Planet VPN vs TunnelBear (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Planet VPN grades higher than TunnelBear: 2.8 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Planet VPN grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Planet VPN
Free VPN with no data cap and a paid plan for 60+ countries
TunnelBear
McAfee-owned VPN with a 2GB free plan and pay-once multi-year plans
Which one is for you
Pick Planet VPN if
- Fits if you want a free VPN with no monthly data cap
- Works for browser-only use through an extension
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want servers outside 5 countries on free, as 60+ countries need Premium
- Watch out: the 12-month renewal price is not stated on the page
- Watch out: the plans page shows dollars, while its FAQ quotes euros
- Watch out: the refund window is 14 days
- Tight if you want split tunneling or P2P, as those are Premium
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
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAPlanet VPNGood | 2.4GPATunnelBearFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPremium is $47.88 for 12 months billed once, $3.99 a month, at the edge of the category's cheapest quarter. It covers up to 10 devices. | 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, and a single year is $69.99. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree has no traffic, bandwidth or time limits, and needs no card or registration, but is only 6 locations in 5 countries. | 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 | CPremium adds the 60+ country network, split tunneling, P2P and streaming servers. Free is a narrow slice of it. | CThe basics: 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 store rating on record, but the free version needs no registration, so you install it and connect. | 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, Linux, iOS, Android and browser extensions. | 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 free VPN with no data cap | 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: Planet VPN and TunnelBear. How we grade
Price against what you get
Planet VPN starts at $3.99 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. TunnelBear starts at $3.33 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and TunnelBear starts $0.66 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 2 score higher than Planet VPN 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
- Planet VPN also covers site & app blocker.
- TunnelBear also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| Planet VPN | TunnelBear | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $47.88 for 12 months, billed once ($3.99 a month) | $3.33 per month on the 3-year Unlimited plan ($120 paid once) |
| Free plan | 6 locations in 5 countries with no traffic, bandwidth or time limits, no card and no registration needed. | 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 | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Planet VPN | TunnelBear LLC |
| Price read from | freevpnplanet.com | tunnelbear.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Planet VPN
- The plans page shows dollars for the 12-month term; its FAQ gives monthly at EUR 9.99 and 48 months at EUR 95.52 billed once.
- Free servers cover only 5 countries; the 60+ country network, P2P and streaming servers need Premium.
- The refund window is 14 days from purchase, per the plans page.
- The 12-month renewal price is not stated on the page.
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
Planet VPN
- Free version
- Unlimited traffic and time on 6 locations in 5 countries (USA, UK, Netherlands, Germany, France), with no sign-up needed.
- Premium network
- 1,260+ servers in 60+ countries, including servers optimized for P2P, streaming and Double VPN.
- Split tunneling and kill switch
- Premium adds split tunneling and system configuration options, alongside DNS and WebRTC leak protection.
- Smart filters
- In the browser extensions, filters decide which websites load and which are blocked.
- Protocols
- Supports OpenVPN, IKEv2 and its own StarGuard protocol, and publishes custom OpenVPN configs for routers.
- Multi-device subscription
- One Premium subscription covers up to 10 devices at the same time, including a router.
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
Planet VPN
Free$0
No traffic or time limits on 6 locations in 5 countries. Premium servers, split tunneling and an ad-free app are paid.
Premium 1 year$47.88
for 12 months, billed once
$3.99 a month, shown as 60% off a crossed-out $119.88. Up to 10 devices on one subscription.
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Planet VPN or TunnelBear?
As of Nov 13, 2026, TunnelBear is cheaper to start with: $3.33 a month, against $3.99 a month when paid by the year for Planet VPN. Planet VPN starts at $47.88 for 12 months, billed once ($3.99 a month), and TunnelBear starts at $3.33 per month on the 3-year Unlimited plan ($120 paid once).
Which has a free plan, Planet VPN or TunnelBear?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Planet VPN and TunnelBear have a free plan.
Which platforms do Planet VPN and TunnelBear run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Planet VPN lists a Linux app. Both list macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.