⚡ Verdict rapide :
- Tarification : PrivadoVPN starts at $1.11/month on the 24 month plan. TunnelBear cost starts at $3.33/mo on Unlimited.
- Idéal pour : PrivadoVPN suits streaming sites and multi-device homes. TunnelBear suits VPN newbies who want a simple free account.
- Différence principale : PrivadoVPN supports WireGuard, SOCKS5 and 10 simultaneous connections. TunnelBear offers unlimited device connections but a smaller feature set.
- Notre choix : PrivadoVPN for most people, because the entry price is lower and the free version gives 10GB per month.
Two cheap VPNs. Two very different personalities.
TunnelBear wraps online privacy in bear puns and a world map.
PrivadoVPN keeps the interface plain and hands you more servers per dollar.
Both run a free service with a data limit attached.
Both sit at the cheap end of the VPN market.
Both also cost far less than the big VPN companies.
Here is how the two stack up before you spend anything.
Aperçu
This TunnelBear vs PrivadoVPN comparison covers pricing, server network, speeds, streaming and sécurité caractéristiques.
Notre écrivain spent hands-on time inside the PrivadoVPN app.
Notes on TunnelBear come from published specs, its privacy policy and user reviews.
Every price below is taken straight from the plan pages of both VPN providers.
By the end you will know which VPN service fits your appareils et le budget.
Qu'est-ce que PrivadoVPN ?
PrivadoVPN is a Swiss VPN service run by Privado Networks AG.
It hides your real IP address and encrypts web traffic on any internet connection.
The company runs about 330 servers across 46 to 49 countries.
That is a small server network next to NordVPN or Proton VPN.
Its free version is the draw: 10GB of data every 30 days.
Paid plans lift that to unlimited data on 10 devices simultaneously.
Watch the walkthrough below before you judge the interface.
🏆 Gagnant : PrivadoVPN
Ten connections, WireGuard speeds and a 10GB free plan. The cheapest safe VPN pick in this matchup.
Tarifs de PrivadoVPN
Here is what a paid subscription costs. The long plans carry the discount.
| Plan | Prix | Idéal pour |
|---|---|---|
| 24 mois d'abonnement VPN illimité + 3 abonnements gratuits | 1,11 $/mois | Coût mensuel le plus bas |
| 12 mois d'abonnement VPN illimité + 3 offres gratuites | 1,33 $/mois | A one-year commitment |
| Forfait 1 mois | 10,99 $/mois | Short trips and testing |
Pricing verified September 2026.
Essai gratuit : No card needed. The free plan gives 10GB every 30 days, one device and 12 free servers.
Garantie de remboursement : 30 days on paid plans. Payment runs through cards, PayPal or crypto.
📌 Note: Every paid tier includes unlimited data and 10 simultaneous connections. The bundled months in the “+3 free” plans are added at checkout.
⚠️ Price check: Some review sites list the annual plan at $2.50/month and the two-year plan at $1.99/month, renewing at $4.99 and $3.99. Promo prices change often, so confirm the exact rate and the renewal price at checkout.
Principaux avantages de PrivadoVPN
Here is what you get for the money:
- Best free vpns shortlist: 10GB per month beats almost every rival free plan. Free users can even reach US Netflix.
- Ten connections: Cover all your devices on one paid account. The free plan allows one device only.
- Multiple security protocols: WireGuard sits beside OpenVPN and IKEv2 in the settings menu.
- Swiss base: Privado Networks AG answers to Swiss consumer privacy law, outside the Five Eyes group.
- Streaming capabilities: US Netflix, BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime Video all load on the right VPN server.
- Outils supplémentaires : SOCKS5 proxy, SmartRoute split tunneling and the Privado Sentry antivirus add-on for malware protection.
- PhantomMode: A 2026 addition that keeps system-level protection active if the VPN connection drops briefly.
Ce que notre équipe a remarqué
Our writer signed up for PrivadoVPN and used it across Windows and Androïde for everyday browsing. Here is what stood out from that hands-on time:
Avantages et inconvénients de PrivadoVPN
✅ Avantages
- Free plan gives 10GB of data every 30 days
- Up to 10 simultaneous connections on paid plans
- Unblocks US Netflix, BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime Video
- WireGuard hit 830-880 Mbps in published speed tests
- 30-day money back guarantee on every paid plan
❌ Inconvénients
- Aucun tiers audit of the no logs claims
- Around 330 servers, far below the 1,600 average
- No split tunneling on the iOS app or macOS
- No multi-hop, dedicated IPs or map view for server locations
Qu'est-ce que TunnelBear ?
TunnelBear is a Canadian VPN owned by McAfee depuis 2018.
It encrypts your internet traffic and swaps your originating IP address for a server one.
The TunnelBear site lists servers in 47 countries.
Everything runs from a cartoon world map instead of a long list.
That design is why VPN newbies keep picking it.
Paid users get unlimited simultaneous connections, which few VPN companies still allow.
The video below shows the app in daily use.
Ours du tunnel
The friendliest VPN app you can install today. Audited since 2016 and open to unlimited devices.
Tarification de TunnelBear
Three tiers, and one of them costs nothing.
| Plan | Prix | Idéal pour |
|---|---|---|
| Gratuit | Tests et utilisation limitée | Trying the app before you purchase TunnelBear |
| Illimité | 3,33 $/mois | One person with unlimited data needs |
| Équipes | 5,75 $/utilisateur par mois | Small teams with a shared billing account |
Pricing verified September 2026.
Essai gratuit : No trial on paid tiers. The TunnelBear free plan caps you at 500MB per month instead.
Garantie de remboursement : None advertised. Payment is credit card only since Bitcoin was dropped.
📌 Note: TunnelBear’s Twitter promo has bumped free accounts to 2GB in the past. It is a bonus, not a standing offer.
⚠️ Price check: Some review sites list $9.99 monthly, $39.99 yearly and $120 for three years, with the yearly plan renewing at $59.88. Confirm the current rate at checkout. With no money back guarantee, the monthly option is the safer first purchase.
Principaux avantages de TunnelBear
Here is where TunnelBear’s features earn their keep:
- Security audits: Cure53 has run a security audit on TunnelBear every year since 2016. Critical and high-severity findings were published and fixed.
- Appareils illimités : One paid account covers all your devices with no seat count.
- VigilantBear: This VPN kill switch blocks incoming and outgoing traffic until the tunnel returns.
- GhostBear : An obfuscation layer that disguises VPN traffic in heavily censored countries.
- SplitBear : Split tunneling that lets you route only chosen apps through the tunnel.
- Transparency reports: TunnelBear publishes data requests received and has had nothing to hand over.
- Browser extensions: Light extensions protect browser traffic without routing the whole operating system.
Ce que notre équipe a remarqué
Note: we have not had extended hands-on time with TunnelBear yet. The points above come from its documentation, its published transparency reports and public user reviews.
Avantages et inconvénients de TunnelBear
✅ Avantages
- Independent Cure53 security audits every year since 2016
- Unlimited simultaneous connections on the premium plan
- The map interface is the easiest we have seen
- No logs of IP addresses, DNS queries or browsing history
❌ Inconvénients
- No money back guarantee on any paid subscription
- Speeds averaged around 40% of the base download speed
- Netflix and Amazon Prime usually return a proxy error
- No router or Linux support and no live chat support
Comparaison des fonctionnalités
Ten rounds, scored on what each VPN service actually ships. The table gives you the short version, then we open each one up.
| Fonctionnalité | PrivadoVPN | Ours du tunnel |
|---|---|---|
| Prix initial | 1,11 $/mois | 3,33 $/mois |
| Plan gratuit | ✅ 10GB / 30 days | ✅ 500MB / month |
| Connexions simultanées | ✅ 10 | ✅ Illimité |
| Protocole WireGuard | ✅ | ❌ Disputed |
| Débloque Netflix US | ✅ | ❌ |
| Tunnelage fractionné | ✅ Windows, Android | ✅ SplitBear |
| Independent Security Audit | ❌ | ✅ Cure53 |
| Garantie de remboursement | ✅ 30 jours | ❌ |
| Assistance par chat en direct | ✅ | ❌ |
| Idéal pour | Diffusion en continu sur de nombreux appareils | Simple, audited privacy |
1. Réseau de serveurs et emplacements des serveurs
PrivadoVPN : PrivadoVPN’s server network sits at roughly 330 servers in 46 to 49 countries. The industry average is closer to 1,600, so this is a small server network by any measure. Free users reach 12 of PrivadoVPN’s servers; paid users reach every location.
TunnelBear : How many servers you get is not published clearly. TunnelBear’s servers cover 47 countries, listed elsewhere as 48 server locations. A Canada server sits close to head office, and picking the nearest server on the map is one tap.
⚠️ Avertissement: Neither brand splits out physical servers from virtual servers. If you need more servers and more extensive server networks, look at NordVPN or Surfshark plutôt.
2. Download Speeds and Performance
PrivadoVPN : The WireGuard VPN protocol reached 830-880 Mbps in published tests. Local servers lost only 8-15% of the base internet connection. One harsher test set showed a 48% average loss, with upload speeds down 58.6% and latency up 83%.
TunnelBear : TunnelBear’s performance is the weak spot. Download speeds averaged around 40% of the base rate, and different servers varied widely. Distant locations drag, GhostBear drags harder, and connections can take over 10 seconds to establish.
3. Streaming Sites and Netflix Libraries
PrivadoVPN : US Netflix, BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime Video load on the right server. Even the free tier can reach US Netflix, which is rare. It fails on Disney Plus and on Netflix libraries in Australia, Canada and Japon, and BBC iPlayer access is hit or miss.
TunnelBear : Netflix usually answers with a proxy error. The big streaming services block it too, though smaller streaming sites still work. GhostBear can sometimes push past a block, but it cuts your speed badly while you access global content.
⚠️ Avertissement: Streaming capabilities change monthly. Test with the free plan before you pay for a year of either one.
4. Encryption and VPN Protocols
PrivadoVPN : AES-256 protects your encrypted data. You can switch between OpenVPN and IKEv2 or move to WireGuard for speed. Those multiple security protocols cover both older routers and modern phones.
TunnelBear : Also AES-256, with the same no-logging promise behind it. Protocol support is the muddy part. Some sources list WireGuard alongside OpenVPN and IKEv2, others say WireGuard is missing, and slower speeds point to the second version.
5. Coupe-circuit et protection contre les fuites DNS
PrivadoVPN : The kill switch feature cuts your internet the moment the VPN connection drops, which stops data leaks. The Android app includes it; the iOS build does not. DNS leak protection keeps dns requests inside the tunnel.
TunnelBear : VigilantBear is the VPN kill switch here, and it blocks all internet traffic until the tunnel is back. It is on by default in the desktop apps. DNS leaks were part of what Cure53 checked in the audits.
6. Split Tunneling and SOCKS5 Proxy
PrivadoVPN : SmartRoute handles split tunneling on Windows and Android. It is absent on iOS and macOS, which is a real gap for Apple households. A SOCKS5 proxy is included for torrent clients, though port forwarding is not offered.
The SOCKS5 option lives one level deeper in the app.
TunnelBear : SplitBear does the same job and lets you keep banking apps off the tunnel. Look in the settings menu if you want the app to automatically connect at startup. Auto connect on untrusted Wi-Fi is the setting most people turn on first.
7. Privacy, Logging and Security Audits
PrivadoVPN : The strict no logs policy covers browsing history, IP addresses, dns queries and traffic destinations. It still stores email addresses and device identifiers, and some data may be kept indefinitely. No third-party audit, no transparency report, no warrant canary and no RAM-only servers, only disk encryption.
TunnelBear : This is TunnelBear’s strongest round. It keeps no record of your ip address, DNS queries or browsing history, and Cure53 has verified that yearly. It does collect operational data such as the OS version, the TunnelBear app version and monthly data used. Canada is the home country TunnelBear operates from, which places it inside Five Eyes.
8. Free Version and Data Limits
PrivadoVPN : PrivadoVPN’s free version gives 10GB every 30 days on one device. That is enough for a few evenings of HD video. It ranks on most best free VPNs lists for exactly that reason.
TunnelBear : A free account gets 500MB per month, occasionally raised to 2GB. That data limit is a sampler, not a free service you can live on. Paid plans lift you to unlimited data.
✅ Résultat: Free users get roughly 20 times more data from PrivadoVPN. Among free VPNs, that gap decides most downloads.
9. Apps, Ease of Use and Device Support
PrivadoVPN : Native apps cover Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Fire TV and Android TV. The PrivadoVPN app uses a plain country list with no map view, and the Windows window cannot be resized. Privado Sentry adds optional malware protection, though neither VPN filters malicious websites by default.
TunnelBear : The Windows app, Mac app, iOS app and Android app all share the bear map, and browser extensions cover browser traffic only. There is no router or Linux support, and neither provider ships for Apple TV. Both sets of mobile apps install in about a minute, and the VPN apps look near identical on iOS and Android.
This short tutorial walks through the TunnelBear app on desktop.
10. Tarification et coût
Now the money, side by side.
| Plan | PrivadoVPN | Ours du tunnel |
|---|---|---|
| Gratuit | 10GB per 30 days | Tests et utilisation limitée |
| Mensuel | 10,99 $/mois | — |
| Annuel | 1,33 $/mois | — |
| Two-year | 1,11 $/mois | — |
| Illimité | — | 3,33 $/mois |
| Équipes | — | 5,75 $/utilisateur par mois |
PrivadoVPN : The 24 month plan at $1.11/month is the cheapest route, and it carries a 30-day refund window. The one-month plan at $10.99 is pricey, so treat it as a trial month. Cards, PayPal and crypto are all accepted.
TunnelBear : Curious about TunnelBear cost over a year? Unlimited runs $3.33/mo and Teams runs $5.75/user per month for shared billing. There is no refund policy, so the free plan is your only safety net.
Différents scénarios
| Si vous avez besoin | Choisir | Pourquoi |
|---|---|---|
| The lowest yearly price | PrivadoVPN | $1.11/month on 24 months |
| Netflix and iPlayer | PrivadoVPN | TunnelBear returns proxy errors |
| Preuve auditée d'absence de journaux | Ours du tunnel | Cure53 audits since 2016 |
| Endless devices | Ours du tunnel | Connexions d'appareils illimitées |
| A big free plan | PrivadoVPN | 10GB versus 500MB |
| The simplest app | Ours du tunnel | One-tap world map |
💰 Votre budget
PrivadoVPN costs a third of TunnelBear on its longest plan. If you only want one month, TunnelBear is the cheaper short-term buy.
🔌 Votre pile technologique
Fire TV and Android TV users are better served by PrivadoVPN. Mac and iOS households lose split tunneling there, which tilts things back to TunnelBear.
📺 Vos habitudes de streaming
If streaming is the reason you want a VPN, this is not close. PrivadoVPN streams in Ultra HD on local servers while TunnelBear stalls at the Netflix gate.
🎓 Votre niveau d'expérience
Total beginners rarely get lost in TunnelBear. Power users will find both apps thin and should look at NordVPN or Proton VPN.
🆓 Essais et démos gratuits
Neither one offers a paid trial, so run the free tiers first. PrivadoVPN adds a 30-day refund if the paid plan disappoints.
🛟 Options d'assistance
PrivadoVPN has live chat support and email, though the help site is thin and 24/7 chat coverage is disputed. TunnelBear customer support runs on a web form and email only, and its support team has drawn complaints over slow replies.
Guide de changement
Already paying for one of them? Here is what changes.
🔄 Switching from PrivadoVPN to TunnelBear?
✅ Ce que vous y gagnerez :
- Yearly Cure53 audits and public transparency reports
- Unlimited simultaneous connections instead of a 10 device cap
- GhostBear obfuscation for censored networks
❌ Ce que vous perdrez :
- Netflix and BBC iPlayer access
- The 10GB free tier and the 30-day refund
- SOCKS5 proxy and the Sentry antivirus add-on
📋 Comment changer :
- Cancel auto-renewal inside your PrivadoVPN account page
- Create a free TunnelBear account and test 500MB first
- Upgrade to Unlimited, then reinstall on every device
🔄 Switching from TunnelBear to PrivadoVPN?
✅ Ce que vous y gagnerez :
- Faster WireGuard speeds and working streaming servers
- A far larger free plan at 10GB per month
- A 30-day refund window and crypto payment options
❌ Ce que vous perdrez :
- Independent audit history
- Connexions d'appareils illimitées
- The map interface and browser extensions
📋 Comment changer :
- Turn off TunnelBear renewal before the next billing date
- Start on the PrivadoVPN free plan and test your streaming sites
- Pick the 24 month plan and sign in on up to 10 devices
Ce que notre analyse n'a pas couvert
We focused on home users on Windows, Android and iOS. Router setups, Linux boxes, torrenting at scale and entreprise rollouts sat outside this comparison. Speed figures come from published test data, not from a lab we ran, and VPN performance shifts with your own internet connection.
Verdict final
| Catégorie | Gagnant |
|---|---|
| 💰 Tarification | PrivadoVPN |
| 🚀 Réseau de serveurs | PrivadoVPN |
| ⚡ Vitesse | PrivadoVPN |
| 📺 Diffusion en continu | PrivadoVPN |
| 🔐 Privacy Proof | Ours du tunnel |
| 👶 Facilité d'utilisation | Ours du tunnel |
| 🔌 Assistance pour les appareils | Cravate |
| 🏆 Vainqueur toutes catégories | PrivadoVPN |
🏆 WINNER: PRIVADOVPN
PrivadoVPN wins 4 of 7 categories.
Idéal pour : streaming, multi-device homes, tight budgets, heavy free plan use
These two VPNs chase different buyers. PrivadoVPN sells capacité per dollar: WireGuard speed, working Netflix servers and 10GB free every month.
TunnelBear sells trust and simplicity. The audit record is real, the no-logging policy is verified, and nobody gets confused by the map.
If audited privacy matters more than anything else, TunnelBear earns the money. For everyone else, PrivadoVPN does more for less.
Comparatif de PrivadoVPN
Still weighing other VPN providers? Here is where PrivadoVPN lands against three of them.
PrivadoVPN l'emporte sur : entry price, a genuinely usable free tier, crypto payments
NordVPN l'emporte sur : thousands of VPN servers, audited no-logs claims, multi-hop and dedicated IPs
PrivadoVPN l'emporte sur : 10 connections versus fewer, cheaper long plans, Fire TV and Android TV apps
Proton VPN l'emporte sur : unlimited free data, open-source audited apps, Secure Core routing
PrivadoVPN contre Surfshark VPN
PrivadoVPN l'emporte sur : a free plan Surfshark lacks, Swiss base, SOCKS5 proxy access
Surfshark VPN l'emporte sur : unlimited devices, far more server locations, ad and tracker blocking
Comparaison de TunnelBear
And here is TunnelBear against three other VPN services.
TunnelBear gagne sur : unlimited connections, a free tier, a gentler learning curve
NordVPN l'emporte sur : raw download speeds, reliable streaming access, Linux and router support
TunnelBear contre McAfee VPN
TunnelBear gagne sur : standalone pricing, published audits, GhostBear obfuscation
McAfee VPN l'emporte sur : antivirus bundling, identity monitoring extras, family plan value
TunnelBear contre ExpressVPN
TunnelBear gagne sur : price per month, unlimited devices, free plan availability
ExpressVPN l'emporte sur : speed consistency, streaming unblocking, 24/7 live chat and router firmware
Foire aux questions
TunnelBear est-il vraiment gratuit ?
Yes. The free tier caps you at 500MB per month, sometimes 2GB through promos. There is no time limit, but video will burn that quota fast.
PrivadoVPN est-il entièrement gratuit ?
There is a free tier with 10GB every 30 days on one device. Paid plans unlock unlimited data, every location and 10 simultaneous connections.
TunnelBear est-il bloqué par Netflix ?
Usually yes. Netflix returns a proxy error on most servers, and Amazon Prime behaves the same way. Streaming is the weakest part of the service.
Quel VPN est meilleur que TunnelBear ?
For streaming and price, PrivadoVPN. For bigger networks and faster speeds, NordVPN or Proton VPN. TunnelBear still leads on audit history and device count.
PrivadoVPN est-il sûr à utiliser ?
It uses AES-256 encryption, a kill switch and a strict no logs policy. No independent audit exists yet, so trust rests on the Swiss privacy policy.
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