TunnelBear VPN Review

This TunnelBear VPN review covers everything required for basic and advanced secuirty nerds

TunnelBear is a Canada-based VPN provider that has its affiliation with the renowned brand McAfee, the company behind the popular antivirus software services. TunnelBear is one of the few VPN providers to come with free and paid versions. While the free version can unlock the complete list of TunnelBear’s VPN servers, it comes with a trivial 500 MB of data per month. If you look at the promising side of TunnelBear, it comes with excellent encryption standards to secure your online privacy.

TunnelBear also claims to be the only consumer VPN to perform an independent security audit every year. Is it legit to describe TunnelBear as a feature-packed VPN? Was it developed to best meet the needs of both professional and basic privacy seekers?

Our TunnelBear VPN review helps you evaluate and understand if this provider truly satisfies your privacy needs.

• TOR Compatibility: Yes
• Split Tunneling : Yes
• Browser Extension: Available
• Netflix Accessibility: Doesn’t work with Netflix
• Server Details: 22 countries (The exact number of servers are unknown)
• Business Headquarters: Canada (5 Eyes)
• Lowest subscription cost: Free/$4.99 per month
• Device Compatibility: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, Opera

Additional Features of TunnelBear VPN

• TunnelBear comes with an automatic Wi-Fi protection option that secures you when connected to an open encrypted Wi-Fi network.
• The GhostBear feature makes your VPN undetectable, which means that your VPN-encrypted data is away from the prying eyes of your ISP, advertisers, snoopers, and even the Government.
• TunnelBear’s term to the internet kill switch is VigilantBear. This feature automatically disconnects your traffic and protects you against data leaks when your connection is unstable.
• Split tunneling at TunnelBear is known as SplitBear. This feature allows you to choose the applications that require VPN protection.

Apart from the prominent features specified above, TunnelBear comes with DNS and IP leak protection. It also supports a range of platforms, including Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. Remember that TunnelBear’s browser extensions encrypt your browser traffic and do not protect your entire device. It also has an ad blocker that works only with the Chrome browser.

Unfortunately, you can’t configure TunnelBear with home routers, which is a downside when it comes to platform compatibility. It also doesn’t offer dedicated IPs like some of its competitors on the VPN market.

When it comes to data logging, TunnelBear VPN doesn’t track sensitive user information like traffic or IP logs. This provider logs minor user details like account and billing information to ensure that you are not exceeding the number of parallel connections. Not to forget the fact that this VPN provider is based in Canada that comes under the Five Eyes data surveillance program.

TunnelBear VPN comes with three simple categories of subscription plans:

1. Free plan
2. Monthly plan
3. Annual plan

If you wish not to pay for the VPN service you are using, you can go for TunnelBear’s free plan. But you will miss a lot of features this provider offers. TunnelBear’s try-before-you-buy plan comes with a data cap of 500 MB per month, yet it grants access to the complete list of servers. TunnelBear’s free plan is a good way of testing before going for the upgraded paid version. It is simple and straightforward to use, as it doesn’t ask for your credit card information.

If you wish to get unlimited data, you can go for the paid plans of TunnelBear and pay on a monthly or annual basis. With the yearly subscription plan of TunnelBear VPN, you can unlock its comprehensive features at a discounted rate of 50%.

TunnelBear VPN offers the following payment methods:

Interestingly, TunnelBear VPN also accepts jars of honey as payment.

TunnelBear doesn’t have a defined refund policy. It states that the refund requests will be processed at the sole discretion of the provider.

TunnelBear VPN client comes with an unrealistically simplified design and interactive animations, which is fun to use. The interface is in the form of a map, and as soon as you get connected, a bear digs away from your current location to the VPN location, turning everything green. When you disconnect the VPN client, everything turns grey, indicating that you are not protected. TunnelBear has an auto-connect option that connects you to the best server depending on your current location. It also allows you to choose a VPN location of your choice. TunnelBear VPN comes with an option that notifies the amount of data remaining on your account.

TunnelBear VPN doesn’t have super impressive customer support. There is a help bar that assists you with the installation and troubleshooting process for beginners. If you are looking for real-time support, you can get in touch with the support team using a contact form. Their executives are most likely to come up with a resolution within 24 hours.

Unfortunately, TunnelBear doesn’t have a live chat option. Their email support is also slow.