TunnelBear is strong on transparency and privacy. It’s based in Canada, which is part of the 5-Eyes alliance - a group of countries that share intelligence data - but TunnelBear doesn’t log your activity.
It goes further than most by publishing an independent security audit every year, with reports available to the public that show how their systems are tested and improved. The most recent audit available is from 2023. TunnelBear has stated it will release the 2024 audit publicly and has the 2025 audit planned, but these have not yet been published. While its past track record is solid, the lack of newer reports may leave some people looking for more recent verification.
You can also sign up without providing any personal information - even an email address isn’t required if you’re on the free plan.
TunnelBear includes GhostBear (its obfuscation feature), which disguises VPN traffic so it looks like regular internet activity. This can help you stay connected in places where VPNs are blocked or restricted. It also supports OpenVPN3 with pluggable transports - a technology that makes it harder for networks to detect and block your VPN, useful in countries or workplaces with strict internet controls.
However, it doesn’t use RAM-only (diskless) servers - servers that store data only in temporary memory, wiping everything when restarted. Some advanced VPNs use this for extra security.
If your goal is straightforward online privacy backed by clear, public audits, TunnelBear delivers very well.
