Phoenix Review
Self-custodial Lightning wallet that makes channel management invisible through automatic splicing.
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Why We Recommend Phoenix
Phoenix delivers arguably the smoothest Lightning experience available for non-technical users. The wallet runs a full Lightning node directly on your phone while completely abstracting away the complexity of channel management through splicing technology—your single channel automatically resizes as needed rather than spawning multiple channels with their associated fees and UTXO clutter. The result is a wallet that feels like a simple Bitcoin app but actually gives you all the benefits of Lightning: instant payments, sub-cent fees for small transactions, and the ability to receive payments without pre-planning liquidity.
The app is fully open source under Apache 2.0 with code available on GitHub, and you maintain complete control of your funds through a standard 12-word recovery phrase. ACINQ, the French company behind Phoenix, operates one of the largest and most reliable Lightning nodes on the network, meaning your payments route through battle-tested infrastructure. The mobile apps feature clean, minimal interfaces on both Android and iOS, with clear fee displays before every transaction and straightforward backup prompts. App store ratings hover around 4.3/5, reflecting genuine user satisfaction with the UX despite occasional minor quirks.
Best For
Phoenix is ideal for Bitcoin users who want Lightning's speed and low fees without becoming Lightning experts. If you've avoided Lightning because managing channels, inbound liquidity, and routing seemed too technical, Phoenix eliminates those barriers entirely. You just send and receive Bitcoin, and the wallet handles everything else. This makes it perfect for everyday spending at Lightning-enabled merchants, receiving tips or small payments, and generally using Bitcoin as actual money rather than just a store of value.
The wallet particularly appeals to Bitcoin-only users who want self-custody without compromise. Unlike custodial Lightning apps that hold your keys, Phoenix gives you a recovery phrase that works even if ACINQ disappears. Power users will appreciate advanced features like BOLT12 offers for reusable payment requests, trustless on-chain swaps via splice-in/splice-out, and the ability to set custom mining fees for on-chain transactions. Merchants can use the clean receive interface for point-of-sale scenarios.
Phoenix also serves as an excellent bridge wallet for moving funds between self-custodial setups. Need to quickly receive Lightning and later move to cold storage? The splice-out feature lets you send directly to on-chain addresses paying only mining fees. For users prioritizing convenience and reliability over absolute minimum fees or maximum privacy, Phoenix hits a compelling sweet spot.
Services & Features
Considerations
The flat 0.4% fee on all outgoing Lightning payments is higher than self-hosted nodes or some competing wallets, making it expensive for frequent large transactions. Routing through ACINQ's infrastructure centralizes payment metadata with a single operator, reducing privacy compared to running your own node.
