Nova Wallet vs Metamask: Can You Really Use Metamask for Polkadot?

Introduction

Selecting the right crypto wallet is the first step in everyone’s web3 journey, and with Polkadot, there are a ton of options! Polkadot is rapidly evolving, and its innovative architecture demands equally innovative tools. For many who first enter the Ethereum ecosystem, Metamask is widely considered to be the go-to wallet; however, for Polkadot, a network that is at the forefront of web3 technologies, Metamask is more than likely not the optimal choice.

As more and more people continue to enter the Polkadot ecosystem, whether to experience true interoperability between rollups and industry-leading scaling, or to stake DOT, participate in governance, or use cutting-edge DeFi and gaming rollups, the need for their wallet to accommodate all things Polkadot arises. This has led to Nova Wallet being the go-to choice for users in the Polkadot ecosystem.

So, can you use Metamask with Polkadot? Brief answer: less so — assuming by that you mean proper native integration. In this article, we compare Nova Wallet with Metamask, recap Metamask’s support for the Polkadot ecosystem, and let you know which choice is best for you.

Why Metamask Doesn’t Fully Support Polkadot

Metamask and Its Strengths

Metamask remains one of the most popular wallet choices for people wanting to interact with Ethereum and EVM-chains such as BNB Smart Chain, Avalanche, and Polygon. It provides users with the ability to manage assets, access dApps, store ERC-20 tokens, and manage NFTs on EVM networks. Metamask is available as both a browser extension and a mobile app.

However, despite its popularity in the EVM world, Metamask's Polkadot support comes with some major limitations, as it was never built from the ground up with Polkadot in mind. To use Metamask for most of the Polkadot ecosystem, you need to use Metamask Snaps, which allows Metamask to connect to non-EVM wallets. However, the functionality offered via snaps is still less than that of native Polkadot wallets, such as Nova Wallet.

Polkadot Metamask snaps, such as PolkaGate Snap, attempted to seek funding from the Polkadot treasury but were rejected, which can bring into questions about whether these snaps will support future network updates and functionality.

Although Metamask, without snaps, can connect to EVM parachains such as Mythos, Moonbeam, or Astar, there is more to offer from the greater Polkadot ecosystem, which metamask does not support by default.

Nova Wallet: Built Specifically for Polkadot

Unlike Metamask, Nova Wallet was specifically designed for the Polkadot and Kusama networks. Nova Wallet is a non-custodial mobile wallet that gives users full control over their assets, governance interaction, and staking activities. If you want a Polkadot wallet to use as an alternative to Metamask, Nova Wallet must be at the top of your list.

Full Native Support

Nova Wallet empowers you to store native DOT and KSM tokens, alongside tokens of various parachains within the network. The wallet is fully Substrate framework compatible, which implies you can directly interact with the Relay Chain and over 50+ parachains.

Advanced Nova Wallet Features

Here’s what makes Nova Wallet stand out:

• 1-Click Staking: Stake DOT or KSM with a single click. Manage rewards and nominations without needing to leave the app.

• 1-Click cross-chain swaps: Seamlessly swap between 100s of Polkadot ecosystem assets across dozens of rollups in a single transaction.

• Use any Polkadot dApp: Connect with dApps and parachain DeFi protocols natively.

• EVM Chain support: Nova Wallet has support for all Polkadot EVM rollups, Ethereum, L2s, and more!

• On-chain governance: Vote on referenda and proposals within the Polkadot OpenGov system.

• NFT integration: View, send, and receive NFTs that are native to the Polkadot ecosystem.

• Multi-account support: Manage several wallets, including hardware wallets, in one app.

• Biometric authentication and local encryption for added security.

• Push Notifications: Get notified when there are any balance updates, when you receive staking rewards, or even governance updates!

Nova Wallet is the most feature-rich wallet for the Polkadot ecosystem and beyond! With its simple-to-use 1-click features, it is the best Polkadot wallet for you!

To explore all these features in detail, visit novawallet.io.

Nova Wallet vs Metamask: Feature-by-Feature Comparison

If you're still unsure which wallet is right for your needs, this breakdown will help you understand how Nova Wallet vs Metamask compare:

Which Wallet Should You Use for Polkadot?

Choosing between Nova Wallet vs Metamask comes down to your specific use case and how deeply you want to engage with Polkadot.

When Nova Wallet Is the Best Choice

• Nova Wallet is the best wallet for Polkadot if:

• You value a tailored native experience for the entire Polkadot ecosystem

• You want the best UX with 1-click swaps and staking

• You want a Polkadot wallet that can also use EVM chains 

• - You want your wallet to always support the latest network updates

When Metamask Might Still Be Useful

Metamask is still relevant in certain scenarios:

• If you're interacting only with Mythos, Moonbeam, or other EVM parachains that support Ethereum-style dApps.

• If your portfolio is primarily Ethereum-based, and you only occasionally touch on Polkadot-related assets via EVM chains.

• If you don’t mind installing 3rd-party Metamask snaps that may have limited updates in the future.

However, for native DOT usage, governance, or direct Relay Chain interactions, Metamask is not a suitable alternative.

Conclusion: Nova Wallet - The Best Wallet for Real Polkadot Users

If your crypto journey includes staking DOT, governance voting, or checking out the parachain network on Polkadot, Metamask will only take you so far without 3rd party snaps. While it's great in the Ethereum space, it's pretty clear that it falls short when faced with the complexity of Polkadot's architecture.

That’s where Nova Wallet shines. It brings full functionality, in-depth integration, and seamless user experience to your activities on Polkadot and Kusama. From beginners to power users, Nova Wallet has it all to explore the ecosystem securely.

Key Points Recap

• Can you use Metamask with Polkadot? Out of the box, Metamask only supports EVM chains. You need to install 3rd party snaps to use Polkadot that may have limited future support.

• Nova Wallet vs Metamask: Nova Wallet offers full integration with Polkadot, while Metamask does not without the use of 3rd party snaps.

• Best wallet for Polkadot: Nova Wallet — thanks to its 1-click swaps, 1-click staking, governance, security, live support, NFT, and parachain access.

About Nova Wallet

Nova Wallet is the ultimate mobile wallet with support for 100+ networks and over 200 assets. With features such as Staking support for 13+ assets, Hardware Wallet integrations for Ledger and Polkadot Vault, DApp Support for both Substrate and EVM chains, Push Notifications, NFTs, and advanced features such as Proxy account support — Nova Wallet is the fastest, most convenient, and secure mobile wallet for the Polkadot Ecosystem.

Nova Wallet also supports Transfers, Buy/Sell feature and in-app Swaps, with a Nova Debit Card coming soon for real-world spending.

Nova Wallet is fully open-sourced and is funded by the Polkadot Treasury.Developed by Novasama Technologies.

About Novasama Technologies

Novasama Technologies develops user-focused applications for the Polkadot ecosystem. Our portfolio includes Nova Wallet, the leading mobile app for the Polkadot and Kusama ecosystems available on iOS and Android devices; Nova Spektr the full-spectrum Polkadot Desktop Wallet available on macOS, Linux, and Windows; Telenova, the beginner-friendly self-custodial wallet built into Telegram; and Polkadot Vault, the air-gapped hardware wallet for the Polkadot ecosystem.

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