Our verdict: TunnelBear's playful design and annual public security audits make it a trusted choice for VPN newcomers. It has one of the longest consecutive independent audit track records of any consumer VPN on the market.
Overall Score
TunnelBear – Above Average
TunnelBear's playful design and annual public security audits make it a trusted choice for VPN newcomers. It has one of the longest consecutive independent audit track records of any consumer VPN on the market.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Most user-friendly interface tested
- Annual independent security audit
- Fun branding that reduces VPN intimidation
- Free tier (500 MB/mo)
Cons
- Speed noticeably slower than top picks
- McAfee ownership may concern privacy purists
Speed Performance
We ran TunnelBear through 20 speed test iterations on a dedicated 1 Gbps connection using the fastest available protocol (WireGuard), tested at peak and off-peak hours across multiple server regions:
TunnelBear showed acceptable speeds for everyday use, though it fell behind top picks in our high-bandwidth test scenarios.
Streaming Performance
TunnelBear's streaming performance is limited. Major streaming platforms – including Netflix – have become effective at detecting and blocking TunnelBear IP ranges. In our tests, streaming success rates were lower than all other paid VPNs in this ranking. TunnelBear is not recommended as a primary streaming VPN. If content geo-unblocking is a priority, CyberGhost, ZoogVPN, or ExpressVPN are significantly more reliable choices.
Gaming
TunnelBear recorded the highest latency overhead of any service in our ranking at 28–35ms on nearby servers. For casual, non-competitive online gaming this is acceptable, but players who are sensitive to latency will notice the performance impact. GhostBear obfuscation adds additional overhead. TunnelBear is not optimized for gaming.
Security & Encryption
TunnelBear uses WireGuard as its primary protocol. All connections are protected with AES-256-GCM encryption. The kill switch cut all traffic within 1–2 seconds of disconnection in our tests, and DNS leak checks via DNS leak testing tools returned clean results on all servers tested.
TunnelBear supports WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 across platforms. VigilantBear is the kill switch – it reliably blocked all traffic within 1–2 seconds of VPN disconnection in our tests. GhostBear is TunnelBear's obfuscation feature, making VPN traffic appear as regular HTTPS traffic in restrictive networks. Split tunneling (called SplitBear) is available on Android and iOS but not on the Windows desktop app – a notable omission.
Supported protocols: WireGuardOpenVPNIKEv2
Privacy & Logging Policy
No-logs policy: TunnelBear does not log IP addresses, connection timestamps, session data, or DNS queries. The privacy policy clearly defines what is and is not collected.
TunnelBear is based in Canada (a 5 Eyes member) and is owned by McAfee. For users with strict privacy requirements, the combination of Canadian jurisdiction and major antivirus corporation ownership may be a concern. TunnelBear publishes the most comprehensive annual security audit in the consumer VPN industry – covering all apps, backend infrastructure, and server configuration – conducted by Cure53 and KPMG. The transparency report details government data requests received. TunnelBear has the longest continuous independent audit record of any service in this ranking.
Apps & Interface
TunnelBear's Windows app is immediately distinctive: a bear-themed interface where servers are displayed as tunnels on a world map, and connecting triggers a bear animation burrowing to the target country. Beyond the design, the functional elements are sound: server selection, protocol choice, VigilantBear toggle, and GhostBear activation. The app is the easiest to use of any VPN in this ranking – ideal for users who find most VPN apps intimidating. 5 simultaneous connections are allowed on paid plans.
Supported platforms: WindowsmacOSiOSAndroidBrowser
Pricing & Plans
| Plan | Price | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $9.99 | Unlimited |
| Best Value | $2.33/mo | Unlimited |
All paid plans include a money-back guarantee. The longer-term plans offer the best per-month value.
Limitations
Speed performance is the lowest in this ranking. Streaming reliability is below average. Split tunneling is absent on Windows. The free tier is limited to 500MB per month (the smallest free allocation in this ranking). McAfee ownership and Canadian jurisdiction are concerns for privacy-focused users. Customer support is email-only with longer response times than live-chat providers.
Our Verdict
TunnelBear: Decent VPN for PC
TunnelBear excels at accessibility and transparency. The annual independent audits are the most thorough in the industry, and the interface genuinely makes VPN technology approachable for first-time users. For users who need strong streaming access, fast speeds, or advanced security features, other options in this ranking serve those needs better.
Check our full ranking to compare it against other options.
