If you don’t want your ISP provider to spy on your internet activity, you should get a VPN. If you wish to browse the web privately or unlock the geo-restrictions, having a VPN is essential. It provides security by creating an encrypted tunnel and blocks those who spy on your internet actions. No matter which server you have connected to, a secured VPN will protect all your important data. In the VPN review line up, we are about to discuss TunnelBear VPN here. At the end of this review, you will find whether the TunnelBear is your choice of VPN or not.
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About TunnelBear VPN
TunnelBear is one of the simple-to-use and most trusted VPN service provider. The internet connection will be encrypted and ensures 100% security and privacy while browsing the web. TunnelBear will break the geo-restrictions and lets you access contents from across the world without any limits. With TunnelBear, your device will be protected from various online threats. Even from insecure WiFi, hackers cannot steal your passwords and data.
It bypasses the local censorship and lets you access apps or websites with a virtual IP address. TunnelBear VPN prevents IP-based tracking, and not even government, ISP, ad services, and others can track you. In addition to all these, it will restrict speed throttling and, you will not get into buffering issues.
Specifications
| Jurisdiction | Toronto, Canada |
| No.of.Servers | Not Mentioned |
| No.of.Countries | 23+ |
| Log Policy | No Log Policy |
| Simultaneous Connection | Yes (up to five devices) |
| Bandwidth | Unlimited |
| Kill Switch | Yes |
| Encryption Protocol | AES 256-bit encryption |
| Tunneling Protocols | OpenVPN, IKEv2, and IPSec |
| Torrenting | Yes |
| Customer Support | Yes |
| Refund Policy | No money-back policy and free trial |
| Website | tunnelbear.com |
TunnelBear VPN – Device Compatibility
You can use TunnelBear on a wide range of platforms, from smartphones to PC and browsers. Here are the devices in which you can access TunnelBear VPN.
- Android
- iOS (iPhone & iPad)
- Windows PC
- Mac PC
- Browser (Chrome, Firefox & Opera)
Currently, the users of this VPN can access it on up to five devices simultaneously. The lack of official support for Amazon FireStick is a big drawback with TunnelBear VPN.
TunnelBear VPN Plans & Pricing
There are three different plans offered by TunnelBear VPN. Choose the one which suits your needs accordingly.
| Plans | Free | Unlimited | Teams |
| Pricing | Free | $3.33/mo | $5.75/mo per user |
With the free version, you will get 500MB of secure browsing, testing, and limited usage.
The Unlimited plan provides all-day security and is suitable for home use. You will get unlimited secure browsing on five simultaneous devices. Also, you will get priority on customer service.
Teams plan is suitable for business use with two or more users. It gives unlimited secure browsing, five device connection, and a dedicated account manager. You will get a centralized team billing as well as management.
TunnelBear neither has free-trail nor support a money-back guarantee. So, it is better to go with the free plan to check out its features. If you are satisfied, you can unlock the premium plans.
How to Get TunnelBear VPN?
TunnelBear VPN is available as a dedicated app for Android and iOS platforms. So, you can get it from Google Play Store or Apple App Store, respectively.
Mac and Windows PC users can download the TunnelBear VPN installer right from the official website.
Similarly, those using browsers can add extensions from the respective web store to access the TunnelBear VPN service.
Jurisdiction & Logging Policy
TunnelBear is based on Canada, which is a part of five, nine, and fourteen Eyes Alliance. It might worry a lot of users who are about to get TunnelBear. Fortunately, TunnelBear ensures a strict no-log policy. It means TunnelBear does not collect your IP address, DND Queries, information about apps, services, or websites. Although it lies in the Eyes Alliance, they have no user data to share. So, the private information will not be sold to the third-parties. Hence, you can trust the TunnelBear VPN when it comes to logging policy.
Server Locations
TunnelBear is available in 23 different countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Singapore, Australia, India, Denmark, France, and more. It is continuously working on expanding its server locations. With unlimited bandwidth and server switches, you can access the web without any limitations. Although there is no mention about the number of servers on its official website, you will find about 1800+ servers. It is slightly lower than the top rivals like NordVPN or CyberGhost.
Encryption
TunnelBear uses the strongest AES-256 bit encryption by default. It is designed to be a leak-free VPN with the most advanced encryption. You will find a constant notification that states you are protected by a bear. So, your private details are safe, secured, and no one can access them except you.
Censorship
During our review, TunnelBear has bypassed the local censorship efficiently. Although it says it will unblock popular websites and apps, we don’t find Netflix working on it. Also, it hasn’t unlocked other streaming apps like Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and more.
TunnelBear has Vigilant Mode with which you can set up an internet kill switch. With this, your connection will be blocked as soon as the connection disrupts. You will never find DNS and WebRTC leaks with this VPN. With the GhostBear feature, you can defeat VPN blocks. It will make your encrypted VPN data less detectable by the government, ISPs, etc.
User Interface
The interface of TunnelBear is designed to be beginner-friendly. Its interface is simple and intuitive on all its compatible devices. So, anyone can access it without any guidelines. You will find the world map with the servers highlighted on the desktop version. Just choosing a location and clicking on it will connect your device to that server. Even with the browser extension, you will be able to connect to the servers with ease. Despite this, you can’t expect any additional advanced features with TunnelBear.
Speed & Performance
You will get lightning-fast connection speed with TunnelBear VPN. It will protect you better when you are connected to any untrusted network, including public WiFi. You can use the closest tunnel for more security if you aren’t sure which country server you should choose. Overall, it has given a better performance on different servers. Here are speed test results while reviewing TunnelBear on different servers.
Melbourne Server:
- Download: 12.72 Mbps
- Upload:0.91 Mbps
- Ping: 31 ms
Sydney Server:
- Download: 12.25 Mpbs
- Upload: 0.75 Mbps
- Ping: 54 ms
Asia Server:
- Download: 7.54 Mbps
- Upload: 2.63 Mbps
- Ping: 345 ms
EU Server:
- Download: 52.26 Mbps
- Upload: 27.20 Mbps
- Ping: 39 ms
New York Server:
- Download: 4.90 Mpbs
- Upload: 0.83 Mbps
- Ping: 277 ms
Streaming & Torrenting
The greatest drawback one will find on TunnelBear is it doesn’t let you access some streaming services. In most cases, YouTube will load for you irrespective of the server you connect to. Well, it performed slightly poor and you have to consider twice before you get a premium TunnelBear VPN connection.
Although it supports torrenting, there are no much of the contents it has. Once again, TunnelBear lags behind with P2P and torrenting.
Customer Support
With TunnelBear, you will get helpful support 24/7. Although it has no live chat feature, it uses a ticket system to solve your queries. You can ask a few questions regarding the issue, and the customer service will get back to you. In most cases, the maximum time frame to get the result is 48 hours. However, you can expect a quick response from the support team.
Pros:
- No log policy despite being in Eye Alliance
- Great connection speeds
- Re-connect on restart
- Closet tunnel support
Cons:
- Considerably low servers
- Streaming sites don’t connect
- No router installation
Our Opinion
Based on our review, TunnelBear is a decent VPN with few flaws. Although it isn’t yet a powerful option, it still has features for the money you pay. It is the only consumer VPN with annual security audits. TunnelBear VPN is quite open to its logging policy and the respective effects. If you are looking for a beginner-friendly VPN, then TunnelBear is a great option. You cannot expect much when it comes to geo-blocking apps.
Have you been able to decide between getting or leaving TunnelBear VPN? Let’s hear your opinion as comments. Stay tuned with us on Facebook and Twitter for more useful articles.
