Wallet Backend Comparison
Feature comparison across all LNbits wallet backends - 21 funding sources including LND, CLN, Eclair, Phoenix, NWC, services, and testing backends.
Not all backends support all features. Use these tables to pick the right one.
Feature matrix
| Feature | LND | CLN | Eclair | Phoenix | NWC | Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Create invoice | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pay invoice | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hold invoices | Yes | Some | No | No | No | No |
| Node management | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Channel management | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Keysend | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Varies | Varies |
All funding sources
| Backend | Custody | KYC | Node Required | Privacy | Liquidity | Setup | Maintenance | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LND (gRPC) | Self | No | Yes | High | Manual | Medium | High | Infrastructure |
| LND (REST) | Self | No | Yes | High | Manual | Medium | High | Infrastructure |
| Core Lightning (CLNRest) | Self | No | Yes | High | Manual | Medium | High | Infrastructure |
| Core Lightning (RPC) | Self | No | Yes | High | Manual | Medium | High | Infrastructure |
| Eclair | Self | No | Yes | High | Manual | Medium | High | Infrastructure |
| Phoenixd | Self | No | No | Medium | Automatic | Medium | Low | Minimal fees |
| Spark (CLN) | Self | No | Yes | High | Manual | Medium | High | Infrastructure |
| Spark (L2) | Self | No | No | Medium | Automatic | Easy | Low | Minimal fees |
| Nostr Wallet Connect | Varies | Varies | No | Variable | Provider | Easy | Low | May incur fees |
| Breez SDK | Self | No | No | High | Automatic | Medium | Low | Minimal fees |
| Boltz | Self | No | No | Medium | Provider | Medium | Medium | Minimal fees |
| LNbits (instance) | Custodial | Varies | No | Variable | Provider | Easy | Low | Hosting fees |
| OpenNode | Custodial | Yes | No | Low | Provider | Easy | Low | Transaction fees |
| Alby | Custodial | Yes | No | Low | Provider | Easy | Low | Transaction fees |
| Blink | Custodial | Yes | No | Low | Provider | Easy | Low | Transaction fees |
| ZBD | Custodial | Yes | No | Low | Provider | Easy | Low | Transaction fees |
| Strike | Custodial | Yes | No | Low | Provider | Easy | Low | Transaction fees |
| LNPay | Custodial | Yes | No | Low | Provider | Easy | Low | Transaction fees |
| Cliche | Self | No | No | Medium | Manual | Medium | Medium | Minimal fees |
| FakeWallet | Testing | No | No | N/A | N/A | Trivial | None | Free |
| VoidWallet | Testing | No | No | N/A | N/A | Trivial | None | Free |
By category
Local nodes
| Backend | Protocol | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| LND REST | REST / gRPC | Most popular, full-featured |
| CLNRest | REST / RPC | Core Lightning users |
| Eclair | REST | Eclair node operators |
| Spark | REST | CLN with Spark plugin |
Self-custody (no node)
| Backend | Type | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix (phoenixd) | REST | Simple setup, automatic channels |
| Breez SDK | Embedded | Mobile / embedded apps |
| Boltz | Swap service | On-chain to Lightning |
| NWC | Nostr protocol | Remote wallet control |
Lightning services
| Backend | Type | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| OpenNode | Custodial API | Quick setup, no node needed |
| Alby | NWC / API | Nostr-native workflows |
| Strike | API | Fiat on/off ramp |
| Blink | GraphQL | Bitcoin Beach communities |
| ZBD | API | Gaming integrations |
| LNPay | API | Simple Lightning payments |
| LNbits (instance) | API | Chain LNbits instances |
Testing
| Backend | Description |
|---|---|
| FakeWallet | Simulated node for development - invoices auto-pay |
| VoidWallet | No-op backend for UI exploration - no payments processed |
Choosing a backend
- Self-hosted production: LND or CLN - full control, best privacy, requires node management
- Easy self-custody: Phoenix (phoenixd) - automatic channel management, minimal setup
- Quick start / no node: OpenNode, Alby, or Blink - custodial but instant setup
- Development: FakeWallet - instant, free, no external dependencies
- Nostr integration: NWC or Alby - native Nostr wallet support
Related Pages
- Funding Sources - configuration reference for all backends
- Core Lightning (CLNRest) - detailed CLN setup
- LND (REST) - detailed LND setup
- FakeWallet - testing backend