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Full node
A full node is software that downloads every Bitcoin block and checks every transaction against the network's rules for itself. Running one lets you confirm your own payments without relying on someone else's server, and it passes valid blocks and transactions on to other nodes.
What it means for you. A wallet connected to your own full node checks incoming payments with your own copy of the rules instead of asking an outside server, so you learn whether a payment is valid without taking anyone's word for it. The cost is disk space, monthly bandwidth and a first sync that can take a long time.
Sources: Running a full node (bitcoin.org), Bitcoin vocabulary (bitcoin.org) · checked 4 October 2026
Light client
A light client is blockchain software that checks the chain's data without downloading and storing every block. It keeps only block headers and verifies the specific information it needs against them, so it can run on a phone or in a browser.
What it means for you. A wallet that relies only on an RPC provider takes that provider's word for your balance and transaction status. A wallet with a built-in light client can check that data against headers signed by the network's own validators, so a dishonest or compromised provider has a harder time showing you false information.
Sources: ethereum.org: Light clients, ethereum.org: Nodes and clients · checked 4 October 2026