Should you choose TunnelBear or NordVPN in 2025? That’s the question echoing through your skull for a while. TunnelBear has thousands of servers, nice-looking bear-worshipping apps, and audited security and privacy. NordVPN is a more “streamlined” VPN, with just as good, if not better security, and blazing-fast speeds.
We can describe NordVPN as a jack of all trades. However, TunnelBear’s attractiveness lies in its free, limited plan and strong server presence in popular locations. In today’s article, we’ll compare NordVPN vs TunnelBear and gauge their performance through 8 extensive tests.
Our team doesn’t take a tie as an answer. In other words, we’ll have a winner at the end, based on the aggregated score during the comparison. We recently compared NordVPN to Norton VPN as well and the former won. Will it be the same story today? Let’s see.
TunnelBear vs NordVPN: All You Need To Know
We can land the plane immediately and tell you that the result of the comparison is as you’ve anticipated. NordVPN is better than TunnelBear, beating it in almost every round of the match. We recommend reading the entire comparison for more details.
If you don’t feel like it, perhaps our quick comparison in the table below will help:
| TunnelBear VPN | NordVPN | |
| Our Current Ranking | TBD | #1 |
| Prices | Starting at $3.33/mo | Starting at $3.09/mo |
| Money-Back Guarantee | No (refunds are on a case-by-case basis) | 30 days |
| Free Version/Free Trial | Yes/No | No/7 days through Android |
| Logging/Jurisdiction | No/Canada | No/Panama |
| Protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | NordLynx, OpenVPN, IKEv2 |
| Servers | 8,000+ in 46+ countries | 6,800+ in 113+ countries |
| Specialty Servers | No | Dedicated IP, P2P, Double VPN, Obfuscated, Onion Over VPN |
| RAM-Only Servers | No | Yes |
| Working With Netflix | Yes (Netflix US) | Yes (20+ catalogs) |
| P2P Allowance | Yes | Yes |
| Simultaneous Connections | Unlimited | 10 |
Applications & Ease of Use
Apps are your gateway to privacy and security – you use them to connect to a server.
Well, the good news is that both excel in this regard, offering some of the best-looking apps. Both support all desktop and mobile platforms. They also offer browser extensions, albeit, NordVPN’s one is far better with its location spoofing and other security functions.
TunnelBear’s compatibility is limited to the four typical systems; Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. However, NordVPN extends its support, offering clients for Linux computers, routers, Smart TVs, gaming consoles, Android TVs, and many more.
When it comes to aesthetics, it’s hard to beat TunnelBear. Its beautifully animated apps look identical across all devices, where you have this bear crawling in and out of the hole in the location you’ve connected to. The left-hand side houses settings and VPN-related options.
Plus, on Windows and macOS, you can resize the window and even make it full-screen for added convenience. We can say the same about NordVPN – except for the bear. Its sleek apps are an eye-feast, with snappy connections and easy access to all of the features.
NordVPN’s mobile apps are phenomenal too, without a trace of glitching or bugging. TunnelBear’s simultaneous connections are unlimited, whilst NordVPN offers “only” 10. Both are enough but NordVPN is underwhelming because unlimited is FAR better than ten.
So, NordVPN is better at compatibility, while TunnelBear beats it regarding simultaneous connections. Since both offer excellent-looking apps and 10 concurrent connections are, as said, enough for most people, we must say that NordVPN takes this round in our book.
Winner: NordVPN
Protect All Devices With NordVPN
NordVPN vs TunnelBear VPN Price Comparison
Flagship VPNs are expensive and not worth the money – said no one EVER. NordVPN proves that a low-price VPN can be good, with its eye-watering 2-year plans with 3 free months, starting at around $3.09/mo. The Basic plan already offers plenty, so it’s a good deal.
The Plus plan, at under four bucks a month, is even better because it includes Threat Protection Pro and NordPass. We then have the Ultimate plan, with NordLocker on top, plus NordProtect for cyber protection, which is a nice addition for a little less than six bucks.
NordVPN’s flexible prices are characterized by three more 1-year plans. They’re short-term but still affordable. At around $4.59/mo, the Basic plan is a solid pick given that most 1-year VPN plans cost way over $5/mo. NordVPN’s deals have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
This makes it simple to get a refund, should you feel inclined to.
We now have TunnelBear whose prices are… odd.
For instance, the 1-year plan at $3.33/mo is a night-and-day price-wise compared to NordVPN’s equivalent. However, there’s this eye-piercing 3-year plan at the identical monthly price of $3.33/mo. This implies that there are no savings compared to the annual plan – or are there?
Well, apparently, you will save because the 1-year plan’s price is for the first year, which means you’ll be charged more each consecutive year. The 3-year plan is $120 upfront. Speaking of renewal prices, after the initial period, users are charged $59.88 annually.
This turns to roughly $5/mo, which is too much for this provider. We’ll explain why later in our NordVPN vs TunnelBear comparison. Also, there’s a free plan with 2 GB of monthly bandwidth, and unlike NordVPN, the provider doesn’t have an established money-back guarantee.
Instead, refunds are handled on a case-by-case basis.
Which VPN Is Cheaper?
Let’s now answer the burning question – which VPN is cheaper, TunnelBear or NordVPN? Despite being less flexible, TunnelBear is actually cheaper than NordVPN in the long run (3 years), and with unlimited simultaneous connections, it’s a better value on paper.
This will be refuted very soon in our NordVPN vs TunnelBear comparison, as promised.
NordVPN’s monthly price for the 2-year plan is lower (~$3.09/mo). However, the Basic annual plan at ~$4.59/mo is far more expensive than TunnelBear’s one at $3.33/mo.
Overall, TunnelBear’s plans seem cheaper even when talking about renewal prices that are higher in NordVPN.
TunnelBear vs NordVPN: Features Analysis
Let’s dive deeper into their security and privacy. Both providers are known to excel in these aspects, so we’re looking at an interesting comparison.
Shared Features
Shared features are up first, and since VPNs mostly work the same, you can expect these two to have some overlaps. They include:
- 256-bit encryption
- Kill switch (VigilantBear in TunnelBear)
- Split tunneling (SplitBear in TunnelBear)
- Obfuscation (GhostBear in TunnelBear)
- IP/DNS leak protection
- WireGuard/NordLynx protocol
- Ad blocker
Even these shared features are realized differently.
For instance, NordVPN has an advanced kill switch, which can block internet access before you connect to a VPN server and allow it once you connect. TunnelBear’s equivalent springs into action only when the VPN connection breaks, which is how a typical kill switch works.
GhostBear a.k.a. obfuscation, works by making your VPN traffic look like a normal one. The same goes for NordVPN’s obfuscation, which is realized through the implementation of obfuscated servers. Finally, we have ad-blocking, which TunnelBear offers separately.
It has a special ad blocker for Chrome, which blocks tracking and ads. On the flip side, NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro blocks ads, trackers, malware, malicious downloads, and malicious websites, all in real-time. This makes NordVPN’s variant vastly superior.
Unique Features
TunnelBear doesn’t have many unique features – to be frank, it has none. Its protocol selection is typical, and while obfuscation is a great addition, it doesn’t work as well as NordVPN’s obfuscated servers, which we’ll cover later, near the end.
For now, in our TunnelBear vs NordVPN duel, we must mention a Double VPN.
NordVPN uses this feature to route your traffic through two servers and encrypt your connection twice. This is useful in surveillance-ridden countries where privacy is imperative. It also offers Meshnet used for remote device access, secure file sharing, and much more.
Such a feature can also help you overcome the Netflix password-sharing ban in 2025.
NordVPN’s app also houses Onion Over VPN servers, directly compatible with Tor, which is used to go on the dark web. Not to mention NordVPN’s inclusion of Private DNS and RAM-only servers. These servers are NOT used by TunnelBear; instead, it relies on HDD servers.
Paying extra for NordVPN’s plans includes NordPass and NordLocker, which can be looked upon as “bonus” security. Not to mention NordProtect, which removes your data from data brokers and additionally shields your online identity. TunnelBear has nothing similar.
Winner: NordVPN
Shield Your Online Presence With NordVPN
Do TunnelBear and NordVPN Store Logs?
When a VPN stores logs, it’s like a car without a tire – it just stands there, looking useless. Luckily, neither of these are useless privacy-wise and it won’t matter which one you pick, TunnelBear or NordVPN, because they have audited no-logging policies.
Starting with TunnelBear, the VPN stores minimal information to make the service operational. It, however, doesn’t store your IP address, DNS requests, traffic metadata, visited websites, and so on. TunnelBear logs your used bandwidth but only if you’re a free user.
That’s necessary to enforce its 2 GB/mo limit.
NordVPN continues the trend of minimal logging. Most of the information it stores is anonymized and refers to troubleshooting or operational data. Neither can be traced back to you and help NordVPN or a third party to identify your location, browsing data, etc.
NordVPN uses RAM servers – a huge advantage. Also, this VPN is based in Panama, while TunnelBear “lives” in Canada. The latter is a 5 Eyes country, and this 5-country alliance is notorious for global surveillance, data collection, and espionage. Poor privacy practices.
As seen in our IPVanish review, this isn’t necessarily bad. IPVanish, PIA, and other reputable VPNs are within the 5 Eyes region and still have audited no-logging policies. The same goes for TunnelBear, which has 5+ audits from Cure53, with transparency reports.
In comparison, NordVPN has 3 audits from Deloitte and PwC.
We’d give NordVPN an advantage because of RAM servers. However, TunnelBear’s annual Cure53 audits punch NordVPN’s gut equally strong, making for the first tie in this battle.
Winner: Tie
Which VPN Is Faster: NordVPN or TunnelBear?
Let’s compare NordVPN vs TunnelBear speeds. Which VPN is faster in practice?
Before we start, we’ll give you our starting point. This TunnelBear vs NordVPN comparison was done in Belgrade, where we resided at the time of testing. Our native, non-VPN speeds are below, and this starting point was used to leverage and gauge their performance.
The question is – how did we test them?
For one, we performed tests using their fastest protocols, which were nearly identical. TunnelBear uses WireGuard, while NordVPN uses NordLynx, a bit more “optimized” variant of WireGuard. We also performed our tests for 3 days in a row, 3 times a day.
During the process, we used 3 server locations; the UK, the USA, and Japan.
We then took the average results from all the tests and compiled them for this TunnelBear vs NordVPN speed test. So, the table below displays the average speed loss in percentage, where we can see that NordVPN is significantly faster for downloads and uploads.
| Download Speed Loss | Upload Speed Loss | |
| NordVPN | 18% | 7% |
| TunnelBear | 49% | 30% |
If you look at the table below, we have a table with the concrete (average) speeds we got from our tests.
| UK (Download/Upload) | US (Download/Upload) | Japan (Download/Upload) | |
| NordVPN | 324.25/18.68 Mbps | 292.75/18.31 Mbps | 223.54/17.85 Mbps |
| TunnelBear | 226.11/21.02 Mbps | 191.85/10.80 Mbps | 102.78/9.04 Mbps |
These results confirm NordVPN’s superiority, which wasn’t just present in tests but in practice as well. The VPN simply feels snappier, quicker, and smoother to use.
Winner: NordVPN
Surf at Fast Speeds With NordVPN
Streaming & Torrenting Comparison
If your sole criterion is streaming, then NordVPN should be on your radar. This VPN is extremely powerful, especially when paired with its browser extension. With location spoofing and streaming-optimized servers, you can unblock anything you want.
With 20+ Netflix catalogs, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and various TV channels, you’ll be happier than your dog at dinner time. Moreover, NordVPN can unblock a variety of US-based streaming services, which can be great for, let’s say, streaming the Super Bowl risk-free.
We noticed how fast NordVPN was each time we used it for streaming. 4K videos were a breeze, with no stuttering and annoying “hick-ups” on higher resolutions. TunnelBear’s premium version, which was used in this comparison, is still underwhelming in this aspect.
Streaming is a no-go in most cases and you’ll struggle to unblock even a few Netflix catalogs, except for the US one. We also found that BBC iPlayer works “okay” but occasional VPN detections are inevitable. Other, more “stubborn” platforms are impossible to unblock.
Torrenting is a quality experience for both teams. TunnelBear’s server fleet is P2P-friendly but be aware that the free subscription blocks P2P. NordVPN has dedicated P2P servers but you can also use the other ones for this purpose. Speed-wise, there was no huge difference.
We used servers in our country to get the best speed. When torrenting with a VPN, you don’t want to “go” too far either way. Torrenting is almost identical, while streaming is on NordVPN’s side, making it a far better choice than TunnelBear.
Winner: NordVPN
Enjoy Unlimited P2P/Streaming With NordVPN
Server Locations: NordVPN vs TunnelBear VPN
TunnelBear is stacked for a VPN of this caliber and puts on a good show in this round. At the time of writing this TunnelBear vs NordVPN analysis, the situation is the following:
| Number of Servers | Number of Countries | |
| NordVPN | 6,800+ | 113+ |
| TunnelBear | 8,000+ | 46+ |
Impressively, TunnelBear houses 1,200 servers more than NordVPN. The server count isn’t always that important, especially when the country’s spread is thin. Sadly, the brown grizzly bear has only 46+ of them, while NordVPN possesses well over 110 in 2025.
TunnelBear also lacks dedicated servers and doesn’t offer dedicated IP addresses.
NordVPN strikes with its:
- Obfuscated servers
- Double VPN servers
- Onion Over VPN servers
- Dedicated IP servers
- P2P servers
Apart from offering more countries, the server fleet is also more varied, which is always welcome. If you’re looking to depart for the dark web safely, you’ll use its Onion Over VPN servers. Conversely, if you need to engage in P2P file-sharing, you have corresponding servers.
Dedicated servers are unnecessary, as seen in ExpressVPN, for example. However, TunnelBear’s “standard” servers aren’t impressive to begin with. They have 10 Gbps ports but their outdated HDD base doesn’t cope well against NordVPN’s juggernaut RAM servers.
TunnelBear’s fleet is a prime example of size without striking qualities. Plus, having more countries is better than having more servers, so despite the 1,200-server difference, NordVPN is, and will be a better option unless TunnelBear adds 70+ countries overnight.
Winner: NordVPN
Bypassing Censorship: Which VPN Does It Better?
Before we wrap things up, let’s quickly address bypassing censorship in this TunnelBear vs NordVPN comparison. The former won’t work in China and that’s a big minus. Yes, its GhostBear obfuscation works well overall but fails to circumvent the Great Firewall in 2025.
After testing the VPN on multiple occasions, we noticed that GhostBear also influences the connection speed, so expect some slowdowns. NordVPN’s obfuscated servers are far better here because they allow you to use the VPN in China, which is great, especially for the price.
Circumvent Censorship With NordVPN
Once connected to an obfuscated server, you can freely watch YouTube videos, use Google apps, and do anything you want in China. These servers can also overcome various firewall restrictions in other countries and corporate environments, making them quite handy.
TunnelBear’s GhostBear behaves properly in these environments as well. But if you need a VPN specifically for China, you won’t find luck here. This factor makes NordVPN a better pick for overall reliability regarding censorship circumvention.
Winner: NordVPN
Conclusion: NordVPN Beats TunnelBear in 2025
At the end of our TunnelBear vs NordVPN comparison for 2025, we can confidently conclude that the latter is better. If you know a thing or two about VPNs, you know that NordVPN is hard to beat. For the price, it’s easily the best provider you can go for.
It’s good to commend TunnelBear on its valiant efforts. It’s affordable and safe to use, with extra attention to privacy, server count, and ease of use. Ultimately, neither of these is enough to win against NordVPN, which takes TunnelBear’s possibilities and multiplies them.
NordVPN’s scope and size have doomed TunnelBear from the start, as it managed to hold its own only in the privacy round. Everything else is really on the blue team’s side, making NordVPN our preferred option and the one you should absolutely get in 2025.