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TunnelBear vs Avast VPN

Both TunnelBear and Avast Secureline VPN offer great service to their users. They tied in almost all of the categories, but TunnelBear remains superior over Avast VPN. Let’s get an overview through the table below.

 

Comparison

  Avast TunnelBear
Logging Policy No logging No logging
Jurisdiction Czech Republic Canada (Five Eyes Member)
Encryption AES 256 AES 256
Protocols OpenVPN UDP OpenVPN TCP OpenVPN IPSec/IKEv2
Ad and malware blockers No Yes
Kill switch Yes Yes (macOS, Windows, Android)
Leak Tests No leaks found No leaks found
Speed Test Fast Average to Fast
Torrenting & P2P Yes (Optimized P2P Servers) Yes
Streaming Netflix Amazon Prime BBC iPlayer Firestick Roku (Via Router) Kodi Apple TV (Via Router) Android TV Netflix Hulu Amazon Prime HBO Max Kodi
Gaming Windows Android iOS macOS Windows macOS Linux (limited) Android iOS
Compatibility Windows macOS Android iOS Chrome Firefox Tor Windows macOS Linux (limited) Android iOS Chrome Firefox Opera
Simultaneous Connections 10 5
Servers 58 3000+
China No Sometimes
Split Tunneling No Yes
Additional Features No Additional Features GhostBear (Obfuscated Server)
Prices $4.99/month (One year) $3.99/month (Two years) $3.99/month (Three years) Free (limited usage) $9.99/month $4.21/month (1 year) $3.33/month (3 years)
Our Rating 3.8 4.0
Website avast.com/secureline-vpn tunnelbear.com

 

Now, let’s get into each category piece by piece to know why TunnelBear tops Avast VPN.

Privacy and Security

Out of these two VPN providers, TunnelBear is the one that is under a Five Eyes country, which is Canada. This agreement shares data within the countries’ circle to strengthen national security.

Avast Secureline VPN is based in the Czech Republic, which is outside the jurisdiction of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and Fourteen Eyes countries. It can operate freely as it is not under data retention or copyright law.

But there was a significant issue for an Avast Antivirus subsidiary in the past. Reports say it is selling web browsing data to big companies. But Avast claimed to have stopped its data collection after the issue broke out.

Encryption

Avast Secureline VPN and TunnelBear both use AES-256 encryption, which is difficult even for a supercomputer to decrypt. This type of encryption is secure enough to protect you from any cyber-attacks.

VPN Protocols

Both Avast Secureline VPN and TunnelBear use OpenVPN protocols. But for this category, only TunnelBear uses IPSec/IKEv2, which is known for its speed and security. Avast VPN does not use any other VPN protocols.

Leak Protection

Before connecting to Avast VPN or TunnelBear, this was my IP address:

I then opt to connect to Avast Secureline VPN’s Singapore server to see if it will hide my IP address:

I also tried to connect to TunnelBear’s equivalent server location:

Based on my IP leak tests, both Avast Secureline VPN and TunnelBear masked my network identity. With this, you can do your online activities with assurance since both these VPN services protect your address from leaks.

Server Security

A RAM-disk server makes it impossible for a VPN provider to store and track the data of its users. Unfortunately, Avast Secureline VPN and TunnelBear have yet to announce that they’re having RAM-only servers. Still, they stay true to their no-logging policies. So far, neither of them has faced any data logging issues.

In conclusion

It’s a close fight between these two VPN providers. For one, Avast Secureline VPN is based in a non-Five Eyes country, while TunnelBear is under Canada, a member of the said agreement. Meanwhile, TunnelBear still has an advantage because it has additional VPN protocols other than OpenVPN.

The biggest deal-breaker here is the issue Avast faced. It is not directly pointed at the VPN service, but this is still a notable event. For this round of our Avast VPN vs TunnelBear battle, I’ll let TunnelBear win.

 

Speed Test

Apart from giving us privacy and security, VPN providers also need to provide us speed and reliability. So to see how Avast Secureline VPN and TunnelBear perform, I’ve conducted a speed test.

Before trying out either of the VPN services, here was my Internet speed:

I tried connecting to Singapore and US servers of Avast Secureline VPN, and these were my results:

Singapore server:

US server:

I’ve also tested the counterpart servers of TunnelBear, and here were my findings:

Singapore server:

US server:

TunnelBear was not far behind Avast Secureline VPN when I connected to its Singapore server. However, you can see a significant difference in its download speed when I connected to the US server. Avast VPN is more reliable even when I connect to far servers.

For speed, Avast VPN has my vote.

 

Torrenting and P2P

Avast Secureline VPN has optimized P2P servers while TunnelBear claims you can conduct file sharing on all of its servers.

I’ve done a test to see if there are any leaks while torrenting. Here are my IP and torrent addresses before using any VPN:

When I tried using Avast Secureline VPN, I haven’t experienced any leaks. Here’s a screenshot of what my addresses look like upon turning on the VPN service:

This was the result when I conducted the IP leak test upon turning on TunnelBear:

Since both of them protected my device from any leaks and hid my IP address when torrenting, in this round of TunnelBear vs Avast VPN, it is going to be a tie.

Winner: Tie

Streaming

You can access the foreign content libraries of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu with Avast Secureline VPN and TunnelBear, but only Avast VPN can be used on Firestick, Roku, Kodi, Apple TV, and Android TV.

Netflix

If you’re aiming to unblock other country’s Netflix libraries just like me, Avast Secureline VPN and TunnelBear work well enough.

I’ve tried watching Spotlight while connected to the US server of Avast Secureline VPN and this is the experience I got:

TunnelBear gave me the same HD streaming experience when I watched the same movie:

I’d like to give my vote to Avast Secureline VPN because you can install it on streaming devices. But I am hesitant with this since TunnelBear has more servers, giving the users access to more libraries. So, I think I’ll also call this round a tie.

Winner: Tie

Gaming

You cannot install Avast Secureline VPN or TunnelBear on gaming consoles. You can’t also install either of them on routers. TunnelBear is compatible with Linux (limited support), macOS, iOS, Android, and Windows. Avast Secureline VPN, on the other hand, is not supported for Linux.

I’ve tried playing Mobile Legends while connected to each of the VPN providers’ US servers. Whichever VPN I used, I still experienced lags and delays here and there.

Here is what playing Mobile Legends looked like when I used Avast Secureline VPN:

And this is what it looked like when I connected to TunnelBear:

Since there’s not much difference between these two VPN services in terms of gaming features, this Avast VPN vs TunnelBear round is also a tie.

Winner: Tie

Compatibility

When choosing a VPN service, it’s best to pick one that is compatible with as many devices as possible. Avast Secureline VPN and TunnelBear only offer compatibility for certain operating systems and browsers. Refer to the table below to check out each of their compatibility.

Avast Secureline VPN TunnelBear

Windows

macOS

Android

iOS

Chrome

Firefox

Tor

Windows

macOS

Linux (limited)

Android

iOS

Chrome

Firefox

Opera

TunnelBear wins this round, but only by a couple of points. It is compatible with Linux and Opera, unlike its competitor. Sadly, neither of them allows router installation.

 

Simultaneous Connections

If you want to use your mobile devices, laptops, and other gadgets all at the same time, choose a VPN that allows more simultaneous connections. Avast Secureline VPN formerly allows up to five devices, but if you’ve subscribed after April 2021, you can connect up to 10 devices.

Meanwhile, TunnelBear allows you to connect five devices at a time.

Since Avast Secureline VPN allows more simultaneous connections than the other option, it wins this round.

 

Servers

Avast Secureline VPN has 58 servers in 35 countries. This is a small number of locations compared to the leading VPN providers that we have today.

TunnelBear, which removed its Hong Kong servers in 2020 for security purposes, has over 3000 servers in 40 countries—a large difference from its competitor.

TunnelBear takes this category by a landslide.

 

China

Only the best VPN services can go around China’s heavy censorship on Internet use. Avast Secureline VPN went ahead and informed its users that its service does not work in China along with nine other countries.

Meanwhile, TunnelBear says you can use it in any part of the globe, and it even has active users in China. Still, it advises its customers to download the app before visiting the country as the connection is not always as stable as in other areas.

Since TunnelBear has more users in China than Avast Secureline VPN, this round goes to the former.

 

Interface and Usability

Avast Secureline VPN has a functional and helpful interface. It displays a window that segments each server location per region, making it easier to find your preferred server. If you want to stream or conduct P2P sharing, they also have a separate segment for the optimized servers.

TunnelBear has a vibrant interface featuring a world map and a bear that tunnels from one server location to the other. You can find the tunnels by scrolling on the map. While this may work well in a mobile display, I would personally prefer an expandable window for laptops and desktops.

For the interface and usability category, Avast Secureline VPN wins over TunnelBear.

 

Additional Features

Avast Secureline VPN lacks in the add-on department—it does not even have split tunneling or ad and malware blockers. TunnelBear has an obfuscated server called GhostBear, which enables your VPN traffic to appear like normal Internet activity.

Since Avast Secureline VPN does not have any additional features, TunnelBear tops this category.

 

Customer Support

A great VPN provider should be able to provide its customers’ needs and answer their inquiries. Avast Secureline VPN and TunnelBear both provide those things for their clients. Here are their customer support features:

  Avast Secureline VPN TunnelBear
Live Chat Yes No
Email Support Yes Yes
Phone Support No No
Ticket Support No Yes
Video Tutorials No No
Online Knowledge Base Yes Yes
Average Response Time 24 hours 2 hours

Avast Secureline VPN takes longer to respond and has no ticket support feature. TunnelBear has ticket support and has a shorter response time. It only takes minutes for them to acknowledge your concern. It assures you it will answer your inquiries within 48 hours. In my case, a “Support Bear” got in touch with me after two hours.

TunnelBear has a great response time, but it lacks live chat support, which is important for me. So I think I’ll give my vote to Avast Secureline VPN for this category.

 

Prices

When looking for a VPN service, you should also consider its price. Some VPNs offer great features at a reasonable price. How did Avast VPN and TunnelBear do? Let’s look at each one’s monthly subscription price and deals.

  Avast Secureline VPN TunnelBear
Subscription Lengths   1 month (Free 500MB/month)
    One month ($9.99/month)
  One year ($4.99/month) One year ($4.99/month)
  Two years (3.99/month)  
  Three years ($3.99/month) Three years ($3.33/month)
Highest Price Per Month $4.99 $9.99
Lowest Price Per Month $3.99 $3.33
One Year Price $59.88 for the first year then $89.99 per year $59.88
Money-Back Guarantee 30 days Case-by-case basis
Special Offer Save 33% for a one-year plan Save 67% for a three-year plan
  Save 47% for a two-year and three-year plan Save 50% for a one-year plan

If you’ll look into it, TunnelBear has better deals apart from its free tier. Avast VPN also offers discounts, but they are not as significant compared to TunnelBear’s offers.

So which one has better value for money? The answer is TunnelBear.

 

Verdict

Which one of these VPN providers is the better choice?

In this extensive TunnelBear vs Avast VPN comparison, TunnelBear pretty much takes home the prize. Apart from giving its customers a better value for money, it has more VPN protocols and is compatible with more devices compared to Avast Secureline VPN. It also has additional features like ad and malware blockers and an obfuscated server.

Avast Secureline VPN’s price is almost on par with TunnelBear's but you get more with the latter.

 

By: Erwin Caniba
Eric is the co-founder of VPNOnline. He has been an avid user of VPNs since 2012. He has tested all of the major VPN providers and shares his findings on this website. Follow Eric on Facebook.