NordVPN vs. TunnelBear — Which VPN Is Better in 2024?

Tim Mocan
Updated on: April 23, 2024

NordVPN and TunnelBear are among the top VPNs on the market, as they both come with strong security features, have easy-to-use apps, and work with top streaming sites like Netflix and BBC iPlayer.

Both providers have essential VPN security features like 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, and a no-logs policy. In addition, they also have:

• Full leak protection.
• Tor (The Onion Router) support.
• Obfuscation.
• Split-tunneling.

However, there are noticeable differences between NordVPN and TunnelBear. NordVPN has more extras, including an ad blocker and a smart DNS, has a no-logs audit, discloses its total server count (6,266 servers in 111 countries), has fast speeds on all servers, has apps for all major platforms, and supports manual router setups. TunnelBear, on the other hand, lacks many additional features, is missing a no-logs audit, doesn’t publish its server count, has noticeable slowdowns on all servers, only has iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS apps, and doesn’t work on routers — on the plus side, it works in restrictive countries and supports unlimited connections, while NordVPN only allows 10 connections.

I compared the two VPNs by using several metrics, including security, additional features, privacy features, servers, speeds, streaming support, P2P support, gaming, bypassing firewalls, ease of use, pricing, and customer support. I had the best experience with NordVPN, but I still recommend reading the whole comparison to see which VPN would provide you with the best value.

Try NordVPN Now (30 Days Risk-Free)

NordVPN vs. TunnelBear — Quick Overview

Security — Both VPNs Provide Strong Security

Both NordVPN and TunnelBear are good for securing your traffic, as they come with all industry-standard VPN security features:

• 256-bit AES encryption. Makes all your traffic 100% unreadable. Also, this type of encryption is the same one that banks and the military use.
• No-logs policy. Prevents the VPN provider from logging your IP address and web traffic (what sites you access, and what files you download).
• Kill switch. Shuts down all internet access if it detects that your VPN connection has dropped. This prevents traffic leaks that can compromise your data.

On top of a normal kill switch, NordVPN also has an app-level kill switch — it shuts down selected apps if the VPN connection drops. I tested the provider’s app-level kill switch with several P2P clients, and it always worked really well.

I also like how both VPNs have full protection against IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leaks. I ran leak tests while connected to 10+ servers from each provider, and I never experienced any leaks.

However, only NordVPN comes with other advanced security features. It includes RAM-only servers, which never store any data to the hard drive and every server reset wipes all data. You also get perfect forward secrecy, which changes the encryption key for each VPN session to make sure hackers can’t compromise past or future encryption keys.

Both NordVPN and TunnelBear have secure protocols like OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec. What’s more, TunnelBear also uses WireGuard, which is very secure and fast, and NordVPN has its proprietary protocol NordLynx, which is built around WireGuard.

Finally, NordVPN also lets you secure your account with two-factor authentication — this requires you to authenticate every login attempt with a time-sensitive code that’s generated by an app, or a security key.

Extra Features — NordVPN Comes With Way More Features

Both VPNs have good additional features, but I like NordVPN better — it provides access to more extras than TunnelBear.

NordVPN and TunnelBear both come with split-tunneling — this feature lets you pick which apps or websites use the VPN connection, and which apps or sites use your local network. NordVPN comes with split-tunneling on Android and Windows, while TunnelBear has it on Android and iOS (it’s one of the only VPNs out there that supports the feature on iOS).

Both VPNs also come with obfuscation, which is a security feature that hides your VPN traffic. With obfuscation, you get extra privacy. TunnelBear offers obfuscation through its GhostBear feature, which is super easy to use and works in all 47 countries. NordVPN, on the other hand, only provides obfuscation by using the OpenVPN protocol and works in just 15+ countries.

However, only NordVPN comes with a built-in VPN ad blocker (Threat Protection) for Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS — it gets rid of annoying ads (but not on Android), stops third-party trackers from spying on your data, blocks connections to malicious sites, and also protects you from malware-infected downloads. I also like how you don’t need to connect to a VPN server for Threat Protection to be active, which is very convenient. TunnelBear has an ad blocker for Chrome that is free to download from its website.

Both providers allow Tor traffic across all of their servers. This means you can first secure your traffic with either NordVPN or TunnelBear before you start accessing dark web sites. That said, only NordVPN comes with an additional Tor-related feature (called Onion Over VPN) that lets you surf dark web sites in regular browsers, such as Firefox and Chrome — this is way more convenient than having to download and use the Tor browser.

On top of that, only NordVPN has a smart DNS — a tool that lets you install a VPN on devices that are not compatible with VPN apps, such as gaming consoles and certain smart TV models.

Furthermore, here is a list of other extras that NordVPN has, and TunnelBear lacks:

• Double VPN. Routes your traffic through 2 VPN servers instead of just 1 VPN server. This provides better security, as your data is secured by an extra layer of encryption.
• Dark Web Monitor. Scans dark web sites and sends you alerts if your NordVPN account login credentials have been compromised in a data breach.
• Tapjacking protection. This Android feature alerts you if a malicious app tries to add an overlay screen to trick you into performing actions that might endanger your data (for example, revealing your bank account login).
• Meshnet. Allows you to link up to 60 devices over encrypted VPN connections. This provides better security when you host virtual LAN parties or when you remotely share files from your phone to your home computer while traveling.
• Dedicated IP addresses. For an additional price, NordVPN will assign you an IP address that only you use. You can use it to avoid reCAPTCHAs and access sites that normally block shared VPN IP addresses, like banks.
• SOCKS5 proxy support. Allows you to use SOCKS5 proxies, which change your IP address but don’t encrypt your traffic — so you get significantly faster speeds than with a VPN connection.

Privacy — NordVPN Comes Out on Top

Both VPNs protect your privacy really well, but NordVPN is slightly better. Each VPN comes with a strict no-logs policy that doesn’t log your IP address and traffic. So they don’t know what your real location is, what sites you browse, and what files you download. However, only NordVPN’s no-logs policy has been independently audited — it passed an audit in 2018, 2020, and 2022.

On the plus side, both VPNs undergo other security audits. NordVPN’s proprietary NordLynx protocol passed an independent audit, and its iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS apps were audited in 2019. Meanwhile, TunnelBear’s code, server infrastructure, website, and apps undergo annual security audits.

But only NordVPN is located in a privacy-friendly country — its headquarters are in Panama, which is outside the jurisdiction of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances (a group of countries that share surveillance data). TunnelBear, on the other hand, is headquartered in Canada, which is a member of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances.

On top of that, NordVPN is the only provider that accepts cryptocurrency payments, which provide much better privacy than standard payment methods.

Servers — NordVPN Has a Better Server Network

TunnelBear has a good server network, but it’s still hard for it to compete with NordVPN. With NordVPN, you get 6,266 servers in 111 countries. TunnelBear has servers in 47 countries, but I don’t like how it doesn’t disclose its total number of servers. The customer service representatives said they don’t publish the number of servers because it’s always changing and the number wouldn’t remain accurate (this isn’t that big of a deal but it lacks transparency).

Both NordVPN and TunnelBear use physical servers, which are physically located in the country you connect to. I also asked each provider if it uses virtual locations, which provide you with an IP address from the country you connect to, but the actual server is located in a different country — NordVPN’s reps confirmed that the provider doesn’t use virtual locations, while TunnelBear’s reps weren’t able to provide me with an answer.

Each VPN also allows torrenting, but I think NordVPN’s P2P support is better — both VPNs have P2P servers in 45+ countries, but NordVPN also discloses its full P2P server count (4,500+).

Each VPN also supports obfuscation on its servers. NordVPN has 100+ obfuscated servers in 15+ countries, while TunnelBear supports obfuscation on all of its servers.

In addition, both VPNs allow streaming and have Tor support across all of their servers — however, NordVPN also has Onion Over VPN servers in Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Plus, NordVPN has other types of servers — it includes double VPN servers in 5+ countries and dedicated IP address servers in 5+ countries, including the US, the UK, and Japan.

Speeds — NordVPN Is the Fastest Option

I ran speed tests with NordVPN and TunnelBear, and NordVPN maintained faster speeds — that’s to be expected, though, since it’s one of the fastest VPNs in 2024.

With NordVPN, I had very fast speeds on nearby and distant servers (with only minor slowdowns on ones very far away from my location). On nearby servers, websites, HD videos, and 4K videos loaded instantly — and the videos never buffered. Also, it took me just 10–12 minutes to download a 20 GB file. On distant servers, sites loaded in 2–3 seconds, HD loaded in 2 seconds, 4K videos took 4–5 seconds and I only experienced minor buffering, and the same 20 GB file took 19–22 minutes to torrent.

I had decent speeds with TunnelBear on nearby and distant servers, but they were noticeably slower than with NordVPN. On nearby servers, sites loaded in 1–2 seconds, HD videos took 3 seconds to load (but they didn’t buffer), 4K videos loaded in 5–6 seconds and I experienced minor buffering, and a 20 GB file took 21–23 minutes to download. On distant servers, websites took 4 seconds to load, HD videos loaded in 4–5 seconds and there was minor buffering, 4K videos took 8–9 seconds to load and I experienced noticeable buffering at the start, and the same 20 GB file downloaded in 34–36 minutes.

Streaming — NordVPN Is Better for Streaming

Both VPNs are good for streaming, but you get a better experience with NordVPN — it consistently works with 10+ top streaming services. TunnelBear, on the other hand, wasn’t able to provide me with an approximate number of streaming platforms that it works with.

I like that both NordVPN and TunnelBear work with Netflix without any issues. Even better, NordVPN’s customer support team confirmed it works with 10+ Netflix libraries. This means you won’t have any problems visiting your home library while you’re using NordVPN.

In addition to Netflix, both VPNs also work with other popular streaming services, including BBC iPlayer, Max, and Amazon Prime — that said, only NordVPN works with Disney+.

And only NordVPN provides access to a smart DNS tool, which lets you use a VPN on devices that don’t support VPN apps. In addition, it also has SmartPlay across all of its servers, which mixes VPN and smart DNS tech, giving you even stronger encryption.

Torrenting — NordVPN Wins This Round

Both VPNs allow torrenting, but I like that NordVPN is transparent about its P2P server count. It has 4,500+ P2P servers in 45+ countries — TunnelBear also allows P2P traffic on servers in 47 countries, but it doesn’t mention how many P2P servers it actually has.

On the plus side, both VPNs work with popular torrenting clients — I tested them both while using qBittorrent, Vuze, and uTorrent, and I never encountered any problems.

Neither VPN supports port forwarding, but NordVPN has SOCKS5 proxy servers. These servers provide privacy by changing your IP address but don’t use encryption — so you get very fast P2P downloads while connected to one.

NordVPN and TunnelBear each provide strong security and privacy while torrenting, as they come with a kill switch, full leak protection, and a strict no-logs policy — that said, only NordVPN’s no-logs policy has been independently audited. In addition, NordVPN also has Threat Protection, which gets rid of harmful ads on P2P sites, blocks connections to malicious torrenting platforms, and protects you from malware-infected torrents.

Finally, before I downloaded any torrents with both VPNs, I ran several leak tests — I’m happy to say I never experienced any leaks. What’s more, I also ran torrent IP leak tests with both providers using 5+ P2P apps to make sure the torrent clients don’t leak my real IP address. Fortunately, the results always displayed each VPN’s IP address.

Gaming — NordVPN Has Better Gaming Support

I had pretty good connection speeds playing Dota 2 connected to both VPNs, though they were slightly better with NordVPN. When gaming on local servers, I maintained really good ping with each VPN. When I switched to distant servers, I maintained stable, average ping with NordVPN, but experienced higher ping with TunnelBear — I also experienced lag with both VPNs, but it was only minor, so it didn’t get in the way of my gaming.

Both providers protect you from Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, which force you offline. That said, only TunnelBear provides anti-DDoS protection on all of its servers — so, if someone tries to DDoS your connection to TunnelBear, they wouldn’t be able to do it. However, if they do the same with your NordVPN connection, they might manage to disconnect you from the provider’s servers.

But only NordVPN comes with router support. This allows you to manually configure the provider’s VPN service on your router, so that you can use it to game on devices that don’t natively support VPN apps — like Xbox and PlayStation consoles, or some portable gaming devices.

Sadly, neither VPN comes with cloud gaming support — so I can’t guarantee that their services will allow you to access platforms that stream video games to portable devices, like smartphones and laptops.

Still, I like NordVPN’s Meshnet feature, which is good for securely hosting virtual LAN parties with your friends — that’s because it lets you link up to 60 devices over VPN-encrypted connections, so you can secure your connections to your friends’ devices.

Bypassing Censorship — TunnelBear Is the Better Option

	Obfuscation	Works in China	Works in Russia	Works in Iran	Works in Indonesia	Works in Saudi Arabia
NordVPN	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
TunnelBear	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅

Even though both providers have obfuscation, only TunnelBear works in restrictive countries — its support reps confirmed that the VPN works without issues in restrictive regions like China, Russia, Iran, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia. NordVPN, unfortunately, doesn’t work in restrictive countries.

Apps & Ease of Use — NordVPN Wins This Round

NordVPN simply has better cross-platform support — there are apps for iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS just like TunnelBear, but it also provides access to apps for Linux, Android TV, Fire TV, and Chromebook. In addition, NordVPN also supports manual router setups.

I like both VPNs’ mobile apps since they’re really intuitive — TunnelBear’s mobile apps are especially fun to use because digital bears pop up when you connect to a server location (plus, they even roar when you do that, which is adorable). That said, NordVPN’s mobile apps are much more feature-rich.

And both providers have really good desktop apps, which come with quick-connect tools that automatically connect you to the fastest server, easy-to-navigate interfaces, and helpful descriptions for all features. While NordVPN’s desktop apps are loaded with more features, TunnelBear’s macOS app is easier to install since it only has 1 version — NordVPN’s macOS app has 2 versions (the OpenVPN version, and the IKEv2/IPSec version).

However, only NordVPN allows manual router setups, which let you connect all of the devices that are connected to your router to be connected to the VPN, including on devices that don’t natively support VPN clients. The provider also has easy-to-follow tutorials that make the setup process really simple.

Plans & Pricing — Both VPNs Are Affordable

NordVPN and TunnelBear have budget-friendly prices and provide good value. NordVPN allows 10 connections, which is on the lower end of the industry average of 5–10 connections, while TunnelBear allows unlimited connections, meaning you can use the VPN on as many devices as you want.

NordVPN has a 1-month, a 1-year, and a 2-year plan, and a few tier-based subscriptions: Standard, Plus, and Complete. I recommend the Standard subscription, which starts at only $3.09 / month and provides access to all features. The Plus subscription adds NordPass, which is a password manager, and the Complete subscription adds NordLocker, which provides cloud encryption services.

TunnelBear has a 1-month, a 1-year, a 2-year, and a 3-year plan. The longest plan provides the best savings, as it starts at $3.33 / month.

TunnelBear also comes with a pretty decent free plan — it provides access to all VPN features and servers, but it limits you to 2 GB per month, which is only enough for 3-4  hours of basic web browsing. Even so, the free plan is enough for testing the VPN’s service before you buy it.

Both VPNs accept credit/debit cards, but NordVPN also accepts other payment methods — PayPal, Google Pay, and cryptocurrencies.

However, only NordVPN has a refund policy — it backs each purchase with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Customer Support — NordVPN Provides Better Customer Support

I really like NordVPN and TunnelBear’s customer service platforms. They each provide access to helpful support libraries, which include frequently asked questions (FAQs), setup tutorials, and troubleshooting guides. Both providers’ support articles are helpful — the only noticeable difference is that NordVPN has more FAQs than TunnelBear.

However, only NordVPN comes with 24/7 live chat support, which is the fastest and most convenient way to get in touch with a support rep. On average, I was connected with a NordVPN live chat rep in less than 5 seconds, and they always provided me with helpful answers.

NordVPN and TunnelBear both provide email support, with NordVPN typically responding within a day and TunnelBear within approximately 5-6 hours. However, NordVPN’s email support representatives tend to provide more accurate answers.

NordVPN vs. TunnelBear: Overall Winner

NordVPN has really good security and privacy features, provides great streaming and P2P support, and has 6,266 servers in 111 countries. It also has fast speeds on both nearby and distant servers, is great for gaming, and has user-friendly apps for all major platforms.

TunnelBear allows unlimited connections and works in restrictive countries. It also has servers in 47 countries, works with most streaming sites, and has beginner-friendly apps.

Both VPNs are really good, but NordVPN is clearly better — it provides better privacy, has faster speeds, is better for streaming, torrenting, and gaming, has apps for more devices, and provides better customer support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is NordVPN better than TunnelBear?

According to my tests, yes. NordVPN provides access to more features, including a smart DNS and an ad blocker, has better privacy (its no-logs policy is audited and the provider is located in a privacy-friendly country), has a better server network, provides faster speeds, is better for streaming, torrenting, and gaming, has apps for more platforms, and provides better customer support. That said, TunnelBear is better in restrictive countries. Also, I wasn’t able to pick a winner when it came to security features and pricing.

Which has faster speeds — NordVPN or TunnelBear?

NordVPN provided me with faster speeds in my tests — I enjoyed fast speeds for streaming, torrenting, and browsing on nearby and distant servers, and only experienced some minor slowdowns on distant servers. TunnelBear provided me with decent speeds, but the slowdowns were more noticeable on both nearby and distant servers.

Is NordVPN better for torrenting than TunnelBear?

Yes, NordVPN has better P2P support — it has 4,500+ P2P servers in 45 +countries. TunnelBear also has P2P servers in 47 countries, but it doesn’t say how many.

NordVPN and TunnelBear both work with top P2P clients, but NordVPN also has other P2P-related features — it comes with SOCKS5 proxy servers, which change your IP address but don’t encrypt your traffic, so you get significantly faster P2P speeds. In addition, NordVPN also has Threat Protection, which gets rid of ads on P2P sites, blocks shady P2P sites, and protects you from malware-infected torrents.

Do NordVPN and TunnelBear work with Netflix?

Yes, but I like NordVPN better. It’s customer support agents confirmed it works 10+ Netflix libraries, including Netflix US, Netflix UK, and Netflix Japan, so you shouldn’t have any problems getting onto Netflix while connected to NordVPN if you live in any of these countries. TunnelBear doesn’t mention how many Netflix libraries it works with, so I can’t guarantee you’ll be able to access your home library while connected to it.

Plus, unlike TunnelBear, NordVPN also comes with a smart DNS, which is a tool that lets you use a VPN on devices that don’t support VPN connections, such as gaming consoles or certain smart TV models.

Which works better in restrictive countries — NordVPN or TunnelBear?

TunnelBear is a better pick if you’re in a restrictive country — it consistently works in countries like China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia without any issues. NordVPN, on the other hand, doesn’t work in restrictive regions.

Read more about the best VPNs in 2024