Ariel Hochstadt
Ex-Google, International tech speaker
TunnelBear and Ivacy are two well-respected and popular VPNs. Their ease of use and innovative features are key points in common. Both providers support torrenting and allow a maximum of five simultaneous connections per subscription. Security features like port forwarding and a kill switch can also be expected with either of these providers. TunnelBear and Ivacy also have dedicated apps for all major platforms and offer unlimited bandwidth across all paid accounts.
Interestingly, these VPN providers also have numerous differences. For instance, while TunnelBear operates from its headquarters in Canada, Ivacy is based in Singapore. However, neither provider’s location has adversely affected its service with regard to privacy protection, in spite of data retention laws in both countries. While Ivacy offers a handy split tunneling feature across its apps, TunnelBear competes with its GhostBear feature, which allows users to seamlessly bypass tough geoblocks from anywhere worldwide.
A more detailed comparison is provided below to help you choose the better VPN.
Features
7.8
Pricing
9.8
Ease of Use
8.4
Reliability & Support
8.0
Features
9.0
Pricing
7.5
Ease of Use
8.4
Reliability & Support
9.0
Rating
Features
7.8
9.0
0.0
Pricing
9.8
7.5
0.0
Ease of Use
8.4
8.4
0.0
Reliability & Support
8.0
9.0
0.0
Reviews
Review by our expert
Ariel Hochstadt
Ex-Google, International tech speaker
8.4
Although it’s based in Singapore, which sometimes faces censorship issues of their own, Ivacy has proven itself as an exceptional VPN.
The VPN has standard encryption and security with 256-bit military-grade encryption and several protocols including IPSEC, IKeV, L2TP, OpenVPN, TCP and UD.
On top of that, Ivacy has a kill-switch, which will cut your internet connection if there is a leak.
Happy userThe service is excellent, the responded to my emails was very rapid. It is good around VPN for the money you pay. I did experience a loss in speed while streaming on - line with my Android TV- Box it occasionally cause buffering.
This was over come my changing the connection to another area.
Very easy to install on any device works well.
I have recommended it to others with in my circle of friends.
Latest negative user review
Sebastian
2.0
Fraudulent and Doesn't Work!First I got double charged once I signed up. Luckily I noticed and contacted them right away. They refunded me but I lost money due to the exchange rate. (They are based in Singapore so idk how that worked out.
Second: The VPN worked for 1 week and then stopped. I contacted the support team and they helped me change the IP servers.
Worked for another DAY! then I changed the servers myself using their online IP server database. It worked again for about 1-2 days.
I contacted support and they tried to solve the problem with me for about 50 minutes with no luck.
I got it to work with another server IP the next day and so on.
It is just such a hassle to get it to work consistently. I think they don't own the servers which makes me question their privacy promise. Still waiting for my 60$ refund.
TunnelBear is a high-speed VPN that operates servers in 20+ locations. It offers some of the best security features around, including high-end encryption and an automatic kill switch.
Streaming - Does TunnelBear Work with Netflix?
Netflix US: No.
Hulu: No.
HBO GO: Yes.
BBC iPlayer: No.
Unfortunately, TunnelBear wasn’t able to unblock Netflix US, Hulu, or BBC iPlayer during my t
It works great all the time for me!No problems at all using netflix through the VPN! I have had the error message appear in previous VNPs such as Disconnect, but no problems at all with Tunnelbear, not in the paid version or even in the free version, and this is without even using their Ghostbear feature that is supposed to solve these kind of problems (or if you are in China for example).
Latest negative user review
Sebastian
2.0
Fraudulent and Doesn't Work!First I got double charged once I signed up. Luckily I noticed and contacted them right away. They refunded me but I lost money due to the exchange rate. (They are based in Singapore so idk how that worked out.
Second: The VPN worked for 1 week and then stopped. I contacted the support team and they helped me change the IP servers.
Worked for another DAY! then I changed the servers myself using their online IP server database. It worked again for about 1-2 days.
I contacted support and they tried to solve the problem with me for about 50 minutes with no luck.
I got it to work with another server IP the next day and so on.
It is just such a hassle to get it to work consistently. I think they don't own the servers which makes me question their privacy promise. Still waiting for my 60$ refund.
Although it’s based in Singapore, which sometimes faces censorship issues of their own, Ivacy has proven itself as an exceptional VPN.
The VPN has standard encryption and security with 256-bit military-grade encryption and several protocols including IPSEC, IKeV, L2TP, OpenVPN, TCP and UD.
On top of that, Ivacy has a kill-switch, which will cut your internet connection if there is a leak.
TunnelBear is a high-speed VPN that operates servers in 20+ locations. It offers some of the best security features around, including high-end encryption and an automatic kill switch.
Streaming - Does TunnelBear Work with Netflix?
Netflix US: No.
Hulu: No.
HBO GO: Yes.
BBC iPlayer: No.
Unfortunately, TunnelBear wasn’t able to unblock Netflix US, Hulu, or BBC iPlayer during my t
Happy userThe service is excellent, the responded to my emails was very rapid. It is good around VPN for the money you pay. I did experience a loss in speed while streaming on - line with my Android TV- Box it occasionally cause buffering.
This was over come my changing the connection to another area.
Very easy to install on any device works well.
I have recommended it to others with in my circle of friends.
Ignacio
10.0
It works great all the time for me!No problems at all using netflix through the VPN! I have had the error message appear in previous VNPs such as Disconnect, but no problems at all with Tunnelbear, not in the paid version or even in the free version, and this is without even using their Ghostbear feature that is supposed to solve these kind of problems (or if you are in China for example).
Latest negative user review
Sebastian
2.0
Fraudulent and Doesn't Work!First I got double charged once I signed up. Luckily I noticed and contacted them right away. They refunded me but I lost money due to the exchange rate. (They are based in Singapore so idk how that worked out.
Second: The VPN worked for 1 week and then stopped. I contacted the support team and they helped me change the IP servers.
Worked for another DAY! then I changed the servers myself using their online IP server database. It worked again for about 1-2 days.
I contacted support and they tried to solve the problem with me for about 50 minutes with no luck.
I got it to work with another server IP the next day and so on.
It is just such a hassle to get it to work consistently. I think they don't own the servers which makes me question their privacy promise. Still waiting for my 60$ refund.
David Ross
2.0
DANGEROUS for CANADIANSI live in the GTA, everything was fine "until" I installed TunnelBear on one of my 7 devices, now I can no longer watch any USA TV stations on line on any of my other 6 devices, this company is scum, they hid something in there that disabled all my other devices unless I buy their VPN, well, not going to buy their garbage, can't believe how much it slowed my device, I would rather wipe all my drives than give TunnelBear one cent!
TunnelBear provides a very fast service and a simple user interface that makes it ideal for VPN newbies. It also has a free version that allows users to test out the service without commitment. Ivacy also offers an exceptional service with a reasonable number of servers worldwide and a good mix of premium features.
TunnelBear provides a very fast service and a simple user interface that makes it ideal for VPN newbies. It also has a free version that allows users to test out the service without commitment. Ivacy also offers an exceptional service with a reasonable number of servers worldwide and a good mix of premium features.
TunnelBear supports torrenting on its servers and uses Double VPN technology to help you torrent anonymously. Ivacy offers dedicated servers optimized for torrenting, and features decent speeds for P2P file-sharing activities in general.
TunnelBear supports torrenting on its servers and uses Double VPN technology to help you torrent anonymously. Ivacy offers dedicated servers optimized for torrenting, and features decent speeds for P2P file-sharing activities in general.
TunnelBear’s Windows app features a very simple design, 256-bit encryption and public WiFi protection. Ivacy also offers a very user-friendly app for Windows that defeats ISP throttling, prevents tracking, and supports the OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP VPN protocols.
TunnelBear’s Windows app features a very simple design, 256-bit encryption and public WiFi protection. Ivacy also offers a very user-friendly app for Windows that defeats ISP throttling, prevents tracking, and supports the OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP VPN protocols.
With TunnelBear’s dedicated Android app, you get access to a 7-day free trial, ad blocking, and a very intuitive interface. Ivacy competes with its own Android app that seamlessly halts ISP tracking.
With TunnelBear’s dedicated Android app, you get access to a 7-day free trial, ad blocking, and a very intuitive interface. Ivacy competes with its own Android app that seamlessly halts ISP tracking.
TunnelBear provides users with a very robust MacOS app with advanced features like unlimited server switching and access to the entire network. Ivacy also offers a dedicated MacOS app that features Split Tunnelling and access to dedicated IPs, which can be purchased at an additional cost.
TunnelBear provides users with a very robust MacOS app with advanced features like unlimited server switching and access to the entire network. Ivacy also offers a dedicated MacOS app that features Split Tunnelling and access to dedicated IPs, which can be purchased at an additional cost.
TunnelBear has an iOS app with an interactive server location map and an ad-blocking feature. Ivacy’s iOS app features a sleek design and helps iPhone or iPad users easily overcome port blocking and bypass surveillance at the touch of a button.
TunnelBear has an iOS app with an interactive server location map and an ad-blocking feature. Ivacy’s iOS app features a sleek design and helps iPhone or iPad users easily overcome port blocking and bypass surveillance at the touch of a button.
TunnelBear flawlessly bypasses restrictions from US websites from anywhere in the world, including Hulu and YouTube. It also gives you access to Netflix, though it has not always been able to do that in the past. With Ivacy, you can expect to unblock Netflix US without problems from any location worldwide and also keep your internet activities hidden from ISPs while you’re in the USA, preventing any issues caused by the loss of net neutrality.
TunnelBear flawlessly bypasses restrictions from US websites from anywhere in the world, including Hulu and YouTube. It also gives you access to Netflix, though it has not always been able to do that in the past. With Ivacy, you can expect to unblock Netflix US without problems from any location worldwide and also keep your internet activities hidden from ISPs while you’re in the USA, preventing any issues caused by the loss of net neutrality.
TunnelBear has a slight edge in this comparison because of its ease of use and very fast servers for downloading or streaming. Its service also focuses more on the finer points of security, especially with the provision of ad blocking and unique features like its GhostBear technology. TunnelBear’s free limited service option and free trial also contribute to making it the winner, in spite of some attractive features of Ivacy.
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Ariel Hochstadt
Guy Fawkes