Monero wallet guides & tutorials
Practical, no-nonsense guides about Monero (XMR) wallets: creating and restoring a wallet, seed phrase formats, privacy, fees and choosing between a web wallet and the desktop app. New articles are added regularly.
How to restore a Monero wallet from a seed phrase
A Monero recovery phrase is the only backup you need. Here is how to restore an XMR wallet from 16 words (Polyseed) or 25 words (legacy seed) — and what to do when the phrase is rejected.
What is Polyseed? The 16-word Monero seed explained
Feather shows a 16-word recovery phrase by default — that is Polyseed. Here is what it is, why it is shorter than the classic 25-word Monero seed, and how the two formats relate.
Monero vs Bitcoin: privacy and fungibility explained
Bitcoin hides nothing — every amount and address is public forever. Monero hides sender, receiver and amount by default. Here is how the cryptography works and why it matters.
How to create a Monero wallet online in your browser
You do not need to install anything to get a Monero wallet. Here is how to create a non-custodial XMR wallet in your browser, back it up properly and receive your first coins.
Monero transaction fees explained
Monero fees are usually a few cents — but they are not fixed. Here is how the fee per byte works, why congestion raises the price, and how to keep your XMR transfers cheap.
Monero web wallet vs desktop wallet: which should you use?
Both run the same Monero wallet logic — the difference is the threat model. Here is an honest comparison of a browser wallet and a desktop wallet, and when to use each.
How long do Monero transactions take to confirm?
A Monero block is found every two minutes on average — but your wallet may wait ten blocks before funds are spendable. Here is what each stage really means.
Monero address formats explained: 4, 8 and 9
Every Monero address is 95 characters of base58 with a built-in checksum. The first letter tells you which kind it is — here is how to read an XMR address at a glance.
Monero subaddresses explained: one wallet, many addresses
Instead of handing out one address to everyone, a Monero wallet can derive a fresh address for each sender. Same balance, same seed — much better payment hygiene.
Monero node vs remote node: what your wallet connects to
Every Monero wallet talks to a node — the question is whose. Running your own removes trust from the equation, but a remote node is fine for small balances.
How to use a Monero wallet on Tails
An amnesic live system and a non-custodial Monero wallet are a strong privacy pair — if you decide up front where the seed lives. Here are both setups.
Feather Wallet vs Cake Wallet: which should you use?
Both are open-source and non-custodial, and both restore from the same seed. The real differences are platform, footprint and focus — here is the honest breakdown.
Quick links
- Best Monero wallet (2026) — comparison and verdict
- Open the Monero web wallet — create or restore a wallet in your browser
- Download Feather Wallet for Windows, macOS, Linux and Tails
- Monero wallet FAQ — short answers to common questions
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