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Tunnelbear Review

TunnelBear is a Canadian VPN service that stands out thanks to its original and creative app interface. Recently, in March 2019, it was bought by a software industry giant McAfee. TunnelBear is easy to use, affordable and it follows no logging policy i.e. it doesn’t keep your data and maintains your anonymity. This honest TunnelBear Review will reveal all the positive and negative aspects of the TunnelBear VPN.

Tunnelbear VPN Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • User-friendly
  • Affordable price
  • Has browser extension
  • Strong encryption
  • Good customer support
  • Kill switch
  • No logging policy

Cons:

  • No live chat
  • Mediocre performance and slow speed
  • Just 20 locations
  • No money back guarantee
  • Can’t unblock Netflix

Privacy and Security While TunnelBear is among rather affordable VPNs, it doesn’t mean it is not safe. TunnelBear encrypts your internet connection using 256-bit AES cipher and OpenVPN protocol for Windows, Mac OS, and Android and IKEv2 protocol for iOS.   With special features such as VigilantBear (kill-switch) and anonymous IP address, you should not worry about the security of your data. Users who need to hide the very fact of using a VPN from their ISP or governmental bodies, will appreciate the GhostBear feature. TunnelBear has a no-logging policy in place. It means that TunnelBear doesn’t keep any sort of user’s data. It ensures the user’s anonymity is retained at all times.   

Performance

TunnelBear offers approximately 900 servers in 20 different locations. Well, the number is not quite impressive if compared to top VPN services. There is a room of improvement for TunnelBear. In the free version, you’ll have access to servers in 19 countries except for the USA. You can get access to American server only with a paid subscription plan.   Like any other VPN, TunnelBear also affects the speed. If you connect to a nearby server, the speed is expected to decrease by 10-20%. But if you need to connect to a distant server, be ready to deal with rather low speeds which are just 20-30% of your broadband. It may still be quite usable, but not for buffering-free streaming.

Torrenting and Streaming

Until recently, TunnelBear would not allow using the service for P2P file sharing. Now TunnelBear customers can use it for torrenting, but downloading copyrighted materials is forbidden. Moreover, low speed would not let you enjoy blazing fast torrent downloads.

As we’ve already Tunnelbear is not your best choice for binge watching again due to low speeds. If you need to access some geo-blocked platforms like Netflix or HBO, and you are not physically located in proximity to US, be ready to experience buffering. Moreover, TunnelBear hasn’t managed to provider stable access to Netflix to its users. From time to time, the streaming giant blocks all the VPN’s IP, and to regain access you’ll have to wait for the new portion of IPs to be added to Tunnelbear’s network.

Pricing Plans

TunnelBear offers three pricing plans namely:

  • Little Free
  • Giant $9.99 per month
  • Grizzly $59.99 per year

You can see three different sized bear pictures with these plans. The little plan is a free version. It provides you with 500 MB of free data. It is not enough for a person who uses a VPN daily. However, it is sufficient for occasional Internet browsing and to get a feel of the service. Additionally, you can get 1.5 GB more free data for tweeting about TunnelBear. The Giant is the TunnelBear pro version with a monthly subscription. Unlimited bandwidth, and 5 devices that can be connected simultaneously are parts of the deal. The price is $9.99 per month, which is just slightly less than a monthly fee of the industry leaders. To save up, go with the Grizzly one-year plan for $59.99. That would be $5.00 per month, which is quite affordable. Unlike most competitors, TunnelBear doesn’t offer a money back guarantee so it is important to check it well through its free version before buying the paid plans.

Customer Service

TunnelBear offers swift email support. The queries are addressed within a few hours. The TunnelBear team answer the queries in time and in a professional way. You don’t have to wait and face the problem for days because of TunnelBear support service. TunnelBear has no live chat, but it is not a big issue as email support is highly responsive. Moreover, their website features an extensive knowledge base to help you with some basic issues. In terms of customer service, we can say TunnelBear VPN is a great choice.

Bottom Line

We hope that our TunnelBear VPN review helped you decide whether the service is worth your while. Our team believe that TunnelBear is an overall good VPN. It is reliable, user-friendly and affordable. You may not worry about your privacy thanks no-logging policy. During testing no leaks were detected, meaning your data won’t be compromised.  

Therefore, if you value your privacy the most and mostly need a VPN for secure browsing, Tunnelbear may be a good choice for you. Users who only connect to a VPN occasionally may benefit from the free Little Bear plan. However, if you need a VPN for torrenting and streaming, you’d better look for some other provider. As with TunnelBear you get a small network of servers, low speeds and not torrenting-friendly policy.  All in all, TunnelBear is a user-friendly and affordable VPN. We can recommend it, if after reading our review you believe it meets all your requirements.  

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By Richard M. Koch

Richard is a cybersecurity expert with 7+ years of experience in the domain. Online threats have been his main focus for the last decade, and extensive research of the matter allows him to give expert's opinions on technologies aimed at protecting users' privacy such as VPNs.