You need your own crypto wallet to keep coins under your own control rather than on an exchange. Trust Wallet and MetaMask are non-custodial wallets: the keys are stored on your device, and access can be restored only with a secret phrase. Below: how to create both wallets step by step following their official instructions, how to make the first transfer, and the rules without which a wallet is easy to lose. Data checked on 21 October 2026.
Important. This is not a ranking or an advertisement: we compare only what the wallets say about themselves. Both are free, but responsibility for the secret phrase rests entirely with you: neither Trust Wallet nor MetaMask can restore a wallet if the phrase is lost.
What a Non-Custodial Wallet Is
According to the MetaMask help center, in a non-custodial wallet you hold the “master key” and there is no intermediary, so MetaMask can neither recover nor control your funds. Trust Wallet writes on its download page that private keys never leave the device and no account is needed to create a wallet. We covered how such a wallet differs from an exchange and from cold storage in How to Store Crypto.
| Parameter | Trust Wallet | MetaMask |
|---|---|---|
| Where it works | App for iOS and Android, extension for Chrome, Brave, Opera, Edge | Extension for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave and an app for iOS and Android |
| Networks | More than 100 blockchains, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain, Solana, Polygon | Ethereum, Solana, Bitcoin and other blockchains |
| Backup | Manual (12 words) or to Google Drive or iCloud | A 12-word secret phrase or sign-in with Google, Apple or Telegram (extension only) with a password |
| Where to download | trustwallet.com, App Store, Google Play, Chrome Web Store; publisher: Trust Wallet | metamask.io/download or official app and extension stores |
What You Will Need
- A phone or computer with an updated system and browser: MetaMask advises regularly updating the system, the browser and the wallet itself.
- An app from an official source only. Fake copies of MetaMask, according to its help center, record the secret phrase right after it is created.
- Paper and a pen. The phrase is written down by hand: Trust Wallet blocks screenshots during manual backup.
- A few of the network’s coins for fees, if you plan to send tokens: Trust Wallet reminds you that fees are paid in the network’s native coin.
Step by Step: Trust Wallet
The steps are from the official Trust Wallet guide (updated 17 July 2026) and its help page on backups.
- Download the app via the link on trustwallet.com/download or in an app store, and check that the publisher is listed as Trust Wallet.
- Tap “Get Started.” By doing so, you agree to the terms of use and the privacy policy.
- Choose “Create a new wallet.”
- Choose a backup method: manual or Google Drive (iCloud on iPhone).
- Write down the 12 words on paper in the order in which they are shown.
- Confirm the phrase: the app will ask you to select four words by their numbers.
- Set a six-digit passcode or biometrics (fingerprint or Face ID).
- Turn on the app lock: “Settings” → “Security” → “App Lock,” where you can also set the auto-lock time.
If the wallet has already been created but there is no backup, make one later: settings → wallet → manual backup confirmed with a passcode or Face ID; screenshots and screen recording are blocked there (Trust Wallet help page, updated 31 August 2026).
Step by Step: MetaMask
The steps are from the MetaMask help pages on installation and on creating a wallet.
- Install MetaMask. For a browser, click “Get MetaMask” on metamask.io and add the extension from the store. For a phone, use the App Store or Google Play; the help center advises carefully checking that it is not a fake.
- Choose “Create a new wallet.”
- Choose a protection method: a secret phrase (Secret Recovery Phrase, SRP) or sign-in with Google, Apple or Telegram. The second option is available only in the extension.
- If you chose the phrase, MetaMask will generate 12 English words. Write them down in English, do not translate them, and store them offline.
- Set a password. With the phrase option, it only unlocks the wallet on this device; a forgotten password can be bypassed by restoring the wallet with the phrase.
- If you chose sign-in with Google, Apple or Telegram, you will need both that account and your MetaMask password for access. If you lose the password, MetaMask will not restore the wallet. Such a wallet also has a secret phrase, and you can reveal it and save it as a backup option.
- Fund the wallet: buy crypto by card through a provider, receive it from another wallet or transfer it from an exchange.
Rules for the Secret Phrase
- Do not share it with anyone. MetaMask and Trust Wallet never ask for the phrase. MetaMask lists only two legitimate situations when it is entered: when creating a wallet, to confirm you wrote it down, and when restoring the wallet on a new device (MetaMask tips).
- Do not enter the phrase on websites “for verification,” “synchronization” or “claiming a bonus.”
- Do not keep it online. MetaMask advises not storing the phrase in the cloud, a document or a password manager (MetaMask help center). Trust Wallet offers a cloud backup alongside the manual one, but itself writes that writing the phrase down on paper is more reliable.
- Write it down exactly. Check the spelling and the order of the words; the order cannot be changed.
Risk. Any demand to “verify” or “update” your wallet, pass KYC or follow a link from an email is fraud: MetaMask says so directly. Trust Wallet warns that its admins on social media never message first. Other schemes are covered in Cryptocurrency Fraud.
First Transfer to Your Wallet
- Copy the address in the wallet: in Trust Wallet, use the “Receive” button next to the coin you need; in MetaMask, the account details.
- Choose the network in the withdrawal form on the exchange. It must match the network in which the wallet will receive the coins.
- Send a small amount, check that it has arrived, and then send the rest.
According to the MetaMask help center, the address is the same on Ethereum-compatible networks, so anything sent on another such network does not disappear: you just need to switch the network in your wallet. But if the funds went to an address on an incompatible network, they most likely cannot be recovered. How to choose a network is explained in USDT Networks and How to Buy Ethereum with Hryvnia.
How Much It Costs
| Component | Trust Wallet | MetaMask |
|---|---|---|
| Download and use | Free | Free |
| Sending coins | Network fee (gas) | Network fee (gas) |
| Token exchange in the wallet (swap) | Trust Wallet charges no extra fee, only the network fee (FAQ, updated 17 July 2026) | MetaMask fee of 0.875% plus the network fee |
| Buying by card | Through third-party providers at their rates | Through third-party providers; the list depends on the country |
If Something Goes Wrong
- You forgot your MetaMask password. If the wallet was created with a phrase, restore it with the phrase on any device. If the wallet was created via Google, Apple or Telegram and the phrase was not saved, there will be no access without the password.
- You lost the secret phrase or suspect others have seen it. While the wallet is still open, create a new one, write down the new phrase and move the funds there: MetaMask advises switching to a new phrase if the old one may have been compromised. No one can restore a lost phrase.
- Connection problems in the occupied territories. According to the MetaMask help center, Infura, whose nodes MetaMask uses by default, complies with US sanctions and restricts, among others, Crimea and the Donetsk and Luhansk regions; you can use other nodes in the settings (MetaMask help center).
- You need help. MetaMask support works through the chat on support.metamask.io and never messages first (help center). Do not respond to “support” on Telegram, Discord or X.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better: Trust Wallet or MetaMask?
There is no universal answer, and we do not make rankings. Both work on a phone and in a browser, and both are non-custodial and free. Trust Wallet describes itself as a multichain wallet for more than 100 blockchains, MetaMask as a wallet for Ethereum, Solana, Bitcoin and other networks. Check whether the wallet supports the networks you need.
Can I use one wallet on my phone and in my browser?
Yes. Trust Wallet writes that the same wallet can be imported with the secret phrase into both the app and the extension. MetaMask can be restored with the phrase on any device.
Do I need verification to create a wallet?
No. Trust Wallet does not require an account, and MetaMask states directly that a KYC requirement for using the wallet is fraud. Only a third-party provider may ask for verification if you buy crypto by card.
Can I move a wallet from MetaMask to Trust Wallet?
Yes: Trust Wallet has an “Add existing wallet” → “Secret phrase” option where you enter the phrase from another wallet. Do this only in the official app, never on websites.
Is it safe to store the phrase in the cloud?
It is a trade-off between convenience and risk. MetaMask advises not keeping the phrase online because the cloud can be hacked. The most reliable option is a paper copy in a place only you can access.
