This is the Privy vs Cavos comparison: Privy the embedded crypto wallet, not the Shopify popup of the same name. Pricing, chains, and custody, one-to-one. For a multi-vendor shortlist, start at Privy alternatives. This page is the one-to-one, not that shortlist. For finished auth and wallets versus signing infrastructure, see Privy vs Turnkey. For Alchemy Wallet APIs versus Privy’s finished embedded wallet, see Alchemy vs Privy. Privy vs Dynamic is provision versus connect between two finished SDKs, not this Cavos comparison; see Privy vs Dynamic. Cavos fees are on the pricing page. For a social-login MPC wallet layer, see Web3Auth alternatives. For MPC/TSS infrastructure rather than a finished SDK, see Dfns alternatives. Privy is a widely adopted embedded wallet and authentication provider, offering both embedded wallets and external wallet connection. Privy’s chain-support docs list managed send on EVM, Solana, Tempo, and Tron, and sign-only support on chains including Stellar and Starknet. This page is the one-to-one Privy vs Cavos comparison.
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’s published security model reconstitutes a 2-of-2 Shamir split inside AWS Nitro Enclaves; Cavos never reconstructs a signing key because a non-exportable device key signs. Privy is the more mature choice across the EVM ecosystem; Cavos ships native adapters for Starknet, Solana, and Stellar.
For the category itself (custody, key models, and what the SDK actually does) start with embedded wallets and the embedded wallet SDK. The embedded wallet guide is that page. The named-vendor table is embedded wallet providers. Platform parts and pricing models are in wallet-as-a-service. The method-level surface is the embedded wallet API. The React install is how to add an embedded wallet.
| 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. | User wallets: 2-of-2 Shamir shares reconstituted only in AWS Nitro Enclaves (enclave share + auth share). Key export is supported. Optional custodial wallets via Bridge. |
| Connect vs provision | Provisions a device-native account. Does not connect MetaMask, WalletConnect, or other extensions. | Both. Embedded user wallets plus connectors for wallets users already hold (EVM and Solana). |
| Chain coverage | One SDK with chain-native adapters. Starknet, Solana, and Stellar available today. | Managed send on EVM, Solana, Tempo, and Tron. Sign-only on Stellar, Starknet, Bitcoin, and others: Privy signs, your app broadcasts. Per Privy’s chain-support docs, November 2026. |
| Account model | Audited OpenZeppelin account contract (AccountUpgradeable v3.0.0) on Starknet, native Ed25519 system account on Solana, classic G-account on Stellar. | EOA-style embedded wallets, with smart account support through integrations. |
| Gas sponsorship | Gas Sponsorship in Any Token. 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 | Passkey restore on a new device and opt-in hardware-isolated social recovery, both non-custodial. | 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. |
| Pricing | Free up to 1,000 wallets. Essential $59/mo. Complete $139/mo. | Free (0–499 MAU) with 50K signatures and $1M volume/mo. Core $299/mo. Scale $499/mo. |
Privy vs Cavos is a one-to-one comparison of two embedded wallet products. Privy offers embedded wallets and external wallet connection, with managed send on EVM, Solana, Tempo, and Tron. Cavos is device-native on Starknet, Solana, and Stellar, with a non-exportable device key and no MPC reconstruction. They are not drop-in replacements.
Privy’s public security docs describe a 2-of-2 Shamir split reconstituted only inside AWS Nitro Enclaves: an enclave share sealed to the TEE, and an auth share released with valid credentials. Neither share alone is the key, and Privy documents that it cannot reconstruct a key unilaterally. Users can export the key on the user-wallet path. Separately, Privy documents optional custodial wallets backed by Bridge. Cavos does not reconstruct a key in a remote enclave for ordinary signing: a non-exportable device key is the signing authority.
No. On EVM, Privy covers ground Cavos does not, and Privy also connects wallets users already hold. On Stellar and Starknet, Privy’s docs list signing only, so your app still broadcasts the transaction; Cavos signs, submits, and can sponsor gas. Cavos is the closer head-to-head comparison when you are building on Starknet, Solana, or Stellar and want a device-native, MPC-free signing model.
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.
Cavos is free up to 1,000 wallets, then Essential at $59/mo and Complete at $139/mo. Privy’s public free tier is 0–499 MAU with 50K signatures and $1M volume per month; Core is $299/mo and Scale is $499/mo. Those figures are from each vendor’s public pricing page as of October 2026 and can change.
Privy’s chain-support docs (checked November 2026) list managed send on EVM, Solana, Tempo, and Tron; transaction-aware signing on Stellar, Sui, XRPL, Aptos, and Near; and raw signing on Bitcoin, Cosmos, TON, and Starknet. On the signing tiers Privy signs and your app broadcasts. Cavos ships native adapters for Starknet, Solana, and Stellar that sign, submit, and can sponsor gas, and is not an EVM-wide wallet layer. If the product is EVM-first, Privy covers ground Cavos does not. If the product is on those three chains and the review requires a device-native key, Cavos is the closer comparison.
Start with the quickstart and reach a sponsored transaction on your target chain.
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