TunnelBear’s distinctive, bear-themed way to its VPN carrier units it with the exception of the extra technical and standardized implementations of different VPNs. TunnelBear is to be had on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. It gives 5,000+ servers, limitless instrument connections, and a subscription choice for groups and organizations.

Despite its a laugh design and accessibility, TunnelBear’s slower speeds and buggy app are reasons for fear. In addition, its server fleet best spans 47 nations.

How a lot does TunnelBear VPN price?

TunnelBear’s beginning paid plan prices $3.33 per thirty days by way of its TunnelBear Unlimited. It has 3 subscription tiers: Free, Unlimited, and Teams. Only TunnelBear Unlimited has the choice to make a choice from a per month, one-year, and three-year subscription.

Interestingly, the per month and three-year plans are best to be had to view after you click on the “Get started” button for TunnelBear Unlimited subscription choice priced at $3.33. Personally, I am hoping TunnelBear makes their further contract choices extra out there to view or a minimum of have it on the best of its pricing web page.

In phrases of particular person pricing, TunnelBear’s Unlimited subscription is at a reduced fee of $3.33 per thirty days for the one-year plan. If you go for the TunnelBear Unlimited paid plan, this discounted annual fee is a scouse borrow. However, as a result of this can be a sale be offering, costs might range someday.

I’d counsel attempting TunnelBear’s unfastened model sooner than buying a subscription. While information is capped at 2GB and a few options are left out, the unfastened model permits you to get a really feel for TunnelBear’s desktop VPN implementation.

For trade homeowners, TunnelBear Teams is a sensible choice. You get all of TunnelBear’s paid options along with extra team-based add-ons, corresponding to centralized billing and account supervisor gear.

Does TunnelBear VPN have a unfastened model?

Yes, TunnelBear has a devoted unfastened model of its VPN. Those interested by attempting the carrier don’t have to fret about offering fee data, as you’ll be able to simply obtain it with out a strings hooked up.

However, there are notable obstacles with TunnelBear VPN’s unfastened model in comparison to its paid plan. The unfastened model has a 2GB information cap that resets each month. So, realistically talking, unfastened customers will best have the ability to check out the VPN for round an afternoon or two sooner than information runs out.

In addition, best paid customers will probably be ready to make a choice city-designated servers on TunnelBear’s community. Free customers are best ready to make a choice from to be had nations (Figure A).

Figure A

Despite this, TunnelBear states that their unfastened and paid variations don’t have any distinction performance-wise, making the unfastened model a viable technique to check if the VPN is best for you.

SEE: TunnelBear VPN Free vs Paid: Which Plan Is Right for You? (roosho)

Security and privateness: Is TunnelBear VPN safe?

Specs-wise, TunnelBear has all of the requisites wanted for a contemporary VPN to be regarded as safe. It has OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2 — the 3 industry-standard safety protocols we would like in a VPN. It additionally makes use of AES 256 encryption, features a kill transfer (VigilantBear), and cut up tunneling (SplitBear).

TunnelBear has a no-logs coverage, which states that it doesn’t gather any consumer’s surfing data, IP addresses, DNS queries, and programs used whilst hooked up to the VPN.

TunnelBear additionally has an excellent observe file of present process annual impartial checking out. Since 2016, TunnelBear has finished seven annual impartial safety audits. The most up-to-date third-party audit was once achieved in October 2023 by means of Cure53.

In that 2023 audit, Cure53 discovered a complete of “13 issues this year, with only 7 considered to be of medium risk or higher.” Fortunately, TunnelBear has mentioned that “12 out of the 13 identified issues have been fixed or mitigated.” Personally, I give primary props to the TunnelBear crew for proceeding to have its VPN examined by way of third-party audits. This displays a powerful dedication to transparency and is a good way to construct consider amongst its customers.

On the turn aspect, some folks might be cautious of TunnelBear being founded in Canada, one of the crucial individuals of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, in conjunction with Australia, New Zealand, the U.Ok., and the U.S. If govt intervention is one thing you’re looking to steer clear of, TunnelBear will not be for you.

Overall, TunnelBear’s safety features, transparency, and annual impartial checking out make it a safe and devoted VPN in 2024.

Key options of TunnelBear VPN

TunnelBear has a couple of key options that set it with the exception of different VPNs. Let’s take a look at 4 particularly that you just will have to learn about.

Beginner-friendly interface

Compared to different VPNs, TunnelBear has an overly user-friendly, bear-themed interface. Servers are represented by means of tunnels, and while you attach or transfer to a brand new tunnel, a endure will pop up (Figure B) from throughout the tunnel — therefore the title, TunnelBear.

Figure B

The endure theme is a laugh and foregoes the very technical way that almost all safety instrument typically have. If that is your first VPN, this whimsy consumer interface might make finding out the instrument much less complicated. The navigation revel in itself could also be very intuitive, with maximum options or choices being positioned the place you’d be expecting them.

For customers which are best beginning to discover VPNs and desire a much less daunting revel in, TunnelBear generally is a just right pick out.

TunnelBear Teams

TunnelBear Teams (Figure C) is their model of crew accounts for his or her VPN subscription. It nets customers the paid carrier and extra options adapted to companies, corresponding to centralized crew billing; the power so as to add/take away customers and edit billing data from an admin account; and an auto-join characteristic that mechanically enrolls customers with a particular e mail cope with.

Figure C

If you’re a small trade fascinated about getting a VPN in your workflow, TunnelBear Teams gives a handy choice that reduces a large number of legwork generally related to putting in a VPN for a company or trade.

Unlimited instrument connections

TunnelBear VPN permits for a vast collection of simultaneous instrument connections to at least one subscription. This signifies that any aggregate of computer systems, smartphones, or browsers can also be safe by way of a TunnelBear server at no further price.

This is a significant characteristic for the reason that one of the most best VPN suppliers best be offering round 5 to 8 simultaneous connections with one account. The skill to glue a vast collection of gadgets supplies customers with added price, getting rid of the wish to acquire further connections.

Speed and function: How speedy is TunnelBear VPN?

Performance-wise, my revel in with TunnelBear wasn’t nice. During my first day of checking out the VPN, I couldn’t set up a connection the usage of TunnelBear’s “fastest” server connection choice (Figure D). It was once irritating because the VPN was once ready to seek out the server closest to me — however was once nonetheless now not ready to hook up with it reliably.

Figure D

Even once I uninstalled and reinstalled the VPN, the problem remained. When I used to be ready to glue, it took nearly 3 mins to take action; and after I disconnected, it was once nearly unattainable to re-establish the relationship. What’s bizarre is that after I hooked up to a server farther clear of my location, I had no problems.

When I used to be hooked up, the speeds had been slower in comparison to different VPNs. During my checking out, I used TunnelBear basically to do paintings in Google Workspace apps corresponding to Drive and Docs, browse social media, and analysis with more than one tabs open. Webpages perceived to take a little extra time to load, and the relationship was once volatile. 1080p YouTube movies additionally had extra buffering time than anticipated whilst hooked up to the VPN.

An afternoon after my terrible revel in with TunnelBear’s quickest server characteristic, the problem perceived to have resolved itself. I used to be ready to hook up with the server nearest to my location and disconnect/reconnect with none factor. The slower speeds, then again, endured even if the relationship worm perceived to had been mounted.

SEE: How to make use of TunnelBear VPN (Step-by-Step Tutorial) (roosho)

TunnelBear carried out decently when it comes to uploads and obtain speeds. In my pace check, TunnelBear had a lower of 38.46% for downloads and 11.64% for uploads — with the add pace being one of the crucial sooner speeds I’ve recorded in comparison to different VPNs.

TunnelBear additionally carried out neatly at the DNS leak coverage entrance. After more than one rounds of checking out thru a public DNS leak device, I were given 0 leaks even whilst I used other places.

Of direction, VPN pace and function will range relying on components corresponding to your location, your web carrier supplier, server visitors, and your device. However, my checking out confirmed that TunnelBear might provide you with a buggy and slower revel in in comparison to different VPN suppliers to be had nowadays.

TunnelBear VPN servers and places

TunnelBear gives round 5,000+ servers from 47 nations international, hanging TunnelBear’s server fleet within the low-to-middle vary in opposition to the contest. In comparability, ExpressVPN gives servers from 105 nations, whilst Private Internet Access has servers throughout 91 nations.

While TunnelBear’s server rely is at the upper finish, I would favor a extra geographically numerous community. At 47 nations, TunnelBear has some catching as much as do as different VPNs are providing round 60 to even 100+ nations of their server unfold. So when you’re in particular on the lookout for a VPN to unblock geo-restricted content material, TunnelBear will not be the optimum selection.

I love that TunnelBear options P2P-friendly servers in particular optimized for duties corresponding to torrenting and report sharing.

TunnelBear VPN Customer carrier

Customer carrier (Figure E) is any other facet the place TunnelBear may just see some development. In specific, I imagine TunnelBear will have to be offering 24/7 are living chat. Because VPNs could have sudden technical problems, lots of the best suppliers be offering a carrier for answering questions and troubleshooting.

Figure E

At the instant, TunnelBear has a internet shape and e mail, on-line guides, and an AI chatbot (Figure F) known as RoboCub for buyer give a boost to.

Figure F

In equity to TunnelBear, RoboCub was once ready to supply slightly useful solutions after I requested a couple of questions.

SEE: How to Create an Effective Cybersecurity Awareness Program (roosho Premium)

TunnelBear VPN professionals

• Beginner-friendly UI.
• Free model.
• Affordable one-year plan (fall sale).
• Annual impartial audits.
• Unlimited instrument connections.
• TunnelBear Teams for companies.

TunnelBear VPN cons

• Buggy app revel in.
• Slow real-world pace.
• Connection can also be volatile.
• Smaller nation rely for its servers.
• Hidden contract duration choices in pricing web page.

ExpressVPN

If you’re on the lookout for a VPN with an easy-to-use interface and speedy functionality, ExpressVPN is without doubt one of the best possible choices available on the market. It has robust safety features, servers throughout 105 nations, and a password supervisor incorporated at no further price.

To be informed extra, test our complete ExpressVPN overview.

Proton VPN

Proton VPN is a smart pick out when you’re on the lookout for a VPN that operates in a privacy-friendly nation. Based in Switzerland, it complies with the rustic’s robust privateness rules that provide an extra layer of safety in your information. Proton VPN additionally has a unfastened model with out a information cap.

To in finding out extra, test our complete Proton VPN overview.

Private Internet Access

Users who desire a huge server suite will have to believe Private Internet Access VPN. PIA reportedly has round 10,000 to 35,000 servers throughout 91 counties, making it a sensible selection when you plan to make use of a VPN to unblock content material. Its Windows app could also be one of the crucial extra customizable VPN programs to be had nowadays.

To be informed extra, test our complete Private Internet Access VPN overview.

Review method

My overview of TunnelBear VPN concerned an in depth research of its safety features, worth, and real-world functionality. I had hands-on revel in with TunnelBear thru its unfastened Windows utility, and I supplemented my findings with consumer testimonials and respected critiques.

For obtain and add speeds, I ran TunnelBear thru Ookla’s public Speedtest. For DNS leak coverage, I examined TunnelBear more than one instances the usage of DNSLeakTest.

Finally, I scored TunnelBear VPN on quite a lot of components, together with its safety protocols and value, in response to an interior set of rules to get a score of three.1 out of five stars. I checked out TunnelBear VPN each by itself and on the subject of different VPN answers available on the market nowadays.