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TunnelBear vs FastestVPN compares two cheap VPNs that spend their budget differently. TunnelBear, owned by McAfee since 2018 and based in Toronto, has had its apps and infrastructure audited by Cure53 every year since 2017. It allows unlimited devices, offers a free plan of 2 GB a month and costs about $3.33 a month on a three-year plan. FastestVPN spends less on evidence, with one 2023 audit, and more on features, including port forwarding, and sells lifetime plans that promotions have put between $23 and $40.
This guide compares evidence, devices, ports, cost over time, streaming and fit.
TunnelBear vs FastestVPN: Where the Money Goes, and Devices
TunnelBear’s yearly Cure53 audits, eight by 2024, check its systems again and again. FastestVPN’s single Altius IT audit has not been repeated in our table, but its service includes port forwarding and browser extensions with an ad blocker.
Choose evidence or extras. Our VPN audit tracker explains the difference repeat audits make.
TunnelBear allows unlimited devices; FastestVPN allows 10, with some reports of 15 on a higher lifetime tier.
Large households with many phones and laptops fit better on TunnelBear.
Ports and Torrenting
FastestVPN includes port forwarding and lists P2P servers. TunnelBear has neither port forwarding nor SOCKS5, and testers disagree on its P2P support: Gizmodo completed a torrent, VPNOverview listed P2P as banned.
Torrent users should lean towards FastestVPN for its port forwarding. Our TunnelBear torrenting guide covers the details.
Cost Over Time and Free Use
TunnelBear costs about $120 for three years, and one estimate puts four years near $160. A FastestVPN lifetime plan bought on promotion costs under $50 once.
FastestVPN is far cheaper over time, provided it keeps operating and honouring lifetime plans.
TunnelBear’s free plan gives 2 GB a month without server choice since early 2026. FastestVPN has no free plan.
Beginners can try TunnelBear without paying anything at all.
Streaming and Refunds
Testers disagree on TunnelBear: Top10VPN found US Netflix and Disney+ working on paid plans, while Cloudwards found most major services blocked. Several reviews found FastestVPN worked with streaming, our tables record.
Test the services you use within any refund window.
TunnelBear refunds only the first year of a yearly plan bought on its site within 30 days. Check FastestVPN’s terms for lifetime deals at checkout.
TunnelBear’s free plan is the lower-risk way to test the service first.
Ownership
McAfee owns TunnelBear, based in Toronto. FastestVPN names the Cayman Islands as its base, while its Chrome extension lists Fastest Technology LLC in Houston.
Our VPN ownership guide explains why that matters.
Browser Extensions, TVs and Routers
TunnelBear’s Chrome extension covers browser traffic only, in 20 countries, its store listing says, with extensions for Firefox and Edge too. FastestVPN offers Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions with an ad blocker and WebRTC leak protection, its support pages say.
FastestVPN’s extensions add more privacy features inside the browser itself.
TunnelBear has no TV apps and does not officially support routers. FastestVPN offers an Android app for TV boxes running Android 5.0 and later, its support pages say.
For an Android TV box, FastestVPN is the simpler choice.
Split Tunnelling, Teams and Account Security
TunnelBear limits split tunnelling to paid plans since early 2026, TheBestVPN reports. FastestVPN has no split tunnelling on iOS or macOS, our tables record.
Check split tunnelling support on the device you use most.
TunnelBear sells a Teams plan from $5.75 per user a month, with a seven-day trial, Tom’s Guide lists. TunnelBear added two-factor sign-in in January 2025, Tom’s Guide notes.
FastestVPN focuses on individual and lifetime plans in the sources we read.
Jurisdiction and Kill Switch
TunnelBear is based in Canada, a Five Eyes member, and leans on its yearly audits. FastestVPN names the Cayman Islands as its base, while its Chrome extension lists a developer in Houston.
Our Five Eyes guide explains what that means.
FastestVPN’s Mac app turned its kill switch on by default in 2023, our tables record. Check TunnelBear’s kill switch setting in its app and test it by switching Wi-Fi off and on while connected.
Repeat the test after any app update.
Who Each Is For
Households with many devices and people who value repeat audits fit TunnelBear. Budget torrenters and streamers who want to pay once fit FastestVPN, accepting a thinner audit record.
Both are cheap enough that the deciding factor is features and evidence, not price alone.
When TunnelBear Refunds
Only a yearly plan bought directly on tunnelbear.com qualifies, and only in its first 30 days; app-store purchases, monthly plans and Teams are excluded under its terms. Support may consider other requests one at a time, its help pages say.
If you want a safety net, buy the yearly plan on the website rather than in an app store.
How We Research
This page draws on TunnelBear’s terms, Tom’s Guide’s, TheBestVPN’s, Gizmodo’s, Top10VPN’s and Cloudwards’ TunnelBear coverage, FastestVPN’s support pages and our price and audit tables. We cross-checked these sources against each other, and where they conflict or something can’t be verified, we say so in the text rather than guessing. We checked time-sensitive figures, including prices in US dollars, on 8 October 2026. The main source we relied on is TunnelBear’s terms of service. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
TunnelBear vs FastestVPN FAQ
TunnelBear for audits and devices; FastestVPN for ports and price.
TunnelBear, with yearly Cure53 audits.
FastestVPN.
FastestVPN’s lifetime plan.
Yes, 2 GB a month.
The Verdict
TunnelBear vs FastestVPN: TunnelBear for repeat audits, unlimited devices and a free start; FastestVPN for port forwarding and the lowest long-term cost.