OP asked about HODL, so that alone tells us it's worth it for the long term. That's why I recommend a hardware wallet because we're talking HODL here. Otherwise, there are plenty of online options available, and an online wallet would even work as long as it's non-custodial.
Hodling bitcoin is better than trading bitcoin because with trading, you will lose your bitcoin with time.
To hodl your bitcoin safely, you need to store it in safe wallets and cold wallets are recommended. One of best cold wallets is hardware wallets but buy them and use them rightly.
[LIST] Open Source Hardware Wallets[GUIDE] How to buy a Hardware Wallet the right wayUsing any wallet to store your bitcoin, practice backup and recovery.
How to back up a seed phrase?