Privy is a widely adopted embedded wallet and authentication provider focused primarily on EVM chains, offering both embedded wallets and external wallet connection.
Both products embed a wallet into your application and remove the extension requirement. The architectural difference is where signing authority lives and which chains are treated as native. Privy is the more mature choice across the EVM ecosystem; Cavos is built around a non-exportable device key and ships native adapters for Starknet, Solana, and Stellar.
| Capability | Cavos | Privy |
|---|---|---|
| Signing authority | Self-custodial. A non-exportable device key is the signing authority; Cavos holds no key that can move user funds and uses no MPC shares. | Embedded wallet keys are managed through Privy’s key management infrastructure, with configurable self-custody and recovery options. |
| Chain coverage | One SDK with chain-native adapters. Starknet, Solana, and Stellar available today. | Broad EVM support plus Solana; coverage and feature parity vary by chain. |
| Account model | Smart account on Starknet, device-account PDA on Solana, classic multisig G-account on Stellar. | EOA-style embedded wallets, with smart account support through integrations. |
| Gas sponsorship | Chain-specific: Starknet paymaster, Solana relayer as fee payer, Stellar sponsored reserves and fee bumps. | Available through paymaster and bundler integrations, typically on EVM smart accounts. |
| Recovery | Non-custodial recovery codes on every chain, multi-device passkey approval, and opt-in hardware-isolated social recovery. | Provider-defined recovery options including password and cloud-backup based flows. |
| Maturity | Newer product; three adapters shipped and documented. | Established provider with large production adoption. |
No. They target different chain ecosystems. If your application is EVM-first, Privy covers ground Cavos does not. Cavos is a direct alternative when you are building on Starknet, Solana, or Stellar and want a device-native, MPC-free signing model.
No. Cavos does not split or reconstruct a signing key across servers. Authority is a non-exportable device key, or on Stellar a control key unwrapped locally on an enrolled device.
Wallet addresses are derived differently, so accounts do not transfer automatically. Migration means provisioning new Cavos wallets against your existing stable user IDs and moving assets deliberately. Treat it as a migration project, not a config change.
Start with the quickstart and reach a sponsored transaction on your target chain.
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