⚡ Verdict rapide :
- Tarification : FastestVPN starts at $0.83/mo on the 1 Year + 1 Year Free deal. TunnelBear starts at $3.33/mo.
- Idéal pour : FastestVPN suits streaming sites and torrenting. TunnelBear suits VPN newbies who want a free plan.
- Différence principale : FastestVPN has streaming servers, an ad blocker and a NAT firewall. TunnelBear keeps the app to one button.
- Money back: FastestVPN gives 31 days. TunnelBear gives none.
- Notre choix : FastestVPN, because it does more for less and still refunds you if it fails.
One of these two VPN providers gives you a free version forever.
The other gives you a lifetime plan for one payment of $40.
Neither is trying to beat NordVPN on raw scale.
Both are budget picks with a small server network.
Donc le vrai question is what you give up at this price.
Aperçu
This TunnelBear vs FastestVPN comparison covers pricing, speed, streaming, and sécurité caractéristiques.
Notre écrivain spent hands-on time with FastestVPN across Windows and mobile apps.
Notes on TunnelBear come from its documentation, published audits, and user reviews.
We also flag where each vpn service falls short.
By the end you will know which one fits your internet connection and budget.
Qu'est-ce que FastestVPN ?
FastestVPN est un service VPN économique basé aux îles Caïmans.
The vpn company runs around 800 servers across 49 countries.
It sells one lifetime plan instead of a yearly fastestvpn subscription.
You get an ad blocker, a NAT firewall, and split tunneling built in.
The vpn app puts streaming servers in a separate tab.
Here is a short walkthrough of the apps and the server list.
🏆 Winner: FastestVPN
Streaming servers, port forwarding, and a 31-day refund window. The lifetime deal costs less than one year of most rivals.
Tarifs FastestVPN
Three plans, and one of them never renews.
| Plan | Prix | Idéal pour |
|---|---|---|
| 1 an + 1 an gratuit | 0,83 $/mois | Two years of cover at the lowest monthly cost |
| Forfait 1 mois | 5 $/mois | Short trips and testing fastestvpn first |
| Plan exclusif à vie | $40 | One payment, no renewal date |
Pricing verified September 2026.
Essai gratuit : No free version. You pay first, then test.
Garantie de remboursement : 31 days on every plan, refund on request.
📌 Note: Two paid add-ons sit outside the plan price. A dedicated IP address costs $1.49 per month. Another 10 simultaneous connections cost $4 each per month.
⚠️ Price check: Some review sites list the annual plan at $19.95, roughly $1.66 per month. Promotions change often, so confirm the current price at checkout.
Principaux avantages de FastestVPN
Here is what you actually get for the money:
- Audited no logs policy: Altius IT reviewed the claim and confirmed it. No activity or connection timestamps are stored.
- Cayman Islands base: No mandatory données retention laws apply there. The jurisdiction sits outside the main surveillance alliances.
- Servers tuned for streaming: A dedicated tab points you at the right server location for Netflix, Disney+, Hotstar, and BBC iPlayer.
- Ad blocker and NAT firewall: Ads and malware domains get filtered before they load. The firewall drops unwanted inbound internet traffic.
- 10 appareils immédiatement: One account covers a Windows computer, phones, and a router. Torrenting is allowed on every server.
- Live chat that answers: Support runs 24/7 with real people. FastestVPN holds a five-star Trustpilot score, with reviews naming support directly.
Ce que notre équipe a remarqué
Our writer tested FastestVPN on Windows and iOS across everyday browsing, streaming, and downloads. Here is what stood out from that hands-on time:
Avantages et inconvénients de FastestVPN
✅ Avantages
- Lifetime plan costs one payment of $40
- 31-day money back guarantee on all plans
- No logs policy audited by Altius IT
- Assistance par chat en direct 24h/24 et 7j/7 avec de vraies personnes
- Ad blocker, NAT firewall and split tunneling included
❌ Inconvénients
- Download speeds drop about 45% on average
- DNS and IP leaks have been reported on Windows
- Some Netflix libraries fail to load
- Aucun forfait gratuit pour tester avant de payer.
Qu'est-ce que TunnelBear ?
TunnelBear est un service VPN canadien appartenant à McAfee.
It has been in the vpn market since 2011.
The tunnelbear app is a world map with one switch.
You pick a country, flip the switch, and a bear tunnels there.
There are desktop apps, mobile apps, and browser extensions.
TunnelBear offers a free version, which is how most people find it.
This video walks through the interface and the free account setup.
🥈 Runner Up: TunnelBear
The simplest vpn app you can hand to a beginner. Free plan included, and audits published every year since 2016.
Tarification de TunnelBear
Here is what TunnelBear costs right now.
| Plan | Prix | Idéal pour |
|---|---|---|
| Gratuit | Tests et utilisation limitée | VPN newbies checking the tunnelbear site first |
| Illimité | 3,33 $/mois | Unlimited data on all your devices |
| Équipes | 5,75 $/utilisateur par mois | Small teams with central billing |
Pricing verified September 2026.
Essai gratuit : The tunnelbear free plan caps you at 500 MB per month. No card needed.
Garantie de remboursement : None. Once you purchase TunnelBear, there is no refund window.
📌 Note: Promotions, including TunnelBear’s Twitter offer, can lift the free account from 500 MB to 2 GB per month. Payment is by credit card only since Bitcoin was dropped.
⚠️ Price check: Some review sites list $9.99 monthly, $39.99 for year one, and $120 for three years. The annual deal can auto-renew at $59.88, so confirm pricing and renewal terms at checkout.
Principaux avantages de TunnelBear
What TunnelBear does well:
- Annual security audits: Cure53 has run a security audit on the apps every year since 2016. Findings, including high-severity ones, were published and fixed.
- A real free plan: 500 MB a month, full app, no card. Other vpn providers rarely give the complete client away.
- Connexions simultanées illimitées : The premium tier covers unlimited device connections, so one account runs the whole house.
- VigilantBear kill switch: If the vpn connection drops, all internet traffic stops until the tunnel is back.
- SplitBear and GhostBear: SplitBear picks which apps skip the tunnel. GhostBear disguises vpn traffic in heavily censored countries.
- Thin privacy policy: No IP addresses, no DNS queries, no browsing history. Operational data is limited to the OS version, the tunnelbear app version, and monthly data used.
Ce que notre équipe a remarqué
Note: we have not had extended hands-on time with TunnelBear yet. Everything above comes from published documentation, Cure53 audit reports, transparency reports, and user reviews. We will add first-hand notes once our writer completes a full paid subscription cycle.
Avantages et inconvénients de TunnelBear
✅ Avantages
- Plan gratuit sans carte de crédit requise
- Independent Cure53 audits published since 2016
- Unlimited simultaneous connections on the paid tier
- Map interface that beginners understand immédiatement
- Transparency reports show no user data handed over
❌ Inconvénients
- Aucun remboursement n'est garanti, quel que soit le forfait.
- Speeds average roughly 40% of base download speed
- Netflix and Amazon Prime Video usually return proxy errors
- No live chat, and no router or Linux installs
Comparaison des fonctionnalités
Both tools sit at the cheap end of the market, so the gaps show up fast. Here are the eleven areas that decide this one.
| Fonctionnalité | FastestVPN | Ours du tunnel |
|---|---|---|
| Prix initial | 0,83 $/mois | 3,33 $/mois |
| Plan gratuit | ❌ | ✅ 500 MB/mo |
| Servers / Countries | 800 / 49 | Not published / 47 |
| Protocole WireGuard | ✅ | ⚠️ Disputed |
| Débloque Netflix | ✅ Partly | ❌ |
| Interrupteur d'arrêt d'urgence | ✅ | ✅ VigilantBear |
| Tunnelage fractionné | ✅ Tunnelage intelligent | ✅ SplitBear |
| Connexions simultanées | 10 | Illimité |
| Garantie de remboursement | ✅ 31 jours | ❌ |
| Assistance par chat en direct | ✅ 24h/24 et 7j/7 | ❌ Web form only |
| Idéal pour | Streaming and torrenting on a budget | Beginners who want a free plan |
1. Réseau et emplacement des serveurs
FastestVPN : The server list holds around 800 servers in 49 countries. That is a small server network next to NordVPN or ExpressVPN, and some entries are virtual servers rather than local hardware. FastestVPN servers are split into normal and streaming groups, and FastestVPN’s servers allow torrenting on every location.
TunnelBear : Coverage runs to 47 countries and 48 server locations. TunnelBear does not publish how many servers sit behind each pin, so you pick a flag and trust it. TunnelBear’s servers all permit P2P. The country TunnelBear itself operates from is Canada, and a Canada server is always in the list.
⚠️ Avertissement: With so few servers on either side, peak-hour crowding hits both. Try different servers in the same country before you blame your internet connection.
2. Speed and Protocols
FastestVPN : Independent speed tests put the average download loss near 45%, with upload down about 22% and latency up 33% on one machine. FastestVPN claims roughly 730 Mbps on a nearby server over the WireGuard protocol. Long-distance hops bring slow speeds, losing up to 55%, so pick the nearest server when you can. WireGuard, OpenVPN TCP, and IKEv2 are all selectable.
TunnelBear : Reviewers record download speeds averaging about 40% of the base rate, and TunnelBear’s performance swings hard between locations. Connections can take over 10 seconds to establish. Turning GhostBear on drops throughput further.
⚠️ Conflicting sources: Some reviews say TunnelBear lacks WireGuard entirely. Newer documentation lists WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2. Check the protocol menu in your build before you buy on that basis.
3. Streaming and Geo-Blocks
FastestVPN : A dedicated tab holds servers tuned for the big streaming services: Netflix, Disney+, Hotstar, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. Multiple Netflix libraries open, including US, UK, Japon, and Sweden. Streaming FastestVPN is not flawless though, as the Australian library failed and US Netflix loaded slowly for some users.
TunnelBear : Netflix usually returns a proxy error, and the same happens on Amazon Prime Video and Hulu. Smaller streaming sites do work. GhostBear can force a way through, but the speed cost makes video painful.
⚠️ Avertissement: If you want to access global content on a free plan, the 500 MB data limit ends that idea in about 20 minutes of HD video.
4. Sécurité et chiffrement
FastestVPN : AES-256 encryption protects everything between an encrypted client and the vpn server. Altius IT ran a third-party audit and confirmed the logging claim. The security features list also covers a NAT firewall and DNS request routing through its own resolvers.
TunnelBear : Also AES-256, with Cure53 running a security audit every year since 2016. Those security audits found critical and high-severity bugs, which were patched and published. That cycle is rare among vpn providers at this price.
5. Interrupteur d'arrêt d'urgence et protection contre les fuites
FastestVPN : The kill switch cuts the connection if the vpn tunnel collapses, and DNS leak protection keeps dns requests inside the network. Reviewers have questioned how reliably the switch fires. Independent dns leak tests on Windows have also exposed DNS and IP leaks.
TunnelBear : VigilantBear blocks all incoming and outgoing internet traffic until the vpn connection returns. Your real ip address stays masked and the vpn ip address takes over. No documented dns leaks sit against it.
⚠️ Avertissement: Run your own leak check on day one. Data leaks on a Windows build are worth catching inside the 31-day refund window.
6. Split Tunneling and Obfuscation
FastestVPN : Smart Tunneling decides which apps ride the tunnel and which use your normal line. Handy when your bank blocks foreign ip addresses. Split tunneling is available on the main platforms.
TunnelBear : SplitBear does the same job for apps and websites. GhostBear then disguises vpn traffic so it looks like ordinary browser traffic under censorship. That is one of TunnelBear’s features you will not find on most cheap rivals.
7. Assistance pour les applications et les appareils
FastestVPN : FastestVPN apps cover Windows, Mac, Androïde, iOS, Linux, and routers. FastestVPN’s apps share one layout, and the Mac apps match the Windows build. The FastestVPN iOS app behaves the same way. Router support is how you reach an Apple TV or a console.
TunnelBear : The vpn apps include a Windows app, a Mac app, mobile apps, and browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Routers and Linux are not supported at all. The premium tier does cover unlimited device connections, which FastestVPN caps at 10.
If you want to install FastestVPN on every screen you own, the router route covers devices simultaneously without touching the simultaneous device connections limit. Android users and iPhone owners get the same feature set on mobile devices.
8. Privacy and Logging
FastestVPN : Based in the Cayman Islands, where no mandatory data retention laws apply. The no logs policy covers activity and connection timestamps alike. That jurisdiction also sits outside the Five Eyes group.
TunnelBear : No ip addresses, dns queries, or browsing history are stored, and transparency reports confirm nothing has ever been handed over. Operational data is limited to the os version, app version, and monthly usage. Canada’s Five Eyes membership is the catch for online privacy purists.
9. Outils supplémentaires
FastestVPN : The vpn features list runs long for the price: an ad blocker, malware filtering, port forwarding, and unlimited data on every plan. FastestVPN’s ad blocker works at the network level, so it catches ads inside apps too. A dedicated IP address and extra connections are paid add-ons.
TunnelBear : The paid tier also gives unlimited data, but the extras stop at VigilantBear, SplitBear, and GhostBear. No port forwarding, no dedicated IPs, no double VPN. TunnelBear Blocker, a separate tracker blocker for mobile, is the only bolt-on.
Neither bundles a gestionnaire de mots de passe or antivirus software, and neither runs double VPN servers. If multi-hop matters, both are the wrong shelf.
10. Assistance clientèle
FastestVPN : Live chat runs 24/7 with human agents, backed by email and a knowledge base. Replies come fast, though answers can read like templates. The knowledge base search is weak, so parcourir the categories instead.
TunnelBear : Customer support means a web form and email, available 24/7 in theory. There is no live chat support, and users report slow replies from the support team. The FAQ library is deep enough to solve most common issues alone.
11. Tarification et coût
Here are both price lists side by side.
| Type de plan | FastestVPN | Ours du tunnel |
|---|---|---|
| Gratuit | ❌ | Tests et utilisation limitée |
| Mensuel | $5/mo (1 Month Plan) | — |
| à long terme | 0,83 $/mois (1 an + 1 an gratuit) | 3,33 $/mois (illimité) |
| Durée de vie | $40 (Exclusive Lifetime Plan) | ❌ |
| Équipes | ❌ | 5,75 $/utilisateur par mois |
| Refund window | Garantie de remboursement de 31 jours | Aucun |
FastestVPN : The $40 lifetime option is the headline. One payment, no paid subscription to cancel, and you still get the 31-day refund window if it flops. A FastestVPN subscription at $0.83/mo undercuts almost every rival on the shelf.
TunnelBear : The tunnelbear cost of $3.33/mo is fair for what it does, and the free account costs nothing to try. But when you purchase TunnelBear there is no refund, so the free plan is your only safety net.
Différents scénarios
| Si vous avez besoin | Choisir | Pourquoi |
|---|---|---|
| Aucun coût initial | Ours du tunnel | Forfait gratuit, sans carte |
| prix le plus bas à long terme | FastestVPN | $40 once, forever |
| Netflix and BBC iPlayer | FastestVPN | Streaming servers actually work |
| A refund option | FastestVPN | 31 days, no questions |
| Router or Linux setup | FastestVPN | TunnelBear supports neither |
| Simplest possible app | Ours du tunnel | One map, one switch |
| Every device on one account | Ours du tunnel | Connexions illimitées |
💰 Votre budget
If your budget is literally zero, TunnelBear is the only option here. If you can spend $40 once, FastestVPN costs less over three years than one year of most other vpn services.
🔌 Votre pile technologique
Linux boxes, routers, and NAS units rule TunnelBear out immediately. On a laptop and a phone, either operating system choice works fine.
📺 Vos habitudes de streaming
Regular streaming pushes you to FastestVPN, since TunnelBear mostly loses that fight. Even then, expect to switch servers when a library refuses to load.
🎓 Votre niveau d'expérience
Complete beginners get further with TunnelBear on day one. Power users will hit its ceiling within a week and want the protocol and port forwarding controls FastestVPN offers.
🆓 Essais et démos gratuits
TunnelBear has no trial because the free tier is the trial. FastestVPN has no free version, so the refund window is the test period.
🛟 Options d'assistance
Live chat matters more than people expect when a tunnel breaks at midnight. Only one of these two has it.
Guide de changement
Already paying for one of them? Here is what changes.
🔄 Switching from FastestVPN to TunnelBear?
✅ Ce que vous y gagnerez :
- Connexions simultanées illimitées au lieu de 10
- A published Cure53 audit every year since 2016
- Browser extensions and a far simpler app
❌ Ce que vous perdrez :
- Working streaming servers and port forwarding
- The 31-day refund safety net
- Router, Linux, and ad blocker support
📋 Comment changer :
- Claim your refund inside the 31-day window first
- Create a free account and test the 500 MB tier
- Uninstall the old client, then turn on VigilantBear
🔄 Switching from TunnelBear to FastestVPN?
✅ Ce que vous y gagnerez :
- Accès en streaming à Netflix, Hulu et Disney+
- 24/7 live chat and a refund window
- Router support, ad blocker, and a lifetime price
❌ Ce que vous perdrez :
- The free tier and the unlimited connection count
- Extensions de navigateur pour Chrome et Firefox
- An annual independent audit cycle
📋 Comment changer :
- Note which server locations you actually used
- Buy the lifetime plan and install on your main devices
- Enable the kill switch, then run a leak test
If you are moving off the bear, this walkthrough covers the setup steps first.
Ce que notre analyse n'a pas couvert
This comparison focused on individual users on Windows, Mac, and mobile. We did not test the Teams console at scale or measure torrent throughput over long sessions. Our notes reflect the September 2026 builds, and vpn providers change server counts and protocols often.
Verdict final
| Catégorie | Gagnant |
|---|---|
| 💰 Tarification | FastestVPN |
| 🌍 Réseau de serveurs | FastestVPN |
| ⚡ Vitesse | FastestVPN |
| 📺 Diffusion en continu | FastestVPN |
| 🔒 Confidentialité et audits | Ours du tunnel |
| 👶 Facilité d'utilisation | Ours du tunnel |
| 🛟 Soutien | FastestVPN |
| 🏆 Vainqueur toutes catégories | FastestVPN |
🏆 WINNER: FASTESTVPN
FastestVPN wins 5 of 7 categories.
Idéal pour : Streaming, torrenting, router setups, and anyone who wants one payment instead of a renewal.
These two are aimed at different people. TunnelBear is a friendly front door to VPNs, and its audit record is better than its price suggests.
But a good vpn has to do the job you bought it for. TunnelBear cannot stream, cannot run on a router, and will not refund you if it disappoints.
Both are a safe vpn pick on the security basics. FastestVPN just keeps your encrypted data moving through more places, for less money, with a way out if it fails. That is why it takes this one.
Comparatif de FastestVPN
Neither of these is the fastest VPN on the market, so here is how our winner lands against bigger names.
FastestVPN l'emporte sur : one-time lifetime pricing, cheaper two-year cost, simpler app for first-timers
NordVPN l'emporte sur : 6,000+ servers, double VPN servers, consistently faster long-distance routes
FastestVPN l'emporte sur : price by a wide margin, built-in ad blocker, port forwarding support
ExpressVPN l'emporte sur : 105-country coverage, stronger streaming reliability, its own Lightway protocol
FastestVPN l'emporte sur : lifetime plan option, lower entry price, Cayman Islands base
Surfshark victoires sur : unlimited devices, CleanWeb ad filtering across platforms, larger 100-country network
Comparaison de TunnelBear
And how the bear measures up elsewhere:
TunnelBear contre ProtonVPN
TunnelBear gagne sur : friendlier map interface, unlimited devices on paid plans, cheaper entry price
ProtonVPN l'emporte sur : unlimited free data, open-source apps, Secure Core multi-hop routing
TunnelBear gagne sur : a genuine free tier, no device cap, gentler learning curve
NordVPN l'emporte sur : Netflix unblocking, Linux and router installs, far higher sustained speeds
TunnelBear gagne sur : no-card free plan, yearly published audits, lighter app footprint
CyberGhost l'emporte sur : 45-day refund policy, streaming-labelled servers, 90-country coverage
Foire aux questions
TunnelBear est-il vraiment gratuit ?
Yes. The free tier gives 500 MB a month with no card needed. Promotions can lift that to 2 GB. Unlimited data requires the paid plan.
TunnelBear est-il bloqué par Netflix ?
Usually yes. Netflix returns a proxy error on most servers, and Amazon Prime Video behaves the same way. GhostBear occasionally gets through, but speeds then drop too far for video.
Quel VPN est meilleur que TunnelBear ?
For streaming, routers, and refunds, FastestVPN is the better buy at this price. For a simpler app and unlimited devices, TunnelBear VPN still holds its ground.
FastestVPN vaut-il le coup ?
At $40 once, yes for most people. You get streaming servers, an ad blocker, port forwarding, and a 31-day refund. Speeds are average rather than class-leading.
FastestVPN est-il compatible avec Netflix ?
Mostly. US, UK, Japan, and Sweden libraries open through the streaming tab. The Australian library failed in testing, and a few libraries load slowly at peak times.
English 
Spanish 
Chinese 
German 
French 
Arabic 
Russian 
Portuguese 
Japanese 
Korean 
Italian 
Turkish 
Dutch 
Polish 
Indonesian 
Thai 
Vietnamese 