Kute vs Phoenix vs Strike vs Wallet of Satoshi: getting paid in Bitcoin in Europe
Short answer. If you want to hold your own keys, pick Kute, Phoenix or Wallet of Satoshi in self-custody mode. Strike holds your Bitcoin for you. Kute also gives you a Lightning address and a dollar balance in the same self-custody app. It shows its fees before you confirm.
It is easy to get paid in Bitcoin with any of these four apps. The real differences are who holds the keys, how you share your payment details, and what it costs. We checked each company's own pages on 20 October 2026 and quote them exactly.
The comparison
| Kute | Phoenix | Strike | Wallet of Satoshi | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who holds the keys | You. Keys stay on your phone | You. You hold the 12 words | Strike: "held in custody by Strike 1:1" | Self-custody "available globally"; custodial "in select regions" |
| How Lightning runs | Breez software on Spark, no channels to manage | A Lightning node on your phone, with one peer: ACINQ | Inside your Strike account | Self-custody runs on Spark |
| Lightning address | Yes, [email protected] | Not checked | Not checked | Yes, "custom Lightning Address" |
| Fee to receive over Lightning | Kute fee only on conversions, shown before you confirm | "0 (no fees)"; "1% + mining fees" when Phoenix needs more room to receive | Not on the fee page we checked | "no platform-specific fees"; network or operator fees may apply |
| Fee to send over Lightning | Shown before you confirm | "0.4 % + 4 sat" | Not on the fee page we checked | Variable routing fees, estimate shown first |
| Buy Bitcoin with euros | Not yet. Bank account and card coming soon | Not checked | "0,89%" at a monthly level up to "≤49.999,99 €" | "1.95%" on Bitcoin top-ups |
| Dollar balance | Yes, Dollars next to Bitcoin | Bitcoin only | Cash balance held by Strike | A dollar stablecoin "in supported jurisdictions" |
| Open source | Yes, GPL-3.0-or-later | Yes, Apache 2.0 | Not checked | Not checked |
Kute
Kute is a self-custody money app. Every wallet has a Lightning address at paykute.com. You can also make a one-time Lightning invoice for an exact amount. Dollars sit next to your Bitcoin, and the app shows the quote and fees before you move between the two. You can pair a Ledger or Blockstream Jade to keep savings apart.
What Kute cannot do yet in Europe: take a bank transfer or a card payment. The bank account, IBAN and card are coming soon.
Phoenix
Phoenix, made by ACINQ, is self-custody and runs a real Lightning node on your phone. It does one job, Lightning payments, and does it well. It connects to one other node, run by ACINQ. ACINQ calls the design "trust-minimized, but not trustless". One cost to know: when your channel needs more room to receive, Phoenix charges "1% + mining fees" (Phoenix FAQ, checked 20 October 2026).
Strike
Strike is a strong choice if you want to buy Bitcoin with euros. Its EU fee page lists "0,89%" on trades at the first monthly level, up to "≤49.999,99 €". The trade-off is custody: Strike says assets "are held in custody by Strike 1:1". Strike also says you can withdraw to self-custody. See our full Kute vs Strike comparison.
Wallet of Satoshi
Many people know Wallet of Satoshi as a simple app. Its disclosure says self-custody is "available globally". It offers custodial accounts, where Wallet of Satoshi holds your money, "in select regions". The app picks the model for you when you sign up. It offers a custom Lightning address. Bitcoin top-ups and on-chain payments cost "1.95%" (Disclosure Document v1.23, checked 20 October 2026).
Which one fits you?
- You want a pure Lightning node and like to see channels: Phoenix.
- You want to buy Bitcoin with euros and you are fine when someone else holds it: Strike.
- You want the simplest Lightning app and accept its top-up fee: Wallet of Satoshi.
- You want self-custody, a Lightning address for invoices, dollars next to Bitcoin and a hardware wallet in one app: Kute.
New to this? Start with what a Lightning address is, then how to receive a Lightning payment as a freelancer.
Sources
- Kute FAQ, kutewallet.com
- Phoenix FAQ (ACINQ), checked 20 October 2026
- Phoenix source code (ACINQ), GitHub, checked 20 October 2026
- Strike EU, "What are the trading fees?", checked 20 October 2026
- Strike on Google Play, checked 20 October 2026
- Wallet of Satoshi Disclosure Document v1.23, checked 20 October 2026
- Wallet of Satoshi on Google Play, checked 20 October 2026
- Kute source code (GPL-3.0-or-later), GitHub
This post explains how things work. It is not advice about what to do with your money. Features and fees can change; the app shows the current fee before you confirm.