Hotspot Shield vs TunnelBear
We give Hotspot Shield a 2.6 GPA and TunnelBear a 2.4, out of 4.0. Hotspot Shield grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Hotspot Shield
VPN with a free Basic tier and its own Hydra protocol
TunnelBear
McAfee-owned VPN with a 2GB free plan and pay-once multi-year plans
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAHotspot ShieldGood | 2.4GPATunnelBearFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPremium is $29 for the first year and then renews at $95.99, so two years cost $124.99, about $5.21 a month. That's just above the middle of what VPNs charge. Monthly starts at $1.99, then goes to $12.99. | CTwo years of Unlimited are $99.99 paid once, about $4.17 a month, between the cheaper quarter of VPNs and the middle. Three years for $120 is $3.33 a month. Neither renews by itself, which is nice, and a single year is $69.99. |
| Free plan and trial | CBasic is free on one device and one virtual location. The page calls the data unlimited but also notes a daily limit, which phone users can stretch by watching ads. Fine for the odd café session, not for living on. | CA free plan with 2GB of browsing, which TunnelBear itself pitches at testing and light use, and the page doesn't say how often it resets. Fine for café Wi-Fi now and then, gone fast if you stream. |
| Features | BIts own Hydra protocol, which can also get past VPN blocks, plus OpenVPN and IPSec, a kill switch, Smart VPN for choosing what bypasses it, malware and phishing warnings, Tor over VPN and 10 devices. It covers the whole job. | CThe basics, done properly: unlimited devices, a kill switch, split tunneling, GhostBear to get past VPN blocks, and yearly audits. But the network covers 46+ countries, far fewer than most rivals, and ad blocking is a separate Chrome extension. |
| Ease of use | BNo App Store rating on record. It's an app you install and connect, and Basic asks for no payment, with nothing to set up first. | B4.67 from about 85,000 App Store ratings, a hair under the 4.7 an A needs. Pick a country and you're connected. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Chrome and smart TVs, but the downloads list no Linux app. 1Password comes with Premium, but that's not an integration list or an API, so it stops at B. | BWindows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and Chrome, but the download page lists no Linux app. There's no integration list or API on record either. |
| Best for | a cheap first year on 10 devices | a simple VPN you can pay for once |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Hotspot Shield and TunnelBear. How we grade
Price against what you get
Hotspot Shield starts at $8 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. TunnelBear starts at $3.33 a month and scores 2.7.
Hotspot Shield scores higher, and starts $4.67 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 1 scores higher than Hotspot Shield for less, and 2 score higher than TunnelBear for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Hotspot Shield starts at $95.99 per year at renewal (Premium), after a first year for $29. TunnelBear starts at $3.33 per month on the 3-year Unlimited plan ($120 paid once).
- Hotspot Shield also covers malware protection.
- TunnelBear also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| Hotspot Shield | TunnelBear | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $95.99 per year at renewal (Premium), after a first year for $29 | $3.33 per month on the 3-year Unlimited plan ($120 paid once) |
| Free plan | Basic covers one device and one virtual location, with help from the support center only. The page calls its data unlimited but also notes a daily limit that iOS and Android users can extend by watching ads. | 2GB of secure browsing for testing and light use. The pricing page does not say how often the allowance resets. |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial of TunnelBear for Teams |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Anchorfree, LLC | TunnelBear LLC |
| Price read from | hotspotshield.com | tunnelbear.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Hotspot Shield
- Occasional users who want a free VPN on one device
- People who want the VPN on a smart TV as well as phone and laptop
- Buyers who want a cheap first year before deciding to stay
TunnelBear
- Occasional users who need a VPN for a few gigabytes
- People who want to pay once for several years with no auto-renewal
- Small teams that want one annual invoice for everyone
Worth knowing
Hotspot Shield
- The $29 first year and $1.99 first month are introductory; Premium then renews at $95.99 a year or $12.99 a month.
- The 45-day money-back guarantee covers subscriptions bought directly from Hotspot Shield, not through an app store.
- No Linux app is listed among the downloads, and smart TV apps need Premium.
- The plan page is shown in several versions; others list a Premium Family plan and a cheaper Plus tier that the current version does not offer.
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.
Key features
Hotspot Shield
- Hydra protocol
- Hotspot Shield's own patented protocol, which can also disguise VPN traffic to get past VPN blocks. OpenVPN and IPSec are offered too.
- Kill switch and Smart VPN
- The kill switch cuts the internet if the VPN drops unexpectedly, and Smart VPN picks which apps or domains bypass the VPN.
- Malware and phishing protection
- Warns before you open a suspicious site, and a DNS filter blocks malicious sites and can filter harmful or inappropriate content.
- Tor over VPN and leak protection
- Reach Tor sites while connected to the VPN, with IP and DNS leak protection built in.
- 10 devices per account
- Premium links up to 10 devices, including phones, tablets, computers and TVs, across 125+ virtual locations.
- Third-party security apps
- Versions of the plan page list access to 1Password and a spam-call blocker (Robo Shield in the US and Canada, Hiya elsewhere) with Premium.
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.
Plans
Hotspot Shield
Basic$0
One device and one virtual location, on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and Chrome.
Premium, 1 year$95.99
per year at renewal, after a first year for $29
10 devices, 125+ virtual locations, smart TV apps and 24/7 live chat. The first year costs $29 as an introductory offer, then it renews each year at $95.99.
Premium, 1 month$12.99
per month at renewal, after a first month for $1.99
The same Premium plan billed monthly. The first month costs $1.99, then it renews at $12.99 a month.
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.
Ways to pay less
Hotspot Shield
- Other savings
First year of Premium for $29
The yearly Premium plan costs $29 for the first year as an introductory offer, then renews automatically at $95.99 a year.
- Other savings
First month of Premium for $1.99
The monthly Premium plan costs $1.99 for the first month, then renews at $12.99 a month.
TunnelBear
No public discounts listed.
