Location information is prerequisite for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) monitoring and control applications, since there is no meaning without position information for collected data. Distance vector hop (DV-Hop) localization algorithm as the typical range-free algorithm that has been widely applied in various applications. Nowadays, the research on range-free localization for WSNs is mostly based on two-dimensional (2D) space. Hence, there are few surveys concentrated on range-free localization in three-dimensional (3D) WSNs. This motivated us to present an extensive overview of enhanced DV-Hop localization algorithms in 3D WSNs. This paper focused on critical challenge between 2D and 3D in localization model, representative range-free 3D localization technique surveys. Moreover, a comprehensive taxonomy of most essential enhanced methods applied in 3D DV-Hop is illustrated. A considerable comparison in term of localization error, computational complexity and node type is given. Future research directions dealing with localization under 3D DV-Hop is also discussed.