Secure ElementNFC13+ networks
Foundation Passport Prime vs Trezor Model T
Foundation Passport Prime stands out with a 3.5" color touchscreen, open-source code, Shamir Backup. Trezor Model T is a solid alternative — Trezor Model T costs $220 less.
2 wallets
USB vs NFC
$220 price gap
iOS support differs
Quick VerdictUpdated 2026
Foundation Passport Prime
Best overall
$349
Trezor Model T
Discontinued
$129
Security notice ·
October 2026: suspected implant in a Trezor bought from CryptoBilis
On 28 October 2026 Trezor received a report from a buyer in Indonesia of an extra circuit board inside a Trezor Safe 5 bought in August 2026 from CryptoBilis, the same Southeast Asian reseller whose Ledger devices carried hardware implants. According to the report, the board sits between the main board and the screen, reads what the screen shows, including the recovery phrase, and sends it out over a mobile network. Trezor has not yet examined the device, calls the report credible and is having the unit sent to its lab.
Trezor says it has no reports involving any other reseller and no evidence that any customer has lost funds; the person who reported the implant had already moved their funds. Trezor removed CryptoBilis from its authorized resellers on 9 October 2026.
Trezor’s advice applies to every Trezor model bought from CryptoBilis from March 2026 onwards:
- If the device is not set up yet, do not set it up and never enter an existing recovery phrase on it.
- If you already use it, move your funds as soon as possible to a new wallet with a newly generated recovery phrase. Restoring the old phrase on another device does not help.
- Keep the device and contact Trezor Support: affected buyers can get a new device or a voucher. Do not open it; Trezor says weighing it is not a reliable test.
The report concerns how one device reached a buyer, not the device design, so it does not change our ratings. We will update this notice when Trezor publishes the result of its examination.
Sources
Open-formula rating|40+ criteria analyzed|Last updated November 2026|No sponsored rankingsSee methodology
Key Takeaways
- Foundation Passport Prime wins in security (79/100)
- Foundation Passport Prime wins in ease of use (74/100)
- Trezor Model T is more affordable ($129)
- Best for beginners: Trezor Model T (easier setup)
Foundation Passport Prime vs Trezor Model T: Key Differences
Both Foundation Passport Prime and Trezor Model T can keep your crypto safe — the real question is which one fits the way you actually use it. We've put both through our open-formula scoring on 40+ criteria: Foundation Passport Prime (Foundation) lands at 69/100, Trezor Model T (Trezor) at 53/100. The $220 gap between $349 and $129 isn't arbitrary — these are two different bets on what matters in a hardware wallet, and the right pick depends on which bet you'd take.
Winner by Category
Which wallet leads in each area
Security
Foundation Passport PrimeWinner79/100
Trezor Model T40/100
Ease of Use
Foundation Passport PrimeWinner74/100
Trezor Model T64/100
Price
Foundation Passport Prime$349
Trezor Model TWinner$129
Coin Support
Foundation Passport Prime1+
Trezor Model TWinner52+
Privacy
Foundation Passport Prime73/100
Trezor Model TWinner83/100
Beginner Friendly
Foundation Passport PrimeWinner74/100
Trezor Model T64/100
Comparing:
Foundation Passport Prime
Trezor Model T
Comparison Table
Key specifications for your decision
| Criteria | Foundation Passport Prime Foundation $349 | Trezor Model T Trezor $129 |
|---|---|---|
Overall Rating | 69 | 53 |
Security | 79 | 40 |
Usability | 74 | 64 |
Price | $349 | $129 |
A secure element is a tamper-resistant chip built to store secrets and resist physical attacks such as side-channel analysis and fault injection. Learn more — Secure Element | Yes | No |
Open Source Firmware refers to firmware in hardware devices, like wallets, where the source code is publicly available, allowing transparency, auditability, and customization. Learn more — Open Source | Firmware | Firmware |
Bluetooth Connectivity enables wireless communication between devices, like hardware wallets and smartphones, using Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for secure data transfer. Learn more — Bluetooth | Yes | No |
USB | Yes | Yes |
Networks | 1+ | 52+ |
Wallet apps | Sparrow, Electrum, Nunchuk, BlueWallet | — |
A passphrase is an additional security layer for cryptocurrency wallets, acting as a 25th word in the BIP39 seed phrase, protecting access to hidden wallets. Learn more — Passphrase | Yes | Yes |
A touchscreen display is a screen that allows users to interact with a device by touching the surface, commonly used in hardware wallets for easy navigation and transaction confirmation. Learn more — Display | 3.5" IPS Color Touchscreen (Gorilla Glass, 480x800) | Color Touchscreen |
Recovery is the process of restoring access to a cryptocurrency wallet using its seed phrase or mnemonic backup if the original wallet is lost or inaccessible. Learn more — Backup Method | 12-word + Shamir | 20-word + Shamir |
Setup Time | ~18 min | ~15 min |
IP Rating refers to the level of protection a device has against dust and water, often used for hardware wallets to indicate their durability in various environments. Learn more — Water Resist | None | None |
Which other apps each device works with, and how it connects: software compatibility matrix
Our Verdict: Foundation Passport Prime or Trezor Model T?
Choose Foundation Passport Prime if...
- You need iPhone (iOS) compatibility
- You want wireless NFC connectivity — no cables needed
Skip Foundation Passport Prime if...
- ×Budget is tight — you'd be better served by a cheaper option in this comparison
- ×You actively use DeFi and need WalletConnect / dApp support
Trezor Model T is discontinued
Trezor no longer sells this model. If you already own one, the full review covers how to keep using it; for a new purchase, pick one of the models on this page that are still on sale.
Our pick for most users
Based on the overall rating, Foundation Passport Prime scores 69/100 and offers the best balance of security, usability, and value in this comparison.
Bottom line: Foundation Passport Prime is our pick — it leads on both security and ease of use, and the overall score reflects that. If budget is real, Trezor Model T comes in $220 cheaper without giving up the basics.
Price: Foundation Passport Prime vs Trezor Model T
Foundation Passport Prime costs $349, while Trezor Model T is priced at $129 — a $220 difference. The extra cost of Foundation Passport Prime gets you a 16-point higher overall rating. For budget buyers, Trezor Model T offers solid security at a lower price point.
Who Should Pick Which Wallet
Recommendations based on real-world use cases
Foundation Passport Prime
$349Best for:
Built-in batteryCoin controlTor supportFull node support
Pros
- +Public Keylabs audit (Sept 2025): no critical, high or medium findings; five low ones fixed per Foundation
- +Open-source KeyOS and Envoy (GPL-3.0-or-later) and hardware design (CERN-OHL-S-2.0)
- +Firmware installs only with 2 of 4 Foundation signatures; tamper switches erase secrets
- +2-of-3 Shamir backup on NFC Keycards, so no paper seed is required
Cons
- −Default Magic Backup keeps one key share in iCloud or Google and encrypted metadata on Foundation's server
- −The Magic Backup opt-out is not offered when restoring from seed words (a known issue)
- −Bitcoin-only in practice: Ethereum and Solana exist only as the Legacy Mode beta
- −Setup needs the Envoy app, Bluetooth and an online Security Check; not air-gapped out of the box
Trezor Model T
$129Best for:
Better privacy featuresCoin controlTor supportFull node support
Pros
- +Open-source firmware and hardware, with reproducible firmware builds
- +Colour touchscreen: PIN and passphrase are entered on the device, and transactions are clear-signed
- +Multi-share (Shamir) backup as well as standard BIP39 phrases
- +Software updates promised until at least 2031 and security fixes until at least 2036
Cons
- −No secure element: the seed can be extracted with physical access unless a passphrase is used
- −Discontinued: Trezor no longer sells it
- −No iPhone signing: Trezor Suite on iOS is view-only
- −Plastic body and no haptic feedback, unlike the Safe 5
Pre-Purchase Checklist
Important points to verify regardless of your choice
Every wallet linked here ships from its manufacturer's official store with full warranty.
Foundation Passport Prime vs Trezor Model T: Frequently Asked Questions
Answers about Foundation Passport Prime vs Trezor Model T
Is Foundation Passport Prime better than Trezor Model T?
On the numbers, Foundation Passport Prime comes out ahead — 69/100 vs 53/100 — but 'better' isn't quite the right frame. Trezor Model T is more affordable at $129, which matters more for some buyers than overall score does. If overall rating is what you actually weigh first, take Foundation Passport Prime. If budget is the constraint that shapes your decision, Trezor Model T is the smarter buy. Either way, both are real hardware wallets — neither is a mistake.
How much do Foundation Passport Prime and Trezor Model T cost?
Foundation Passport Prime costs $349, Trezor Model T costs $129. These are list prices for the standard edition from official manufacturer stores. A few things worth knowing: hardware wallet prices barely move during the year, so 'waiting for a sale' rarely pays off — Black Friday is the one exception, with 10–20% off being typical. Avoid third-party listings even if they're cheaper; the supply chain risk on a tampered device wipes out any savings the first time you load funds. And don't buy a 'used' hardware wallet, ever — even if it claims to be reset.
Can Trezor Model T be used on iPhone (iOS)?
No — Trezor Model T has no iOS app today, and there's no public roadmap for one. It works fine with Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux, but iPhone users are out of luck. If your primary device is an iPhone and you don't want a separate computer just to manage crypto, Foundation Passport Prime is the practical pick: it has a native iOS app and the full feature set works over Lightning or Bluetooth.
Which wallet is better for DeFi and Web3: Foundation Passport Prime or Trezor Model T?
Trezor Model T — and the gap is bigger than the spec sheets make it look. Trezor Model T has WalletConnect built in, which means you sign DeFi transactions directly from a hardware wallet without exposing keys to a hot wallet. Foundation Passport Prime can technically work with DeFi via third-party software, but every extra step is one more place an attacker can intercept the transaction you're approving. If you're going to be clicking 'Sign' on smart contracts more than once a month, the difference compounds fast.
Foundation Passport Prime vs Trezor Model T: which has better backup options?
Foundation Passport Prime uses a 12-word seed phrase with optional Shamir Secret Sharing for split backups. Trezor Model T uses a 20-word seed phrase with optional Shamir Secret Sharing for split backups. Both work — but they reflect different ideas about what 'backup' should be. The seed phrase approach (BIP-39) is the open industry standard: portable across most wallets, well-documented, and recoverable on any compatible device. The downside is well-known too — it's a piece of paper that's a single photograph or careless moment away from disaster. Card-based backups can't be photographed and don't write themselves down, but they're proprietary, which means you trust one manufacturer to stay in business and keep the format alive. Pick based on which failure mode worries you more.
Where to buy Foundation Passport Prime at the best price?
Always buy Foundation Passport Prime from the official Foundation store — never from Amazon, eBay, or third-party marketplaces, even if the price looks better. Hardware wallets have been physically tampered with in the supply chain before (compromised devices shipped to unsuspecting buyers, then drained the moment funds were loaded). Buying direct from Foundation gets you a sealed unit with full warranty, firmware integrity, and a clean chain of custody. Free shipping and occasional discounts at the source make the price difference negligible anyway.
Do Foundation Passport Prime and Trezor Model T come with a warranty?
Yes — both ship with a manufacturer warranty (typically 1–2 years) when bought from the official store. That said, a hardware wallet warranty is mostly about hardware defects, not lost funds. If the device fails, the manufacturer will replace it — but your seed phrase or backup cards are what actually restore your crypto onto the new device. The warranty is real but secondary; what protects your funds is your backup discipline, not a piece of paper from {{wallet1}} or {{wallet2}}.
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