You can freely run BitTorrent over the TunnelBear network, and the website even recommends particular servers for file sharing (namely Canada, US, UK, Romania, Netherlands, Germany, or Sweden). READ NEXT: Best Android VPN apps TunnelBear VPN review: Torrenting and streaming It doesn’t help that, as we’ve noted, the split tunnelling feature isn’t available on desktop clients – either everything goes over the VPN, or nothing does. Overall TunnelBear is fast enough for everyday use, but if you’re looking for the fastest possible connection, it doesn’t distinguish itself. Most Android VPNs we’ve tested have managed over 100Mbits/sec in this test. This time we got much better speeds from the UK server, averaging 194MBits/sec, but the US connection was far slower, at 83.5Mbits/sec. We also tested performance on a Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 tablet running Android 12. This time the average download rate was 178Mbits/sec – well above average for a Windows VPN. Perhaps because TunnelBear is headquartered in North America, switching to a server in the US actually delivered higher speeds. That’s a comparatively big drop, but it still leaves plenty of bandwidth for web browsing, streaming and so forth. With the VPN disconnected, the Google Speed Test tool reported an average download speed of 214Mbits/sec after we’d connected to a TunnelBear server in the UK, this fell to 148Mbits/sec. We tested TunnelBear’s performance on a Windows 11 laptop connected to a Virgin Media home broadband line. READ NEXT: Surfshark VPN review TunnelBear VPN review: Performance The company also has an admirably clear privacy policy, which details exactly what information is collected, how it’s stored and more – and annual independent security audits are carried out to confirm that nothing’s slipping through the cracks. However, TunnelBear doesn’t log any information that could be used to track your activities online, and you can optionally pay for the service in Bitcoin, in which case the only information stored about you is your email address and the IP address you connect from. TunnelBear is based in Canada, and arguably this isn’t a great place to situate a VPN as it’s part of the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing group along with the UK and the US. READ NEXT: What is VPN on iPhone? TunnelBear VPN review: Privacy and security Disappointingly though, the option to automatically activate the VPN when connecting to an untrusted network is missing. TunnelBear's mobile app also has a feature that the desktop clients lack, namely “SplitBear”, which lets you route certain apps over your regular ISP connection at full speed, while the rest get the protection of the VPN. Actually, it opens with a prettier and more detailed map interface, and swiping around it with a finger feels more natural than using a mouse. Tap to expand the full list of locations and you get a full-screen list that’s quicker and easier to browse than the desktop equivalent. There’s also a kill switch option (rather clunkily dubbed “VigilantBear”) and a feature called GhostBear that’s designed to make encrypted traffic look more like regular Internet data. Alongside the usual options to launch the VPN on start-up, you can tell the VPN to launch automatically when you connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot that isn’t on your list of trusted networks. An annual subscription comes to £49.78, equivalent to £4.15 per month, while the best deal is a three-year subscription for £99.75 ($120), or just £2.77 a month.Ī few additional features are hidden in the Settings menu. TunnelBear costs a fairly pricey £8.30 per month (billed as $9.99 in US dollars) for a rolling subscription as with most VPNs you can save money by committing to a longer period up front. There are no apps for Linux or smart TV devices, however, nor does TunnelBear allow you to configure the VPN on your router. That’s not a huge range by VPN standards, but it’s enough to give you multiple options on every continent.Īpps are provided for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, and you can connect from up to five devices at once. TunnelBear operates servers in 48 countries around the world. READ NEXT: The best VPN services TunnelBear VPN review: What you need to know However, in the highly competitive VPN market there are plenty of other options, so it’s worth considering carefully whether TunnelBear is the right choice for you. TunnelBear also makes itself likeable by offering a free service that might fulfil your needs without a penny being spent. The interface is littered with silly bear-themed language and imagery, and there's a sense of playfulness and fun to the whole experience – not something you can say for many VPNs. While some VPNs offer low prices or advanced security, TunnelBear’s USP has always been its charm.
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