TunnelBear vs X-VPN (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, X-VPN grades higher than TunnelBear: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
X-VPN grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use 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
X-VPN
VPN with an unlimited-data free plan and discounted first terms
Which one is for you
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
Pick X-VPN if
- Fits if you want a free VPN with no data cap and can live with 26 regions
- Works for households with phones, TVs and consoles
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: kill switch, split tunnelling and the full server network are Premium
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $11.99
- Watch out: the 12 and 24-month prices are first-term only and renew at $71.99 a year
- Watch out: crypto, gift card and phone-credit payments are non-refundable
- Not for you if you need more than 5 devices at once
How we grade them
| 2.4GPATunnelBearFair | 3.0GPAX-VPNVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | BFree with unlimited data, and Premium is $2.99 a month on the 24-month term. But it renews at $71.99 a year, about $6 a month, and monthly is $11.99. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | BBasic needs no account, has unlimited data and speed, and offers 26 regions. The global network, kill switch and split tunnelling need Premium. |
| Features | 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. | BSeveral protocols, AES-256, kill switch, split tunnelling, static IP, ad blocker, 10,000 servers claimed in 80+ countries. No core gap is named in the listing. |
| Ease of use | 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. | BNo store rating on record. Install and connect, no email needed for Basic. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, a Chrome extension, TVs, routers and consoles. Phones and computers, no API. |
| Best for | a simple VPN you can pay for once | a free VPN with no data cap |
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: TunnelBear and X-VPN. How we grade
Price against what you get
TunnelBear starts at $3.33 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. X-VPN starts at $6 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0.
X-VPN scores higher, and starts $2.67 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 2 score higher than TunnelBear for less, and 1 scores higher than X-VPN 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
At a glance
| TunnelBear | X-VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $3.33 per month on the 3-year Unlimited plan ($120 paid once) | $71.99 per year at renewal, after a first 24 months for $69.99 |
| Free plan | 2GB of secure browsing for testing and light use. The pricing page does not say how often the allowance resets. | Basic is free with no sign-up, unlimited data and speed, and a choice of 26 regions. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of TunnelBear for Teams | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | TunnelBear LLC | LightningLink Networks Pte. Ltd. |
| Price read from | tunnelbear.com | xvpn.io |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
X-VPN
- Free users choose from 26 regions; the global network, kill switch and split tunneling need Premium.
- Premium's advertised prices are first-term prices: the 12-month and 24-month plans renew at $71.99 every 12 months.
- Payments made with cryptocurrency, gift cards or phone credit are non-refundable, and app-store purchases follow the store's refund rules.
- One subscription covers up to 5 devices at the same time.
Key features
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.
X-VPN
- Free VPN without limits on data
- Basic needs no email or payment details and has no data cap; free users pick from 26 regions, including the UK, Canada, Australia and 13 US cities.
- Large server network
- The site claims over 10,000 servers in 80+ countries, with the 24/7 live support the vendor advertises.
- Protocols
- A self-developed protocol, plus OpenVPN and WireGuard, with AES-256 encryption and post-quantum cryptography per the home page.
- Premium extras
- Kill switch, split tunneling, static IP, an ad blocker, a tracker blocker, search protection, a PC cleaner and dark web monitoring, per the pricing page.
- Many device types
- Apps for desktop, phones, TVs, routers, game consoles and a Chrome extension, with up to 5 devices connected at once.
Plans
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.
X-VPN
Basic$0
Free VPN with unlimited data and speed, AES-256 encryption, a kill switch and RAM-only servers per the home page; the pricing comparison limits it to free locations.
Premium, 1 month$11.99
per month
Unlimited VPN, global servers, advanced functions, ad and tracker blocker, search protection and PC Cleaner. Renews monthly.
Premium, 12 months$71.99
per year at renewal, after a first term of 12 months
The first 12 months cost $47.99, then it auto-renews at $71.99 every 12 months.
Premium, 24 months$71.99
per year at renewal, after a first term of 24 months
The first 24 months cost $69.99 (advertised as $2.99 a month and 76% off), then it auto-renews at $71.99 every 12 months.
Ways to pay less
TunnelBear
No public discounts listed.
X-VPN
- Other savings
First-term pricing on 12 and 24 months
The first 12 months are $47.99, or the first 24 months are $69.99; both then renew at $71.99 every 12 months. The page shows 76% off the monthly price.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, TunnelBear or X-VPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, TunnelBear is cheaper to start with: $3.33 a month, against $6 a month when paid by the year for X-VPN. TunnelBear starts at $3.33 per month on the 3-year Unlimited plan ($120 paid once), and X-VPN starts at $71.99 per year at renewal, after a first 24 months for $69.99.
Which has a free plan, TunnelBear or X-VPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both TunnelBear and X-VPN have a free plan.
Which platforms do TunnelBear and X-VPN run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only X-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.