From 27fd5101420b27c9f839bb55f4b14ab9ad77e40b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: blackcoffeexbt <87530449+blackcoffeexbt@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Thu, 29 May 2025 11:45:08 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] Add funding sources comparison table (#3183) --- docs/guide/funding-sources-table.md | 30 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ docs/guide/wallets.md | 2 ++ 2 files changed, 32 insertions(+) create mode 100644 docs/guide/funding-sources-table.md diff --git a/docs/guide/funding-sources-table.md b/docs/guide/funding-sources-table.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..77bac736 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/guide/funding-sources-table.md @@ -0,0 +1,30 @@ +# LNbits Funding Sources Comparison Table + +LNbits can use a number of different Lightning Network funding source. + +There may be trade-offs between the funding sources used, for example funding LNbits using Strike requires the user to KYC themselves and has some +privacy compromises versus running your own LND node. However the technical barrier to entry of using Strike is lower than using LND. + +The table below offers a comparison of the different Lightning Network funding sources that can be used with LNbits. + +## LNbits Lightning Network Funding Sources Comparison Table + +| **Funding Source** | **Custodial Type** | **KYC Required** | **Technical Knowledge Needed** | **Node Hosting Required** | **Privacy Level** | **Liquidity Management** | **Ease of Setup** | **Maintenance Effort** | **Cost Implications** | **Scalability** | **Notes** | +| -------------------------- | ------------------ | ------------------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------- | ----------------- | ------------------------ | ----------------- | ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | +| LND (gRPC) | Self-custodial | ❌ | Higher | ✅ | High | Manual | Moderate | High | Infrastructure cost and channel opening fees | High | gRPC interface for LND; suitable for advanced integrations. | +| CoreLightning (CLN) | Self-custodial | ❌ | Higher | ✅ | High | Manual | Moderate | High | Infrastructure cost and channel opening fees | High | Requires setting up and managing your own CLN node. | +| Phoenixd | Self-custodial | ❌ | Medium | ❌ | Medium | Automatic | Moderate | Low | Minimal fees | Medium | Mobile wallet backend; suitable for mobile integrations. | +| Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) | Custodial | Depends on provider | Low | ❌ | Variable | Provider-managed | Easy | Low | May incur fees | Medium | Connects via Nostr protocol; depends on provider's policies. | +| Boltz | Self-custodial | ❌ | Medium | ❌ | Medium | Provider-managed | Moderate | Moderate | Minimal fees | Medium | Uses submarine swaps; connects to Boltz client. | +| LND (REST) | Self-custodial | ❌ | Higher | ✅ | High | Manual | Moderate | High | Infrastructure cost and channel opening fees | High | REST interface for LND; suitable for web integrations. | +| CoreLightning REST | Self-custodial | ❌ | Higher | ✅ | High | Manual | Moderate | High | Infrastructure cost and channel opening fees | High | REST interface for CLN; suitable for web integrations. | +| LNbits (another instance) | Custodial | Depends on host | Low | ❌ | Variable | Provider-managed | Easy | Low | May incur hosting fees | Medium | Connects to another LNbits instance; depends on host's policies. | +| Alby | Custodial | ✅ | Low | ❌ | Low | Provider-managed | Easy | Low | Transaction fees apply | Medium | Browser extension wallet; suitable for web users. | +| Breez SDK | Self-custodial | ❌ | Medium | ❌ | High | Automatic | Moderate | Low | Minimal fees | Medium | SDK for integrating Breez wallet functionalities. | +| OpenNode | Custodial | ✅ | Low | ❌ | Low | Provider-managed | Easy | Low | Transaction fees apply | Medium | Third-party service; suitable for merchants. | +| Blink | Custodial | ✅ | Low | ❌ | Low | Provider-managed | Easy | Low | Transaction fees apply | Medium | Third-party service; focuses on mobile integrations. | +| ZBD | Custodial | ✅ | Low | ❌ | Low | Provider-managed | Easy | Low | Transaction fees apply | Medium | Gaming-focused payment platform. | +| Spark (CLN) | Self-custodial | ❌ | Higher | ✅ | High | Manual | Moderate | High | Infrastructure cost and channel opening fees | High | Web interface for CLN; requires Spark server setup. | +| Cliche Wallet | Self-custodial | ❌ | Medium | ❌ | Medium | Manual | Moderate | Moderate | Minimal fees | Medium | Lightweight wallet; suitable for embedded systems. | +| Strike | Custodial | ✅ | Low | ❌ | Low | Provider-managed | Easy | Low | Transaction fees apply | Medium | Third-party service; suitable for quick setups. | +| LNPay | Custodial | ✅ | Low | ❌ | Low | Provider-managed | Easy | Low | Transaction fees apply | Medium | Third-party service; suitable for quick setups. | diff --git a/docs/guide/wallets.md b/docs/guide/wallets.md index 3731d200..cd943305 100644 --- a/docs/guide/wallets.md +++ b/docs/guide/wallets.md @@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ LNbits can run on top of many Lightning Network funding sources with more being A backend wallet can be configured using the following LNbits environment variables: +You can [compare the LNbits compatible Lightning Network funding sources here](wallets.md). + ### CoreLightning - `LNBITS_BACKEND_WALLET_CLASS`: **CoreLightningWallet**