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Developer Tools · head to head

JetBrains Rider vs TunnelBear

JetBrains Rider logo

JetBrains Rider

Developer Tools

Cross-platform .NET IDE from JetBrains for C#, F#, VB.NET and Unity

From
$18.25/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
T

TunnelBear

Cybersecurity

Consumer VPN with a limited free tier and a bear-themed, beginner-friendly app

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only TunnelBear has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: JetBrains Rider requires a paid subscription with no permanently free commercial tier.; TunnelBear free plan's data cap is small compared to competitors offering more generous free allowances.
  • They diverge on capability: JetBrains Rider covers Cross-platform .NET Development, TunnelBear covers Encrypted VPN tunnel.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which JetBrains Rider and TunnelBear actually diverge.

Attributes where JetBrains Rider and TunnelBear differ
AttributeJetBrains RiderTunnelBear
Starting price$18.25/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Platformswindows, mac, linuxwindows, mac, linux, ios, android
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCybersecurity
Founded2000Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in JetBrains Rider

  • Cross-platform .NET Development
  • ReSharper-powered Code Analysis
  • Integrated Debugger and Profiler
  • Version Control Integration
  • Unity Support

Only in TunnelBear

  • Encrypted VPN tunnel
  • Server location switching
  • GhostBear obfuscation
  • Browser extensions
  • Teams account management

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

JetBrains Rider

  • Cross-platform .NET and ASP.NET Core developmentnot TunnelBear
  • Unity game development and debuggingnot TunnelBear
  • Large-scale C# refactoring with ReSharper-grade analysisnot TunnelBear
  • Teams standardizing on JetBrains tooling across languagesnot TunnelBear

TunnelBear

  • Casual browsing protection on public Wi-Finot JetBrains Rider
  • Occasional geo-unblocking with a light free allowancenot JetBrains Rider
  • Bypassing network-level VPN blocking via obfuscationnot JetBrains Rider
  • Managing VPN access for a small team with centralized billingnot JetBrains Rider

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

JetBrains Rider

  • Requires a paid subscription with no permanently free commercial tier.
  • Heavier resource usage than lightweight editors like VS Code for small projects.
  • Some advanced features overlap with a separate ReSharper Visual Studio plugin, causing licensing confusion.
  • First-year pricing increased in late 2025, raising the cost of entry versus prior years.

TunnelBear

  • Free plan's data cap is small compared to competitors offering more generous free allowances.
  • Lacks advanced features like dedicated IP addresses or split-tunneling controls found in some rival VPNs.
  • Server network is smaller than large competitors like NordVPN or ExpressVPN.
  • No standalone router-level app, limiting whole-network protection options.

Pricing, plan by plan

JetBrains Rider

$18.25/month
  • Individual - Year 1$219/year
    • Full Rider IDE license
    • Free minor and major updates during subscription
  • Individual - Year 2$175/year
    • Continuity discount after first year
  • Individual - Year 3+$131/year
    • Further continuity discount from third year onward

TunnelBear

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 2GB of data per month
    • Access to VPN servers
    • Unlimited devices
  • Unlimited$9.99/month
    • Unlimited monthly data
    • All server locations
    • Cheaper on annual/3-year billing
  • Teams$undefined/month
    • Unlimited data
    • 5 connected devices per user
    • Dedicated account manager

Which should you pick?

Choose JetBrains Rider if

  • You need cross-platform .net development.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux.
  • You also want resharper-powered code analysis.
JetBrains Rider review

Choose TunnelBear if

  • You need encrypted vpn tunnel.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux, ios, android.
  • You also want server location switching.
TunnelBear review

Questions people ask

Is JetBrains Rider or TunnelBear better?
Neither clearly leads. JetBrains Rider starts at $18.25/month and TunnelBear at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, JetBrains Rider or TunnelBear?
TunnelBear has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $18.25/month for JetBrains Rider and Free for TunnelBear.
Does JetBrains Rider or TunnelBear run on more platforms?
JetBrains Rider runs on windows, mac, linux. TunnelBear runs on windows, mac, linux, ios, android.
Can I use TunnelBear for free?
Yes. TunnelBear has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. JetBrains Rider starts at $18.25/month.
What is JetBrains Rider best used for?
JetBrains Rider is most often used for cross-platform .net and asp.net core development, unity game development and debugging, large-scale c# refactoring with resharper-grade analysis, teams standardizing on jetbrains tooling across languages. Of those, cross-platform .net and asp.net core development and unity game development and debugging are not what TunnelBear is typically brought in for.
What can JetBrains Rider do that TunnelBear cannot?
JetBrains Rider covers Cross-platform .NET Development, ReSharper-powered Code Analysis, Integrated Debugger and Profiler, Version Control Integration. TunnelBear covers Encrypted VPN tunnel, Server location switching, GhostBear obfuscation, Browser extensions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

JetBrains Rider: Does Rider have a free version?

JetBrains offers a free non-commercial license for Rider for personal, non-commercial use, alongside paid commercial subscriptions with continuity discounts after the first year.

Source
JetBrains Rider: What counts as non-commercial use under the free license?

Learning, open-source contributions without commercial benefit, content creation like monetized tutorials, and hobby projects qualify; any paid work or commercial release does not.

Source
JetBrains Rider: Does the free non-commercial license include all Rider features?

Yes, it is a full-featured IDE identical to the paid version, with one exception: Code With Me is limited to the Community tier instead of the premium tier.

Source
JetBrains Rider: How often does the non-commercial license renew?

It issues a one-year license that renews automatically each year, provided Rider was opened at least once during the preceding six months.

Source
JetBrains Rider: What support do non-commercial license holders get?

Non-commercial users get community forums and public bug trackers rather than private support tickets, which are reserved for paid subscribers.

Source
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