TunnelBearVPN review

TunnelBear VPN^[1] is a simple VPN^[2] that allows users to browse privately and securely. TunnelBear VPN is based in Toronto, Canada. The company was founded in 2011 and in 2018 was acquired by McAfee.^[3]  TunnelBear is compatible with Macs, PCs, iOS and Android devices and major browsers including Google Chrome, Opera and Safari, or a stand-alone ad blocker for Chrome. The VPN does not provide users with the Linux client software but it can be set up on Ubuntu or Fedora. Users are not able to use the VPN service without TunnelBear client software unless they are on the Linux operating system.^[4]

TunnelBear applies bear-grade AES 256-bit encryption and does not log users’ network activity.

TunnelBear VPN provides you with a secure and private connection to a less restricted Internet.

TunnelBear helps users to hide users’ IP address and locations, secure your personal data from prying third-parties and hackers on public Wi-Fi, ISPs and other networks. The VPN service also provides users with a ‘tunnel’ that allows users to bypass geographical restrictions and censorship. In addition, the VPN service is essential while traveling, so users can safely access email, websites, domestic news, and entertainment. Finally, the VPN blocks online trackers and allows for faster streaming.

The review of TunnelBearVPN that will help you to decide before making a purchase

TunnelBear requires the user to enter a valid email address and a password in order to create an account. The setup took approximately 5 minutes for us, like similar services. The installer takes up 65 MB so the download and setup were quick and easy. The interface is also very easy to use.

Pricing packages are to high according to the market average prices

TunnelBear offers users a Free version called Little that provides up to 500 MB of free data every month. The Premium version called Giant provides unlimited data for $9.99 per month, while its annual subscription named Grizzly gives users unlimited data for 12 months for $59.99. Users can pay using Credit Cards, PayPal, Bitcoin, the Apple App Store, Google Play Store^[5], and cash. Users are not required to provide their real name.

Tunnel bear provides many useful features that can increase your online presence

TunnelBear provides users with privacy, performance, encryption features, with a network of 20 countries and approximately 1,500 servers. The Privacy features include the following:

• Vigilant Mode – TunnelBear’s Kill Switch – if the connections get disrupted the service will block all unsecured traffic until the connection is safely reconnected.
• Always On – users can set to launch the VPN servers at startup and stay connected every-time the device restarts.
• No Logging – the service claims not to log any activity of customers connected.
• Auto Tunnel – the Auto Tunnel determines which tunnel is the best to connect with the lowest ping.

The Performance features include the following

• Lightning Fast Speeds
• Safe Wi-Fi Protection
• Support
• Worldwide Network

The Encryption features include the following:

• Strong AES 256-bit encryption.
• 500 MB of free data.
• GhostBear allows users to make the encrypted VPN data less detectable to governments, businesses, and ISPs.
• Multiple devices – the VPN service allows users to cover the whole device network and simultaneous connections of up to five devices.

Data Encryption methods are well pre-configured

TunnelBear applies a mix of encryption protocols. TunnelBear uses the Open VPN protocol for Androids and the IKEv2/IPSec protocol for macOS and iOS devices, and Windows devices get whichever connects first. For desktop versions, it uses SHA-256 for authentication and 4,096 Diffie-Hellman public-key encryption for a handshake. While the transferring the data the system applies AES-256 encryption. Mobile versions use different techniques based on the operating system. The secure setup allows totally anonymous web-surfing. However, any options can be customized. In 2018 the company was acquired by McAfee, the US-based security giant. It is worth mentioning that even though the TunnelBear VPN is still a stand-alone brand, the company will be at least partly under the US jurisdiction.

Not the fastes VPN on the market for that price

When it comes to performance, the TunnelBear VPN service demonstrates pretty decent speeds. When it comes to network-connection time, the average time took us to connect to the service was about 7 seconds. However, the network latency was about 450% more before a VPN connection. The download speed was about 20 megabits per second. All in one, the TunnelBear VPN service is dependable while traveling and provides pretty decent performance rates.

The customer support desk do their job very well

TunnelBear offers users a decent online support. The mobile applications have direct links to support web pages. In addition, the company has an informative support webpage that includes announcements, set up guidelines, help with Billings and payments, troubleshooting, and contact page. 

Nice and user-friendly interface, easy to use

The interface looks pleasant and is very easy to use. Especially if you are into bears because it uses grizzly mascot throughout the site, interface, and service. The bears even growl when you connect to the service. On the desktop version, the interface provides users with a map of where the location and possible connections. The interface takes about two-thirds of the screen and cannot be moved or resized. The mobile version looks similar on both iOS and Android apps. It displays a Connection map, Connect & Disconnect switch at the top. Configuration options are also similar to the desktop.

An avergare VPN with good privacy options, but too pricy

TunnelBear is a reliable VPN service and offers pretty decent location range. It also has a user-friendly interface, offers decent network performance and a very reliable price. It also adds a free service and uses decent encryption techniques.