Cloudflare WARP vs TunnelBear (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Cloudflare WARP if

• Fits if you want a free app that encrypts your traffic and DNS on public Wi-Fi
• Works for people who want family-friendly DNS filtering

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want to appear in another country, as Cloudflare says WARP can't
• Not for you if you want anonymity: Cloudflare says WARP doesn't provide it
• Watch out: WARP+ ties the paid tier to more Cloudflare cities, not a choice of server country
• Watch out: WARP+ Unlimited can only be bought inside the iOS or Android app

Pick TunnelBear if

• Fits if you'd rather pay once for two or three years than face auto-renewals
• Works for small teams at $5.75 a user a month, billed yearly, with an admin console

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you use Linux, as the download page lists no app for it
• Not for you if you're in India, where TunnelBear says it can no longer be bought
• Too light for anyone who needs servers in lots of countries, with 46+ on offer
• Tight if you stay free: 2GB, and the page doesn't say how often it resets
• Watch out: the pricing page shows only "from $3.33/mo"; term prices appear at checkout, and ad blocking is a separate extension

Cloudflare WARP

• Cloudflare states WARP does not provide anonymity and does not let you pretend to be in another country, so it cannot unblock region-locked content.
• Cloudflare's WARP+ page ties the paid tier to more Cloudflare cities, not to a choice of server country.
• WARP+ Unlimited can be bought only inside the iOS or Android app, through the Apple or Google store.
• Cloudflare's separate Zero Trust client for businesses is a different product with its own documentation.

TunnelBear

• The pricing page shows only "from $3.33/mo"; the term prices here come from the price list the site loads for its checkout.
• The free plan is limited to 2GB, and the download page lists no Linux app.
• TunnelBear says it can no longer be bought by users in India because of CERT-In regulations.
• Teams is billed annually per user, with additions and removals pro-rated.

Cloudflare WARP

Encrypted traffic to Cloudflare

In Traffic and DNS mode the app sends device traffic to Cloudflare's network over MASQUE, using post-quantum encryption, according to Cloudflare's documentation.

DNS-only mode

Routes only DNS queries through the 1.1.1.1 resolver, over DNS-over-HTTPS or DNS-over-TLS, without tunneling the rest of the traffic.

1.1.1.1 for Families

A DNS setting inside the app that, according to its App Store listing, protects against malware, phishing and crypto-mining sites.

Local proxy mode

On desktop, an advanced setting sends only the apps you point at the local proxy (HTTPS or SOCKS5) through WARP.

WARP+ Unlimited

A paid tier that adds more Cloudflare cities to connect to. Payment goes through the Apple or Google store.

TunnelBear

Unlimited devices

There is no limit on how many devices can use one TunnelBear account.

Network in 46+ countries

Over 8,000 servers physically located in the countries you pick, with city-level choice on paid plans.

GhostBear

Makes encrypted VPN traffic harder for governments, businesses and ISPs to detect, to get past VPN blocking.

VigilantBear and SplitBear

VigilantBear blocks unsecured traffic if the connection drops, and SplitBear chooses which apps and sites go through the VPN.

Annual security audits

TunnelBear has independent security firms audit it every year and publishes the results.

TunnelBear Blocker

A separate free Chrome extension that blocks ads and online tracking.

Cloudflare WARP

• WARP (free)$0

  Traffic and DNS, DNS only or traffic only modes on every supported platform.

• WARP+ Unlimited$4.99

  per month, bought through the App Store or Google Play

  Connects through a larger set of Cloudflare cities. One licence key covers up to five devices. $4.99 is the US App Store price.

TunnelBear

• Free$0

  2GB of secure browsing, aimed at testing and limited use.

• Unlimited, 1 month$10.99

  per month

  Unlimited data on unlimited devices, country and city selection, split tunneling and priority support. Renews monthly.

• Unlimited, 1 year$69.99

  per year

  The same Unlimited plan, renewing every year at $69.99.

• Unlimited, 2 years$99.99

  for 2 years, paid once, with no renewal

  Two years of Unlimited for a single payment; it does not renew by itself.

• Unlimited, 3 years$120

  for 3 years, paid once, with no renewal

  Works out to $3.33 a month, the "from" price on the pricing page. A single payment that does not renew by itself.

• Teams$5.75

  per user / month, billed annually

  Unlimited plan features for 2 or more users, with one annual team invoice, an admin console and pro-rated changes.