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. Your keys never leave your browser, and AdaLite has no 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 any browser and the wallet is ready. Useful when you're on a friend's computer or a work laptop where you can't install software.
- Code anyone can inspect. AdaLite's full source code is public on GitHub, so security researchers around the world can review it3.
- 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.
The fewer features a wallet has, the fewer ways something can go wrong. 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. AdaLite has had a clean security record since 2018 and continues to ship updates through its public release process4. For users who want an audited, narrowly focused tool over a feature-rich "wallet suite", AdaLite remains one of the most straightforward ways to interact with Cardano from a browser.
The one critical thing to do before using it: bookmark the official URL (adalite.io) and use only that bookmark. Phishing sites that copy the AdaLite design exist, and they're the biggest risk. The wallet itself can't be compromised, but a fake page can trick you into typing your recovery phrase somewhere it shouldn't go.
