Choose Web3Auth when
- You need very broad chain coverage from a single social-login wallet layer.
- You want a key you can export and use in other tooling.
- Your users expect a familiar social-login wallet with a long track record.
Cavos vs Web3Auth
Web3Auth provides social-login wallets using multi-party computation, splitting key shares across the user’s device, the provider’s network, and recovery factors.
This is the clearest architectural contrast in the category. Web3Auth reconstructs a private key from distributed shares; Cavos never reconstructs a key at all, because the device key signs directly and the on-chain account decides which signers are authorized.
| Capability | Cavos | Web3Auth |
|---|---|---|
| Key architecture | No key reconstruction. A non-exportable device key signs; the on-chain account authorizes signers. | MPC / threshold shares combined to reconstruct a private key. |
| Provider role in signing | None. Cavos cannot produce a valid signature for a user. | The provider network holds a share used in reconstruction. |
| Key export | Not exportable by design. | Export is supported. |
| Adding a new device | Explicit on-chain device approval via passkey or recovery code. | Reassembling shares on the new device. |
| Chain coverage | One SDK with chain-native adapters. Starknet, Solana, and Stellar available today. | Broad multi-chain coverage. |
| Gas sponsorship | Chain-specific: Starknet paymaster, Solana relayer as fee payer, Stellar sponsored reserves and fee bumps. | Depends on the chain and any account abstraction layer you add. |
Choose Cavos when
- Your threat model rules out any architecture where a provider holds a reconstructable key share.
- You want signer authority enforced on-chain rather than by off-chain share distribution.
- You are targeting Starknet, Solana, or Stellar specifically.
Frequently asked
Is MPC insecure?
No. MPC is a legitimate and widely deployed design, and Web3Auth is a serious implementation of it. The difference is the trust surface: MPC requires trusting that shares are not combined improperly, while Cavos removes key reconstruction from the design entirely. Which trade-off is right depends on your threat model.
Can I export my key from Cavos?
No. The device key is non-exportable, which is the property that makes the model work. Portability is handled through multi-device approval and non-custodial recovery codes instead of key export.
Other comparisons
Evaluate it against your own requirements.
Start with the quickstart and reach a sponsored transaction on your target chain.