Compare speeds, free options, subscription prices and renewal terms to see which VPN fits your needs.
| Speed | Hotspot Shield | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| Paid · Download | No data | No data |
| Paid · Upload | No data | No data |
| Free · Download | 448.18 Mbps | No data |
| Free · Upload | 252.95 Mbps | No data |
No speed history available.
| Free options | Hotspot Shield | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| Free options | Free Basic offers unlimited traffic, one connection and one virtual location on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS; ads may appear. A 7-day trial is also offered with an annual subscription. It converts to paid access unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the trial ends. | The free plan includes 2 GB per month without ads. Standard free accounts cannot choose a country manually or use SplitBear; participants in the separate Bandwidth Program retain those features. |
| Pricing | Hotspot Shield | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| Paid plan | Premium | Unlimited |
| 1 month | 1 month / $1.99 $1.99 per month At renewal: 1 month / $12.99 $12.99 per month (+553%) | 1 month / $9.99 $9.99 per month At renewal: 1 month / $9.99 $9.99 per month (Same monthly price) |
| 1 year | 1 year / $29.00 $2.42 per month At renewal: 1 year / $95.99 $8.00 per month (+231%) | 12 months / $69.99 $5.83 per month At renewal: 12 months / $69.99 $5.83 per month (Same monthly price) |
| 3 years | No plan for this term | 36 months / $120.00 $3.33 per month At renewal: One-time purchase. Buy again to continue. |
Direct purchases only. Monthly equivalents include bonus time; the full amount is charged upfront. Taxes and eligibility may differ.
| Managing your subscription | Hotspot Shield | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic renewal | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN website, App Store, and Google PlayRenews automatically. | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN website, App Store, and Google Play1 month · 12 months · Credit card Renews automatically. Subscriptions purchased through the VPN website36 months · Credit card No automatic renewal. Another paid period requires a manual payment. Access ends when the purchased term expires. |
| How to turn off renewal | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN websiteIn your VPN account or Through support In your VPN account
Through support
After your paid period ends, your account returns to Basic. Canceling your subscription does not automatically request a refund. Subscriptions purchased through App Store and Google Play If you purchased through the App Store or Google Play, open the subscription settings in that store, select the VPN and cancel the subscription. | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN website1 month · 12 months · Credit card In your VPN account
Canceling your subscription does not automatically request a refund. Subscriptions purchased through App Store and Google Play If you purchased through the App Store or Google Play, open the subscription settings in that store, select the VPN and cancel the subscription. |
| When to cancel | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN websiteIn your VPN account: At least 24 hours before the next charge. | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN website1 month · 12 months · Credit card Before the next charge. |
| Access after cancellation | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN website, App Store, and Google PlayAvailable until the paid period ends. | Subscriptions purchased through the VPN website, App Store, and Google Play1 month · 12 months · Credit card Available until the paid period ends. |
| Removing a card from your VPN account | It is unknown whether the saved card can be removed. | It is unknown whether the saved card can be removed. |
| Refund conditions | Hotspot Shield | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| What can be refunded and under what conditions | Purchases on the VPN websiteThe provider’s refund guarantee applies subject to conditions. Within 45 days Starting from your initial purchase Refund amount & fees The website advertises a full refund within the guarantee window. How to request a refund
App Store & Google Play purchasesIf you paid through the App Store or Google Play, you can request a refund through that store. Requests are assessed under the store’s rules; approval is not guaranteed. | Purchases on the VPN website12 months · Credit card The provider’s refund guarantee applies subject to conditions. Within 30 days Starting from your initial purchase Refund amount & fees Taxes, shipping and handling charges are not refunded. How to request a refund
1 month · Credit card You can request a refund for individual consideration. Approval is not guaranteed. Important limitations TunnelBear may consider a refund at its discretion, outside the guarantee. How to request a refund
36 months · Credit card Refund eligibility is not established for this purchase. Important limitations The guarantee refers to annual subscriptions. We could not confirm whether it covers a three-year purchase. How to request a refund
App Store & Google Play purchasesIf you paid through the App Store or Google Play, you can request a refund through that store. Requests are assessed under the store’s rules; approval is not guaranteed. |
| What is not covered by refunds | Purchases on the VPN websiteRenewal payments after the initial 45-day guarantee period are not covered by the money-back guarantee. Purchases through resellers have separate refund terms. | Purchases on the VPN website12 months · Credit card Renewal payments are not covered by the provider’s guarantee. 1 month · Credit card The provider’s refund guarantee does not apply to this purchase. 36 months · Credit card Renewal payments are not explicitly covered by the money-back guarantee. |
| Ownership & jurisdiction | Hotspot Shield | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs the VPN? | The legal documents name Anchorfree, LLC and Pango Gmbh as possible service operators, but we could not confirm which company provides your subscription. Terms name either Anchorfree, LLC or Pango Gmbh depending on purchase location; the exact mapping was not established. | TunnelBear LLC (registered in United States) is the company named as providing the VPN service. Current Terms cover TunnelBear services; store-specific contractual distinctions not independently reviewed. |
| Which laws apply? | The terms specify New York law while preserving mandatory consumer protections. The company may be registered elsewhere. | The privacy policy specifies Canadian law for the use of your data. We could not confirm which law governs the subscription contract. |
Each audit covers particular systems and a particular point in time. A provider announcement is distinct from a publicly available audit report.
| Audits | Hotspot Shield | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| No-logs policy | No-logs review Aon · 2023 What was checked: Logging behaviour in free and paid clients and a development server node. Findings: The review found no browsing activity traceable to an individual and no plaintext IP-address logging in the examined setup. Limitations: This privacy review did not assess the security of data storage or hosting. Read the auditor’s summary | No independent audit found for this area. |
| App security | No independent audit found for this area. | Application and infrastructure security Cure53 · 2024 What was checked: Apps, backend systems, APIs and server configurations, tested in October–November. Findings: The provider reports 13 vulnerabilities, including 10 rated medium or higher, plus 10 hardening suggestions. It says the vulnerabilities were acknowledged, addressed or mitigated; no auditor report is linked. An auditor report is not publicly available. Application and infrastructure security Cure53 · 2023 What was checked: Apps, backend systems, APIs and server configurations, tested in October–November. Findings: The 2023 report lists 13 findings, including two high-severity issues. Fixes: The report documents verified fixes and partial mitigations. It also notes that some findings from earlier assessments remained unresolved at the time. Limitations: These findings describe the tested versions at that time, not the current state of every app or server. Read the audit report |
| Infrastructure security | No independent audit found for this area. | Application and infrastructure security Cure53 · 2024 What was checked: Apps, backend systems, APIs and server configurations, tested in October–November. Findings: The provider reports 13 vulnerabilities, including 10 rated medium or higher, plus 10 hardening suggestions. It says the vulnerabilities were acknowledged, addressed or mitigated; no auditor report is linked. An auditor report is not publicly available. Application and infrastructure security Cure53 · 2023 What was checked: Apps, backend systems, APIs and server configurations, tested in October–November. Findings: The 2023 report lists 13 findings, including two high-severity issues. Fixes: The report documents verified fixes and partial mitigations. It also notes that some findings from earlier assessments remained unresolved at the time. Limitations: These findings describe the tested versions at that time, not the current state of every app or server. Read the audit report |
| Apps, protocols & servers | Hotspot Shield | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| Computers & mobile devices | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS |
| TV devices | PaidAndroid TV, Fire TV FreeNot supported | Not supported |
| Browser extensions | Chrome | Chrome, Firefox, Edge |
| Manual setup | Not supported | Linux |
| Apps, protocols & servers | Hotspot Shield | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| Simultaneous connections | Paid10 Free1 | PaidUnlimited FreeUnlimited |
| WireGuard | Supported | Supported |
| OpenVPN | Supported | Supported |
| IKEv2/IPsec | Supported | Supported (Not available in: Android app) |
| Provider-specific technologies | Hydra | — |
| Apps, protocols & servers | Hotspot Shield | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| Servers | No data | More than 8,000 |
| Countries | Paid85 Free3 | Paid47 FreeNot applicable |
| Locations | 1 | No data |
| Features | Hotspot Shield | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-connect | Supported | Supported |
| Kill Switch | Supported | Supported (VigilantBear) |
| Split tunneling | Supported (Smart VPN) | Supported (SplitBear) |
| VPN traffic obfuscation | Supported (Hydra) | Supported (GhostBear) |
| Multi-hop | Supported (Android app only) | Not supported |
| Tor over VPN | Supported | Not supported |
| P2P / torrenting | Supported | Supported |
| Ad blocking | Not supported | Not supported |
| Tracker blocking | Not supported | Not supported |
| Malicious website blocking | Supported | Not supported |
| Port forwarding | Not supported | Not supported |
| Dedicated IP | Not supported | Not supported |
| Shared static IP | Not supported | Not supported |
| Automatic IP rotation | Not supported | Not supported |
Based on providers’ published information. “Not supported” means the service was not listed in the reviewed materials; playback has not been tested.
| Features | Hotspot Shield | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix | Supported | Not supported |
| Amazon Prime Video | Supported | Not supported |
| Disney+ | Supported | Not supported |
| Hulu | Supported | Not supported |
| Features | Hotspot Shield | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| HBO Max | Not supported | Not supported |
| Paramount+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| Apple TV+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| Peacock | Not supported | Not supported |
| Crunchyroll | Not supported | Not supported |
| YouTube TV | Not supported | Not supported |
| BBC iPlayer | Not supported | Not supported |
| iQIYI | Not supported | Not supported |
| WeTV | Not supported | Not supported |
| Viki | Not supported | Not supported |
| DAZN | Not supported | Not supported |
| ESPN+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| F1 TV | Not supported | Not supported |
| beIN Sports | Not supported | Not supported |
| fuboTV | Not supported | Not supported |
| Kayo Sports | Not supported | Not supported |
| JioHotstar | Not supported | Not supported |
| ZEE5 | Not supported | Not supported |
| SonyLIV | Not supported | Not supported |
| Vidio | Not supported | Not supported |
| Canal+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| ITVX | Not supported | Not supported |
| Channel 4 | Not supported | Not supported |
| NOW TV | Not supported | Not supported |
| France.tv | Not supported | Not supported |
| TF1+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| RTL+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| Joyn | Not supported | Not supported |
| ARD | Not supported | Not supported |
| ZDF | Not supported | Not supported |
| RaiPlay | Not supported | Not supported |
| Mediaset Infinity | Not supported | Not supported |
| Movistar Plus+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| RTVE Play | Not supported | Not supported |
| Viaplay | Not supported | Not supported |
| U-next | Not supported | Not supported |
| TVING | Not supported | Not supported |
| Coupang Play | Not supported | Not supported |
| Wavve | Not supported | Not supported |
| FPT Play | Not supported | Not supported |
| VieON | Not supported | Not supported |
| VTV Go | Not supported | Not supported |
| Vision+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| RCTI+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| Exxen | Not supported | Not supported |
| puhutv | Not supported | Not supported |
| M6+ | Not supported | Not supported |
| Videoland | Not supported | Not supported |
| NPO Start | Not supported | Not supported |
| Ziggo Go | Not supported | Not supported |
| RTÉ Player | Not supported | Not supported |
| RTBF Auvio | Not supported | Not supported |
Relevant mainly where VPN services are blocked
If you are in the US, a European country, or elsewhere and VPN services are not blocked on your network, these results need not rule this VPN out of your purchase decision. A failed test under blocking in Russia does not, by itself, mean the VPN is poor quality or will not work where you live. Consider its speed, features and price for your needs.
| Censorship | Hotspot Shield | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| Does it work on restricted networks? | In our tests in Russia, the free plan bypassed VPN blocking and allowed data transfer. We could not establish a working connection with data transfer on the paid plan. | In our tests in Russia, we could not establish a working VPN connection that allowed data transfer under VPN blocking. |