig Raw and has been released on GitHub since April 2020.

## Who holds the keys

| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Key control | Non-custodial: keys are created and kept on the user's computer or hardware wallet; software wallets are normally encrypted and unlocked only while signing. |
| Seed phrase | BIP39 mnemonic seeds, watch-only xpub keystores and common hardware wallets can be used as keystores. |
| Wallet encryption | Wallet files are encrypted with Argon2 password hashing tuned to take at least 500 ms. |

## Features and supported networks

| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Platforms | Desktop app for Windows 10+, macOS 11+ (Apple silicon and Intel) and Linux; Sparrow Server for headless systems. |
| Supported networks | Bitcoin only (mainnet, plus testnet, regtest and signet). |
| Hardware wallet support | Common hardware wallets over USB (Trezor, Ledger, BitBox02, Jade) and airgapped via QR codes or SD card (Passport, SeedSigner, Keystone, Coldcard), plus smartcards. |
| Multisig | Single-sig and multisig on common script types, with full PSBT support. |
| Coin control | Full coin and fee control, labelling of transactions, inputs and outputs, and a byte-level transaction editor that doubles as a block explorer. |
| Privacy (CoinJoin, Tor) | Connects to public servers, a private Electrum server or the user's own Bitcoin Core node; Tor proxy supported. The Whirlpool CoinJoin client was removed in April 2024. |
| Payments | Send and receive to PayNyms (BIP47). |

## Security and audits

- Sparrow is open source on GitHub (sparrowwallet/sparrow) under the Apache 2.0 licence.
- Release binaries are signed with Craig Raw's GPG key, and Sparrow includes a Verify Download tool; binaries are reproducible since version 1.5.0 (September 2021).
- Sparrow is a desktop application and deliberately avoids browser technology to reduce the attack surface.

## Security incidents

No security incident is recorded in the sources checked on 31 October 2026 (the company’s own channels and incident databases): [api.llama.fi/hacks](https://api.llama.fi/hacks), [hacked.slowmist.io/search](https://hacked.slowmist.io/search/), [rekt.news/leaderboard](https://rekt.news/leaderboard/), [github.com/sparrowwallet/sparrow/releases.atom](https://github.com/sparrowwallet/sparrow/releases.atom), [api.github.com/repos/sparrowwallet/sparrow/secur](https://api.github.com/repos/sparrowwallet/sparrow/security-advisories), [t.me/s/SparrowWallet](https://t.me/s/SparrowWallet)

## Fees

| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Wallet | Open-source software under Apache 2.0 with no listed wallet fee; the site links a Donate page. Bitcoin network fees are chosen by the user. |

## History

| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 12 April 2020 | Initial release v0.5: a transaction editor without wallet functions. |
| 28 January 2021 | Version 1.0.0 released. |
| 23 September 2021 | Version 1.5.0 added Samourai Whirlpool CoinJoin and reproducible binaries. |
| 25 April 2024 | Version 1.9.0 removed the Whirlpool client and other Soroban-related features. |
| 18 September 2024 | Version 2.0.0 released. |
| 29 October 2026 | Latest release, version 2.5.6. |

## Risks and caveats

- There is no support team; help comes from the documentation and the community.
- Download files should be verified against the signed manifest to make sure they have not been tampered with.
- Bitcoin only: other coins are not supported.

## About the developer

- **Developer**: Craig Raw, who signs the release binaries.
- **Founded**: 2020 (first GitHub release on 12 April 2020).

## Official links

- Website: [sparrowwallet.com](https://sparrowwallet.com/)
- Download: [sparrowwallet.com/download](https://sparrowwallet.com/download/)
- Docs: [sparrowwallet.com/docs](https://sparrowwallet.com/docs/)
- Source code: [github.com/sparrowwallet/sparrow](https://github.com/sparrowwallet/sparrow)

## Questions and answers

**Is Sparrow Wallet self-custodial?**

Yes. Keys stay on the user's computer, encrypted, or on a connected hardware wallet.

**Is Sparrow Wallet open source?**

Yes. The code is on GitHub under the Apache 2.0 licence, and release binaries are GPG-signed and reproducible.

**Which coins does Sparrow support?**

Bitcoin only, including multisig, PSBT and hardware wallets over USB, QR codes or SD card.

**Does Sparrow still support CoinJoin?**

No. The Samourai Whirlpool client was added in September 2021 and removed in version 1.9.0 on 25 April 2024.

**Does Sparrow charge fees?**

No wallet fee is listed; the open-source app links a Donate page, and users pay Bitcoin network fees that they set themselves.

## Sources

- [Sparrow Wallet — Home](https://sparrowwallet.com/)
- [Sparrow Wallet — Features](https://sparrowwallet.com/features/)
- [Sparrow Wallet — Download](https://sparrowwallet.com/download/)
- [Sparrow Wallet — Documentation](https://sparrowwallet.com/docs/)
- [GitHub — sparrowwallet/sparrow](https://github.com/sparrowwallet/sparrow)
- [GitHub — Sparrow release v0.5](https://github.com/sparrowwallet/sparrow/releases/tag/v0.5)
- [GitHub — Sparrow release 1.5.0](https://github.com/sparrowwallet/sparrow/releases/tag/1.5.0)
- [GitHub — Sparrow release 1.9.0](https://github.com/sparrowwallet/sparrow/releases/tag/1.9.0)
- [GitHub — Sparrow release 2.5.6](https://github.com/sparrowwallet/sparrow/releases/tag/2.5.6)

## More in this section

- [Keystone](https://revain.org/wallets/keystone/)
- [Rainbow](https://revain.org/wallets/rainbow/)
- [Solflare](https://revain.org/wallets/solflare/)
- [Zengo](https://revain.org/wallets/zengo/)
- [Keeper Wallet](https://revain.org/wallets/waves-wallet/)
- [Leather](https://revain.org/wallets/leather/)
- [All Wallets →](https://revain.org/wallets/)

## How voting works

Votes are anonymous and carry no text. Each device has one vote per item; press the same button again to remove it. Cloudflare Turnstile checks that a person is voting. We keep a random device ID in a cookie and a salted hash of the IP address to limit abuse — no names, no accounts. Votes are visitors’ opinions, not investment advice.

Page updated: 2026-10-31

---
Source: https://revain.org/wallets/sparrow/