Ledger Nano S Plus review

The Ledger Nano S Plus is Ledger’s entry-level hardware wallet: a small USB-C device that stores your private keys in a secure chip and asks you to confirm every transaction on its screen. This Ledger Nano S Plus review reflects the situation in October 2026, when it sells for $69 on Ledger’s store and sits in the “classic” range next to the newer Nano Gen5. We look at its security, daily use, supported assets, price, Ledger’s incidents and the best alternatives.

Coindaro uses no affiliate links; facts were checked on Ledger’s official store and documentation and in press reports.

Ledger Nano S Plus at a glance

Feature	Ledger Nano S Plus
Price on Ledger’s store (October 2026)	$69 (59 € in Europe)
Secure element	ST33K1M5, Common Criteria EAL6+
Connectivity	USB-C only: desktop and Android, no iPhone
Screen	128 x 64 pixel monochrome OLED, two buttons
Apps installed at once	Up to 100
Backup	24-word recovery phrase, optional passphrase

What the Ledger Nano S Plus is

A hardware wallet, or cold wallet, keeps the keys that control your coins away from internet-connected devices. Your computer prepares a transaction, the Nano S Plus displays it and you approve it with its two buttons. Malware can propose a payment but cannot sign it.

The S Plus replaced the original Nano S with more storage and a larger screen. It has no battery and no Bluetooth: it works only when plugged in, which keeps the hardware simple but rules out iPhones.

Security model: EAL6+ chip, closed OS and passphrase

Keys are generated and stored in an ST33K1M5 secure element certified Common Criteria EAL6+, a higher certification than the EAL5+ chip of the more expensive Nano X. Secure elements are designed to resist physical attacks such as fault injection and side-channel analysis.

The device is locked by a PIN and resets after three wrong attempts. Your backup is the 24-word recovery phrase you write on the cards in the box; you can add a passphrase that opens a hidden set of accounts. Our guide to seed phrase security explains how to store both safely.

As with every Ledger, the operating system running on the secure element is not open source. The Ledger Wallet app and the device apps are public on GitHub, but users cannot independently review the core firmware. Trezor takes the opposite approach with fully open-source firmware.

Setup and daily use

Setup takes about fifteen minutes: choose a PIN, write down the 24 words, confirm them on the device, then install Ledger Wallet on your computer. Our guide on how to set up a hardware wallet covers the checks to make before you start.

In daily use, the S Plus is a desktop device. You plug it in, open Ledger Wallet, prepare a transaction and confirm it on the screen. It also works with Android phones through a USB-C cable or adapter. Navigating menus with two buttons is slower than a touchscreen, and long addresses scroll across the screen, but the experience is reliable.

Supported assets and apps

Ledger says the S Plus can manage more than 15,000 coins and tokens. About 500 are supported directly in Ledger Wallet, the rest through third-party wallets such as MetaMask. With room for up to 100 apps, storage is no longer the constraint it was on the old Nano S.

Ledger Wallet covers Bitcoin, Ethereum and EVM networks, Solana, XRP, Cardano, TRON and many more, plus buy, swap and staking services provided by partners with their own fees.

Price and what is in the box

As of October 2026, the Nano S Plus costs $69 on Ledger’s US store and 59 € on its European store, making it one of the cheapest secure element wallets from a major brand. The box contains the device, a USB-C to USB-A cable, three recovery sheets, a keychain strap and a safety leaflet. Buy only from Ledger or an authorised reseller.

Incidents and controversies

The S Plus itself has no known security breach, but buyers should know Ledger’s history:

• 2020 data leak. From June 2020 an attacker accessed Ledger’s e-commerce database. Ledger said about 1 million email addresses and the contact details of 9,500 customers were exposed; in December 2020 a list of 272,853 names and addresses appeared on a hacking forum. Funds and recovery phrases were not affected, but phishing followed.
• Ledger Recover (2023). This optional paid service encrypts the recovery phrase in the secure element and splits it between Coincover, EscrowTech and Ledger. The announcement in May 2023 drew criticism because it showed firmware could export the seed; Ledger delayed the rollout. On the S Plus, Recover works on desktop only.
• Connect Kit attack (December 2023). A malicious version of a Ledger code library used by DeFi sites drained users who blind-signed, for losses of about $600,000. Devices and keys were not compromised.

Who the Ledger Nano S Plus suits

• Beginners who want a first cold wallet from a major brand at a low price.
• Desktop users who keep long-term holdings and rarely move them.
• Holders of many assets who want broad support in one app.

Skip it if you manage crypto from an iPhone, if you want open-source firmware, or if you find two-button navigation tedious.

Alternatives to the Ledger Nano S Plus

The Trezor Safe 3 costs $59, has an EAL6+ secure element and open-source firmware, with similar two-button handling. The Ledger Nano X, now $99, adds Bluetooth, a battery and iPhone support. For a cable-free option, Tangem’s NFC cards work with a phone only.