TunnelBear VPN Free Review 2023: 3 Cons and 5 Pros

by Vít Nováček
updated July 5, 2023 (Report a bug)

1. TunnelBear VPN Free: A Fast, Free VPN with a Low Data Limit

   • The data transfer limit is only 2 GB per month
   • Supports only basic platforms
   • Application available exclusively in English

   • Good download (179 Mb/s) and upload (93 Mb/s) speeds
   • VPN audited by a third party (Cure53)
   • Camouflage mode hides VPN usage
   • Allows use on 5 devices simultaneously
   • Transparent application interface

   TunnelBear VPN Free is a cost-free VPN service, audited by Cure53. The service is operated by the Canadian company, TunnelBear LLC.

   TunnelBear VPN Free boasts impressive download and upload speeds, along with the capacity to utilize the VPN on up to 5 devices simultaneously. Other perks include its user-friendly interface, its unique camouflage mode, and a crucial security feature: the kill switch.

   However, like most free VPNs, it limits the amount of data users can transfer. For TunnelBear VPN Free, the limit is 2 GB per month, which may be insufficient for regular service users. The application is solely available in English.

   Therefore, TunnelBear VPN Free is best suited for occasional or short-term use. For ongoing VPN protection, we recommend the paid option TunnelBear VPN Unlimited or premium service NordVPN. Both offer unlimited data transfers, crucial security features, and compatibility with streaming platforms.

2. TunnelBear VPN Free Subscription: Discount Code, Free Trial, Money Back Guarantee…

   • Your Price:  Free (5 devices)

   

   8.4

   ★★★★

   Free VPN excels in its speed and ability to disguise VPN connection. The downside is a very low data transfer limit and support only for basic platforms.

   Free

   Download For Free

   TunnelBear VPN Free is a free service, with no charge for usage. The 2 GB per month data transfer limit resets after each month.

   The paid alternative, TunnelBear VPN Unlimited, offers unlimited data transfers, 2,600 servers across 49 countries, and compatibility with streaming platforms. A discounted subscription for VPN wiki visitors is available at $4.53 per month.

3. TunnelBear VPN Free and Supported Devices: Android, iOS, macOS…

   • Device limit: 5

   Platforms supported

   • Android:
     Yes

     Android is supported by 98 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Android TV:
     No

     Android TV is supported by 37 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Apple TV:
     No

     Apple TV is supported by 18 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Fire TV:
     No

     Fire TV is supported by 44 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromebook:
     No

     Chromebook is supported by 21 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromecast:
     No

     Chromecast is supported by 16 % of reviewed VPNs
   • iOS:
     Yes

     iOS is supported by 99 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Kodi:
     No

     Kodi is supported by 22 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Linux:
     Yes

     Linux is supported by 60 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Mac:
     Yes

     Mac is supported by 98 % of reviewed VPNs
   • NAS:
     No

     NAS is supported by 25 % of reviewed VPNs
   • nVidia Shield:
     No

     nVidia Shield is supported by 15 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Playstation:
     No

     Playstation is supported by 20 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Raspberry Pi:
     No

     Raspberry Pi is supported by 18 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Roku:
     No

     Roku is supported by 16 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Router:
     No

     Router is supported by 54 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Windows:
     Yes

     Windows is supported by 100 % of reviewed VPNs
   • xBox:
     No

     xBox is supported by 20 % of reviewed VPNs

   Browser Extensions

   • Brave :
     Yes

     The Brave browser add-on is offered by 45 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Chrome :
     Yes

     The Chrome browser add-on is offered by 45 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Edge :
     No

     The Edge browser add-on is offered by 19 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Firefox :
     Yes

     The Firefox browser add-on is offered by 35 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Opera :
     Yes

     The Opera browser add-on is offered by 45 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Safari :
     No

     The Safari browser add-on is offered by 0 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Vivaldi :
     Yes

     The Vivaldi browser add-on is offered by 45 % of reviewed VPNs.

   TunnelBear VPN Free allows use on 5 devices concurrently.

   However, the limited range of supported platforms is a drawback of TunnelBear VPN Free. The app is only compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux devices. Support for smart TVs, gaming consoles, and less common devices such as Raspberry Pi or Kodi, is absent.

   Traffic on the router is not supported either, given the 2 GB per month data transfer limit would make it inadequate for such use.

   The upside is that TunnelBear VPN Free can be used via Chrome and Firefox browser extensions.

4. TunnelBear VPN Free App: User-friendliness, whitelist, server selection…

   • App Languages: 🇺🇸 English
   • Whitelisting:
     Yes

     Whitelisting is supported by 52 % of reviewed VPNs

   The TunnelBear VPN Free app is straightforward and user-friendly.

   Upon launching, a world map with available servers appears. You can connect instantly by clicking on any of them. The app promptly notifies the user about the connection status. Alternatively, select a server from the list and connect by clicking the VPN activation button.

   TunnelBear VPN Free supports automatic application launch and VPN connection upon system startup. The kill switch feature, called VigilantBear, is also available. The kill switch disconnects the device from the internet if the VPN server connection fails, ensuring the user’s IP address remains hidden, and location and data transmission cannot be compromised.

   A unique feature of TunnelBear VPN Free is the GhostBear camouflage mode, which can mask the activated VPN protection, making it appear as a normal internet connection.

   In the application settings, you can select the protocol used: OpenVPN, IKEv2, or the contemporary WireGuard are available. If not manually selected, the optimal choice is made automatically.

   While the mobile app TunnelBear VPN Free doesn’t offer the option to manually choose the protocol, it does include a whitelist. Named SplitBear, this feature allows the selection of apps to connect directly to the internet without a VPN.

   The interface is exclusively in English, lacking translations into other languages. Nevertheless, the application is easy to understand and should not pose problems even for users who are not fluent in English.

5. TunnelBear VPN Free Connection Speed: Upload, Download & Latency

   • Traffic limit: 2 GB per month

   Download speed

   Higher is better. The average download of all tested VPNs is 110 Mb/s.

   Upload speed

   Higher is better. The average upload of all tested VPNs is 77 Mb/s.

   Server latency

   A lower value is better. The average response rate of all tested VPNs is 55 ms.

   A significant drawback of TunnelBear VPN Free is the restrictive 2 GB per month data transfer limit per user account. This limitation renders the service impractical for long-term use, video streaming, or transferring extensive data amounts.

   During testing, connections to the servers were established swiftly and without delay. The average connection speed was commendable, even compared to paid services. We achieved average download and upload speeds of 179 Mb/s and 93 Mb/s, respectively.

   The server’s average response speed was 11 ms, which is a superb value. Unlike transfer speeds, a lower value is preferable for response speeds.

6. TunnelBear VPN Free Server Locations

   • Number of servers:
     5,000

     The average number of servers for the reviewed VPNs is 1670.
   • Number of countries:
     47

     The average number of countries available for the reviewed VPNs is 41.

   Europe	🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇹 Italy 🇨🇾 Cyprus 🇱🇹 Lithuania 🇱🇻 Latvia 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇲🇩 Moldova 🇩🇪 Germany 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇦🇹 Austria 🇷🇴 Romania 🇬🇷 Greece 🇸🇮 Slovenia 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇷🇸 Serbia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland
   North America	🇨🇦 Canada 🇲🇽 Mexico 🇺🇸 USA
   South America	🇦🇷 Argentina 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇨🇱 Chile 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇵🇪 Peru
   Asia	🇵🇭 Philippines 🇮🇩 Indonesia 🇯🇵 Japan 🇰🇷 South Korea 🇲🇾 Malaysia 🇸🇬 Singapore 🇹🇼 Taiwan
   Africa	🇿🇦 South Africa 🇰🇪 Kenya 🇳🇬 Nigeria
   Oceania	🇦🇺 Australia 🇳🇿 New Zealand

   TunnelBear VPN Free provides users the ability to connect to 5,000 servers in 47 countries globally. Considering it’s a free VPN, this range is quite satisfactory.

   The servers are distributed across various continents, including a few locations in the typically unsupported South America. Available locations include the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Countries with a history of government censorship, such as Russia, China, or Iran, are absent.

   All available servers are physically located in the designated countries; none are virtual. All features offered by TunnelBear VPN Free are accessible on all servers.

7. TunnelBear VPN Free Security Features: DNS Leak Protection, Kill Switch…

   • DNS leak protection :
     Yes

     DNS leak protection is offered by 92% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Kill Switch:
     Yes

     Kill Switch is supported by 85% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Multi-Hop:
     No

     Multi-Hop connection is offered by 20 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Tor:
     No

     Tor support is offered by 18 % of the reviewed VPNs.

   TunnelBear VPN Free includes built-in DNS leak protection.

   A key security feature is the kill switch, which disconnects the device from the Internet when the VPN server connection fails. This prevents the user’s real IP address, location, or the ability to monitor transmitted data from being exposed.

   Users of TunnelBear VPN Free can select from the supported OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard protocols. By default, 256-bit encryption is employed, and a lower level cannot be set.

   Multiple connections, also known as multi-hop or Double VPN, are not supported by TunnelBear VPN Free. Also, Tor and two-factor authentication at login are not supported. The latter requires the user to input a code, usually from an authentication app, in addition to the password. This means that even if a malicious user discovers the password, they still cannot gain access to the account.

8. TunnelBear VPN Free & Streaming: Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime…

   • Amazon Prime:
     No

     Amazon Prime streaming is supported by 53 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Disney+:
     No

     Disney+ streaming is supported by 55 % of reviewed VPNs
   • HBO:
     No

     HBO streaming is supported by 58 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Hulu:
     No

     Hulu streaming is supported by 51 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Netflix:
     Yes

     Netflix streaming is supported by 65 % of reviewed VPNs
   • YouTube:
     Yes

     YouTube streaming is supported by 96 % of reviewed VPNs

   During our test of TunnelBear VPN Free, we succeeded in unblocking streaming video on both YouTube and Netflix platforms. However, this service does not offer servers that are optimized or specifically dedicated to streaming.

   Our repeated attempts to unblock videos from Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, HBO Max, and Hulu were unsuccessful.

   Due to its data transfer limit of 2 GB per month, TunnelBear VPN Free is entirely unsuitable for video streaming. For this purpose, we recommend using premium services like NordVPN or Surfshark. Both provide a comprehensive platform for the most popular streaming platforms, excellent security, and transfer speeds sufficient for watching 4K video.

9. Features of TunnelBear VPN Free: AdBlock, Static IP…

   • Blocks Ads:
     Yes

     Ad blocking is offered by 43 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Malware:
     No

     Malware blocking is offered by 34 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Trackers:
     Yes

     Trackers blocking is offered by 36 % of the VPNs reviewed.

   TunnelBear VPN Free does not support ad blocking, nor does it protect against malware and trackers. However, you can install the TunnelBear Blocker add-on from the same manufacturer into your browser, which does provide these features.

   In the settings, you can activate a camouflage mode that conceals the use of the VPN. Consequently, your connection appears to be normal internet activity from the outside.

   TunnelBear VPN Free does not offer a static IP address, only a dynamic one is available. Therefore, your IP address will change each time you connect.

10. TunnelBear VPN Free‘s CPU usage and App Performance

    Compared to other tested VPNs, TunnelBear VPN Free places more demands on your device. However, during our use of the application on a Windows laptop, we didn’t observe any negative impact on performance.

    You can decrease the current load on the computer by setting the application to run only in the background.

11. TunnelBear VPN Free Torrenting Servers

    • Torrenting servers:
      Yes

      Torrenting support is offered by 88 % of the reviewed VPNs.

    TunnelBear VPN Free supports torrenting on all its servers. The provider recommends using servers in the US, Canada, UK, Romania, Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden for improved torrenting results. Static IP addresses are not available in these locations either.

    Due to its data transfer limit of 2 GB per month, TunnelBear VPN Free is entirely unsuitable for torrenting. For sharing legal torrents, we recommend CyberGhost VPN or Ivacy VPN, which offer full support for P2P transfers and provide very high download and upload speeds.

12. What is the country of origin of TunnelBear VPN Free?

    • VPN Provider: Advent International, L. P.
    • Country of origin: 🇨🇦 Canada

    TunnelBear VPN Free is operated by TunnelBear LLC, founded in 2011 in Toronto, Canada. In March 2018, it was acquired by McAfee Corp, a US company with a longstanding focus on security software that also operates McAfee Safe Connect VPN.

    TunnelBear VPN Free continues to be based in Canada, a member of the 5/9/14 Eyes alliance. Countries in this alliance share information about users, particularly when they may pose a security risk.

13. TunnelBear VPN Free and Privacy: Logging Policy, Security Issues…

    • No-Logs Policy:
      Yes

      The No-Logs Policy is followed by 78% of reviewed VPNs.

    TunnelBear VPN Free claims it does not store any logs of user activity.

    The company operates in Canada, a member of the 5/9/14 Eyes cluster, where countries share user information among themselves. This could pose a security risk as operators are required to hand over data upon request by the police or government authorities.

    However, confidence in TunnelBear VPN Free is boosted by the fact that the service has been audited by Cure53. To our knowledge, there has been no past data leakage from TunnelBear VPN Free.

    A higher level of security could be achieved by using RAM-only servers, which don’t support long-term data storage, but TunnelBear VPN Free does not utilize such servers.

14. TunnelBear VPN Free Support: Chat, e-mail…

    TunnelBear VPN Free‘s technical support is accessible via a form. After the initial message, communication shifts to email. There are no other ways to contact support.

    We received a response to a test query within 72 hours.

15. TunnelBear VPN Free FAQ

    Is TunnelBear VPN Free a good VPN?

    TunnelBear VPN Free is a suitable service for users seeking a VPN for short-term use and casual internet browsing. Due to its data limit of 2 GB per month, the service isn’t suitable for video streaming or transferring large amounts of data.

    For long-term protection, we recommend the paid variant TunnelBear VPN Unlimited (rating 7.0/10), or the premium NordVPN, with a rating of 9.4/10. NordVPN offers unlimited data transfers, excellent transfer speeds, and security features to ensure maximum anonymity during use.

    Is TunnelBear VPN Free secure?

    TunnelBear VPN Free is considered a secure VPN, as indicated by an audit by the independent company Cure53. The application supports a kill switch and camouflage mode, important features for security. For data transmission, 256-bit encryption is used.

    Is TunnelBear VPN Free owned by Google?

    No, TunnelBear VPN Free is not owned by Google. The service is operated by Canada’s TunnelBear Inc., which was acquired by the US company McAfee Corp. in March 2018.