SetupVPN vs TunnelBear (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SetupVPN grades higher than TunnelBear: 3.0 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
SetupVPN grades higher on value for money and the free plan. TunnelBear grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
TunnelBear
McAfee-owned VPN with a 2GB free plan and pay-once multi-year plans
Which one is for you
Pick SetupVPN if
- Fits if you need a free VPN extension for occasional use
- Works for getting around a school or workplace firewall
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to know what Premium costs, as no price or feature list is published
- Not for you if you send mail over SMTP, since ports 25 and 465 are blocked
- Watch out: Linux, Opera and ChromeOS versions are marked coming soon
- Watch out: televisions and routers are not supported
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
| 3.0GPASetupVPNVery good | 2.4GPATunnelBearFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree with no bandwidth restrictions on the vendor's home page. The Premium price is not published, so there is no paid cost to compare. | 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 | AA lifetime free account with no bandwidth restrictions and unlimited server changes. | 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 | CFree account, 100+ locations, malware filtering and Wi-Fi protection. Mail ports 25 and 465 are blocked, and TVs and routers are not supported. | 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 | CNo store rating on record, and the site asks you to register. | 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 | BExtension, Windows, Mac, iOS and Android; Linux, Opera and ChromeOS are coming soon. | 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 | an occasional free VPN extension | 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: SetupVPN and TunnelBear. How we grade
Where they differ
- SetupVPN also covers malware protection.
- TunnelBear also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| SetupVPN | TunnelBear | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $3.33 per month on the 3-year Unlimited plan ($120 paid once) |
| Free plan | Free account with no bandwidth restrictions and 100+ locations, per the vendor's home page. | 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 | SetupVPN Inc | TunnelBear LLC |
| Price read from | setupvpn.com | tunnelbear.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
SetupVPN
- A Premium account is mentioned on the home page and FAQ, but no price or feature list is published on the pages read.
- Ports such as 25 and 465 are blocked to limit spam, including SMTP.
- Linux, Opera and ChromeOS versions are marked as coming soon.
- The FAQ says televisions and routers are not supported.
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
SetupVPN
- Free account
- The home page promises a lifetime free account with no bandwidth restrictions and no hidden charges.
- 100+ locations
- The site says it has over 100 locations around the world and is adding more.
- Virus and malware filtering
- The FAQ says SetupVPN filters viruses from browsing and shields you from malware on the sites you visit.
- Unlimited server changes
- You can switch servers as often as you like, with no stated limit.
- Public Wi-Fi protection
- Traffic is encrypted with SSL, which the vendor positions as protection on cafe and restaurant networks.
- Extensions and apps
- Downloads are listed for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Android, Windows, macOS and iOS.
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
SetupVPN
Free$0
Lifetime free account with no bandwidth restrictions, unlimited server changes and SSL-based encryption.
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, SetupVPN or TunnelBear?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SetupVPN publishes no starting price, and TunnelBear starts at $3.33 per month on the 3-year Unlimited plan ($120 paid once).
Which has a free plan, SetupVPN or TunnelBear?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both SetupVPN and TunnelBear have a free plan.
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.