TunnelBear vs NordVPN: A Comparison in 2024

Our VPN experts agree that NordVPN is far better than TunnelBear. It’s faster, has a larger server spread and is better for streaming, secure browsing and torrenting. TunnelBear offers a free plan, but it’s limited. Although TunnelBear is cheaper when you compare prices, NordVPN offers better value for money. Plus, its money-back guarantee is more reliable.

Encryption refers to how a VPN scrambles your internet traffic. NordVPN and TunnelBear support AES encryption and ChaCha20, two ciphers that are nearly impossible to crack. Both VPN services pair AES encryption with OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols, while ChaCha20 works with WireGuard and NordVPN’s NordLynx.

NordVPN and TunnelBear will automatically select your protocol, but you can change it depending on your needs. If you read our VPN protocol guide, you’ll notice that a VPN protocol determines the security and speed of a VPN connection. 

OpenVPN is often the go-to option since it provides a good mix of speed and security. If you want fast speeds, we recommend WireGuard. NordVPN offers NordLynx, a proprietary version of WireGuard, and it’s also very fast. IKEv2 works best with mobile networks since it’s swift to reconnect when your network fluctuates.

NordVPN and TunnelBear each offer a kill switch to prevent data leaks if your VPN disconnects unexpectedly. A VPN can disconnect from a server for various reasons, including an unstable internet connection as well as server timeouts or failures.

TunnelBear calls its kill switch “VigilantBear.” Like NordVPN’s version, this kill switch is system-wide, preventing your entire device from connecting to the internet without an active VPN connection. In addition to a system-wide kill switch, NordVPN offers an app-level kill switch, which lets you restrict the feature’s effect to specific apps.

NordVPN and TunnelBear both offer split tunneling, which lets you route part of your traffic through the VPN while the other part accesses the internet directly. We recommend using split tunneling if you need VPN protection for sensitive activities like torrenting, but not for all your traffic. That way, you can enjoy two IP addresses and fast speeds.

NordVPN supports app-based split tunneling, meaning you can decide which apps go through the VPN tunnel and which don’t. You can use NordVPN’s split tunneling on Windows, Android and Android TVs. 

TunnelBear supports app-based and website-based split tunneling, but it varies depending on the operating system. Both forms of split tunneling are available on Windows devices. You can use split tunneling with websites on TunnelBear’s iOS and macOS apps, but not on others. On Android, TunnelBear only offers app-based split tunneling.

In their privacy policies, both NordVPN and TunnelBear state that they don’t log sensitive user information like your IP address, connection timestamps and browsing activity. That way, even if hackers break into the VPNs’ servers, they can’t piece data together to track you. In addition, if authorities subpoena them, they won’t have any data on you to share.

However, it’s one thing to claim a no-logs policy and another to abide by it. To confirm if a VPN service sticks to its word, we check if it has any history of sharing sensitive user information and if the logging policy has been audited. Fortunately, neither NordVPN nor TunnelBear is on record for sharing sensitive user data with authorities or third parties.

Both VPNs have also been audited multiple times. PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte — two reputed auditing firms — have verified NordVPN’s logging policy four times. Cure53 has audited TunnelBear and given it the thumbs-up seven times. While we’d like to see another auditing firm review TunnelBear’s systems, we are impressed by its consistent security audits.

NordVPN lends credence to its no-logs policy by running RAM-only servers. This means that any user data that the VPN has is wiped away each time the servers reboot. Unfortunately, TunnelBear doesn’t use RAM-only servers. 

NordVPN is the better pick if you want a VPN that supports more operating systems. Both VPNs have apps for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. Neither has a graphical user interface (GUI) for Linux, but they do offer instructions for manual configuration. Consider Surfshark or PIA if you need a GUI app for Linux.

NordVPN and TunnelBear each have browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge. However, if you want to use a VPN for your smart TV, NordVPN is the better option. Unlike TunnelBear, NordVPN has native apps for Android TV as well as Apple TV HD and 4K.

You can set up NordVPN on any router that supports OpenVPN, including those with DD-WRT, Tomato, OpenWRT and Merlin firmware. Setting up NordVPN on a router will let you enjoy the VPN on devices that the VPN doesn’t support, such as Xbox, Kindle Fire, PlayStation and Oculus Quest. Unfortunately, TunnelBear doesn’t offer configurations to set it up on routers.

NordVPN is faster than TunnelBear, whether you’re considering download speeds, upload speeds or latency. NordVPN’s fast speeds mean you can browse, stream, make video calls and play online games without worrying about lags, slow loading times and buffering wheels.

NordVPN isn’t just faster than TunnelBear; it’s actually the fastest VPN on the market. In our VPN speed test, NordVPN kept 90% of our unprotected internet speed worldwide. This indicates that NordVPN’s impact on download speed is almost negligible. In contrast, TunnelBear kept around 75% of our initial speeds.

Similarly, NordVPN’s upload speeds are better than TunnelBear’s. While TunnelBear maintained close to 75% of our starting upload speeds, NordVPN preserved around 90%. If you upload content often, whether as a social media content creator or a cloud-dependent remote worker, NordVPN’s stable upload speeds will spare you long upload times.

Latency measures how long it takes your device to send a data packet and receive a response. It’s especially important for playing online games that may produce lags. Again, NordVPN yields fewer lags compared to TunnelBear, especially in nearby locations. This makes NordVPN the better choice if you want to play online games like League of Legends or Fortnite.

NordVPN doesn’t have a free plan, but you can use TunnelBear without paying a dime. TunnelBear’s free plan lets you access all 47 of its servers, which is a lot for a free VPN. However, unlike paying customers, free TunnelBear users can only select countries, not specific servers.

TunnelBear offers 2GB of free data each month. This could suffice for casual browsing, but it’s not enough for bandwidth-demanding activities like streaming and gaming. TunnelBear’s free plan supports torrenting, but it doesn’t unblock Netflix and other streaming services. Learn how TunnelBear’s free plan compares with other free services in our article on the best free VPNs.

TunnelBear is generally more affordable than NordVPN. Its monthly rate is $9.99, while NordVPN’s monthly plan costs $12.99. TunnelBear is also cheaper on the annual plan: $3.33 compared to NordVPN’s $4.59. However, NordVPN adds three free months to its yearly and two-year plans.

Unlike TunnelBear, NordVPN offers a two-year plan, which costs $3.09 monthly. TunnelBear’s longest plan is the three-year plan, priced at $3.33 per month.

TunnelBear also offers a plan for teams, starting at $5.75 per month. However, if you want a VPN for your business, NordLayer — NordVPN’s sister product — is more expensive but offers better security features and customization options. Read our best VPNs for business piece to learn about NordLayer and other excellent business VPNs.

Duration
Monthly plan	$12.99	$9.99
One-year plan	$4.59 per month	$3.33 per month
Two-year plan	$3.09 per month	N/A
Three-year plan	N/A	$3.33 per month

A refund window is useful because it helps you test a VPN without losing money. NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can test any of their plans. This means that it will return your money if you request a refund within 30 days. We have tested this refund policy multiple times over the years and can confirm that NordVPN sticks to its money-back guarantee.

In contrast, TunnelBear doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee. We suppose this is because it has a free plan, which you can use to test its service. However, TunnelBear’s free plan is limited and might not give you a proper feel for the paid service. TunnelBear says it will consider refunds on a case-by-case basis, but it sounds like a long shot.

You can use your NordVPN subscription on up to 10 devices. This should be enough for small households. However, if you need more device connections, TunnelBear is a better option. It offers unlimited simultaneous connections, meaning you can share your TunnelBear subscription with limitless devices.

If you want a streaming VPN, choose NordVPN over TunnelBear. In our tests, NordVPN unblocked all the major streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Max, Peacock TV, Disney Plus and BBC iPlayer. NordVPN is also one of the best streaming VPNs because its fast speeds ensure high-quality streams, whether in HD or 4K.

Unfortunately, TunnelBear couldn’t unblock many streaming services, including Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and BBC iPlayer. We tried multiple servers but to no avail. 

The streaming services likely noticed that we were using a VPN because of TunnelBear’s IPs and blocked us. That can happen since services often monitor IP addresses and flag those with high volumes. They also keep a database of known VPN IP addresses. We did have some luck with Max and Peacock, although we experienced lags. 

If you want a VPN to download torrents, opt for NordVPN. In our tests, NordVPN allowed us to download torrents from many torrenting sites, including EZTV and YTS. The downloads were impressively fast, and it’s no surprise that NordVPN is one of our best VPNs for torrenting. We couldn’t download any torrents while connected to TunnelBear’s servers. 

NordVPN has a larger server network than TunnelBear, thanks to its network of over 6,000 servers in 111 countries. On the other hand, TunnelBear offers 5,000 servers in 47 countries. You need a VPN with a large server network if you want to have multiple IP address options and reduce the chances of server overload.

Thanks to its massive server spread, NordVPN has servers in more countries than TunnelBear on all continents. Unlike TunnelBear, NordVPN provides servers in the following countries: Costa Rica, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Estonia, Iceland, Albania, Croatia, Georgia, North Macedonia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, the UAE, Israel and Turkey.

NordVPN offers dedicated IP addresses, while TunnelBear only offers shared IPs. You need dedicated IPs for avoiding repeated verification requests like CAPTCHAs, skipping blocklists and accessing sensitive websites such as banking sites.

NordVPN provides dedicated IPs in the U.S., the U.K., the Netherlands, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Sweden, Australia, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Singapore, Ireland and Austria. 

NordVPN has double VPN servers, but TunnelBear doesn’t. Also known as multi-hop, a double VPN is an advanced security feature that sends traffic through two VPN servers instead of one. As we explain in our breakdown of double VPNs, routing traffic through two servers adds another layer of encryption and makes it harder for snoopers to know your original IP address.

The side-effect of double VPNs is that they can slow down your connection. We recommend using them only if you’re a journalist, activist or someone who needs to avoid government surveillance and censorship. NordVPN has many double VPN server pairs with exit nodes in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, France, Taiwan, Sweden, Hong Kong, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

NordVPN and TunnelBear both offer obfuscation, which makes your VPN traffic seem like regular internet traffic. As a result, your VPN use is less detectable to VPN-blocking firewalls and is helpful if you’re browsing in countries with strict internet censorship.

We prefer NordVPN’s obfuscation over TunnelBear’s mainly because NordVPN is easier to use and available on more devices. NordVPN offers multiple obfuscated servers in many countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy and the Netherlands, and it’s available on all of its apps.

TunnelBear’s obfuscation is available on Windows, macOS (v4) and Android, but not on iOS or macOS (v5). You can activate it by clicking the “GhostBear” button in the “settings” tab.

As an added privacy benefit, it’s good if a VPN is based outside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance. We have written about how the Five Eyes Alliance works, but the main point is that it’s a data-sharing arrangement between countries that allows them to conduct surveillance and share information.

NordVPN is in Panama, a privacy-friendly jurisdiction outside the 5/9/14 Eyes alliance. Panama has no mandatory data retention laws that force VPNs to collect data. 

TunnelBear is based in Canada, which is part of the Five Eyes Alliance. Though it’s a long shot, your information could be shared across countries. However, if the VPN doesn’t log your data, there’s nothing to worry about.

A VPN must have good customer support to assist you when you hit a snag or have questions. Based on our checks and experience, NordVPN provides better customer support than TunnelBear. NordVPN’s knowledgebase is more detailed and comprehensive, and it’s filled with FAQs, troubleshooting guides and setup guides.

If you need to talk with a human agent, NordVPN is still the better option. Its email support agents respond within 24 hours of receiving a query. TunnelBear’s agents will usually respond in about three to four days. Plus, you’ll have to log in to your TunnelBear account to send a ticket. You must also answer some questions and attach a screenshot.

Unfortunately, TunnelBear doesn’t offer live chat support. On the other hand, NordVPN has responsive live chat support. You’ll have to interact with the chatbot first, but you can type “live agent” to skip the chatbot. In our experience, NordVPN’s live agents are courteous and responsive.