Selecting between two equally positioned companies is rarely straightforward – notably for individuals who won’t know precisely what they’re in search of. We discover what it takes to make a specific digital personal community (VPN) supplier stand out by contemplating the VyprVPN vs TunnelBear debate.
VyprVPN vs TunnelBear – Which service must you select?
VyprVPN and TunnelBear have been within the VPN enterprise for greater than a decade, every making a decent title for itself alongside the way in which. Nonetheless, whereas some points of each companies had been noteworthy, neither supplier was markedly higher general.
TunnelBear has an plain novelty issue, with a relentless bear theme that may enchantment to many customers – in any case, it’s not usually {that a} VPN may be made to appear enjoyable. It additionally affords first rate speeds and well-priced long-term subscriptions.
That mentioned, VyprVPN’s potential to entry streaming companies is spectacular. It additionally has extra options and higher buyer help.
Pricing
TunnelBear affords one of the best worth general, solely due to its 36-month plan. Its one-month and 12-month subscriptions value the identical as these of VyprVPN.
TunnelBear does additionally supply a free plan, however with the caveat that you simply’re restricted to 500MB of knowledge. This is able to get you about half an hour’s price of streaming on Netflix. As such, its solely actual use is as a type of free trial. On this assessment we’ll focus solely on the paid-for TunnelBear service, which supplies limitless knowledge.
A rolling month-to-month TunnelBear contract prices $9.99 a month, whereas a 12-month contract prices $4.99 a month. The perfect worth plan is the three-year subscription, which prices the equal of $3.33 a month.
By comparability, VyprVPN’s finest deal is its 12-month contract at $5 a month. If you happen to’d favor to pay on a month-by-month foundation, it’ll value you $10.
You possibly can pay for subscriptions to each companies utilizing debit or bank cards (together with American Specific). VyprVPN additionally accepts funds through PayPal, which TunnelBear now not helps. TunnelBear does, nevertheless, settle for cryptocurrency, which VyprVPN doesn’t.
| No Worth | VyprVPN | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| Visa/MasterCard | ||
| Amex | ||
| Cryptocurrency | ||
| PayPal |
If you happen to subscribe, solely to search out the service doesn’t carry out fairly the way you anticipate, VyprVPN permits you to request a full refund with no questions requested. TunnelBear will not be fairly so beneficiant, and says that any refunds are selected a case-by-case foundation. Its assumption is that customers could have had an opportunity to check the service earlier than subscribing utilizing the free model.
Winner: TunnelBear
Efficiency & velocity
TunnelBear was greater than twice as quick as VyprVPN in our common velocity assessments, and its most speeds had been greater than 5 instances sooner. We be sure that said VPN speeds are up-to-date by repeatedly checking them utilizing our rigorous testing methodology.
Whereas VyprVPN may lavatory down the quickest web connections, TunnelBear is nice for streaming 4K content material and gaming.
| No Worth | VyprVPN | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| ProPrivacy.com SpeedTest (max/burst) | 69.6 | 385 |
| ProPrivacy.com SpeedTest (common) | 20.9 Mbps | 50.6 Mbps |
Each suppliers use the light-weight WireGuard protocol, which has improved numerous suppliers’ speeds when applied. WireGuard runs utilizing roughly 4,000 strains of code, which makes it way more environment friendly than a protocol like OpenVPN, which makes use of round 100 instances extra. Nonetheless, as WireGuard remains to be not but thought of fairly as demonstrably safe as OpenVPN, some customers nonetheless favor to make use of the older protocol.
Winner: TunnelBear
Which has higher options?
TunnelBear has a bigger server community than VyprVPN – although they’re each pretty small in comparison with these of the big-name suppliers. However, regardless of having fewer servers, VyprVPN has a presence in additional nations than TunnelBear. This offers VyprVPN customers a greater vary of IP addresses to select from, with choices in Vietnam, Costa Rica, and Egypt, for instance.
VyprVPN subscribers are permitted to attach as much as 10 gadgets concurrently. Whereas that is higher than the business common, it pales compared to TunnelBear, which permits customers limitless machine connections.
| No Worth | VyprVPN | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| Simultaneous connections | 10 | N/A |
| Complete servers | 700 | 1000 |
| Variety of nations | 64 nations | 47 nations |
| Cut up-tunneling | ||
| Kill-switch | ||
| Obfuscation (stealth) | ||
| Self-hosted DNS |
Each suppliers semi-support cut up tunneling, which permits sure apps to attach through the VPN tunnel whereas others join usually. For TunnelBear clients, the function is just out there whereas utilizing Android and iOS gadgets, whereas VyprVPN clients should be utilizing macOS or Android.
Each companies even have kill-switches – although just for Home windows, macOS, and Android apps. A kill-switch stops the move of web site visitors if the VPN connection drops out.
Customers in nations the place the web is censored will recognize that each TunnelBear and VyprVPN may help cover VPN use by knowledge obfuscation. TunnelBear supplies this service through the implementation of OpenVPN3 with Pluggable Transports. Selecting both TCP over port 443 or Obs4proxy will make web site visitors seem like common HTTPS site visitors, thus evading VPN blocks.
VyprVPN goes one additional by offering a devoted connection protocol – Chameleon – that scrambles OpenVPN packet metadata to keep away from recognition throughout deep packet inspection (DPI). Chameleon additionally rotates IP addresses in-session with out a break in connection. The protocol is on the market to these utilizing the Home windows, macOS, Android, and iOS apps.
Each suppliers defend customers’ DNS queries by working their very own encrypted area title system (DNS) on each server. This prevents DNS requests from being despatched to the person’s ISP, which might reveal the websites being visited.
Winner: Draw
Which streaming companies can they entry?
Whereas VPNs are an excellent instrument for safeguarding your on-line privateness, many individuals are drawn to them with the promise of accessing geo-restricted streaming content material. Nonetheless, the issue is that streaming suppliers are actually slightly good at detecting and blocking VPN use. The result’s that only a few VPNs truly work with the most important streaming platforms.
TunnelBear is one such supplier. In our assessments, we couldn’t entry any of the main suppliers. VyprVPN, then again, did a lot better. It labored with all the massive names, together with ITV Hub, All 4, HBO Now, and the notoriously strict Netflix.
| No Worth | VyprVPN | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix | ||
| iPlayer | ||
| Amazon Prime | ||
| Hulu |
Nonetheless, although it labored with the biggest, and most sought-after Netflix library; particularly, the US, it didn’t work with both the French or Japanese libraries.
| No Worth | VyprVPN | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| USA | ||
| Canada | ||
| Japan | ||
| France | ||
| Germany |
Winner: VyprVPN
Torrenting
TunnelBear and VyprVPN each help P2P file sharing – even when it’s a little grudgingly. VyprVPN warns customers that it prohibits “copyright, trademark, and patent infringement”, whereas TunnelBear used to not enable torrenting in any respect, although it has now relented.
Due to the shortage of a kill-switch in each suppliers’ iOS apps, it’s solely actually protected to torrent utilizing the Home windows, macOS, or Android apps. In all instances, customers get entry to limitless knowledge.
There’s no port forwarding with both supplier, making them lower than supreme for critical file sharers. Port forwarding permits higher seeding and sooner downloads by permitting connections that may in any other case be blocked by Community Deal with Translation (NAT) firewalls.
Winner: Draw
Setup & usability
There’s little level paying for a VPN service that you simply discover troublesome – or in any other case unsatisfying – to make use of.
Fortunately, each suppliers present intuitive GUIs which are straightforward for first-timers to navigate. VyprVPN is the cleaner of the 2 interfaces, although TunnelBear has the sting with its bear-infused design introducing a way of enjoyable into proceedings.
In each instances, getting linked takes a matter of seconds, with the assorted settings managed utilizing easy toggle switches.
After beginning TunnelBear, you’ll land on the server web page. You possibly can both let TunnelBear select the quickest server for you, or make your resolution manually utilizing the drop-down record or map.
VyprVPN works equally, although with out the map. It does, nevertheless, allow you to select your server by metropolis, whereas TunnelBear restricts your option to a specific nation. VyprVPN additionally permits you to type servers in response to nation, area or velocity, which may be helpful in case you have a specific activity in thoughts – similar to accessing region-specific companies.
| No Worth | VyprVPN | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| Home windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| DD-WRT | ||
| Tomato | ||
| pfSense | ||
| OpenWRT | ||
| AsusWRT |
Each suppliers make it easy to change between protocols, launch the VPN on startup, and allow the kill-switch and split-tunneling options. VyprVPN has the extra choice for automated WiFi safety, which can guarantee connections are protected on unsecured networks.
TunnelBear and VyprVPN have apps for Home windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. Neither supplier affords a Linux app, although loads of others do.
You possibly can set up VyprVPN on a router, which can solely depend in direction of considered one of your allotted connections whereas offering safety to your whole community. Appropriate routers embrace these working DD-WRT, OpenWRT, and AsusWRT firmware.
Winner: VyprVPN
Safety
Each suppliers have a demonstrable dedication to customers’ safety, having every submitted to impartial audits. VyprVPN has had its apps and servers examined by Leviathan Safety, whereas TunnelBear has had a minimum of 5 safety audits performed by Cure53.
TunnelBear and VyprVPN each safe customers’ web site visitors utilizing 256-bit AES encryption, along side 2,048-bit RSA keys and SHA256 authentication.
| No Worth | VyprVPN | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| IPv6 leak safety | ||
| WebRTC leak safety | ||
| PPTP | ||
| L2TP/IPSec | ||
| SSTP | ||
| IKEv2 | ||
| OpenVPN | ||
| WireGuard | ||
| Different protocols | Chameleon | – |
| AES-256 | ||
| RSA-2048 | ||
| RSA-4096 |
By way of connection protocols, TunnelBear permits OpenVPN throughout all of its apps. In contrast, WireGuard is just out there on Home windows and iOS; and IKEv2 on Home windows and iOS. In case you have no protocol preferences, you may let TunnelBear select for you.
VyprVPN permits customers to attach through WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, and IPSec. These in search of obfuscated connections can choose to make use of the Chameleon protocol, although that is, by its nature, slower.
DNS leak safety is constructed into each suppliers’ apps. We didn’t detect any DNS – or WebRTC and IP deal with – leaks throughout testing.
Winner: Draw
Privateness
As talked about, each suppliers have undertaken impartial audits which verified their no-logs claims. That is essential on condition that TunnelBear is predicated in Canada, whose intelligence businesses are permitted to gather and share info beneath the nation’s Anti-terrorism Act, 2015. The nation additionally belongs to the 5 Eyes intelligence alliance.
It’s price noting that, must you care to learn it, TunnelBear’s privateness coverage is exceptionally clear and simple to grasp. That is uncommon: many suppliers’ insurance policies are opaque, with the worst descending into legalese.
| No Worth | VyprVPN | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Switzerland | Canada |
| Independently audited? |
Exterior verification from third-party auditors has additionally been essential for VyprVPN, who had beforehand collected customers IP addresses and different metadata earlier than changing into a real no-logs supplier. VyprVPN is predicated in Switzerland, which is notable for its dedication to residents’ privateness. However, a no-logs coverage is crucial for gaining person belief – as VyprVPN found.
Winner: TunnelBear
Buyer help
Responsive and educated buyer help can elevate a supplier’s standing amongst its customers – generally sufficient to make up for shortfalls elsewhere.
VyprVPN affords a great vary of choices if subscribers need assistance. At the start, there’s 24/7 reside chat out there through its web site. There’s additionally an choice to ship an e-mail, and a discussion board for patrons to request new VyprVPN options. An internet data part supplies assist with getting began, troubleshooting, connecting in nations with restricted web, and FAQs.
TunnelBear sadly has no reside help. Prospects – there’s no assist for non-customers – should as an alternative fill in a web based kind and wait to obtain assist. Alternatively, there’s a searchable data base, with devoted sections for getting began, troubleshooting, accounts, and bulletins.
Winner: VyprVPN
Conclusion
Though TunnelBear and VyprVPN are pretty evenly matched general, every has one thing essential to supply that the opposite doesn’t. The secret’s figuring out which “one thing” is essential to you.
Those that worth velocity will favor TunnelBear, which far outdid VyprVPN in our assessments. TunnelBear can be a greater choice for individuals who have to maintain their month-to-month spending down – however provided that they’re prepared to subscribe for at the least three years. Moreover, the TunnelBear GUI is inventive and can probably enchantment to novice customers who may benefit from the game-like, cartoonish really feel of the apps.
VyprVPN, in the meantime, is the higher choice for streaming. It’s in a position to entry a variety of Netflix libraries, which isn’t any imply feat nowadays. It’s additionally the extra interesting choice for superior customers – there’s a much less gimmicky GUI, extra options to play with, and higher buyer help to assist perceive them.
Neither supplier is especially good for torrenting, and each might do with making their apps extra constant feature-wise. However, they’re each stable suppliers and seem dedicated to long-term enchancment.
General winner: Draw
If you happen to’re contemplating different VPNs, go to our different vs pages to see how TunnelBear and VyprVPN fare in opposition to totally different suppliers.
Picture credit score: Javier Allegue Barros on Unsplash
