4uKey vs. 3uTools - Which One Is Better for Your Needs?
Which iOS tool is better for your needs - 4uKey or 3uTools? If you have the same question, you’ve come to the right place. Here, you’ll explore the features and limitations of each tool.
When it comes to useful iOS tools, two popular options stand out from the crowd: 4uKey and 3uTools. Both of them are popular iOS toolkits, but they serve different needs. 4uKey, developed by Tenorshare, aims to remove various iOS locks. In contrast, 3uTools is a free and all-in-one toolkit that offers a broader range of features, including data backup, device unlocking, firmware flashing, ringtone creation, and device diagnostics.
In this post, we’ll compare 4uKey and 3uTools, exploring their key features, limitations, and price plans. Based on our review, you’ll see which toolkit is best for your needs.
What Is 4uKey?
Tenorshare 4uKey is designed to assist iPhone, iPad, and iPod users in removing various screen locks. It supports a wide range of iOS versions and Apple models, including the latest ones. After installing it on your Windows or Mac computer, you can follow the instructions to access the recovery mode, download the firmware package, and unlock your iPhone in minutes.
Here are the key features of Tenorshare 4uKey.
- Unlock various screen locks, like
- Remove Apple ID without a password.
- Bypass iCloud Activation lock without the previous owner’s credentials.
- Removes Mobile Device Management locks without a passcode.
- Remove Screen Time passcode without data loss.
What Is 3uTools?
Developed by 3u.com, 3uTools is an all-in-one iOS management tool. Serving as an alternative to iTunes, it offers a much wider range of features than 4uKey, including firmware flashing, jailbreaking, backing up and restoring data, and unlocking iOS devices.
Here are the key features of 3uTools.
- Back up iPhone and manage iCloud and iTunes.
- Upgrade, downgrade, or restore your iPhone without data loss.
- Jailbreak your iOS devices without data loss.
- Transfer and manage photos, music, videos, ringtones, wallpaper, and other data and files.
- Monitor your iOS devices, showing stats for battery health, CPU, memory, storage, iCloud, etc.
- Offer other toolbox utilities, such as bypassing iCloud and MDM profiles, mirroring and recording iPhone and iPad screens, and showing a virtual location.
A Complete Comparison of 3uTools and 4uKey
In this section, we’ll make a comparison of 3uTools and 4uKey from the key features, ease of use, pricing list, compatibility, and reliability.
| Aspects | 3uTools | 4uKey |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | 3uTools is an all-in-one iOS management tool. It’s mainly developed for flashing, jailbreaking, backups, and media transfer. | 4uKey is an iOS unlocking tool. It’s mainly used for unlocking screen passcode, Apple ID, MDM profile, iCloud Activation lock, and Screen Time passcode. |
| Ease of Use | The interface is intuitive. As it covers many features, it’s complex to unlock them. | The interface is intuitive. You can complete the removal process in 1-3 steps. |
| Unlocking Features | Bypass screen passcode or MDM profile on some older iOS versions and Apple models. It doesn’t support removing Apple ID or iCloud Activation Lock. | Remove screen locks, Apple ID, Screen Time passcode, and MDM without jailbreak on all iOS versions and Apple models, including the latest ones. |
| Remove Screen Passcode | It can remove your screen passcode via flash restore. Your data will be erased, and you still need the original Apple ID password. | You can remove various iOS locks with one click, such as 4 / 6-digit, Touch-ID, and Face-ID. The data will be erased, but you don’t need to enter the Apple ID. |
| MDM Bypass | Free MDM skip (iOS ≤ 14 only, Win-only, sometimes buggy) | Reliable MDM removal, no data loss, iOS 18 supported, Win & Mac |
| Remove Apple ID / iCloud Activation Lock | Not supported | Support removing Apple ID and bypassing iCloud Activation Lock. |
| Data Backup and File Management | Full media, app, photos, videos, contacts, ringtone editor, icon customiser, real-time log viewer, battery health, etc. | It cannot manage data. It only wipes the device while unlocking. |
| Jailbreak Tools | Built-in downloader for unc0ver, checkra1n, Chimera, etc. It also includes guides. | No jailbreaking tools |
| Flash, iOS Upgrade and Downgrade | Multiple flash modes, such as pro-flash without data loss, SHSH blob saving, base-band upgrade | No firmware flashing. |
| Virtual Location Spoof | Free GPS spoof (iOS 17 supported) with joystick & route simulation | Not available |
| Data Loss | It won’t erase data during flash and jailbreak on specific iOS versions, such as iOS 16. | It will erase data for most unlocking features. Therefore, you’d make a backup in advance. |
| Platforms | It’s mainly working on Windows computers. Limited Mac versions can run core features like flashing and backups, but they cannot run some advanced Toolbox features. | Work on both Windows and Mac computers |
| Pricing List | Completely free | It has a free trial for limited features. To get full features, you should get a paid license, which is $30-50 per year. |
| Compatibility | It’s better for iPhones and iPads on older iOS versions. | It supports iPhone 6 to the latest models. It also supports the latest iOS 26. |
| Reliability | It’s versatile but can become unstable and crash when performing advanced tasks. | As a professional iOS unlocking tool, it’s reputed for a high success rate and fewer errors. |
3uTools vs. 4uKey - Which Is Better?
Choosing 4uKey or 3uTools depends on your specific needs. If you’re looking for a reliable iOS unlocking tool, you should give Tenorshare 4uKey a try. As a professional iOS unlocker, it can remove the most common locks from your iOS devices. However, to enjoy all features, you should upgrade to a paid version.
On the contrary, 3uTools is a completely free iOS management toolkit. It isn’t limited to unlocking MDM and restoring your iPhone or iPad. It’s better for managing data, jailbreaking the iOS system, monitoring the device status, etc. It offers built-in tools to jailbreak your IOS devices, though it requires technical knowledge, and it doesn’t always guarantee a 100% success rate.
Many users like to give 3uTools a try, because it’s free of charge and it’s easy to access. However, this also means it takes fewer efforts to upgrade and maintain features, fix bugs, and respond to your questions. Besides, it indicates that it’s not as compatible, stable, and reliable as a paid iOS toolkit.
Bonus Tip: BuhoUnlocker - An Alternative to 4uKey and 3uTools
If you’re looking for a more cost-effective and reliable iOS unlocking tool, you can choose BuhoUnlocker. As a professional iOS unlocker, it can remove common locks like screen passcode, Apple ID, MDM profile, and MDM locks. It offers similar features to 3uTools, but its lifetime license is much lower than 4uKey’s, which are $24.99 and $65.95.
3uTools is free, though it requires jailbreaking knowledge if you want to unlock your device. Also, it doesn’t support working on some Mac computers or dealing with the latest Apple models.
Conclusion
By reviewing 3uTools and 3uKey, you’ll see what each toolkit excels in. Despite their features, both tools have been developed for many years. Therefore, it’s reliable to give them a try, no matter whether you want to unlock or manage your iOS devices. Although it’s completely free to use 3uTool, it cannot work on all Mac computers and all iOS versions. If you have problems with 3uTools, you may find it difficult getting in touch with the salesperson.
For these reasons, it’s better to pick a paid software like 4uKey and BuhoUnlocker. They can always ensure the tools are up to date. If you have any technical questions, you can always get a quick response as well.
Jerome is a passionate enthusiast of all things Apple. He is expertise in crafting tech-related articles, with a portfolio of more than 100 articles covering various Apple products like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
