Wallet UX has changed massively in the past ~18 months.
What used to be a choice between custodial vs self-custodial is now a five-dimension decision:
- custody model
- onboarding UX
- hosting + control
- long-term portability
- session & automation support
There is no universal “best wallet SDK”, only best-fit per product category.
This guide helps you define evaluation criteria, compare providers, and avoid accidental lock-in.
📌 Evaluation criteria (2025 spec)
Below are the criteria teams should evaluate with equal weight — not just features:
| Category | Why it matters | Questions to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Custody model | Determines control, security & compliance surface | Who holds recovery authority? Can users export keys? |
| Portability / exit plan | Avoid infra lock-in | Can we self-host later? Can users keep wallets if we switch provider? |
| Onboarding UX | Directly impacts conversion | Seedless? Passkeys? Social login? Session keys? |
| Automation & sessions | Needed for games, agents, DeFi UX | Does SDK support background actions or only pop-ups? |
| Hosting model | Compliance, auditability, sovereignty | SaaS only? Hybrid? Fully self-hostable? |
| Standards support | Future-proofing | ERC-4337? ERC-7702? Session standards? |
| Pricing clarity | Predictability and scale cost | MAU-based? TX-based? Proprietary usage-based fees? |
f the vendor cannot clearly answer “What happens if we leave?”, that’s a risk.
Comparison Matrix (High-level / factual)
Note: Based on public documentation as of Q4 2025. Teams should verify technical, legal, and pricing details directly.
| Provider | Custody Model | Self-Hostable | Sessions / Automation | 4337/AA | 7702 Ready | Portability | Target Use Cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Openfort | Non-custodial (client-generated keys) | ✅ (OpenSigner + infra) | ✅ real-time flows | Yes | Actively supported | High | Embedded UX, games, sessions, agents |
| Privy | Non-custodial but infra-managed | ❌ (SaaS only) | Limited (JWT session, no full game-loop automation) | Indirect | TBD / emerging | Medium | Consumer apps, onboarding focus |
| Web3Auth | MPC (custodial-leaning hybrid) | Partial (enterprise tier) | ❌ (popup-first) | Optional | Not prioritised | Medium-Low | Fintech, wallets, exchanges |
| Dynamic | Custodial or delegated | ❌ | Limited | Optional | Not confirmed | Medium | Apps needing social login + wallet aggregator |
| Thirdweb Wallet | Non-custodial | ❌ | Limited | Yes | TBD | Medium | Games & projects using Thirdweb stack |
| Sequence | Smart contract wallet | ❌ | Good (session approvals) | Yes | Not announced | Medium | Gaming ecosystem |
| Turnkey | MPC infra | ✔ (bring-your-own infra) | Indirect | Optional | Not focused | High | Custom infra / enterprises |
How to choose: decision tree
1️⃣ Does your app need real-time signatures (games, trading bots, agents, batching)?
✔ Needs → Prefer SDKs with session-key support & no mandatory pop-ups
✖ Does not → UX-first SaaS SDKs work fine
2️⃣ Do you need full control over infra + compliance?
✔ Yes → Consider SDKs that are self-hostable
✖ No → SaaS-only is fine
3️⃣ Will your users still own their wallet if you change provider?
✔ Must → Ensure key export & portability
✖ Not required → Managed custody acceptable
4️⃣ Do you anticipate AA / 7702 usage?
✔ Yes → Pick SDK already aligned with emerging standards
Use-case recommendations
| Use case | Recommended SDK traits |
|---|---|
| Games & real-time actions | Session keys, no popups, cheap gas, background signing |
| AI agents & automation | Server-side signing policies, programmable permissions |
| Fintech / compliance | Self-host, auditability, multi-region deployment |
| Hackathons / prototypes | Fast SDK onboarding, SaaS, moderate lock-in acceptable |
| Enterprise or regulated verticals | Infra-portable + hybrid hosting |
FAQ
Q: Is MPC always safer than smart accounts or embedded wallets?
No single method is universally safer — it depends on threat model, recovery model, and attack surface.
Q: Will ERC-7702 replace ERC-4337?
Not immediately. They solve overlapping but distinct problems. Expect hybrid coexistence for years.
Q: Is vendor lock-in always bad?
No — it is a trade-off between speed vs sovereignty. Teams should decide explicitly, not accidentally.
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