TunnelBear
McAfee-owned VPN with a 2GB free plan and pay-once multi-year plans
TunnelBear report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 17, 2026
Best for a simple VPN you can pay for once
TunnelBear is the simple, friendly VPN, owned by McAfee, with unlimited devices and multi-year plans you pay once that don't renew by themselves. Two years are $99.99 and three are $120. But the network is smaller than most, there's no Linux app, and the free plan is just 2GB.
Who TunnelBear is for
- Great if you hate auto-renewals and would rather pay once for two or three years
- Handy when you only need a VPN now and then and 2GB will do
- Good for small teams who want one annual invoice and an admin console
Who TunnelBear is not for
- Skip it if you use Linux, as there's 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
Why TunnelBear gets a 2.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyTwo 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.
- CFree plan and trialA 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.
- CFeaturesThe 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.
- BEase of use4.67 from about 85,000 App Store ratings, a hair under the 4.7 an A needs. Pick a country and you're connected.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWindows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and Chrome, but the download page lists no Linux app. There's no integration list or API on record either.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from TunnelBear's own pages on 17 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/tunnelbear#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/tunnelbear.svg" alt="TunnelBear: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where TunnelBear stands among VPNs
TunnelBear's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 16 other VPNs we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on ease of use (B, above 6 of 16) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $3.33 a month, against a middle price of $5 for the category: 3 of the 15 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 17 VPNs we grade, cut by the letter each got. TunnelBear’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 16, level with 9
- CFree plan and trialAbove 11 of 16, level with 3
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 16, level with 4
- BEase of useAbove 6 of 16, level with 8
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 16, level with 16
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 16 VPNs. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep TunnelBear, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace TunnelBear you would be making servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $39.96 a year.
What you could make
- Ad and tracker blocking: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: roles and permissions.
What this rests on. TunnelBear’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is TunnelBear?
TunnelBear is a VPN from a Toronto team owned by McAfee since 2018, with apps for Windows, Mac, iPhone and iPad, Android and Chrome. A free plan gives 2GB of browsing, and the Unlimited plan removes the cap on any number of devices. TunnelBear for Teams adds central billing and an admin console.
TunnelBear has a free plan. Paid plans start at $3.33 per month on the 3-year Unlimited plan ($120 paid once). See every plan
Good for
- 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
- 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
- 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.
TunnelBear pricing
- Starts at
- $3.33 per month on the 3-year Unlimited plan ($120 paid once)
- Free plan
- 2GB of secure browsing for testing and light use. The pricing page does not say how often the allowance resets.
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial of TunnelBear for Teams
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2GB of secure browsing, aimed at testing and limited use. |
| Unlimited, 1 month | $10.99per month | Unlimited data on unlimited devices, country and city selection, split tunneling and priority support. Renews monthly. |
| Unlimited, 1 year | $69.99per year | The same Unlimited plan, renewing every year at $69.99. |
| Unlimited, 2 years | $99.99for 2 years, paid once, with no renewal | Two years of Unlimited for a single payment; it does not renew by itself. |
| Unlimited, 3 years | $120for 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 | $5.75per user / month, billed annually | Unlimited plan features for 2 or more users, with one annual team invoice, an admin console and pro-rated changes. |
Read from tunnelbear.com on Oct 17, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with TunnelBear before you buy.
How people rate the TunnelBear app
4.7
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
- 5 stars84%
- 4 stars8%
- 3 stars3%
- 2 stars1%
- 1 star4%
85,115 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 17, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
TunnelBear alternatives
- TunnelBear vs Windscribe
Free plan · from $3/mo
- TunnelBear vs Proton VPN
Free plan · from $83.88/yr
- TunnelBear vs Surfshark
Free trial · from $79/yr
- TunnelBear vs CyberGhost
Free trial · from $56.94/yr
- TunnelBear vs NordVPN
Free trial · from $139.08/yr
Common questions
Is TunnelBear free?
TunnelBear has a free plan. 2GB of secure browsing for testing and light use. The pricing page does not say how often the allowance resets. Paid plans start at $3.33 per month on the 3-year Unlimited plan ($120 paid once).
How much does TunnelBear cost?
TunnelBear lists 6 plans. Free: $0. Unlimited, 1 month: $10.99 per month. Unlimited, 1 year: $69.99 per year. Unlimited, 2 years: $99.99 for 2 years, paid once, with no renewal. Unlimited, 3 years: $120 for 3 years, paid once, with no renewal. Teams: $5.75 per user / month, billed annually. Prices were read from tunnelbear.com on Oct 17, 2026.
What platforms does TunnelBear work on?
TunnelBear is available on macOS, Windows, iOS and Android. It also has a browser extension.
How is TunnelBear rated?
TunnelBear's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 85,115 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 17, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Does TunnelBear have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. TunnelBear is listed for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Is TunnelBear open source?
TunnelBear is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does TunnelBear have a free trial?
Yes. 7-day free trial of TunnelBear for Teams.
Who makes TunnelBear?
TunnelBear is made by TunnelBear LLC.
What are the alternatives to TunnelBear?
The closest alternatives to TunnelBear in our directory are Windscribe, Proton VPN, Surfshark, CyberGhost and NordVPN. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with TunnelBear.
How does TunnelBear compare with other VPNs?
TunnelBear's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 16 other VPNs we grade, and level with 3. It stands best on ease of use (B, above 6 of 16) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Is TunnelBear good value for money?
ToolGPA grades TunnelBear C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $3.33 a month, against a middle price of $5 for the category: 3 of the 15 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Could I make my own version of TunnelBear?
To replace TunnelBear you would be making servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. It costs $39.96 a year. What you could not make: Servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private. Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other. What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: roles and permissions. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 17, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.