Ledger Nano S Plus Review - The One Most People Should Buy

The Nano S Plus is the answer to "which Ledger should I buy" for most people, and the reason is unglamorous: it is cryptographically identical to the flagship, costs roughly a fifth as much, and leaves you enough money for a steel backup - which will do more for your security than any screen ever will.

Verdict: 4.6 / 5. The best value in hardware wallets. Buy it unless you specifically need Bluetooth or a big screen.

Specs that matter#

The important thing: security is identical#

There is no "more secure" Ledger. Every current model uses a certified secure element, runs the same BOLOS operating system, and generates and stores keys the same way. The Nano S Plus protects a million dollars exactly as well as a Stax does.

What the more expensive models buy is convenience and readability - Bluetooth, a battery, and a screen large enough to display a smart-contract interaction in human-readable form. Those are real features. They are not security features in the "harder to break" sense, though the bigger screen does genuinely reduce a category of user error.

What it is like to use#

Small, light, robust. The swivel cover protects the USB-C connector, and the whole thing survives a keyring - though we would not recommend carrying a wallet around in public.

Two buttons: one each to scroll, both together to confirm. It is slow in the way that a device controlling your savings should be slow. You will not enjoy typing a long passphrase on it; you will do it twice a year.

The upgrade from the discontinued original Nano S is enormous and worth restating: app storage went from three to five apps up to around a hundred. If you are still on an original Nano S and constantly uninstalling apps to make room, this is your fix.

The screen: what you give up#

The 128x64 monochrome display shows an address, an amount and a chain clearly. That covers plain sends and receives perfectly well - which for a buy-and-hold user is 100% of activity.

Where it falls short is contract interactions. A DeFi transaction is encoded call data, and a small screen cannot render it as a readable summary, so you end up enabling blind signing - approving data you cannot verify. That is the mechanism behind most drainer thefts.

The honest framing:

• If you hold and rarely sign contracts: the screen costs you nothing.
• If you use DeFi weekly: a Flex genuinely reduces your risk, and the upgrade is worth it.
• Either way: pair it with Rabby rather than MetaMask, since Rabby simulates transactions and shows expected balance changes before you sign.

No Bluetooth, no battery#

Not a flaw, a positioning choice. You need a computer or an OTG-capable phone with a cable.

Some people frame the absence of Bluetooth as a security advantage. It really is not - Bluetooth transports unsigned transactions in and signatures out, exactly like USB, and the key never crosses either. If you want to manage crypto from a phone, buy the Nano X without worrying about the radio.

Setup and daily life#

Setup is the standard flow - PIN, 24 words on device, genuine check - and takes about twenty minutes. Follow the setup guide, including the wipe-and-restore drill, before funding it.

Day to day, it works with Ledger Live, MetaMask and Rabby, Sparrow, Electrum and most serious wallets. Support spans thousands of assets - see supported coins.

What we like#

• Identical security at entry-level price. The best value in the category.
• Around a hundred apps - effectively unlimited for normal use.
• USB-C, no proprietary cable nonsense.
• No battery to degrade. A device you might not touch for five years should not have a lithium cell aging inside it.
• Genuinely pocketable and tough.

What we do not like#

• Blind signing on a tiny screen. The device most people buy is the one least able to show what it is approving.
• Two-button entry is tedious for long passphrases.
• No mobile use without a cable and an adapter.
• The closed firmware question applies here as to every Ledger - see is Ledger safe.

Who should buy it#

Buy it if you are getting your first hardware wallet, you mostly hold, you use a computer, or you want a second device for a multisig or a geographically separated backup.

Buy something else if you manage crypto primarily from a phone (Nano X), you sign contracts frequently and want them readable (Flex), or open-source firmware is a requirement for you (Trezor Safe - see Ledger vs Trezor).

FAQ#

Is the Ledger Nano S Plus still worth buying?#

Yes. It uses the same secure element and the same operating system as Ledger's most expensive models, so the security is identical. You are only forgoing Bluetooth, a battery and a larger screen.

What is the difference between the Nano S and the Nano S Plus?#

The Plus adds far more app storage - roughly a hundred apps versus three to five - a better screen, and USB-C. The original Nano S is discontinued and its storage limit is genuinely painful.

Can the Nano S Plus be used with a phone?#

Only with a USB-C cable and an OTG-capable Android device; there is no Bluetooth. For a proper mobile experience, the Nano X is the right model.

How many coins can the Nano S Plus hold?#

Around a hundred small apps, and there is no limit on how many assets you actually own. Uninstalling an app never deletes funds, since keys derive from your recovery phrase.

Is the Nano S Plus less secure than the Stax?#

No. Security is identical across the current Ledger range. The more expensive models buy screen size, Bluetooth and battery, not stronger cryptography.