Subj : TunnelBear reshapes its free VPN model amid rising infrastructure
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Wed Dec 10 2025 17:15:07

TunnelBear reshapes its free VPN model amid rising infrastructure costs

Date:
Wed, 10 Dec 2025 17:06:38 +0000

Description:
TunnelBear has just announced several changes to its free VPN, including 
dropping custom server selection and split tunneling. Heres all you need to 
know.

FULL STORY
======================================================================TunnelBe
ar has announced some changes to its free plan Changes include removing 
server selection and split tunneling support The company wants to remain 
ad-free amid rising operating costs 

TunnelBear has announced a series of important changes to its free user 
accounts, citing rising operating costs and the goal of keeping the service 
sustainable. 

According to TunnelBears blog post , existing users of its free VPN service 
will still be able to connect to servers, but will lose select features such 
as custom server selection, which will only be available to paid subscribers. 
TunnelBear 's free users, however, will continue to have access to 2 GB of 
data each month. 

The move by TunnelBear underscores a broader industry trend. As more people 
hunt for the best VPN for their needs, companies are forced to juggle the 
desire to offer rich, privacy-focused features against the financial 
realities of maintaining a secure Virtual Private Network . Whats changing 
for TunnelBear free users and why 

As part of TunnelBear Free s overhaul, which wont impact paid subscribers, 
free users will no longer be able to choose the country they connect to. 
Instead, they'll be randomly assigned to the best available location , 
removing any flexibility for bypassing geo-restrictions. 

Free users also lose SplitBear , TunnelBears split tunneling feature, 
preventing them from choosing which apps or websites can bypass the VPN 
connection. With TunnelBear Frees very limited data allowance, user data will 
probably get used up that much faster. 

TunnelBear has been quick to reassure users who make up its Bandwidth Program 
 its initiative to provide people in countries with heavy internet censorship 
with extra free VPN data  that they wont be impacted by changes. 

All of these adjustments, TunnelBear said, are driven by rising operating 
costs for a global server network, the expense of regular third-party VPN 
audits , and the need to keep the service sustainable without resorting to 
ads or otherwise selling user data. 

TunnelBear hasnt specified when all of this will take effect, but free users 
who cant do without server selection or split tunneling may want to start 
thinking about upgrading to TunnelBear Premium, or exploring other options. A 
wider VPN dilemma 

Running a VPN that is truly free to the end user is a costly proposition. 
Because a free VPN service cant charge a subscription fee, providers either 
trim features, rely on ads or data monetization , or impose strict data caps 
to stay solvent. 

Different VPN providers handle this trade-off in different ways. For example, 
Proton VPN Free has an unlimited data allowance and premium-level privacy, 
but offers a smaller selection of servers. Like TunnelBear Free, it doesnt 
let you choose the server location. 

 Windscribe Free and PrivadoVPN Free cap free data at 10 GB, allowing them to 
offer a solid set of features while still keeping costs manageable. A newer 
free VPN to emerge, EventVPN , doesnt limit your data or speeds at the cost 
of privacy-preserving in-app ads. 

TunnelBears recent changes fall between these approaches. By removing country 
selection and split tunneling, its able to continue to offer its free tier 
without ads and with the same privacy guarantees as its paid version. 

 Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our 
expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the 
Follow button!



======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-services/tunnelbear-reshapes-its-free-vpn-mo
del-amid-rising-infrastructure-costs


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
 * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)

.