ExpressVPN vs TunnelBear Comparison

Most people are unaware of the huge difference between VPNs, and TunnelBear is no exception. It’s not enough to just choose a provider based on price. If you’re looking for the best VPN service with unlimited bandwidth, ExpressVPN might be your best bet. This article will help you understand all of the differences between these two popular services so that you can make an informed decision about which one would work better for your needs!

Servers and Locations

The first thing to look at is the number of servers and locations each provider offers. It is important to have a large number of servers and locations to choose from, in order to find the best connection for you.

These numbers affect the speed of your connection. Moreover, the server you are connected to will determine what content is available for you. You need a VPN that offers servers in all of your favorite locations, so check both providers’ lists before making your decision.

ExpressVPN has over 3000 servers in 94 countries, while TunnelBear only has around 2000 servers in 20 countries. This gives ExpressVPN a clear advantage when it comes to finding an available server or unblocking content from specific regions.

ExpressVPN also continues to expand its server network, while TunnelBear has been known to close servers that do not meet their traffic and performance requirements.

Both of these VPN services have servers in many countries around the world for you to connect to. However, ExpressVPN offers more than twice the number of servers as TunnelBear.

It is worth noting that ExpressVPN has servers in such countries as China, Turkey, and Russia; while TunnelBear does not.

Both VPN services offer multiple server locations for their users to switch between, but ExpressVPN gives its subscribers more access to these different options.

Speed

The next criteria on which you can compare these two VPNs is speed. It is important because you don’t want to wait forever for a page to load, or worse – lose your connection in the middle of watching a movie.

Compared to ExpressVPN, TunnelBear upload speeds are slower at times. This means that if your priority is fast download speeds for torrenting or streaming videos, then the first option might be better suited for you. If however higher upload rates aren’t that important and all you need is a reliable connection, then TunnelBear might be the better choice.

According to the speed test, ExpressVPN is the clear winner when it comes to downloading speeds.
When it comes to general browsing and streaming, both VPNs offer a similar experience in terms of speed. However, if you are looking for a VPN that will allow you to torrent or stream HD content without any buffering problems, then ExpressVPN is your best bet.

Features

There are a lot of different features you should look for when choosing a VPN service. Here are some of the most important ones:

Both ExpressVPN and TunnelBear offer a variety of features to their users. However, there are some key differences between the two services.

ExpressVPN offers military-grade encryption, while TunnelBear does not. This makes ExpressVPN a better choice for users who need strong security measures.

TunnelBear offers a limited number of servers, while ExpressVPN offers a much larger server network. This makes ExpressVPN a better choice for users who need access to a variety of servers.

ExpressVPN allows torrenting and PTP file sharing, while TunnelBear does not. This makes ExpressVPN a better choice for users who need to torrent files or share files through PTP.

Both ExpressVPN and TunnelBear offer a killswitch feature. However, the way that the killswitch works differs between the two services.

With ExpressVPN, if your VPN connection drops for any reason, your internet connection will be automatically shut down. This ensures that your data remains protected at all times.

TunnelBear’s killswitch is a little different. If your VPN connection drops for any reason, it will cause the TunnelBear app to shut down in order to prevent you from accessing the internet without an encrypted connection.

Adblocking and anti-malware features can also be added to ExpressVPN through the use of additional software.

There are a few other minor differences between the two services, but these are the most important ones to consider.

So, which service is right for you?

Connections

One of the most important factors when choosing a VPN is the number of connections it offers. If you have multiple devices that you want to connect to the VPN, you need a service that offers more than one connection.

Both ExpressVPN and TunnelBear offer five connections, so they are both great choices if you have multiple devices.

However, TunnelBear offers a free plan that allows for only one connection, while ExpressVPN does not offer a free plan. If you only need to connect one device, TunnelBear is a good choice, but if you need more than one connection, ExpressVPN is the better option.

Connections are important if you want to protect your entire family or if you need a VPN for travel.

Security

Security is one of the most important factors for VPNs. A good security system usually consists of several components: authentication, encryption and leak protection.

Authentication is how the service knows you are who you say you are (e.g., by requiring a username and password). Encryption scrambles all your data to make it unreadable in transit; this means that anyone trying to intercept your traffic (including your ISP) will see gibberish. Leak protection prevents your true IP address from being revealed, even if the VPN connection drops.

ExpressVPN and TunnelBear both have excellent security features. ExpressVPN uses top-of-the-line encryption and leak protection, while TunnelBear’s security is more focused on authentication.

Both VPNs have a good variety of protocols and encryption ciphers, as well as support for IKEv-II (Internet Key Exchange version two). In addition to the usual OpenVPN, both services also support LZO compression and SSTP connections.

ExpressVPN supports 256-bit AES connections over OpenVPN, which is the best available method. It also uses SHA-512 for data authentication and supports perfect forward secrecy (PFS), an important security system that encrypts each session with a unique key to prevent surveillance of past sessions even if your password gets compromised in the future.

TunnelBear comes close; it uses 256-bit AES encryption, SHA-256 authentication and also supports perfect forward secrecy.

So, both VPNs are extremely secure. ExpressVPN is slightly more focused on encryption, but TunnelBear includes additional features related to authentication and leak protection.

Logging Policies

Logging policies are the first thing you need to look for before making a decision. Information security is always mandatory, but there are some VPN service providers that fail to mention their logging policy in an obvious way or don’t have one at all.

Logging policies are usually found on a VPN’s website under the ‘legal’ section and they give information about what kind of data is stored, for how long it’s kept and whether or not it’s shared with any third party. Moreover, some VPN services keep connection logs that contain users’ IP addresses.

Both ExpressVPN and TunnelBear have strict logging policies that ensure your privacy is protected. Neither company logs user activity or IP addresses.

However, TunnelBear does keep track of the total amount of data used by each user every month. This can be a concern for users who need to stay under a certain data limit. ExpressVPN does not keep any logs of user data.

Zero logs mean that user activity is not monitored and no information about users’ online activities is recorded.

In addition to that, it’s important how a VPN service responds when presented with a warrant from the government authorities – something we’ll talk more about later on. Both ExpressVPN and TunnelBear do not store any data related to their customers and they both claim that they will fight any request for user data that comes their way.

If you’re looking for a VPN that doesn’t keep any logs whatsoever, ExpressVPN is the best option.

Unlimited Bandwidth

Both ExpressVPN and TunnelBear offer unlimited bandwidth, so you can stream and download as much as you want without worrying about exceeding a monthly cap. However, ExpressVPN’s speeds are slightly faster than TunnelBear’s, making it the better choice for those who want to stream and download large files.

If you are looking for an unlimited amount of bandwidth, then ExpressVPN is the better choice. However, if you do not use a lot of bandwidth, then TunnelBear may be sufficient.

If you are looking for a cheaper option with similar features, TunnelBear is a good alternative.

You can see how much data you have used in your current billing cycle by logging into your account on either service’s website.

Company & Jurisdiction

Company and jurisdiction are important factors to consider when choosing a VPN service. ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, while TunnelBear is based in Canada. The British Virgin Islands are not part of the 14 Eyes surveillance alliance, whereas Canada is.

The British Virgin Islands also has no data retention laws, whereas Canada does. This means that your data is not stored and monitored by the government in the British Virgin Islands.

The United States does not have any data retention requirements so neither provider has to keep activity logs or user information for law enforcement agencies to request later on.

It is important to note, however, that ExpressVPN is a private company and TunnelBear is a subsidiary of McAfee. This means that McAfee could hand over user data if requested by the US government.

If privacy is your number one concern, ExpressVPN would be the better choice.

Always remember to look up your country’s laws on data retention to see what information is collected, and how long it can be held for.

User Interface

You should consider the user interface of a VPN before you make your choice. If you are going on vacation, for example, and want to be able to switch between servers with ease then this is important.

The two have different interfaces that offer distinct advantages over one another. ExpressVPN has a clean design which makes it easy to use on any device but TunnelBear is a little more playful and might be better for those who want something a little more fun.

ExpressVPN has a very user-friendly interface that makes it easy to switch servers on any device. TunnelBear, while also being user-friendly, takes a more playful approach with its design which some people may prefer. Overall, both VPNs have great user interfaces that are easy to use. While each has its benefits, an intuitive UI makes for a better overall experience.

With ExpressVPN, you can:

• Connect with one click using the in-built speed test (no setup required)
• Easily view all available connection points on a map
• No software installation is needed; simply enter your username and password and off you go

TunnelBear is also easy to use, but:

• Doesn’t have a speed test built-in
• You need to install the software before you can connect
• Doesn’t show all connection points on a map
• Only has desktop and mobile apps (no browser extension)

A good user interface should be easy to use on any device no matter where you are. Also, it should be easy to switch servers so you can get the best possible connection.

Remember that a VPN with a good user interface is the difference between being able to quickly switch servers and get a better connection or not. It can also make you more likely to use it every day because of its ease of use.

Torrenting

Many people use VPNs to torrent, but this is not encouraged for several reasons. One reason is that VPNs are supposed to help you remain anonymous online and keep your identity secure. However, if you’re downloading copyrighted content illegally then no one will want their IP address logged by the companies they use as a means of identifying themselves.

Another reason is that VPNs can slow your internet connection down. This is because you are adding an extra step between you and the site you’re visiting, which takes time. The slower your internet speed to start with, the more noticeable this will be.

If you’re looking for a VPN to torrent with, then you’ll need to look for one that doesn’t keep logs. ExpressVPN is a great example of this, as it keeps zero logs and allows PPT connections.

Torrenting with ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is a great choice for torrenting. They have servers in over 94 countries and allow PTP, LCP, and UDP traffic. Their speeds are also excellent, making it a good choice for streaming content. Moreover, you can download torrents on all of their servers without being monitored.

Torrenting with TunnelBear

TunnelBear is not as well-suited for torrenting as ExpressVPN. They have servers in only 20 countries, and they do not allow PTP traffic on their network. Their speeds are decent enough for streaming content but slow compared to ExpressVPN. In addition, they log users’ IP addresses when torrenting, which is not ideal.

ExpressVPN is a better choice than TunnelBear for torrenting because it offers more locations and allows all protocols on its network. However, if you only download occasionally, TunnelBear is a good choice since it’s much cheaper.

Netflix & Streaming

For watching Netflix and streaming you will need a VPN that is fast and has a large network. Moreover, you need to make sure that your VPN is capable of unblocking the US version of Netflix. Both ExpressVPN and TunnelBear meet these requirements, but there are some differences.

Netflix is available in over 190 countries, but the content you can watch differs depending on your location. Both ExpressVPN and TunnelBear have worked hard to make sure their users can access as much Netflix content as possible. However, there are some differences between the two services.

ExpressVPN allows its users to stream Netflix content from any of the 190 countries in which it is available. TunnelBear, on the other hand, restricts its users to stream Netflix content from only five of the 190 countries.

ExpressVPN also has a wider range of speeds available to its users than TunnelBear does. This means that ExpressVPN is better equipped to handle high-bandwidth activities like streaming Netflix.

Streaming with ExpressVPN is also more secure than with TunnelBear. This is because Tunnelbear does not have a kill switch, which stops all internet activity if the connection to their VPN servers drops out.

Additionally, both services provide AES-256 encryption and DNS leak protection as standard on each of its apps. They can also be turned off from within your app settings if you so choose.

Overall, ExpressVPN is the better service for streaming Netflix content.

Android TV & DD-WRT Support

Both ExpressVPN and TunnelBear offer excellent Android TV support. If you are looking for a VPN to use with your Android TV, either of these two providers will work well.

ExpressVPN also offers good DD-WRT support. This means that if you have a DD-WRT router, ExpressVPN can be set up on it. TunnelBear does not have any specific DD-WRT support, but it can be used with a router if you are willing to set up the VPN connection manually. Moreover, TunnelBear offers a much easier setup process than ExpressVPN.

Which provider offers better Android TV support? ExpressVPN is the clear winner here. It offers excellent Android TV support and also has good DD-WRT support. If you are looking for a VPN to use with your Android TV, ExpressVPN is the best choice.

Which provider offers better DD-WRT support? This one depends on if you have a router that can run DD-WRT or not. If you do, then go with ExpressVPN since it has good DD-WRT support while TunnelBear does not. If you don’t have a router that can run DD-WRT, then TunnelBear is the better choice.

Multi-Platform Support

Multi-Platform Support means that a VPN service can be used on multiple devices and operating systems.

Both ExpressVPN and TunnelBear offer multi-platform support, with apps available for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and even Linux. However, TunnelBear is a little more limited in terms of supported platforms than ExpressVPN.

ExpressVPN also offers support for routers, allowing you to protect all of your devices with one VPN subscription.

TunnelBear only offers support for PC and mobile devices, while ExpressVPN has apps available on all major platforms including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux (beta), Chromebooks (beta), Apple TV (via AirPlay), PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

If you want to use a VPN with your Smart TV, streaming media player, or other devices, ExpressVPN is the better option.

Plans & Pricing

One of the most important factors to consider when deciding on a VPN provider is the cost of their plans. Price is important because you want to make sure that your VPN is going to meet all of your needs without breaking the bank.

Both TunnelBear and ExpressVPN offer competitive pricing, but there are some slight differences between them that you may want to take into account before making your decision.

TunnelBear charges $9.99 for its monthly plan and comes down to about $59.88 per month if you opt for the annual plan. ExpressVPN, on the other hand, charges $12.95 for its monthly plan and $99.95 for its annual plan. That may seem like a lot more, but you also need to consider that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, whereas TunnelBear only provides a trial period.

The comparison between ExpressVPN vs TunnelBear is not just limited to their plans, though. There are some other features that you may want to consider before making your decision as well.

TunnelBear does not offer a split tunneling feature, which allows you to choose which traffic goes through the VPN and which doesn’t. ExpressVPN, on the other hand, offers this feature as well as a number of other benefits like unlimited bandwidth and server switching. If those features are important to you, then ExpressVPN is the better option.

When it comes to price and features, ExpressVPN is the better option for most people. If you’re looking for a VPN that has a low monthly cost and doesn’t require a long-term commitment, TunnelBear is a good choice. But if you want more features and benefits, ExpressVPN is the better option.

Anyway, you must consider your budget before making a decision. Both TunnelBear and ExpressVPN have their pros and cons, so you should make a decision based on your own needs.

Customer Support

One more thing you should consider when choosing a VPN service is customer support. Customer support is important because you may need help with setup or troubleshooting at some point. In addition, you may want to contact customer support for assistance on using the service.

Which VPN service would you rather have when you need help? ExpressVPN or TunnelBear?

ExpressVPN has excellent customer support. You can reach their customer support team via email or live chat. They usually respond within minutes, and they are very helpful. ExpressVPN also has an extensive knowledge base and troubleshooting section on their website to help you solve any issue yourself. Moreover, ExpressVPN has a long history of positive customer reviews.

TunnelBear offers several ways to get in touch, including live chat and email support. However, TunnelBear’s customer service is not as fast or helpful as other VPN services. They usually answer within 24 hours, but sometimes it can take longer. TunnelBear also doesn’t have a very comprehensive knowledge base or troubleshooting section on their website. And while they do have some positive customer reviews, there are also quite a few negative ones. Additionally, their website does not have much information that can help you troubleshoot issues on your own.

So if you want the best customer support possible, ExpressVPN is the clear winner.

Remember that customer support is very important when you use VPN services. You can usually expect fast and accurate responses from quality customer support teams like the one ExpressVPN offers.

FAQ

Is ExpressVPN owned by China?

No, ExpressVPN is not owned by China. It was last reported that the company was privately held and headquartered in the British Virgin Islands.

Can I use ExpressVPN to connect to Netflix?

Yes, you can definitely watch American Netflix through the supported apps. But please make sure that your account is linked with a US server and all traffic should be routed through it. The connection speed may vary depending on the location of the servers as well as internet service providers (ISPs). You will also need to clear your cookies and cache in order to make sure that you can access the Netflix website.

How long does it take for a refund?

The entire process usually takes around 30 minutes or less depending on which payment method is chosen by the user.

Do I need to turn on port forwarding?

Port forwarding should only be used if you are using a piece of software such as torrenting or other file sharing programs which require this function to work properly. ExpressVPN does not require port forwarding to be turned on.

What is the difference between TCP and UDP?

TCP is a connection-oriented protocol that guarantees the delivery of packets, while UDP is connectionless and does not guarantee delivery. Packets may be dropped in transit with UDP, which can cause problems for some applications. TCP is more reliable but can be slower due to the nature of its handshake process.

Is TunnelBear safe?

TunnelBear is generally considered to be a safe and reliable VPN service. However, as with any other VPN service, there is always some risk involved in using it. It is important to always use a strong password and to keep your computer protected from malware and viruses.

How long does 500MB last on TunnelBear?

500MB is not a lot of data to use, and therefore 500MB can be used up rather quickly. It may go faster depending on your activities while connected.

What Antivirus works best with ExpressVPN?

ExpressVPN does not have any specific antivirus requirements, as it is compatible with most major antivirus programs. However, we always recommend using a strong and up-to-date antivirus program to protect your computer from viruses and malware.

Useful Video: ExpressVPN vs TunnelBear VPN 2022 Review 🎯 The Surprising Truth

Final Thoughts

Now you know all the advantages and disadvantages of both VPNs.

ExpressVPN and TunnelBear are both excellent VPNs, it just depends on what you’re looking for. In the end, we think ExpressVPN is a better choice because it’s much easier to use and offers more flexible options in terms of servers and protocols. But if the price is your main concern, TunnelBear should be fine too!

If you’re still having a hard time deciding which one is for you, go with ExpressVPN if:

The provider offers the services you need to enjoy your favorite TV shows and movies while traveling abroad (e.g., Netflix unblocking and torrenting). You want strong security features such as military-grade encryption and a no-logging policy.

You prefer 24/365 customer support via live chat or email. And lastly, you don’t mind paying more to get all these benefits from an established brand that has been in the industry since 2009—and counting!

We hope this ExpressVPN vs TunnelBear comparison was informative and helped you decide which VPN is best for your needs.

Now you’ve learned all about TunnelBear and ExpressVPN! Which one do you think is the best? Do you have any questions about either VPN? Let us know in the comments!