Thirdweb has gained massive popularity by offering a comprehensive "all-in-one" web3 development stack. From smart contracts to wallets and payments, it aims to be the Firebase of crypto. However, developers often find that while bundles are convenient, they can lack the depth, flexibility, or specific features needed for advanced wallet implementations.
If you are looking for alternatives that offer deeper specialization in wallet infrastructure, open-source modularity, or more control over the user experience, here are the top choices in 2025.
1. Openfort
Openfort (that's us 👋) is an open-source wallet infrastructure solution that provides powerful wallet capabilities to abstract crypto complexity for both users and developers. Its platform allows developers to plug and play any signer (including OpenSigner) and contract they prefer, simplifying the whole vertical use case—from cross-app ecosystems and AI agents to fintech and DeFi.
Key Features
- If you're currently using Thirdweb and hitting limits around smart account customization (e.g. need custom validation logic), want to decouple your wallet stack from your contract deployment tools, or need a more robust policy engine for gas sponsorship.
- Open source, Self-hosting option, Vendor neutrality: Openfort is fully open-source and modular. You can use Openfort for your wallets while using Hardhat or Foundry for your contracts, avoiding the "walled garden" effect. Learn more about how to avoid wallet vendor dependency.
- Concrete example: You want to build a compliant DeFi app that requires embedded wallets with strict policy controls (e.g., "users can only spend 10 USDC per day")—a level of granularity that generalist platforms often lack.
Comparison Table: Openfort vs. Thirdweb
| Feature | Openfort | Thirdweb |
|---|---|---|
| Specialization | Wallet Infrastructure | Full Stack (Generalist) |
| Open Source | ✅ (OpenSigner) | ⚠️ Partial (SDKs) |
| Smart Accounts | ✅ Native & Modular | ✅ Third-party |
| Policy Engine | ✅ Advanced (Contract/Function level) | ⚠️ Basic |
| Vendor Lock-in | ❌ None (Modular) | ⚠️ Medium (Ecosystem) |
| Authentication | Any OIDC Provider | Thirdweb Auth |
| Self-Hostable | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Cross-App | ✅ Ecosystem SDK | ✅ Whitelabel global wallet |
Scaling Considerations
- High User Volume, Low Transaction Volume: Openfort's free tier (1k MAUs and 500 transactions) allows you to scale user growth aggressively. Thirdweb's Starter plan is $5/month. free tier, but their business model relies on you using their other services (payments, RPC), which might become costly or restrictive as you scale.
- Low User Volume, High Transaction Volume: Openfort's policy engine is designed to optimize gas costs for high-frequency apps. Thirdweb's gas sponsorship is functional but lacks the deep optimization features (like paymaster re-balancing) that Openfort provides for high-volume applications.
Why developers choose Openfort
Developers choose Openfort when they realize they need a specialist, not a generalist. They switch to Openfort to get deep control over the wallet experience, security policies, and infrastructure, while keeping their contract workflow independent.
2. Privy
Privy (acquired by Stripe) is the leader in consumer app onboarding. Privy competes with Thirdweb's "Connect" wallet but offers a much higher converting, specialized experience.
Comparison Table: Privy vs. Thirdweb
| Feature | Privy | Thirdweb |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Onboarding & Auth | Full Stack |
| Conversion | ✅ Best-in-class | ⚠️ Good |
| Customization | ✅ Headless / Deep | ⚠️ UI Kits |
| Pricing | Premium SaaS | Freemium / Usage |
| Smart Accounts | ⚠️ Partner Integrations | ✅ Integrated |
Scaling Considerations
Privy is expensive.
- Trade-off: You pay a premium for Privy's conversion optimization. Thirdweb is cheaper but offers a more generic onboarding experience.
Why developers choose Privy
For consumer apps where every percentage point of conversion matters more than the cost of the tool.
3. Dynamic
Dynamic (acquired by Fireblocks) offers a premium wallet adapter and embedded wallet. Dynamic competes with Thirdweb's wallet UI but offers significantly more polish and multi-chain support.
Comparison Table: Dynamic vs. Thirdweb
| Feature | Dynamic | Thirdweb |
|---|---|---|
| UI Quality | ✅ Premium / Polished | ⚠️ Standard |
| Multi-chain | ✅ EVM, SVM, Cosmos | ✅ EVM, SVM |
| Auth | Advanced (Socials, Wallets) | Standard |
| Pricing | SaaS ($249/mo+) | Freemium |
| Focus | Wallet UX | Dev Tools |
Scaling Considerations
Dynamic is a paid product.
- UX: If you want the best-looking wallet modal on the market without building it yourself, Dynamic wins. Thirdweb is functional but less refined.
Why developers choose Dynamic
To give their users a premium, "Apple-like" login experience.
4. Sequence
Sequence is the specialist choice for gaming. If you are using Thirdweb for gaming, Sequence is the direct "gaming-native" alternative.
Comparison Table: Sequence vs. Thirdweb
| Feature | Sequence | Thirdweb |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Gaming | General |
| SDKs | Unity, Unreal | Unity, Unreal |
| Smart Accounts | ✅ Native | ✅ Integrated |
| Marketplace | ✅ Specialized | ✅ General |
| Indexer | ✅ Built-in | ❌ |
Scaling Considerations
Sequence understands game economies.
- Gaming: Sequence's stack is optimized for game loops (inventory, trading), whereas Thirdweb's gaming SDKs are wrappers around their general tools.
Why developers choose Sequence
Game studios choose Sequence for deep gaming features like indexers and relayers optimized for low-latency gameplay.
5. Turnkey
Turnkey is the infrastructure choice. Turnkey competes with Thirdweb's "Embedded Wallet" service but at the API level.
Comparison Table: Turnkey vs. Thirdweb
| Feature | Turnkey | Thirdweb |
|---|---|---|
| Level | Infrastructure API | Product SDK |
| Flexibility | ✅ Unlimited | ⚠️ Limited |
| Security | TEE (Enclaves) | MPC / AWS KMS |
| Pricing | Usage-based | Bundle |
| Control | ✅ High | ⚠️ Low |
Scaling Considerations
Turnkey is for builders.
- Build vs Buy: Use Turnkey if you want to build your own Thirdweb. Use Thirdweb if you just want it to work out of the box.
Why developers choose Turnkey
To build custom, secure wallet products where they own the entire security model.
6. Web3Auth
Web3Auth (acquired by Metamask) is the auth specialist. Thirdweb uses a white-labeled version of similar tech (Paper/Magic) under the hood.
Comparison Table: Web3Auth vs. Thirdweb
| Feature | Web3Auth | Thirdweb |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Auth / MPC | Full Stack |
| Network | Distributed MPC | Centralized |
| Login Methods | Extensive | Standard |
| Cost | Affordable | Freemium |
| Integration | SDK | SDK |
Scaling Considerations
Web3Auth is focused purely on auth.
- Decoupling: Using Web3Auth allows you to decouple your auth provider from your smart contract tools.
Why developers choose Web3Auth
To get the most robust social login infrastructure without buying into a larger ecosystem.
Building In-House Wallet Product
Building in-house is the ultimate alternative to the "platform" approach of Thirdweb.
Pros
- Modularity: Pick the best RPC, the best IPFS, the best Wallet, rather than a bundle.
- Independence: No risk of platform deprecation or price hikes.
Cons
- Integration Hell: You have to wire everything together yourself.
- Maintenance: You are responsible for every update.
For a deeper dive into the trade-offs, check out our guide on building vs buying wallet infrastructure.
FAQ
1. Is Thirdweb free? Thirdweb has a free tier, but they take a cut on payments and have limits on other services.
2. Can I use Openfort with Thirdweb contracts? Yes! You can use Openfort for your wallets and Thirdweb for your smart contracts. They work great together.
3. Why switch from Thirdweb? Teams usually switch when they need more advanced wallet features (like specific session keys) or want to reduce their dependency on a single "mega-vendor".
Conclusion
Thirdweb is an amazing starting point for many developers.
However, if you are building a serious application that requires specialized wallet infrastructure, deep security controls, or open-source sovereignty, Openfort is the professional's choice.
Check out Openfort's documentation to learn more.