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Utilities · head to head

Find My vs Ventoy

Find My logo

Find My

Utilities

Apple's built-in app for locating devices, AirTags and shared people locations

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ventoy logo

Ventoy

Utilities

Multiboot USB creator that boots ISO files copied onto an ordinary partition

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Find My it only works within Apple's own device and accessory ecosystem, so it cannot locate Android phones or non-Apple trackers.; Ventoy the repository ships prebuilt binaries that are difficult to reproduce from source, so several Linux distributions refuse to package it and security teams in regulated organisations will usually reject it.
  • They diverge on capability: Find My covers Device location, Ventoy covers In-place ISO boot.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Find My and Ventoy actually diverge.

Attributes where Find My and Ventoy differ
AttributeFind MyVentoy
Pricing modelFree, built into Apple hardware and iCloudOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsiOS, macOSWindows, Linux

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Utilities).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Find My

  • Device location
  • Lost Mode and remote erase
  • AirTag and Find My network tracking
  • People sharing
  • Unknown tracker alerts
  • Offline finding

Only in Ventoy

  • In-place ISO boot
  • Persistent overlays
  • Plugin configuration
  • Secure Boot support
  • Multi-format boot
  • Non-destructive install

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Find My

  • Locating a lost or stolen iPhone, iPad or Mac and remotely locking or erasing itnot Ventoy
  • Tracking an AirTag attached to keys, a bag or luggagenot Ventoy
  • Sharing live location with family members who have mutually agreed to share backnot Ventoy
  • Getting an alert if an unknown tracker appears to be travelling with you unexpectedlynot Ventoy

Ventoy

  • Field technicians who need one stick carrying several Windows and Linux installers plus a rescue environmentnot Find My
  • Labs that reimage machines weekly and want to swap a single ISO rather than rewrite the drivenot Find My
  • Testing a new distribution release without destroying the existing set of imagesnot Find My
  • Unattended installation runs where answer files sit beside the ISOs on the same partitionnot Find My

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Find My

  • It only works within Apple's own device and accessory ecosystem, so it cannot locate Android phones or non-Apple trackers.
  • People location sharing requires both parties to have Apple devices and an iCloud account, which limits it in mixed-platform families or groups.
  • AirTags and the Find My network have been documented as a stalking tool when hidden on a person or vehicle without their knowledge, and while Apple has added unknown-tracker alerts, the underlying misuse risk is real and has prompted lawsuits and product changes over time.
  • Remote erase on a lost device is permanent and cannot be undone if the device is later recovered, so users need to be certain before using it.
  • It depends on other nearby Apple devices for offline location via the Find My network, so location accuracy in areas with few Apple device users nearby can be poor.

Ventoy

  • The repository ships prebuilt binaries that are difficult to reproduce from source, so several Linux distributions refuse to package it and security teams in regulated organisations will usually reject it.
  • Development depends on one maintainer, so a period of inactivity leaves compatibility fixes for new distribution releases unaddressed with no second party able to cut a release.
  • Secure Boot works only after enrolling the Ventoy certificate through MokManager at the machine, which is a manual step at every device and is blocked outright on locked-down corporate firmware.
  • A small number of images still fail to boot in place and need workarounds, so a technician can discover mid-job that the one ISO they need is the one that does not work.
  • The data partition is exFAT by default, which means no file permissions and no journal, so a stick pulled during a copy can corrupt the whole image set rather than one file.

Pricing, plan by plan

Find My

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Included with every Apple device and iCloud account
    • No subscription tier

Ventoy

Free
  • VentoyFree
    • Full feature set with no paid edition
    • GPLv3 licence
    • Windows and Linux installers

Which should you pick?

Choose Find My if

  • You need device location.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, macOS.
  • You also want lost mode and remote erase.
Find My review

Choose Ventoy if

  • You need in-place iso boot.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Linux.
  • You also want persistent overlays.
Ventoy review

Questions people ask

Is Find My or Ventoy better?
Neither clearly leads. Find My starts at Free and Ventoy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Find My or Ventoy?
Find My starts at Free and Ventoy at Free.
Does Find My or Ventoy run on more platforms?
Find My runs on iOS, macOS. Ventoy runs on Windows, Linux.
Can I use Find My for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Find My best used for?
Find My is most often used for locating a lost or stolen iphone, ipad or mac and remotely locking or erasing it, tracking an airtag attached to keys, a bag or luggage, sharing live location with family members who have mutually agreed to share back, getting an alert if an unknown tracker appears to be travelling with you unexpectedly. Of those, locating a lost or stolen iphone, ipad or mac and remotely locking or erasing it and tracking an airtag attached to keys, a bag or luggage are not what Ventoy is typically brought in for.
What can Find My do that Ventoy cannot?
Find My covers Device location, Lost Mode and remote erase, AirTag and Find My network tracking, People sharing. Ventoy covers In-place ISO boot, Persistent overlays, Plugin configuration, Secure Boot support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Find My: Does Find My cost anything?

No, it is free and built into every Apple device with an iCloud account.

Ventoy: Can I still use the USB stick for ordinary file storage?

Yes. The data partition mounts as normal removable storage and files that are not bootable images are simply ignored by the menu.

Find My: Can someone track my location without my consent?

Not through the People feature, which requires mutual opt-in, though hidden AirTags placed without consent are a documented separate misuse case Apple has added alerts to detect.

Ventoy: Do I need to reinstall Ventoy when a new distribution version comes out?

No. Delete the old ISO and copy the new one. You only rerun the installer to upgrade Ventoy itself.

Find My: Is this the same as Find My Kids?

No, Find My Kids is an unrelated third party family location tracking app, not made by Apple.

Ventoy: Is it safe to use in a company that audits open source?

Often not. The unreproducible prebuilt binaries in the repository are a genuine audit finding and have blocked approval at organisations with supply chain review.

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