TunnelBear VPN: Pros and Cons

Canadian-based VPN provider TunnelBear is an affordable choice with a friendly design. Should you buy it? Let’s find out from the review below.

The advantages of this VPN provider

It offers 2 versions: free and paid. A free version has its own peculiarities:

  • It’s limited to 500Mb per month;
  • Has a standard OpenVPN protocol;
  • Slower speed comparing to other top choices.

The users have access to 350+ servers in over 22 countries. It unlocks the geo-restricted information and torrenting. However, this VPN won’t help you access Netflix and other streaming apps like Hulu, etc.

The biggest advantage of using this VPN provider is a strict no-logging policy. In the privacy section, the company clearly states that it doesn’t collect IP addresses, DNS Queries, and any other information about the used apps, services, data. Users who treat their privacy seriously will definitely appreciate it.

So far, this provider wasn’t caught having any leaks. User-friendly interface and good encryption are not the only outstanding characteristics. The service is leak-proof as it uses AES-256 to encrypt the data.

TunnelBear VPN works on multiple devices that run on Windows, Mac OS, Android, and iOS. You can get up to 5 simultaneous connections. In addition, users can install the browser extension to their Google Chrome and Opera or use it separately.

Other advantages include:

  • Anonymous IP;
  • A kill switch (VigilantBear);
  • Simple interface;
  • Easy to install and use;
  • Supports TOR;
  • Was independently audited for security.

Customer support

This is still one of the weakest spots of the service. You’ll have to face ticketed-based customer support system because there’s no live chat. Nevertheless, it works very efficiently and every user is sure to get the full detailed answer fast.

Disadvantages you need to know about

If you are thinking of getting TunnelBear VPN, there a few drawbacks to consider:

  • Slow speed. While you always lose some speed with VPN, here you can expect only 40-50% of your initial one. It’s a huge drop which causes some unpleasant experience (especially if you download something via torrent).
  • You can’t access Netflix. There are only several VPN providers that deliver this option nowadays and TunnelBear is not one of them. If you don’t need it, that won’t be an issue. Otherwise, you can unlock most of the geo-restricted content.
  • It can’t be installed in the router. If you are looking for a VPN that can be installed directly to your router, try some other providers.

How to make your choice?

When deciding to buy (or not) TunnerBear VPN, you should define what you need from the network. In case you just need an extra layer of protection for your personal information and privacy in general, this is a great and affordable choice. It’ll cost you $5 per month (if you get the annual plan) and can be used on 5 devices at once.

However, if you need a VPN for other reasons, this option won’t meet your needs. You can try NordVPN instead. It works with Netflix and secures high speed.