TL;DR: Phantom is a Solana-first wallet that also covers Ethereum, Base, Polygon, BNB Chain, Bitcoin and a few other networks (it dropped Monad on 2026-08-26 and Sui on 2026-09-24), with Solana-native NFT tooling and no hardware device of its own, while WATS Wallet is a non-custodial wallet for EVM chains, Solana and TON with no native Bitcoin. Neither wallet covers everything: Phantom supports Bitcoin natively and WATS Wallet does not; WATS Wallet supports TON, Arbitrum and Optimism natively and Phantom does not. WATS Wallet fits if you need Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, BNB Chain, Solana and TON under a single identity, with EVM network fees settled in one token (ATS) instead of each EVM chain's native gas — Solana transactions pay their own native fee in SOL and fees on TON are paid in ATS too — and an optional NFC metal card that authenticates transactions on tap; Phantom fits a Solana-centred portfolio that includes BTC (Phantom details as of October 2026).
Disclosure: WATS Wallet publishes this comparison, and WATS Wallet is our own product. We say plainly where it fits and name the wallet that fits better where it does not.
WATS Wallet and Phantom are both non-custodial, so neither company holds a key on your behalf and neither can move your funds. That makes this a comparison of chain coverage, fee mechanics, form factors and hardware rather than a comparison of safety. Two facts frame everything below: WATS supports TON natively and Phantom does not, and Phantom supports Bitcoin natively while WATS does not.
Quick verdict
WATS Wallet is the pick when the wallet has to stretch across ecosystems. It runs one non-custodial identity over Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, BNB Chain, Solana and TON, settles EVM network fees in a single token (ATS) using ERC-4337 account abstraction while fees on TON are paid in ATS too and Solana keeps paying SOL, and is the only wallet of the two with a first-party physical companion — an NFC metal card that authenticates on tap rather than storing keys. It is also three products sharing one brand: Chrome Extension, mobile app and NFC Metal Card.
Phantom is a Solana-first wallet that has expanded to Ethereum, Base, Polygon, BNB Chain and Bitcoin (it ended Monad support on 2026-08-26 and Sui support on 2026-09-24). Its Solana tooling — NFT handling, token display, built-in swaps — is built natively around that chain rather than bolted on, and its native Bitcoin support is a real advantage that WATS Wallet does not match. Relative to this comparison, its limits are specific rather than vague: no TON, no Arbitrum or Optimism, no single-fee-token model, and no hardware device of its own.
At a glance
| Feature | WATS Wallet | Phantom |
|---|---|---|
| Custody model | Non-custodial across all three products — extension, mobile, NFC card (you hold the keys, WATS never holds a key) | Non-custodial (seed phrase) |
| Chains | Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, BNB Chain, Solana, TON | Solana, Ethereum, Base, Polygon, BNB Chain, Bitcoin and a few others (Monad dropped 2026-08-26, Sui dropped 2026-09-24) |
| Bitcoin | No native BTC support | Yes |
| Sui | No | No — support ended 2026-09-24 |
| TON | Yes | No |
| Fee model | Single ATS fee token on EVM chains — ERC-4337 account abstraction. ATS itself lives on BSC (BNB Chain), and the fee for any EVM network is debited from that one balance rather than from a per-chain ATS stash. Solana pays SOL; TON fees are paid in ATS too | Native gas token per chain |
| NFT support | Yes | Yes, with deep Solana NFT tooling |
| Hardware companion | NFC metal tap-to-authenticate card | No first-party hardware device |
| Form factors | Chrome Extension, iOS/Android app, NFC metal card | Browser extension, iOS/Android |
Chains and ecosystems
This is where the two wallets diverge most, and where being precise matters more than scoring points. Both are multi-chain, but they cover different ground.
WATS Wallet covers eight networks under one identity: Ethereum plus the major Layer-2s (Arbitrum, Optimism, Base), Polygon, BNB Chain, Solana and TON. Stated plainly, because it is the honest limitation: WATS does not natively support Bitcoin. If holding BTC in the same wallet is a hard requirement, Phantom wins that row outright. What WATS covers in return is TON — the Telegram-connected chain Phantom does not reach — alongside EVM and Solana in the same account, which is the subject of our deeper guide on using one wallet across Ethereum, Solana and TON.
Phantom began as a Solana wallet and expanded outward to Ethereum, Base, Polygon, BNB Chain and Bitcoin (it ended Monad support on 2026-08-26 and Sui support on 2026-09-24). That BTC support is genuine and worth weighting if Bitcoin is part of your portfolio and you want it sitting next to your Solana and Ethereum assets in one familiar interface. Phantom's Solana roots also show in the details, where NFT handling and token displays feel native. The limitation is at the edges of the multi-chain story: TON is absent, and the two EVM sets overlap only partly — both cover Ethereum, Base, Polygon and (since 1 October 2026) BNB Chain, while WATS adds Arbitrum and Optimism.
So the chain question is not which wallet supports more in the abstract — it is which wallet supports the chains you use. A Bitcoin holder whose day-to-day activity is Solana-centred should lean Phantom. Anyone touching TON or a spread of EVM Layer-2s alongside Solana should lean WATS.
Fees and the ATS token
On EVM chains, WATS pays network fees in one token. A swap, a transfer or a stake is settled in ATS rather than in that chain's native gas token, using ERC-4337 account abstraction, while Solana transactions pay their own native fee in SOL and fees on TON are paid in ATS too. The ATS supply is being burned down from 100M to 30M. The practical effect is one fee balance across the six EVM networks rather than six, and WATS is where that model is most visible day to day.
Here is the part we insist on being straight about, because it is easy to overhype. Gas abstraction changes which token you pay, not the underlying network cost. The native gas still exists and still has to be settled behind the scenes; the ATS fee tracks the live network cost rather than a fixed amount. It is not a discount and it does not make gas cheaper. What it removes is the per-chain juggling on EVM — one balance to top up instead of six, and far fewer out-of-gas failures from a forgotten native token. If you want the exact mechanics, the ATS fee page is the canonical reference, and our explainer on what gas abstraction is covers the concept neutrally.
Phantom uses the standard model: each chain's gas is paid in that chain's own native token. Solana actions cost SOL, Ethereum actions cost ETH, Polygon actions cost their native gas, and Bitcoin transactions cost BTC network fees. This is easy to reason about and matches how most wallets work. The cost of it is the familiar multi-chain chore — keeping a small float of several native tokens purely to cover fees, and the occasional stranded transaction when one of those balances runs dry.
UX and features
WATS Wallet is built as three products that share one identity, so the experience is spread across form factors rather than concentrated in a single app. The free Chrome Extension handles one-click dApp connection and in-browser signing on Chromium browsers like Chrome, Edge and Brave. The free mobile app is native on iOS 15+ and Android 9+, with Face ID and biometric unlock, push notifications, and NFC tap-to-authenticate using the metal card. WATS adds swaps and bridges across EVM, Solana and TON, and the ATS single-fee-token model on EVM chains applies across WATS — in the extension and the mobile app alike.
Phantom's user experience is one of its most frequently cited strengths: fast, approachable, and usable without a tutorial. Built-in swaps, an NFT gallery and Solana-native flows are the core of it, and they are a large part of why it has a broad user base. If raw ease of use is your top priority and Solana is your home chain, that strength is real and should carry weight. The trade-off is scope rather than quality — Phantom is one app on extension and mobile, with no hardware device of its own and no alternative fee model to move into later.
A genuine difference in security architecture is worth naming carefully. Phantom is non-custodial via a seed phrase — you hold your keys, full stop. Every WATS product is non-custodial in exactly that sense: the Chrome Extension and mobile app all leave you holding your own keys and seed phrase, and WATS never holds a key. Where WATS differs is an optional physical layer. Each WATS NFC Metal Card carries a unique ID, and the first time you tap it to your phone in the WATS mobile app it pairs with that specific device — from then on it works only with that phone, as a physical tap-to-authenticate second factor. The card never stores private keys; it is closer to a hardware security key than to a second custodian. If the terminology is new, our primer on what a non-custodial wallet is lays out the landscape.
Hardware and the WATS ecosystem
This is the clearest structural gap between the two. WATS ships a physical companion, the WATS NFC Metal Card; Phantom is software only, with no hardware device of its own.
One thing to be precise about, because it is commonly misread: the card does not store your private keys and is not cold storage. It is a tap-to-authenticate companion — the keys stay in the WATS apps, and tapping the card authenticates access to them. The specs are built for real-world durability: an NTAG 216 chip (NFC Forum Type 2), ISO/IEC 14443 at 13.56 MHz, IP68 waterproofing (submersible to 1.5 m for 30 minutes), MIL-STD-810 durability from -40C to +85C, in a CR-80 card size (85.6 x 53.98 x 0.84 mm) of brushed stainless steel. It sells from 54.90 USD for a 2-card set. If the idea of an NFC tap card is new, our overview of NFC crypto cards explained is a good starting point.
The card is one of three products that share the WATS identity: the Chrome Extension, the mobile app and the NFC card. That ecosystem framing is the structural difference from Phantom's single, well-executed app. Phantom concentrates on one product; WATS spreads across form factors and ties them together with the ATS fee token and the metal card.
If you are weighing WATS against other major wallets too, our comparisons with MetaMask and Trust Wallet apply the same treatment to those rivals.
Who should choose which
Some clear guidance, without hedging:
- Choose WATS Wallet if you want EVM chains, Solana and TON under one identity, you are active in the TON ecosystem, you want to pay EVM fees in a single ATS token instead of juggling native gas across six EVM networks, or you want an NFC metal card and a connected multi-product ecosystem.
- Choose Phantom if Solana is your primary chain, you trade or collect Solana NFTs, you want Bitcoin in the same wallet, and you prize a single, beginner-friendly app over a multi-product setup.
- It is genuinely close if you mostly use Ethereum and Solana, hold no BTC and no TON, and care most about day-to-day ease — both wallets will serve you well, and the tie-breaker becomes whether you want the single EVM fee token and the optional NFC card, which are what WATS Wallet adds.
There is no shame in running both. Many people keep a Solana-native wallet for NFT activity and a broader multi-chain wallet for everything else. Self-custody wallets are free to install, so the real cost is attention, not money.
Bottom line
Phantom is a capable Solana-first, multi-chain wallet with approachable UX, deep Solana NFT tooling and native Bitcoin — a reasonable default for anyone whose centre of gravity is Solana and who wants BTC in the same app. WATS Wallet is a Phantom wallet alternative worth considering if your chains sit elsewhere: eight chains including TON, Arbitrum and Optimism under one non-custodial identity, a single ATS fee token on EVM built on an ERC-4337 paymaster and one BSC ATS balance that removes per-chain gas juggling there (without pretending to make gas cheaper), and an NFC metal tap-to-authenticate card backed by three products under one brand. Be honest about the two chain facts — WATS has no native Bitcoin, Phantom has no TON — and the choice nearly makes itself. If your wallet needs to cover EVM, Solana and TON at once, with one EVM fee balance and a physical authentication layer, WATS Wallet fits; Trust Wallet and OKX Wallet also cover EVM, Solana and TON, so compare them too.
Frequently asked questions
Is WATS Wallet a good Phantom alternative?
WATS Wallet fits as a Phantom alternative if you want multi-chain use across EVM, Solana and TON: it is fully non-custodial, covers Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, BNB Chain, Solana and TON under one identity, settles EVM network fees in a single ATS token instead of each EVM chain's native gas while TON fees are also paid in ATS and Solana pays SOL, and adds an NFC metal card that authenticates on tap plus three products under one brand. Phantom is the better fit if you prioritise Solana-native UX, Solana NFTs, or native Bitcoin support, which WATS Wallet does not offer (Phantom ended Sui support on 2026-09-24).
Does WATS Wallet support Bitcoin like Phantom does?
No. WATS Wallet does not natively support Bitcoin. It covers Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, BNB Chain, Solana and TON. Phantom does support Bitcoin alongside Solana, Ethereum, Base, Polygon and BNB Chain (as of October 2026; it ended Monad and Sui support in August and September 2026), so if holding BTC in the same wallet matters to you, Phantom is the stronger choice on that specific point. If TON, Arbitrum or Optimism matter more, WATS covers ground Phantom does not.
Are both WATS and Phantom non-custodial?
Both are non-custodial. Every WATS product works the same way: the Chrome Extension and mobile app are all self-custody, so you hold your own keys and seed phrase and WATS never holds a key. Phantom uses standard seed-phrase self-custody in the same sense. WATS's extra security layer is hardware, not shared custody — the NFC Metal Card carries a unique ID, pairs with a single phone on first tap, stores no private keys, and acts as a physical tap-to-authenticate second factor.
Does WATS Wallet make gas cheaper than Phantom?
No, and WATS does not claim it does. The ATS fee token is gas abstraction: it changes which token you pay, not the underlying network cost, using ERC-4337 account abstraction on EVM chains. The ATS fee tracks the live network cost rather than offering a discount. Its real value is removing the need to hold a separate native gas token for each of the six EVM chains it supports, and avoiding out-of-gas failures; Solana transactions still pay SOL, while fees on TON are paid in ATS too. Phantom charges each chain's gas in that chain's own native token.
What hardware does WATS offer that Phantom does not?
WATS offers the NFC Metal Card, a physical tap-to-authenticate companion. It does not store private keys and is not cold storage; the keys stay in the WATS apps and the card authenticates access when tapped to the phone it is paired with. It uses an NTAG 216 chip (NFC Forum Type 2), is IP68 waterproof and MIL-STD-810 durable, and sells from 54.90 USD. Phantom is software only and ships no hardware device.