MetaMask vs Ready

MetaMask - Self-custodial Mastercard debit via Baanx. Funds stay in your MetaMask wallet on Linea, Base, or Solana until purchase. Virtual (instant, free, 1%, $10K/month) and Metal (waitlist, 3%, $50K/month). 0% FX. No-KYC on Virtual. 1 MetaMask Rewards point per $1. Apple Pay + Google Pay. 50+ countries. Assets: USDC, USDT, wETH, EURe, GBPe, plus Aave yield-bearing tokens.

Ready - Self-custodial Mastercard debit on Starknet, formerly Argent. Two tiers: Lite (free, 0.5% STRK, 1% FX, $200/month ATM) and Metal (120 USDC/year, 3% STRK, 0% FX, $800/month ATM, 16g metal, partner perks). USDC only. EEA + UK only. Google Pay. Cashback capped at $150/month ($1,800/year).

SpendNode's cost-at-spend model confirms MetaMask Virtual (1%) earns $600/year less than Ready Metal (3%) on $3,000/month. But MetaMask Virtual is free with no token purchase required. Ready Metal costs $120/year and delivers 3x the cashback.

MetaMask Metal (3%) matches Ready Metal on rate. Both earn $1,080/year gross on $3,000/month domestic spending. Ready Metal nets $960 after the $120 fee. MetaMask Metal has no published annual fee but is waitlist-only with uncertain availability.

Ready Lite is the worst option for cross-currency spending. The 1% FX fee minus 0.5% cashback = -0.5% net loss. MetaMask Virtual (1%, 0% FX) earns $360/year more on $3,000/month cross-currency spending than Ready Lite.

The geographic difference determines the comparison for most users:

• EEA/UK users can choose either card. Ready Metal (3%, 0% FX, $120/year) is the stronger financial choice over MetaMask Virtual (1%). Ready wins for European daily spending.
• US, APAC, LATAM, and other global users can only access MetaMask. Ready does not serve markets outside EEA/UK. MetaMask wins by default.

For users in MetaMask's 50+ countries outside Europe, Ready is not an option. The comparison only applies to European users with access to both.

MetaMask pays cashback in the form of Rewards points (1 per $1 spent) with uncertain future value, plus traditional percentage cashback. The points tie into the broader MetaMask/Consensys/Linea ecosystem. If a token distribution or utility mechanism is introduced, accumulated points could become valuable. This is speculative but carries the weight of MetaMask's 30M+ user base.

Ready pays cashback directly in STRK (Starknet's native token). This is a liquid, tradeable asset with known market value. You can sell STRK immediately or hold for Starknet ecosystem exposure. Cashback funded by the Starknet Foundation, reviewed quarterly.

MetaMask offers speculative upside with unknown timing. Ready offers certain, immediate token value. Risk-averse users prefer Ready. Ecosystem-bullish users may prefer MetaMask.

European users choosing MetaMask Virtual for convenience when Ready Metal offers 3x the returns. Ready Metal costs $120/year and earns 3% ($1,080/year on $3K/mo) = $960 net. MetaMask Virtual costs $0 and earns 1% ($360/year). The $600/year difference pays for Ready Metal's fee 5x over. Over 3 years, Ready Metal generates $2,880 versus MetaMask Virtual's $1,080. The only reason to prefer MetaMask Virtual in Europe: you refuse to pay any annual fee, you need no-KYC access, or you specifically value MetaMask Rewards points over immediate cashback. How to avoid it: If you are in the EEA/UK and spend $1,000+/month, Ready Metal's 3% at $120/year delivers dramatically more value than MetaMask Virtual's 1% for free. The break-even is just $333/month in spending.

Choosing Ready Lite for international travel when MetaMask Virtual has 0% FX. Ready Lite charges 1% FX, making it a net-loss card on cross-currency spending (0.5% cashback - 1% FX = -0.5%). MetaMask Virtual charges 0% FX and earns 1%. A European traveler spending $2,000/month across currencies earns $240/year on MetaMask Virtual and loses $120/year on Ready Lite. How to avoid it: If you travel internationally on a budget and cannot afford Ready Metal ($120/year), MetaMask Virtual is the better free option. Ready Lite only makes sense for domestic, same-currency spending where the FX fee does not apply.

For European daily spending: Ready Metal with 3% STRK cashback, 0% FX, 16g metal card, and $800/month free ATM. The best value self-custodial card in Europe at $120/year.

For global self-custodial spending: MetaMask Virtual with 1% cashback, 0% FX, no-KYC, and 50+ countries. The only option between these two outside EEA/UK.

For privacy-focused onboarding: MetaMask Virtual with no-KYC instant activation. Ready requires KYC verification.

For Starknet ecosystem users: Ready integrates natively with Starknet and pays cashback in STRK.

For MetaMask/Consensys ecosystem believers: MetaMask with Rewards points accumulation for potential future token utility.

Outlook: If MetaMask Metal (3%) removes the waitlist and becomes generally available, it directly matches Ready Metal on cashback with the added advantage of 50+ country coverage and no annual fee. This would pressure Ready's value proposition in Europe. If Ready expands beyond EEA/UK, it would compete with MetaMask globally. Both cards are early in their development - watch for MetaMask Metal availability and Ready's geographic expansion as the key signals.