TunnelBear VPN Review 2025: Is It Worth It?

Last Updated on March 8, 2025 by Editorial

TunnelBear VPN is a pretty good choice for beginners, and with a free plan, you have access to the trial version. The VPN service has been trying to integrate more features, including unlimited device connections, to remain relevant in the already competitive VPN market. I checked out the security features, speed results, quality of features, support, and torrenting issues and I have compiled the results in this TunnelBear VPN review.

While the virtual private network has unique branding to showcase user-friendliness, it still struggles with a lack of privacy features and automation. TunnelBear has gotten a lot of PR during the last couple of years, but as an expert, I am still trying to understand what makes it exciting. Certainly, we have reasonable speeds with TunnelBear, but does it stand out from its competitors? 

TunnelBear VPN Review Overview

TunnelBear is a secure VPN service that ensures your connection is secure through its standard encryption methods. If you’re a new user, don’t worry—you’ve got yourself set up with the standard AES-256 military-grade encryption. What this means is that your connection is safe, and no one will snoop on your online activities. 

TunnelBear VPN Specs

• Website: https://www.tunnelbear.com/ 

• Our rating: 75/100

• Pricing: $3.33 per month

• Money-Back Guarantee: No money-back guarantee

• OSes: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. 

• Number of servers: 8,000+ servers in 47 countries.

• Simultaneous connections: Unlimited device connections.

• Streaming Access: Yes

Pros/Cons

Pros

• User-friendly interface

• Free Plan Available

• Strict no-logs policy

• Unlimited device connections

• Undergoes rigorous security audits annually

Cons

• No manual configuration

• Lacks a 24/7 live chat support

• Limits split tunneling to Android

• They have a limited server network

How Good Is TunnelBear VPN? 

There is controversy surrounding TunnelBear as a good and trustworthy VPN. I tested the VPN for DNS leaks and speed, and I found the VPN to be above average. While I tested the VPN, I found that the services may fluctuate from time to time, making it an inconsistent VPN, especially with streaming. 

After checking it out, TunnelBear just doesn’t excite me. Yes, TunnelBear has been audited independently and offers yearly transparent reports, but how much risk are you willing to take, especially with the limited mainstay features? Think of TunnelBear as a first car—you can get where you want to be safely, but you will not get the experience of a high-performing sports car. 

Who Owns TunnelBear VPN?

TunnelBear VPN was started by Ryan Dochuk and Daniel Kaldor in 2011. They started the VPN in Toronto, Canada, aiming to make it affordable while meeting the needs of its consumers. The VPN has undergone significant changes, especially in terms of corporate ownership and operations.  

In March 2018, cybersecurity giant McAfee, a US-based company, acquired TunnelBear. Their acquisition raised some suspicions concerning their role in the US jurisdiction, with users concerned for their privacy. Despite the change in ownership, TunnelBear has persistently operated as a separate entity and maintained its brand.

Where Is TunnelBear VPN Located?

Despite its acquisition, TunnelBear’s headquarters remain in Toronto, Canada. The country’s membership in the Five Eyes Alliance—an intelligence-sharing committee—makes it difficult to convince a new user to try it out. Canada is part of an agreement between several countries to share intelligence, which means it can potentially share your data under particular legal circumstances. 

On the other hand, Canada has relatively better privacy laws than the US. Even though it can issue warrants to access data stored within its borders, TunnelBear’s credibility is on the line. The VPN sticks to claims that it only collects limited connection logs, such as data and monthly usage, as opposed to usage logs.

Is TunnelBear VPN Safe?

Yes, TunnelBear is considered safe for entry-level users. I have conducted different tests, such as DNS leaks, to determine whether TunnelBear leaks my IP address, and I have determined that it’s safe. For instance, my virtual IP address (102.221.34.102) is different from my actual IP address (102.212.31.18).

TunnelBear VPN Features (70/100)

TunnelBear has received a lot of hype regarding its credibility and efficiency in the last couple of years. However, the VPN’s overpriced ursine is not living up to the hype, and I can’t just get what people are excited about. 

Basic Features 

One-Click Connect

When you want to connect to TunnelBear’s VPN server, you simply have to click on the TunnelBear icon, and you will be connected. It’s easy to find, even for beginners who have no prior VPN experience. 

Automatic Reconnect

TunnelBear has a future that automatically reconnects you to the VPN when the connection drops, preventing accidental IP leaks. With these basic features, you can browse privately and securely. 

Advanced Features

SplitTunneling (SplitBear)

SplitBear is a split tunneling feature for TunnelBear. You can pick and choose which websites or apps require a VPN connection and what you can exclude. Thus, you can connect to the VPN and exclude any app or site you are browsing with your real IP address. This feature is available on Windows, iOS, and Android devices.

GhostBear (available on Android, macOS version 11 and Windows)

There are countries on the lookout to restrict VPN usage. They can even identify if you’re using a VPN from the traffic patterns. For this reason, GhostBear has obfuscated servers that bypass censorship restrictions in those countries. The feature obscures your VPN as a regular HTTPS traffic, making it difficult for authorities to detect that you are using a VPN. 

VigilantBear

VigilantBear is a kill switch feature for TunnelBear. This feature is an automatic safety measure that monitors VPN connections. If you are suddenly disconnected from the VPN server, VigilantBear will stop internet traffic and resume it after reconnection. The feature prevents you from location exposure or unwanted IP addresses. 

Apps & Support (70/100) 

TunnelBear offers a user a well-designed experience across different platforms. However, there are alternative options that might leave some users craving more. 

Apps 

TunnelBear’s apps follow a consistent approach. All their platforms share a familiar user interface, making them easier to navigate when connected to a server. The consistency of the VPN’s application across all operating systems makes it easier for the user to take advantage of its multiple connection capability.

The VPN service provider supports apps for Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Edge, Firefox, and Chrome browsers. With a comprehensive range of options, you can secure your connection to your frequently used devices. 

Support

• TunnelBear is supported by operating systems such as Android 8.1 (Oreo) and higher, iOS and higher, macOS 11 (Big Sur) and higher, as well as Windows 10 and 11. TunnelBear also provides instructions for its clients who use Linux, but it offers limited support for its service with no dedicated app or troubleshooting options.

• This VPN is also supported by browser extensions, including Firefox 58 and higher, Edge 111 and higher, as well as Chrome 22 and higher. 

What Devices Work With TunnelBear VPN

TunnelBear works on the following platforms:

• Desktop: Windows, macOS

• Mobile: Android, iOS

• Browser extensions: Chrome, Edge, Brave, Edge

• Smart TVs (competent DNS only): NO 

• Routers: NO. 

Hands-On Testing & Ease of Use (90/100) 

Our hands-on testing confirmed that TunnelBear is user-friendly. Both the desktop and mobile apps offer a stimulating experience, perfect for beginners who don’t want to mess around with complex settings. 

Ease-to-Use Interface

TunnelBear has a cuddly cartoon bear, suggesting it’s user-friendly. With an intuitive design and a simple on/off switch, it makes it easier for VPN beginners to learn the basics around it. The VPN’s user interface is an enjoyable service with lighthearted and fun bear puns. It does not overwhelm a first-time user with country options or too many features. 

TunnelBear Desktop Apps

Download the installer and follow the on-screen instructions. The main screen has an intuitive design with cute illustrations and bear jokes. A friendly bear greets you, and an easily seen on/off switch lets you click it on and off. You will also get a map that displays your current location and potential server locations. 

The VPN has a “Fastest” icon that automatically connects to an optimal server when clicked. Next, browse the server list and select a specific country. This process is easy for a first-time user. 

TunnelBear Mobile Apps

Similar to the desktop app, download and install the mobile app. The mobile app is identical to the desktop experience, with an ingenious layout. The iOS version is limited because of the Apple restrictions on the App Store. The Android version has an Encrypted Server Name Indicator, which is an in-built feature that uses encryption to divert DNS-level VPN blocking.   

The app’s Android and iOS versions look quite cluttered, with essential elements and menus all over the place. It could use a revamp to make things more efficient. The app also has different animations, just like the desktop version. 

Summary: My Experience With TunnelBear

TunnelBear is easy to use for beginners. The VPN keeps it simple and basic but with solid features. It was easy to navigate the VPN app during my first trial, and the security was reliable even though I was not used to the lagging speed and unblocking issues. As an advanced VPN user, I felt short-changed. 

Good news for new users: The VPN dropped its “5 simultaneous connections” limit and ensured you could install and connect to as many devices as you like. With my service plan, I can connect to as many devices as I like.  

Speeds & Performance Testing: Is TunnelBear Fast? (70/100) 

This is the baseline: 

Location	Latency (ms)	Download Speeds (Mbps)	Upload Speeds (Mbps)
Korea	329	8.86	4.61
South Africa	68	9.21	9.53
Brazil	334	3.95	3.93
United Kingdom	169	8.91	7.29
Canada	241	3.63	8.72

TunnelBear’s speeds are decent but not the fastest. When I connected to a server closer to a physical location, I generally experienced faster speeds. However, I could stream at 1080p and above for servers located in Brazil, Canada, and Korea because of the latency. This speed is just fast enough for browsing, checking emails, and streaming YouTube videos. 

Streaming Performance (50/100) 

One of the major selling points of popular VPNs is the ease of accessing streaming sites. TunnelBear VPN is unpredictable in terms of its streaming capabilities, especially Netflix. Even though the VPN might work occasionally, it is unreliable when bypassing geo-restricted areas on any streaming platform. 

Can TunnelBear Unblock Netflix or Other Streaming Sites?

If you want to unblock Netflix or any other streaming sites, I wouldn’t recommend TunnelBear as the first choice. After testing this with various streaming sites, TunnelBear has a poor history of unblocking sites. TunnelBear failed with Netflix in Japan, Canada, the U.K., the US, and Australia. 

Streaming Sites	Streaming Capabilities
Netflix	NO
UK’s ITV	YES
Channel 4	YES
BBC iPlayer	NO
Australia’s 10 Play	NO
Australia’ 9Now	YES
Amazon Prime	NO
Disney Plus	NO

Security: Is TunnelBear Safe (80/100) 

TunnelBear takes user security seriously and has passed its security tests. It’s encrypted with the standard AES-256 encryption and supports Perfect Forward Secrecy, which means the VPN service often changes encryption keys to avoid security breaches.  

Encryption & Protocols

TunnelBear is equipped with the industry-standard AES-256 encryption, currently the strongest available protocol to ensure your connection is secure. The  Windows application also supports OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard protocols. I prefer using OpenVPN because of its open-source nature, which makes it flexible and secure. 

TunnelBear will offer P2P support so you can torrent on all of its servers. TunnelBear quickly understood the assignment by ensuring its transparency through the results of independent security audits and annual transparency reports. We expect every VPN on the market to emulate this kind of recurrent transparency.

If you are uncertain how to proceed, select the Auto option in the app’s settings, and TunnelBear will automatically select the best protocol for your connection.

VPN Protocol	Encryption Protocol	Devices Supported
OpenVPN	AES-256 (CBC or GCM)	Windows, macOS, Android
IKEv2	AES-256 (GCM)	Windows, macOS, iOS
WireGuard	ChaCha20Poly1305	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS

Leak Test Results

To be on the safe side, I conducted a DNS leak test to confirm whether my IP address was accidentally leaking. Fortunately, I did not experience any DNS leaks from where I was testing it. TunnelBear doesn’t leak out DNS requests outside the encrypted VPN tunnel. 

I connected TunnelBear VPN to its United Kingdom’s server and the IPLeak showed that my IP was Slough, United Kingdom.

I also conducted a WebRTC Leak Test to confirm the same thing. I confirmed that my real IP address was hidden and the displayed IP address was the United Kingdom. 

I was impressed with TunnelBear’s impressive obfuscation of IP addresses when connected to the VPN server. This is a good indication that my true IP address was obscured. The DNS servers listed matched the location of the VPN server I connected to, and this confirmed that TunnelBear was not leaking my DNS requests. 

Is TunnelBear Private? (70/100) 

TunnelBear’s privacy policy is comprehensive and straightforward. There are concerns regarding the Canadian authorities’ ability to access a user’s logs. Since I consider privacy a non-negotiable issue, I am more concerned about whether Canada’s jurisdiction will guarantee my privacy. 

The logging policy comprehensively describes that it will not collect IP addresses for site visits, IP addresses during service connection, DNS Queries, or even personal data when connected to the service. 

The VPN service only records “operational data,” meaning when you are connected, it will only collect the OS version of your device, the app version, the bandwidth used, and whether you’ve been using it actively. There’s nothing here that could link you to any online activity. 

Privacy Policy: Does TunnelBear Keep Logs?

TunnelBear has a no-logs policy, meaning that it will not store any personal data related to your online activities when connected to its service. The VPN’s privacy policy is available on its website, and there is even an outline of how it will utilize your operational data.

TunnelBear’s privacy policy does restrict it from collecting any DNS queries, timestamps, user addresses, or any other personal identifiable information. However, it collects some information, such as troubleshooting queries, sales data, user support, and the total data used per month. This is the type of information that is unrelated to the time and activity of the user.

Independent Audits

During the audit, Cure53 found 2 critical and 8 high-severity security susceptibilities among the 32 issues in total. Cure53 found this worrying but at least made it easier for the issues to be solved as early as they would. TunnelBear hasn’t hidden its audit reports from its clients, and anyone can access them directly through their website. This is really a high level of transparency. 

TunnelBear VPN Cost: Plans & Value for Money (60/100) 

TunnelBear has an interesting paid plan for new users. You can sign up for their monthly plan, which offers unlimited data for only $9.99 a month. The price significantly drops if you take an annual plan for $4.99 a month or a three-year plan for $3.33 a month. 

If you are a paying customer, you are also going to benefit from the “unlimited connections” service from TunnelBear from their previous “5 simultaneous connections” limit. TunnelBear is among the cheaper options for new users, but you should keep in mind that when you sign up, there’s no money-back guarantee.

Is TunnelBear VPN Free? Is There a Free Trial? 

TunnelBear has a free account payment plan that allows you to access up to 2GB of traffic monthly. This is an improvement from the previous 500MB free plan. Luckily, unlike other VPN service providers, this plan doesn’t restrict the number of locations you can choose. You can test the service, basic functionality, and user interface for free before you upgrade.

Customer Support (60/100) 

If you need a prompt response whenever the VPN service experiences an issue, you might be disappointed by TunnelBear. It offers limited customer support:

• Knowledge Base: TunnelBear has a comprehensive knowledge base with decent articles, tutorials, and FAQs to cover different topics related to general VPN use. This is significant for users who want to solve the issues themselves. 

• Email Ticketing: This is the primary method of communication with TunnelBear support. You create a ticket, submit it through TunnelBear’s website, and wait for a response within 24 hours. If you are used to prompt responses, you’ll have to be patient with this one.

• Limited Phone Support: TunnelBear only operates during business hours (Monday through Friday, 9:00 to 5:00 PST). Their phone support services are limited and restrict clients who have urgent issues outside these timeframes. 

TunnelBear Alternatives

Here are other alternative VPN options to consider if TunnelBear doesn’t quite meet your needs at extra cost:

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN has servers in 105 countries, making it more convenient than TunnelBear, which has servers in only 45 countries. However, TunnelBear bears an edge over ExpressVPN because it allows an unlimited number of device connections simultaneously, unlike ExpressVPN, which limits up to 8 devices at once. 

ExpressVPN is ideal for users focused on reliable streaming service access, top speeds, and top-notch security. It’s a good choice for power users. TunnelBear, on the other hand, is a cheaper alternative for entry users who want to start off with a free plan. 

NordVPN

If you are a power user who needs a VPN with a massive network, NordVPN boasts over 6,400 servers in more than 100 countries. With NordVPN, you have more connection options and advanced features such as a dedicated IP address, malware blocking, a Double VPN for extra security, protocols for better speeds, and solid encryption.  

Even though I consider NordVPN a better choice due to its streaming and bypassing restrictions capabilities, NordVPN only allows 10 simultaneous connections. TunnelBear offers unlimited connection and ease of use for beginner-friendly options. 

Surfshark

Both Surfshark and TunnelBear offer standard VPN protocols and solid encryptions. However, Surfshark boasts advanced features such as CleanWeb (malware and ad blocker) and MultiHop (double VPN feature). Surfshark even offers obfuscated servers that make your VPN connection seem like regular internet traffic, specifically in geo-restricted countries.  

Surfshark has a better server network, unlike TunnelBear, giving you alternative options for potentially better connection speeds and location spoofing. However, this VPN is limited to only major platforms (iOS, Android, Windows, and MacOS), while TunnelBear goes further to support Amazon Fire TV and Linux. 

Conclusion: Do I Recommend TunnelBear? 

That wraps up my TunnelBear VPN review. It is an enjoyable, easy-to-use, and ideal VPN for new users. It doesn’t feel overwhelming and can get you started as a beginner. However, if you are a power user who likes to tweak and optimize your VPN connections, it is better to seek alternatives. 

You’ll have to settle for average speeds. I also encountered some unfortunate events, such as the servers being incapable of unblocking popular streaming platforms such as Netflix. Overall, if you are not well-versed with VPNs, TunnelBear should get you started. 

FAQ

Can TunnelBear be Trusted?

Yes, you can trust TunnelBear for basic online activities. The VPN services are secured with solid encryption and audited independently for essential internet use. This means you can use the VPN to torrent and perform other basic browsing activities. 

Is There a VPN Better than TunnelBear?

Yes, there is a VPN better than TunnelBear. If you are a power user with priorities including speed, streaming, advanced security, and privacy, you can alternatively go for ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark, respectively.

How Much Does TunnelBear Cost?

TunnelBear offers users a single-paid plan. If you are a new user, you can create a free account, but it will be restricted to only 2G a month. Subscribing to the “Unlimited Bear” plan will cost you $9.99 a month, which allows you to connect to multiple devices.