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Government · head to head

Municode vs TunnelBear

Municode logo

Municode

Government

Municipal Code Publishing

From
$200/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: Municode custom pricing model requires contacting sales, no published pricing tiers; TunnelBear free plan's data cap is small compared to competitors offering more generous free allowances.
  • They diverge on capability: Municode covers Code Codification, TunnelBear covers Encrypted VPN tunnel.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Municode and TunnelBear actually diverge.

Attributes where Municode and TunnelBear differ
AttributeMunicodeTunnelBear
Starting price$200/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Mobilewindows, mac, linux, ios, android
CategoryGovernmentCybersecurity
Founded1951Unknown

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 Municode

  • Code Codification
  • Online Publishing
  • Code Supplements
  • Full-text Search
  • Mobile Access
  • Meeting Management
  • Document Systems
  • Public Portals

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.

Municode

  • Citizen Servicesnot TunnelBear
  • Records Managementnot TunnelBear
  • Public Safetynot TunnelBear
  • Civic Engagementnot TunnelBear

TunnelBear

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

Where each one falls short

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

Municode

  • Custom pricing model requires contacting sales, no published pricing tiers
  • Full-service codification requires vendor management of code updates
  • Limited support for complex code structures without manual intervention

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

Municode

$200/month
  • Code Publishing$200/month
    • Online Code Hosting
    • Supplementation
    • Search

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 Municode if

  • You need code codification.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want online publishing.
Municode 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 Municode or TunnelBear better?
Neither clearly leads. Municode starts at $200/month and TunnelBear at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Municode or TunnelBear?
TunnelBear has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $200/month for Municode and Free for TunnelBear.
Does Municode or TunnelBear run on more platforms?
Municode runs on Web, Mobile. 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. Municode starts at $200/month.
What is Municode best used for?
Municode is most often used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement. Of those, citizen services and records management are not what TunnelBear is typically brought in for.
What can Municode do that TunnelBear cannot?
Municode covers Code Codification, Online Publishing, Code Supplements, Full-text Search. TunnelBear covers Encrypted VPN tunnel, Server location switching, GhostBear obfuscation, Browser extensions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Municode: Does Municode host codes or is it just self-publishing software?

Municode offers two options: MunicodeNEXT for full-service professional codification with expert editors, or Municipal Code Online for self-publishing where government workers update codes themselves with cloud-based software.

Source
Municode: Can I track changes to my municipal code?

Yes. Municode shows version history with visible new and modified indicators, allows comparing previous versions, and links ordinances to code sections with full legislative history through OrdLink and OrdBank tools.

Source
Municode: What search capabilities does Municode provide?

Municode includes advanced keyword search with Boolean operators available to both residents and staff, plus access to MuniPro for searching across thousands of hosted municipal codes.

Source
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