Overview
AdaLite is a free Cardano wallet that runs entirely in your browser. There's no add-on to install, no software to download, no account to create. You open a webpage at adalite.io, log in with your recovery phrase or hardware wallet, and you're in. AdaLite offers browser-based recovery-phrase access and hardware-wallet connections, without servers that hold your funds1.
AdaLite is made by Vacuumlabs, a software company that built it back in 2018 as one of the very first Cardano wallets2. The same team has since gone on to build other Cardano wallets, but AdaLite remains in active development, deliberately small and deliberately simple.
Key Features
- Nothing to install. Open adalite.io in a browser on a device you trust. Its hardware-wallet connection lets you access a wallet without entering the hardware wallet's recovery phrase into the website3.
- Code anyone can inspect. AdaLite's full source code is public on GitHub, so security researchers around the world can review it4.
- Three ways to log in. Use a recovery phrase (12, 15, 24, or 27 words), an encrypted backup file, or plug in a hardware wallet for extra security.
- Works with most hardware wallets. Compatible with Trezor Model T, Safe 3, and Safe 5; Ledger Nano S, S Plus, and X; and BitBox02.
- Stake ADA in a few clicks. Pick a Cardano stake pool, confirm, and earn rewards every five days. Your ADA stays in your wallet the whole time.
- Built-in warnings against fake versions. AdaLite shows clear in-app warnings reminding you to bookmark the real URL and avoid copycat sites, a real risk with browser-based wallets.
What to Expect
AdaLite is deliberately minimal. It does the core things a wallet should: show your balance, send and receive ADA, manage Cardano tokens, and stake to a pool. That's it. There's no built-in DEX for trading, no NFT gallery, no Cardano app browser. If you want those, AdaLite's homepage actually points you to a newer wallet from the same team (called NuFi) that includes them.
AdaLite focuses on a small set of Cardano wallet functions. Setup with a hardware wallet takes seconds; with a recovery phrase, just a minute or two. Send transactions show fees and confirmation status clearly, and staking is one screen of pool selection plus reward history.
Documentation lives on the project's GitHub wiki, and support runs through Telegram and GitHub issues. Its source code and release history are public4,5. AdaLite provides a browser interface for sending and receiving ADA, managing native tokens, and staking.
Bookmark the official URL (adalite.io) and check it before connecting. Use a device you trust and keep recovery information private. AdaLite recommends connecting a hardware wallet rather than entering its recovery phrase into the website3.
