Two North American services with no device limit, both cheap, both with a kill switch that failed an independent test. Past that they are aimed at completely different people.
How much you are expected to want
Private Internet Access ships open-source apps on every platform, port forwarding, multi-hop, ad blocking, obfuscation, a SOCKS5 proxy and IPv6 protection. TunnelBear ships split tunnelling, obfuscation, a kill switch that leaked under testing and nothing else worth listing — no multi-hop, no ad blocking, no port forwarding, no Linux app, nothing for a television, and support pages that say regional blocks are not something the company works at.
If the person using this will never open a settings screen, TunnelBear's narrowness is the product rather than a shortfall. If anyone will ask it to do a specific thing, it will decline.
Two kill switches, both of which leaked
Private Internet Access's allowed traffic through after a restart. TunnelBear's was found to leak after a reboot and after a crash. Neither is a reason to pick the other, and both are a reason to test the switch yourself after a reboot before you rely on it. If that is unacceptable, Windscribe and Proton VPN both pass the test these two failed.
On inspection, TunnelBear has the longer habit — Cure53 most years since 2017 — but no report was ever published for the 2024 audit. Private Internet Access has three Deloitte inspections, most recently October 2025, and has been asked for records in court more than once and produced nothing, which is stronger than any audit.
Ownership is worth stating on both sides. Private Internet Access is Kape Technologies, which sells two other VPNs as separate brands. TunnelBear has been owned by McAfee since 2018 and contracts through a Delaware company while running from Toronto. Both sit inside the five-country intelligence agreement.
Price roughly ties: Private Internet Access renews its three-year plan at what it charged, and TunnelBear's yearly plan does the same.
Which should you choose?
Choose Private Internet Access if you want readable source, port forwarding, a court-tested claim, or any feature at all beyond connecting. Choose TunnelBear if simplicity is the whole requirement and a very short list is genuinely enough.
Neither should be your answer if the kill switch has to work without you checking it.
Private Internet Access
Open-source apps, unlimited devices, and a US address.
TunnelBear
Built to be understood, and owned by McAfee since 2018.
Specs
Ratings
Speed
Privacy
Ease of use
Value
Features
Pricing
Private Internet Access
TunnelBear
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