⚡ Verdetto rapido:
- Prezzi: TunnelBear paid plans start at $3.33/mo. Tailscale starts at $0 free forever, then $5/per month.
- Ideale per: TunnelBear for beginners who want online privacy on public Wi-Fi. Tailscale for accesso remoto to your own devices.
- Differenza fondamentale: TunnelBear routes your internet traffic through its servers. Tailscale connects your devices directly using WireGuard.
- La nostra scelta: Tailscale, because the free plan covers 100 devices and the network is yours to control.
TunnelBear and Tailscale both get called a VPN.
That single label hides a big split.
TunnelBear hides your ip address behind a shared server.
Tailscale builds a private network between your own devices.
One guards browser traffic on albergo Wifi.
The other gives you secure networking into a home lab or office.
Panoramica
This TunnelBear vs Tailscale comparison covers pricing, sicurezza features, speed, and setup.
Nostro scrittore spent hands-on time with Tailscale directly.
Notes on TunnelBear come from published specs, revisione contabile reports, and G2 reviews.
We also weigh both against other vpn services in the same price band.
By the end you will know which one fits your setup.
Che cos'è TunnelBear?
TunnelBear è un servizio VPN canadese di proprietà di McAfee.
Crittografa la tua connessione internet e nasconde il tuo vero indirizzo IP.
The tunnelbear app opens on a world map for picking server locations.
That bear theme makes the setup easy for vpn newbies.
You get a Windows app, a Mac app, mobile apps, and browser extensions.
It does not install on routers, Apple TV, or Linux.
Here is a walkthrough of the app before we get into the numbers.
TunnelBear
A simple privacy VPN with a free plan and no card required. Audited every year since 2016. Best pick if you want online privacy without reading a manual.
Prezzi TunnelBear
Here is what TunnelBear costs right now.
| Piano | Prezzo | Ideale per |
|---|---|---|
| Gratuito | Test e utilizzo limitato | Trying the free version first |
| Illimitato | 3,33 dollari al mese | One person who wants unlimited data |
| Squadre | Sì, il piano gratuito di TunnelBear offre 500 MB al mese. Puoi aumentare questo limite a 2 GB partecipando ad attività promozionali, come ad esempio twittare su TunnelBear. | A small office with central billing |
Pricing verified September 2026.
Prova gratuita: No trial of the paid subscription. The free plan gives 500 MB of data per month with no card.
Garanzia di rimborso: None. TunnelBear does not offer a money back guarantee, so treat the free account as your test drive.
📌 Nota: A promo on TunnelBear’s Twitter account can lift the tunnelbear free plan to 2 GB per month. Any paid plan removes the data limit.
⚠️ Price check: Some review sites list $9.99 per month, $39.99 for the first year, and $120 for three years. The annual plan may renew at $59.88. Confirm the final price on the TunnelBear site at checkout before you purchase TunnelBear.
Principali vantaggi di TunnelBear
Here is what TunnelBear offers that keeps it in the vpn market:
- Unlimited device connections: The premium plan allows unlimited simultaneous connections. Cover all your devices simultaneously on one paid account.
- Yearly security audit: Cure53 has run a security audit since 2016. Critical and high-severity findings were published and then fixed.
- Clear logging policy: The policy states it does not store IP addresses, DNS queries, or browsing history. Only operational data such as the OS version and the TunnelBear app version is collected.
- VigilantBear kill switch: This kill switch blocks all internet traffic if the vpn connection drops. Nothing leaks while it reconnects.
- SplitBear split tunneling: Split tunneling lets you send only chosen apps through the tunnel. Banking apps can skip it.
- GhostBear obfuscation: GhostBear disguises vpn traffic where censorship is heavy. Download speeds drop while it is enabled.
- Free account with no card: The free version is capped but real. It is enough to judge tunnelbear’s features before paying.
Cosa ha notato il nostro team
Note: we have not had extended hands-on time with the tunnelbear app in our own workflow. Everything above comes from published documentation, the Cure53 audit reports, and public user reviews. A full tunnelbear vpn review with hands-on notes is on our list, and our standing TunnelBear review page is updated as the apps change.
TunnelBear: vantaggi e svantaggi
✅ Pro
- Unlimited simultaneous connections on the premium plan
- Independent Cure53 security audits every year since 2016
- Map-based interface that new users understand in minutes
- Free plan works without a credit card
❌ Contro
- Small server network of 48 server locations across 47 countries
- Nessuna garanzia di rimborso per i piani a pagamento.
- No live chat support, only email and a web form
- Netflix and Amazon Prime Video usually block it
Che cos'è Tailscale?
Tailscale is a zero-trust mesh VPN built on WireGuard.
It is basically WireGuard with the fiddly key exchange handled for you.
It joins your own devices into one private network called a tailnet.
Each device gets a stable 100.x.y.z address that never changes.
Network traffic moves device to device, not through Tailscale servers.
You install Tailscale, sign in with an existing account, and the computer joins.
The tailscale client runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Androide iOS.
This tutorial walks through creating a tailnet from scratch.
🏆 Winner: Tailscale
Secure networking for people with servers, NAS boxes, and remote machines. The free plan connects up to 100 devices. Setup takes minutes on each platform.
Prezzi su scala ridotta
Tailscale keeps personal pricing short.
| Piano | Prezzo | Ideale per |
|---|---|---|
| Personale | $0 Gratis per sempre | Individual users and home labs |
| Personal Plus | 5 dollari al mese | Power users with more devices and services |
Pricing verified September 2026.
Prova gratuita: Sign up with a custom-owned domain and you land in a 14-day Enterprise trial by default.
Garanzia di rimborso: Not published. The free plan is the trial, so there is nothing to refund.
📌 Nota: The free plan covers three users and connections for up to 100 devices. It even keeps some access controls that the paid Starter tier drops.
⚠️ Price check: Team plans cost more. Some review sites list Starter at $6 per extra user each month with 10 more devices per user, and Premium at $18 per user with 20x devices and priority support. Confirm current rates on Tailscale’s pricing page before you sign up a team.
Principali vantaggi di Tailscale
Here is why Tailscale works for people who own infrastructure:
- Direct encrypted tunnels: The data plane uses WireGuard between two devices. UDP hole punching and NAT traversal handle the hard part.
- MagicDNS: Call a machine by name instead of typing IP addresses. Your laptop reaches “nas” the same way from any network.
- Identity-based access: Access control policies follow the person, not the IP. Single sign-on works with 100+ identity providers.
- Subnet routers and exit nodes: A subnet router shares a printer that cannot run the software. An exit node sends your internet through a machine you trust.
- Runs on any infrastructure: Connect Google Cloud, on-premises servers, Kubernetes, and edge hardware into one tailnet.
- No central choke point: The mesh eliminates single points of failure, so traffic reroutes when one path dies.
- Incremental rollout: Add devices one at a time. Nothing in your existing network configuration has to change first.
Cosa ha notato il nostro team
Our writer installed the tailscale app on a MacBook Pro, a Linux box, and an Android phone. Here is what stood out during that hands-on time:
Pro e contro di Tailscale
✅ Pro
- Direct device-to-device WireGuard tunnels with no middle server
- Free plan connects up to 100 devices
- MagicDNS replaces IP addresses with device names
- Access control policies tied to user identity, not IP
❌ Contro
- Does not mask your IP address from websites unless you set an exit node
- Support is email only and limited to Attività commerciale hours on free plans
- Access control configuration reads like code to non-technical users
Confronto delle funzionalità
These two products answer different questions. The table below shows where they overlap and where they do not. After it, we go through eleven areas one at a time.
| Caratteristica | TunnelBear | Scala di coda |
|---|---|---|
| Prezzo di partenza | 3,33 dollari al mese | $0 Gratis per sempre |
| Piano gratuito | ✅ (data limit) | ✅ (100 dispositivi) |
| Nasconde il tuo indirizzo IP | ✅ | ❌ (exit node only) |
| Remote Access To Own Devices | ❌ | ✅ |
| Interruttore di spegnimento | ✅ VigilantBear | ❌ |
| Tunnel diviso | ✅ SplitBear | ✅ by route |
| Linux And Router Support | ❌ | ✅ |
| Single Sign-On | ❌ | ✅ 100+ providers |
| Supporto tramite chat dal vivo | ❌ | ❌ |
| Ideale per | Online privacy for beginners | Secure networking across your own devices |
1. Cosa fa effettivamente ogni strumento
TunnelBear: You pick a country, and your browser traffic leaves from tunnelbear’s servers instead of your home line. Websites see that server, not you. That is the whole job.
Scala di coda: You install the client on each machine and they find each other directly. Your laptop reaches the office NAS as if both sat on one LAN. Nothing is proxied through a company server.
2. Rete dei server e ubicazione dei server
TunnelBear: A small server network covers 48 server locations in 47 countries. Ask how many servers matter to you before judging that. For most people the nearest server and a Canada server are all they ever touch. Beyond that list you are stuck with whichever country TunnelBear already covers.
Scala di coda: There is no server list, because your machines are the network. A subnet router extends the tailnet to gear that cannot run the client, like a printer or a camera.
3. Speed and Download Speeds
TunnelBear: Published tests put download speeds near 40% of the base line across different servers. Distant servers are slower than nearby ones, and GhostBear drags them lower again. Connecting can take over ten seconds.
Scala di coda: Because there is no hub in the middle, two devices on the same office network talk at local speed. The architecture cuts lag compared with hub-and-spoke designs.
⚠️ Avvertimento: Sources disagree on TunnelBear’s protocol list. Some report OpenVPN and IKEv2 only, others list WireGuard as well. Check the protocol screen in the app version you download before you judge tunnelbear’s performance.
4. Security Features and Encryption
TunnelBear: AES-256 protects your encrypted data in transit. VigilantBear cuts the line if the tunnel drops, which is the part that stops accidental leaks.
Scala di coda: Network security here is a zero trust model. Every device proves who it is, and access control policies decide what it may reach. Losing a phone means revoking one device, not rotating a shared password.
5. Privacy, Logs and Security Audits
TunnelBear: Cure53 has audited the apps repeatedly since 2016, and those security audits looked for DNS leaks and data leaks. Transparency reports say no user data has ever been handed over. The company sits in Canada, a Five Eyes member, which some readers weigh heavily.
Scala di coda: The control plane only helps devices find each other and swap keys. Your actual internet traffic never passes through it, so there is far less to log in the first place.
6. Streaming and Access to Global Content
TunnelBear: This is the weak spot. Netflix often returns a proxy error, and Amazon Prime Video and Hulu block it too. Smaller streaming sites work more often, and the free plan data limit rules out long sessions anyway.
Scala di coda: It was never built to access global content. Route through an exit node at home and you get your home country, which helps when you viaggio, not when you want a foreign catalogue.
7. Remote Access and Infrastructure
TunnelBear: No remote access at all. Two devices on TunnelBear cannot see each other, because the service only moves you to a shared exit point.
Scala di coda: This is the core use case. Reach a home server from a albergo, connect Kubernetes clusters, or link two offices into one flat network. Resources stay off the public internet.
Cluster access follows the same pattern for developer teams.
8. Device Support and Operating Systems
TunnelBear: Apps cover Windows, macOS, and mobile devices, plus Chrome and Firefox browser extensions. Routers and Linux are not supported, so anything headless is out.
Scala di coda: The client covers the usual operating systems and keeps going: Linux servers, routers, Synology boxes, Raspberry Pi, and edge hardware. Other clients can join a tailnet through a subnet router.
9. Ease of Use and Setup
TunnelBear: Download, flip the switch, done. Nothing to configure and no concepts to learn, which is exactly why beginners like it.
The tutorial below shows the whole process end to end.
Scala di coda: Install, sign in with Google or another identity provider, and the device appears in the dashboard. Adding other devices is a link you send. Access rules and exit nodes take longer to learn.
10. Assistenza clienti
TunnelBear: Customer support runs through a web form and email, with no live chat support. Reviews are mixed and reply times can drag. The FAQ library is deep enough to solve most first-timer problems.
Scala di coda: Free users get email support during business hours only. The docs are strong, and developers file bugs and questions in public where the support team and other users answer.
11. Prezzi e costi
Here are both price lists side by side.
| Livello | TunnelBear | Scala di coda |
|---|---|---|
| Gratuito | Test e utilizzo limitato | $0 Gratis per sempre |
| Individual paid | Unlimited — $3.33/mo | Personal Plus — $5/per month |
| Squadra | Teams — $5.75/user per month | See Tailscale’s pricing page |
TunnelBear: $3.33/mo buys unlimited data and unlimited simultaneous connections, which is fair for a household. The missing refund policy is the real cost, since you cannot test a paid subscription and back out.
Scala di coda: Most home users never pay. $0 Free Forever covers three users and up to 100 devices, and Personal Plus at $5/per month exists for people who outgrow that.
Diversi scenari
| Se hai bisogno | Scegliere | Perché |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy on café Wi-Fi | TunnelBear | Masks your IP in one tap |
| Reach your home NAS | Scala di coda | Direct device-to-device link |
| Zero budget | Scala di coda | Free plan, no data limit |
| Linux or router coverage | Scala di coda | TunnelBear supports neither |
| A kill switch | TunnelBear | VigilantBear blocks drops |
| Team access rules | Scala di coda | Identity-based permissions |
💰 Il tuo budget
Tailscale stays free for one household forever. TunnelBear’s free version is a sampler, so real use means a paid plan.
🔌 Il tuo stack tecnologico
If you run servers on Google Cloud or a Pi at home, Tailscale plugs into it. If your stack is a laptop and a phone, TunnelBear is enough.
🛡️ Your Threat Model
Hiding from the network you are on is TunnelBear’s job. Keeping internal services off the public internet is Tailscale’s job.
🎓 Il tuo livello di esperienza
New users get running on TunnelBear in a minute. Tailscale asks you to understand exit nodes and subnet routers to get full value.
🆓 Prove e demo gratuite
Both let you start without a card. Test TunnelBear against the streaming sites you care about before paying, because there is no refund.
🛟 Opzioni di supporto
Neither offers live chat. TunnelBear answers by email and web form, and Tailscale leans on docs plus a public issue tracker.
Guida al passaggio
Already on one of them? Here is what changes.
🔄 Switching from TunnelBear to Tailscale?
✅ Cosa otterrai:
- Remote access to your own machines from anywhere
- A free plan with no monthly data cap
- Linux, router, and headless device coverage
❌ Cosa perderai:
- One-tap country switching for geo-blocked sites
- The VigilantBear kill switch
- GhostBear obfuscation for censored networks
📋 Come effettuare il passaggio:
- Cancel the TunnelBear renewal in your account page
- Create a tailnet with an existing SSO login
- Install the client on each device and set one exit node
🔄 Switching from Tailscale to TunnelBear?
✅ Cosa otterrai:
- Server locations in 47 countries on a map
- A real kill switch and split tunneling by app
- Zero setup for people who dislike configuration
❌ Cosa perderai:
- Direct links between your own devices
- Identity-based access control policies
- Subnet routers for printers and cameras
📋 Come effettuare il passaggio:
- Note which services you reached over the tailnet
- Open a free TunnelBear account and test your sites
- Remove devices from the tailnet once nothing breaks
Cosa non è stato trattato nella nostra recensione
We focused on individuals and small teams. We did not benchmark throughput on a gigabit line, test Tailscale’s enterprise SSO rollout, or measure TunnelBear across every region. Business tiers and custom contracts sit outside this comparison. If you manage fifty or more seats, your priorities will differ from ours.
Verdetto finale
| Categoria | Vincitore |
|---|---|
| 💰 Prezzi | Scala di coda |
| 🚀 Caratteristiche principali | Tie (different jobs) |
| ⚡ Velocità | Scala di coda |
| 🔒 Privacy From Websites | TunnelBear |
| 👶 Facilità d'uso | TunnelBear |
| 🖥️ Device and Platform Support | Scala di coda |
| 🔌 Access Control | Scala di coda |
| 🏆 Vincitore assoluto | Scala di coda |
🏆 WINNER: TAILSCALE
Tailscale wins 4 of 7 categories.
Ideale per: home labs, remote work, linking offices, and developer teams
TunnelBear and Tailscale are not really rivals. TunnelBear is a privacy VPN for people who want their browsing hidden from the network they are sitting on.
Tailscale is a private network for people who own machines and need to reach them. It wins here because more readers searching this matchup have a NAS, a server, or a work laptop that must phone home.
TunnelBear is still the right pick for hotel Wi-Fi, a shared flat, or a parent who wants one switch. Its audit history is longer than most rivals can claim.
Plenty of people end up running both, and at $0 plus $3.33/mo that is not an expensive answer.
Maggiori dettagli su TunnelBear a confronto
Here is how TunnelBear lands against other vpn providers:
TunnelBear contro ExpressVPN
TunnelBear vince su: lower entry price, a free plan with no card, simpler first-run experience
ExpressVPN vince su: far more server locations, reliable Netflix access, a 30-day refund window
Surfshark è più economico e offre dispositivi illimitati. TunnelBear ha un'interfaccia più semplice.
TunnelBear vince su: longer public audit history, friendlier interface, free tier for casual use
Surfshark VPN vittorie su: router and Linux support, ad blocking built in, better streaming results
TunnelBear contro ProtonVPN
TunnelBear vince su: unlimited connections on entry paid plan, lighter apps, faster onboarding
ProtonVPN vince su: an unlimited free tier, Swiss jurisdiction outside Five Eyes, open-source clients
Più scaglie della coda a confronto
And how Tailscale sits next to nearby tools:
Tailscale vince su: device-to-device mesh, identity-based permissions, a free tier that fits a whole home lab
NordVPN vittorie su: thousands of exit servers, streaming unblocking, consumer features like threat protection
Tailscale vince su: reaching your own resources, subnet routing to legacy gear, access control policies per user
ProtonVPN vince su: anonymity from websites, country hopping, a privacy-first company model
Squama della coda contro Mysterium VPN
Tailscale vince su: predictable performance, mature apps and docs, business-grade access rules
Mysterium VPN vittorie su: pay-as-you-go billing, residential exit IPs, no account tied to your identity
Domande frequenti
Sì, TunnelBear offre un piano gratuito con 500 MB di dati al mese. È possibile aumentare questo quantitativo a 2 GB tramite le promozioni. Per avere dati illimitati, è necessario un abbonamento a pagamento.
Yes, with a catch. The free tier caps you at 500 MB per month, or 2 GB through a promo. No credit card is needed to start.
Tailscale è effettivamente una VPN?
Yes, but a mesh one. It encrypts links between your devices using WireGuard instead of routing you through rented servers. Exit nodes add classic VPN behaviour when you want it.
TunnelBear è bloccato da Netflix?
Usually, yes. Netflix commonly returns a proxy error, and Amazon Prime and Hulu block it too. Smaller platforms work more often, so do not buy it for streaming.
Tailscale nasconde il tuo indirizzo IP?
Not by default. Websites still see your real address. Route through an exit node and they see that machine’s address instead, which is the closest equivalent.
NordVPN, ExpressVPN e Surfshark offrono più server, velocità superiori e un supporto migliore per lo streaming rispetto a TunnelBear. TunnelBear vince in termini di semplicità.
For streaming and speed, ExpressVPN or NordVPN. For a bigger free tier, ProtonVPN. For reaching your own machines, Tailscale. TunnelBear still wins on simplicity.
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