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Our impressions

Trezor Safe 3

Coldcard Mk4

Pros

Small form factor and very portable
Excellent value at an affordable price point
Phenomenally intuitive and efficient on-device recovery, PIN and seedphrase entry

not reviewed yet

Cons

Requires constant USB connection to operate

not reviewed yet

Verdict

Finally the first line of Trezor products incorporating a secure element has arrived. In our opinion it easily takes the lead in the current Trezor product lineup – in terms of security and portability. Even with the launch of the newer Trezor Safe 5 it’s easily our price/performance winner.

Even though the device uses only two buttons for input, like the Model One did, and does not offer a touch-screen, like the Model T and Safe 5, its on-device recovery, PIN and seedphrase entry are phenomenal. Trezor really did something truly special with the way they handle user input despite the minimalist form factor. At less than half the price of the Trezor Safe 5 it is an easy recommendation.

Read more about the new generation of Trezor Safe 3 products.

not reviewed yet

Disclaimer: Our impressions are based on a compilation of factors tailored to the average user’s perspective. It is also important to note that whether a feature is a “pro” or “con” can depend on your situation and preferences. What may be an advantage in one scenario could be a challenge in another, and vice versa. Therefore, while reviewing these points, it’s essential to consider your unique requirements and circumstances when making decisions. This list aims to provide an idea of what to anticipate, but it is not the ultimate guide to determining whether something will work for you or not.

Key features

Trezor Safe 3

Coldcard Mk4

Release year

2023

2022

Supported coins

Supports multiple coins, Bitcoin-only mode available

BTC, ETH, LTC, XLM , DOGE, DASH, ZEC, NEM,
and a thousand others. See a full list at trezor.io/coins

Supports only Bitcoin

Open source

Firmware
Companion software

Firmware
Companion software

Seedphrase support

BIP-39 (Mnemonic phrase)
SLIP-39 (Shamir backup)
Passphrase

BIP-39 (Mnemonic phrase)
Passphrase

Security protections

Secure element
On device PIN entry
Factory reset with wrong PIN
Factory reset with decoy PIN
On device passphrase entry
On device recovery

Secure Element protected Certified Chip EAL6+

Secure element
On device PIN entry
Factory reset with wrong PIN
Factory reset with decoy PIN
Fake wallet with duress PIN
On device passphrase entry
On device recovery

Dual Secure Element
Multiple Trick PIN features
– Duress PIN
– Countdown to Brick (or Reset) PIN
– Brick Me PIN
– Login Countdown
On device recovery requires a previous SD Card backup or XPRV private key file on SD Card

Platform compatibility