TunnelBear Review 2026
By ChrisFounder & Lead AnalystMost beginner-friendly VPN with annual Cure53 audits
TunnelBear proves a VPN can be serious about security and genuinely fun to use. The bear-themed interface makes VPN technology accessible to complete beginners. Behind the cute animations, TunnelBear has been audited by Cure53 every year since 2017, which is more consecutive audits than most competitors.
- VPN beginners who want the friendliest experience
- Users who value consistent, annual security audits
- Non-technical users who find VPNs intimidating
Performance Scores
Privacy & Security
Security and Protocols
TunnelBear's apps offer OpenVPN, WireGuard and IKEv2. WireGuard is the modern default on most platforms, and OpenVPN remains the broadest-compatibility option for older devices and routers.
The feature TunnelBear is best known for is GhostBear, its obfuscation mode, which makes VPN traffic look more like ordinary encrypted web traffic. That matters on networks that block VPN protocols outright. The kill switch is called VigilantBear, and the apps also include split tunneling and an ad and tracker blocker.
TunnelBear's strongest security argument is its audit record. Cure53 has run an independent audit every year since 2017. The eighth annual audit ran across October and November 2024 as a white-box assessment, with eight senior auditors over 44 working days and access to source code and internal documentation. It reported 10 vulnerabilities of medium severity or higher and 3 of low severity, which TunnelBear says have been acknowledged, addressed or mitigated. That is eight published audits in total, and TunnelBear states a ninth was completed for 2025 with the findings still under review. Publishing vulnerability counts rather than a clean bill of health is unusual and worth crediting. For how we weigh audits against other factors, see our scoring methodology.
Speed and Performance
TunnelBear supports WireGuard, which is the protocol that generally gives the best throughput and the fastest reconnects across the providers we score. GhostBear obfuscation adds overhead by design, so it is worth leaving off unless a network is actively blocking VPN traffic.
We do not run our own speed benchmarks. Our speed score reflects published independent benchmarks and provider-reported figures, weighed the same way for every provider in the table. See our full VPN rankings for how TunnelBear's speed score compares with the top 10.
Streaming and Unblocking
Streaming is TunnelBear's weakest area and a large part of why it sits outside our top 10. Reports of success with Netflix and other catalogs are inconsistent, and TunnelBear does not market streaming unblocking as a feature or maintain dedicated streaming servers the way several higher-ranked providers do.
If watching a specific catalog is your main reason for buying a VPN, TunnelBear is the wrong tool. Our best VPN for streaming guide covers the providers that treat it as a first-class feature.
Server Network
TunnelBear lists 47 countries on its own site, including the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Japan, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Singapore. Paid subscribers can pick city-level locations in the US and Canada. P2P traffic is permitted on a subset of locations rather than network-wide.
TunnelBear does not publish a server count on its own site, so treat any specific figure with caution. Broad country coverage for a provider of this size is what the network is really offering.
Pricing & Plans
Pros & Cons
- Most beginner-friendly interface
- 8 published annual Cure53 audits
- Unlimited devices on paid plans
- GhostBear obfuscation
- 5,000+ servers
- Trustworthy free tier
- Canadian jurisdiction (Five Eyes)
- McAfee ownership
- Streaming unreliable
- 2GB free tier very limited
- No money-back guarantee
Bottom Line
If you or someone you know finds VPN apps intimidating, TunnelBear is the answer. Eight published Cure53 audits back up the friendly exterior.
TunnelBear FAQ
Where is TunnelBear based?
TunnelBear is based in Toronto, Canada. Canada is a member of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, which is the main jurisdictional mark against it. TunnelBear has also been owned by McAfee, a US company, since 2018.
Does TunnelBear keep logs?
TunnelBear states a no-logs policy for browsing activity and stores account details such as your email address and payment information. That policy has been examined in independent Cure53 audits run annually since 2017, eight of which have been published.
Has TunnelBear been independently audited?
Yes. Cure53 has audited TunnelBear every year since 2017, and eight audits have been published. The eighth ran over October and November 2024 with eight senior auditors across 44 working days, and reported 10 vulnerabilities of medium severity or higher plus 3 low-severity issues, which TunnelBear says have been acknowledged, addressed or mitigated. TunnelBear also states that a ninth audit was completed for 2025 and that it is still reviewing the findings.
How much does TunnelBear cost?
TunnelBear offers a free tier limited to 2GB per month, a monthly plan, a one-year plan and a three-year plan, with the lowest monthly-equivalent price on the longest term. There is also a Teams plan billed per user for businesses. Check TunnelBear for current pricing before you buy.
How many devices can I use with TunnelBear?
TunnelBear states there is no limit on the number of devices you can use on a paid subscription, which is unusual. Most providers cap simultaneous connections somewhere between five and ten.
Is TunnelBear good for streaming?
Not reliably. TunnelBear does not market streaming unblocking or run dedicated streaming servers, and reports of success with major catalogs are inconsistent. If streaming is your main use case, see our best VPN for streaming guide.
Is the free version of TunnelBear worth using?
The free tier gives you 2GB of data per month on the same audited infrastructure as the paid plans, which makes it a reasonable way to try the apps or cover occasional use on public Wi-Fi. It is far too small to serve as a full-time VPN.
Does TunnelBear have a money-back guarantee?
TunnelBear does not advertise a money-back guarantee on its pricing page. The free 2GB tier is the intended way to try the service before paying.
Where to Go Next
Builder, tinkerer, privacy advocate. I believe privacy is a right, not a product feature.