{"id":26075,"date":"2019-05-28T06:33:53","date_gmt":"2019-05-28T06:33:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/comparakeet.com\/?page_id=26075"},"modified":"2019-08-14T06:46:25","modified_gmt":"2019-08-14T06:46:25","slug":"tunnelbear-review","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/comparakeet.com\/best-vpn-services\/tunnelbear-review\/","title":{"rendered":"TunnelBear Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who is TunnelBear?<\/h2>\n

Here is an overview of TunnelBear to get a better idea of its service:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Owned and Operated by<\/strong><\/td>\nTunnelBear Inc.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Year Launched<\/strong><\/td>\n2011<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Base of Operations<\/strong><\/td>\nCanada<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Operates in a Privacy-friendly Country?<\/strong><\/td>\nNo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Logging Policy<\/strong><\/td>\nNo logs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Encryption Used<\/strong><\/td>\nAES 256-bit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Servers Located in<\/strong><\/td>\n20 countries<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Plans and Pricing<\/h2>\n

Perhaps one of the most defining features of TunnelBear is that it\u2019s one of the few premium VPN services that offers a free subscription<\/strong>. It\u2019s a great option for people who want to protect their privacy online, but aren\u2019t ready to commit to an expensive plan. Free users have access to the same features that paid users get, except they are limited to a maximum data cap of 500 MB per month. There\u2019s a way to boost this free allowance with an additional 1 GB by Tweeting a positive review of their product. Now that may not still sound like much, but it\u2019s an excellent way to get a feel for the service before deciding to upgrade to their unlimited plans.<\/p>\n

The good news is that TunnelBear\u2019s unlimited plans are less costly than the average pricing for a VPN service. It\u2019s great value, considering the quality of service it provides. As for payment options, TunnelBear accepts credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, and American Express) as well as bitcoin if you want an extra layer of privacy. In-app payments can also be made on the iOS and Android versions.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a brief rundown of their plans:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nLittle<\/b><\/td>\nGrizzly<\/b><\/td>\nGiant<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Price<\/b><\/td>\nFree<\/span><\/td>\n$5.00\/month (billed <\/span>yearly<\/b>)<\/span><\/td>\n$9.99\/month (billed <\/span>monthly<\/b>)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Data Allowance<\/b><\/td>\n500 MB (Tweet for more data)<\/span><\/td>\nUnlimited<\/span><\/td>\nUnlimited<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Other products in this category<\/div>
<\/a>
<\/div>1st<\/sup> Place<\/span>9.8 out of 10<\/span>
Read Review<\/a><\/div><\/div>
<\/a>
<\/div>2nd<\/sup> Place<\/span>9.7 out of 10<\/span>
Read Review<\/a><\/div><\/div>
<\/span>
<\/div>5th<\/sup> Place<\/span>9.0 out of 10<\/span>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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Servers and Locations<\/h2>\n

TunnelBear has over 1000 servers in 20 different countries. That isn\u2019t a lot, especially when compared to other VPN services. Users have fewer options of where they can reroute their internet traffic. This could result in higher latency times especially if there aren\u2019t any geographically nearby servers from your current location.<\/p>\n

Also note that free users aren\u2019t able to access TunnelBear\u2019s Australian servers. You\u2019d have to be on a paid plan to reach those.<\/p>\n

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\"TunnelBear<\/p>\n

Usability and Performance<\/h2>\n

In terms of speed, TunnelBear performs decently well. It\u2019s not the fastest VPN service available, but it\u2019s definitely no slouch. Like with pretty much all VPNs, slower internet speeds are expected. But TunnelBear\u2019s service is for the most part reliable and has minimal downtime.<\/p>\n

The software\u2019s UI also makes it one of the easiest VPN services to use<\/strong>. With a clean and attractive design, TunnelBear is a great option for less advanced users – ones who require a solid VPN, but can\u2019t be bothered to tinker too much with settings. Don\u2019t be fooled, however. The application may be deceptively simple, but it packs all the right features.<\/p>\n

One drawback is that since TunnelBear is based in Canada – a country with strict anti-piracy laws – P2P and torrenting are restricted. Netflix is also not compatible with their service, so be sure to keep that in mind.<\/p>\n

Security and Privacy<\/h2>\n

TunnelBear\u2019s VPN service is protected by AES 256-bit encryption<\/strong>, which is the industry standard and one of the most\u00a0secure forms of encryption available. All versions except for the iOS iteration run on the OpenVPN protocol. Unfortunately, you can\u2019t change this setting. But you can still be assured that your internet activities will remain safe and away from prying eyes.<\/p>\n

Also, TunnelBear takes a strong and transparent<\/strong> stance on protecting its users\u2019 privacy. It\u2019s one of their core values and is easily reflected in the company\u2019s privacy policy. Written in plain, easy-to-understand English, it explains which types of data are recorded on their networks. Simply put, TunnelBear only stores the minimum of what information is needed to maintain your subscription and operate their service. They do not log any of your online activities while using their servers, including IP addresses and DNS queries.<\/p>\n

On top of that, TunnelBear is the only VPN service provider in the world to publish a security audit<\/strong> conducted by an independent third party.<\/p>\n

Supported Devices<\/h2>\n

Both free and paid users are able to simultaneously connect up to five devices<\/strong> to TunnelBear networks. If you need support for more devices, you\u2019d have to purchase additional subscriptions. Their VPN software can be installed on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android. TunnelBear also supports a lightweight version as browser plugins for Chrome and Opera. It\u2019s all pretty standard, and should be sufficient for most users.<\/p>\n

Other Features<\/h2>\n

Here are some other smart features that come with TunnelBear\u2019s VPN service:<\/span><\/p>\n