Peach Wallet is a free, open-source desktop Lightning Network wallet for Windows, aimed at people who want to try small, fast Bitcoin payments without learning command-line tools. It runs a Lightning backend in the background and gives you a window for sending, receiving and tracking payments.
Before you install it, know that the project has not received code updates since September 2019, and its latest release is v0.5.0-mainnet-beta. That makes Peach Wallet better suited to learning and testing than to holding savings. Start with small amounts, read the safety section below, and treat every payment as an experiment until you understand how channels behave.
What Is the Lightning Network and Why Do People Use It?
The Lightning Network is a second layer built on top of Bitcoin. Instead of recording every payment on the main blockchain, two parties open a payment channel with a single on-chain transaction and then exchange signed balance updates off-chain. When they finish, they close the channel and the final balances settle on Bitcoin.
This design is why the network is associated with fast, low-cost small payments. Tips, pay-per-minute content or splitting a bill can move without waiting for a block confirmation each time. Blockchain transactions still cost more and take longer, so they remain better for larger or infrequent transfers.
For a Windows user, the practical takeaway is that a Lightning wallet manages channels, liquidity and routing on your behalf. You do not need to understand every detail to send a payment, but it helps to know that a channel must hold funds on the correct side before you can pay or receive a given amount.
Who Is Peach Wallet For?
Peach Wallet suits people who want to try Lightning payments on a home computer without building a node from scratch. Hobbyists who like to send test payments, students learning how payment channels work and developers who want a simple desktop client to compare against their own setup all fit this profile.
It is a weaker match for anyone who needs reliability on a schedule. A merchant taking payments at a counter, or a business that cannot tolerate downtime, should look at actively maintained software and hosted services instead. Because the desktop app runs a node on your machine, it works best when the computer stays on and connected to the internet.
If you are new to Bitcoin, start with a small amount, learn how channels open and close, and keep the rest of your funds in a wallet with a longer track record. Peach Wallet is a reasonable place to practice, not a place to park savings.
How Peach Wallet Works Behind the Scenes
Peach Wallet pairs a graphical interface with lnd, the Lightning Network daemon. The desktop front end handles what you see, including balances, payment requests, history and channel settings. The daemon does the heavier work of talking to peers, maintaining channels and routing payments across the network.
The interface is written in JavaScript and TypeScript and packaged with Electron. For users, that means a familiar window-based layout. For developers, it means the code is easier to read and modify than a low-level native client, although the project no longer receives updates and any changes would have to come from your own fork.
Connecting the mobile app through a QR code uses the same node idea: your computer serves as the backend, and your phone acts as the controller. Remote connections depend on your network setup, so expect to configure a public IP address and open the right port on your router if you want the phone to reach the desktop from outside your home.
Key features
On-chain and Lightning payments
Payment requests
Transaction history
Custom channel opening
Lightning ID payments
QR code pairing with the Peach mobile wallet
Cross-platform desktop app
Supported coins
Peach Wallet is built around Bitcoin (BTC) and the Lightning Network, which the documentation lists as its supported networks. That covers on-chain Bitcoin transfers and Lightning payments denominated in bitcoin. If you need other coins or networks, choose a different wallet rather than expecting Peach Wallet to handle them.
How to install Peach on Windows
- 1
Download the Windows build or installer
Get the Windows build or installer from the official website or the project's GitHub Releases page at github.com/LightningPeach/peach-wallet-desktop. Download only from the official website or the GitHub Releases page, and make sure the file matches the latest release listed there, v0.5.0-mainnet-beta. Avoid mirrors and file-sharing sites.
- 2
Verify the file before running it
Calculate the SHA-256 checksum of the downloaded file using PowerShell or a trusted checksum tool, then compare it with the value published alongside the release. If the values do not match, delete the file and download it again from the official source before going further.
- 3
Run the installer
Open the installer and follow the on-screen prompts, choosing a folder you control. If Windows shows a security warning, read it carefully and confirm that the file name and source match what you downloaded before you continue.
- 4
Create or restore your wallet
Launch Peach Wallet and create a new wallet or restore an existing one. When the wallet generates its seed phrase, write it down on paper and store it offline in a secure place. Anyone who has that phrase can control the funds, so never photograph it or paste it into a website.
-
Fund the wallet and keep the node online
Add a small amount of Bitcoin to begin with, since channels need funds before they can carry Lightning payments. Keep your computer running and connected while the node is active, because the wallet depends on that connection to send and receive payments.
How to use Peach
Peach Wallet is easiest to learn if you start with a small test amount and a single channel. The steps below follow a typical first session.
- Open the wallet and review the main screen, including balances and the history section.
- Create or restore your wallet and make sure the seed phrase is written down offline.
- Fund the wallet with a small amount of on-chain Bitcoin.
- Open a channel to a peer by entering the peer's Lightning ID and host IP address, or by following the instructions of an operator you trust.
- Wait for the channel funding transaction to confirm on the blockchain before relying on it.
- Create a payment request for the amount you want to receive and share it with the payer.
- To send a payment, paste or scan a payment request, check the amount carefully and confirm.
- Open the history section afterward to confirm that the payment appears with its details.
Keep the first session small. Channels take time to confirm, and each payment uses liquidity on one side of the channel. If a payment fails, check your channel balance before trying again, and avoid sending more than the channel can carry.
Pros & cons
- Free and open source, with a Windows build or installer available
- Supports both Lightning payments and regular on-chain Bitcoin transactions in one wallet
- Payment requests make it easy to ask for a specific amount
- Transaction history keeps details of every payment you send or receive
- Custom channel opening lets you pick peers by Lightning ID and host IP
- QR code pairing with the Peach mobile wallet if your computer has a public IP address
- No code updates since September 2019, so bugs and compatibility issues are unlikely to be fixed
- Lightning ID payments work only between Peach Wallet users
- The desktop node has to stay online, and mobile access requires a public IP address
- Only Bitcoin and the Lightning Network are listed as supported
- Managing channel liquidity takes some understanding before payments behave as expected
Is Peach safe?
Peach Wallet handles keys and money, so treat safety as the first step. The project has had no code updates since September 2019, which means known or unknown issues may remain unpatched. Download the Windows build or installer only from the official website or the GitHub Releases page at github.com/LightningPeach/peach-wallet-desktop. Before running the file, compare its SHA-256 checksum with the value published by the project, and verify the signature if one is provided. Never enter your seed phrase on a third-party website, in a chat or in an email, and do not hold large sums in a wallet this old. Check the latest version on the official website before installing.
- Official source only. Download from github.com/LightningPeach/peach-wallet-desktop. Ignore ads and lookalike domains.
- Check the SHA-256. Compare the installer hash with the value the developer publishes before running it.
- Never share your seed phrase. No developer, support agent or website — including CryptApps — will ever ask for it.
Alternatives
Peach Wallet sits among several Lightning tools, so the right choice depends on what you need. Polar is not a payment wallet: it spins up local Lightning test networks in one click, which suits developers building apps rather than people sending money. Zap Desktop is another desktop Lightning wallet, but it is listed as unsupported, so it carries a similar maintenance concern. Spark Wallet offers a minimal interface for c-lightning across web, mobile and desktop. Lightning Peach Wallet has a similar name but is a separate project, so confirm which one you are downloading before you install.
Specifications
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Open source
- License
- —
- Latest version
- v0.5.0-mainnet-beta
- Last update
- 3 Sept 2019
- Windows support
- Yes (Windows build or installer)
- Source code
- github.com/LightningPeach/peach-wallet-desktop
Frequently asked questions
Peach Wallet can be used with caution, but it is an older open-source project with no code updates since September 2019. Get the file from the official source, verify its SHA-256 checksum before running it, and never type your seed phrase into a third-party site. Keep test amounts small and read the safety section before moving any real funds.
No. The project has had no code updates since September 3, 2019, and its latest release is v0.5.0-mainnet-beta. That means it is unlikely to receive fixes for bugs or changes in Lightning software. Use it to learn or test, and consider an actively maintained wallet for anything important.
Yes. Peach Wallet is available as a Windows build or installer, and the project describes itself as cross-platform. Once installed, it runs as a desktop application with its own interface, so the basic setup does not require a browser extension or a separate mobile device.
Peach Wallet supports Bitcoin (BTC) on-chain and over the Lightning Network, as listed in its documentation. It is not a multi-coin wallet, so other coins and networks fall outside what it is designed to handle. Double-check the network before sending funds to confirm that the address type matches what the wallet expects.
Paste or scan a payment request from the recipient, check the amount, and confirm the payment. Your node needs an open channel with enough outbound liquidity to cover the amount, so make sure you have funded one first. Afterward, open the history section to confirm the payment and review its details.
Yes, but only between Peach Wallet users. Lightning ID payments do not work with other Lightning wallets, so for general payments use payment requests instead. Think of this feature as a shortcut inside the Peach community rather than a universal address system for the whole network.
lnd is the Lightning Network daemon, a server program that manages channels, routes payments and communicates with other Lightning nodes. Peach Wallet uses it as the engine behind its graphical interface, so you can focus on payments instead of typing commands. The trade-off is that the wallet depends on that backend continuing to work with the network.
Verdict
Peach Wallet is a free, open-source way to explore Lightning payments on Windows, with payment requests, channel control, transaction history and a mobile pairing option. Its age is the main drawback: with no code updates since 2019, it is best treated as a learning tool or a test wallet. If you want to understand how Lightning works by doing, it is a useful hands-on starting point. If you need a dependable wallet for real money, choose software that is actively maintained.