TunnelBear
A user-friendly VPN with strong privacy and an approachable interface, ideal for beginners
TunnelBear is a VPN service based in Ontario, Canada that provides privacy-focused browsing with AES 256-bit encryption and a no-logging policy. The service features an intuitive map-based interface, support for multiple VPN protocols including WireGuard and OpenVPN, and both free and paid tiers. It conducts annual independent security audits and offers obfuscation technology (GhostBear) to circumvent VPN restrictions.
How we scored it
A weighted average of the 4 dimensions below, each judged 0–10 from published pricing, vendor documentation and independent user feedback. We do not run hands-on tests, and no vendor has any say in a score.
2 further dimensions are not scored for this product yet, so they are left out of the average rather than counted as zero. How the score works.
What it actually costs
Intro pricing shown — see the renewal note for what you'll pay after the introductory term. We don't hide the second-act price.
Unlimited (3-year)
3‑year plan shown as $120 billed once (displayed as $3.33/mo on site); this is a prepaid 3‑year option billed once.
Unlimited (1-year)
1 year billed at $69.99 per 12 months (displayed as $5.83/mo).
Unlimited (Monthly)
Monthly plan billed $10.99 every month; auto‑renewal charges stated as $10.99 for monthly subscriptions.
Teams
Teams is billed per user; site shows $5.75/user per month (expressed as $69/year per user) and charges annually with prorated charges/credits when adding/removing users.
What to check before you rent TunnelBear
Infrastructure is cheap to start and expensive to leave. These four questions decide what it costs you over three years rather than three months.
The renewal, not the intro price
Introductory pricing is normal in this category and the renewal is the price that matters. Check the renewal rate on TunnelBear’s own pricing page before the first term ends, not after.
What the commitment buys
Longer terms carry the lowest headline rate and the least room to change your mind. Price the shortest term you would actually be comfortable with, then decide whether the discount is worth the lock-in.
The cost of leaving
Moving a site or a workload is the hidden switching cost: migration time, DNS and TLS changes, and whatever egress the provider charges to hand your own data back. A provider is only cheap if leaving is.
What is actually metered
Bandwidth, storage, backups and support tiers are usually the lines that grow, not the base plan. Find the ceiling on each before you commit, because that is where the bill moves.
These are the checks we apply across vpn, in the same order, so two pages can be compared line for line.
How much does TunnelBear really cost?
Our calculation from the vendor's published prices — not a figure the vendor advertises.
The headline price is for one person. Adding people multiplies it, so a team of ten pays ten times the advertised figure. Consumer Unlimited is a flat subscription per account (monthly/annual/3‑year options). Teams is charged per user (per-seat) with annual billing and prorated adjustments for added/removed users.
| Team size | Per month | Per year | Over 3 years | How it is charged |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $3.33 | $39.96 | $119.88 | Flat rate — seats are not charged separately on this plan |
| 5 people | $3.33 | $39.96 | $119.88 | Flat rate — seats are not charged separately on this plan |
| 10 people | $3.33 | $39.96 | $119.88 | Flat rate — seats are not charged separately on this plan |
| 50 people | $3.33 | $39.96 | $119.88 | Flat rate — seats are not charged separately on this plan |
Based on the Unlimited (3-year) plan at $3.33 a month. Three years at the current monthly price. The vendor does not publish a renewal rate, so no increase is assumed.
Work out your own cost
- Flat rate — the price does not change with team size.
- No renewal increase is published, so today's price is held flat.
TunnelBear against the field
The highest-scoring alternatives in the same category, compared on the figures we hold for all of them.
| TunnelBearThis page | ExpressVPN | NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ReviewCost score | 7.7/10 | 8.5/10 | 8.4/10 |
| Cheapest plan | Free | — | — |
| From | — | $3.49/mo | $3.09/mo |
| Renews at | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Biggest strength | Intuitive, user-friendly interface with playful bear-themed design that appeals to VPN beginners | Proprietary Lightway protocol delivers consistently fast speeds, particularly with Lightway Turbo on Windows | Fastest VPN in independent 2026 tests—82% speed retention with NordLynx protocol, minimal latency on local and mid-distance servers |
| Biggest drawback | Unreliable streaming performance; frequently blocked by Netflix and inconsistent success unblocking geo-restricted content | Device limits (10/12/14) lag behind competitors like Surfshark and PIA that offer unlimited simultaneous connections | Renewal pricing jumps significantly—2-year Basic plan renews at $219.48/year ($18.29/mo), a 529% increase over introductory $3.09/mo rate |
Prices are the published figures at the time of writing and change often. Renewal pricing is shown where the vendor publishes it. See how we review.
What people ask about TunnelBear
Straight answers to what buyers actually ask, drawn from the documentation and published user reports.
Is TunnelBear safe to use?
Can I watch Netflix with TunnelBear?
What's the cheapest way to use TunnelBear?
Does TunnelBear allow torrenting?
How many devices can I connect simultaneously?
Page history
- Published
- 13 September 2026
- Last updated
- 1 October 2026
- Pricing checked against vendor
- 1 October 2026
Sources & verification
Pricing on this page was taken from the vendor's published pricing page on 1 October 2026.
- Buy TunnelBear VPN with Credit Card (Pricing)Official pricing page · TunnelBear · read 1 October 2026
- Get an unlimited TunnelBear plan (Checkout) - shows monthly, yearly, 3‑year pricesOfficial pricing page · TunnelBear · read 1 October 2026
- TunnelBear for Teams (features & pricing display)Official pricing page · TunnelBear · read 1 October 2026
- Auto‑renew Policy (states renewal amounts)Official terms · TunnelBear · read 1 October 2026