Cybersecurity · head to head
Recorded Future vs TunnelBear

Recorded Future
Cybersecurity
Intelligence-driven cybersecurity
- From
- $25000/year
- Rated
- -
TunnelBear
Cybersecurity
Consumer VPN with a limited free tier and a bear-themed, beginner-friendly app
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only TunnelBear has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Recorded Future no pricing published; all three tiers (Core, Professional, Elite) require sales contact for quotes; TunnelBear free plan's data cap is small compared to competitors offering more generous free allowances.
- They diverge on capability: Recorded Future covers Real-time threat intelligence, TunnelBear covers Encrypted VPN tunnel.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Recorded Future and TunnelBear actually diverge.
| Attribute | Recorded Future | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $25000/year | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Api, Cloud | windows, mac, linux, ios, android |
| Founded | 2009 | Unknown |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).
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 Recorded Future
- Real-time threat intelligence
- Vulnerability intelligence
- Internet-wide data analysis
- Insikt group intelligence
- Brand intelligence
- API-first platform
- Alert and notification system
- Custom reporting
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.
Recorded Future
- Threat intelligence and monitoringnot TunnelBear
- Dark web monitoring and brand protectionnot TunnelBear
- Third-party risk managementnot TunnelBear
- Security operations and incident responsenot TunnelBear
TunnelBear
- Casual browsing protection on public Wi-Finot Recorded Future
- Occasional geo-unblocking with a light free allowancenot Recorded Future
- Bypassing network-level VPN blocking via obfuscationnot Recorded Future
- Managing VPN access for a small team with centralized billingnot Recorded Future
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Recorded Future
- No pricing published; all three tiers (Core, Professional, Elite) require sales contact for quotes
- Pricing depends on organization size, usage levels, and services in addition to tier selection
- API usage limits vary by package but limits not specified on pricing page
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
Recorded Future
$25000/year- Threat Intelligence$25000/year
- Threat feeds
- IP reputation
- Domain analysis
- Vulnerability Intelligence$35000/year
- CVE monitoring
- Patch intelligence
- Vulnerability trending
- Complete Intelligence$50000/year
- All features
- Analyst access
- Dedicated feed
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 Recorded Future if
- You need real-time threat intelligence.
- You work on Web, Api, Cloud.
- You also want vulnerability intelligence.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Recorded Future or TunnelBear better?
- Neither clearly leads. Recorded Future starts at $25000/year and TunnelBear at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Recorded Future or TunnelBear?
- TunnelBear has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $25000/year for Recorded Future and Free for TunnelBear.
- Does Recorded Future or TunnelBear run on more platforms?
- Recorded Future runs on Web, Api, Cloud. 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. Recorded Future starts at $25000/year.
- What is Recorded Future best used for?
- Recorded Future is most often used for threat intelligence and monitoring, dark web monitoring and brand protection, third-party risk management, security operations and incident response. Of those, threat intelligence and monitoring and dark web monitoring and brand protection are not what TunnelBear is typically brought in for.
- What can Recorded Future do that TunnelBear cannot?
- Recorded Future covers Real-time threat intelligence, Vulnerability intelligence, Internet-wide data analysis, Insikt group intelligence. TunnelBear covers Encrypted VPN tunnel, Server location switching, GhostBear obfuscation, Browser extensions.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Recorded Future: What are the main pricing tiers offered by Recorded Future?
Recorded Future offers three tiers: Core (foundational intelligence), Professional (marked most-popular with automation and autonomous threat hunts), and Elite (comprehensive coverage including third-party risk assessment). Specific pricing requires contacting sales.
SourceRecorded Future: What is included in Recorded Future's Core pricing tier?
Core tier includes cyber operations monitoring with threat and malware insights, digital risk protection covering dark web monitoring and credential detection, and the new digital risk hub. Exact cost depends on organization size and usage.
SourceRecorded Future: What features does Recorded Future Professional tier add?
Professional tier adds autonomous threat hunts, continuous threat monitoring, automated threat preventions, external intelligence ingestion, and external asset discovery. Pricing is custom-quoted based on organization size and services.
SourceRecorded Future: How does Recorded Future handle user limits and API access?
Recorded Future does not limit the number of platform users or integrations across any tier. API usage limits vary by package tier but exact limits are not specified on the public pricing page.
SourceRelated pages
More on Recorded Future
Other head to heads
- Recorded Future vs Norton 360
- Recorded Future vs 1Password
- Recorded Future vs Bitdefender Total Security
- Recorded Future vs LastPass
- Recorded Future vs Rapid7 InsightVM
- Recorded Future vs IBM QRadar
- Recorded Future vs Qualys VMDR
- Recorded Future vs Tenable
- Recorded Future vs CrowdStrike Falcon
- Recorded Future vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Recorded Future vs Darktrace
- Recorded Future vs Proofpoint
- Recorded Future vs NordVPN
- Recorded Future vs Omada Identity
- Recorded Future vs Ory
- Recorded Future vs ProtonVPN
- Recorded Future vs Resolver
- Recorded Future vs Saviynt
- Recorded Future vs Windscribe
- Recorded Future vs Mullvad VPN
- Recorded Future vs Private Internet Access
- Recorded Future vs IVPN
- Recorded Future vs Enpass
- Recorded Future vs CyberGhost VPN
- Recorded Future vs Surfshark
- Recorded Future vs Avast One
- Recorded Future vs Jamf Pro
- Recorded Future vs Keeper Password Manager
- Recorded Future vs Keygen
- Recorded Future vs KnowBe4
- Recorded Future vs Legit Security
- Recorded Future vs LogRhythm SIEM
- Recorded Future vs ExpressVPN
- TunnelBear vs Norton 360
- TunnelBear vs 1Password
- TunnelBear vs Bitdefender Total Security
- TunnelBear vs LastPass
- TunnelBear vs Rapid7 InsightVM
- TunnelBear vs IBM QRadar
- TunnelBear vs Qualys VMDR
- TunnelBear vs Tenable
- TunnelBear vs CrowdStrike Falcon
- TunnelBear vs Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- TunnelBear vs Darktrace
- TunnelBear vs Proofpoint
- TunnelBear vs NordVPN
- TunnelBear vs Omada Identity
- TunnelBear vs Ory
- TunnelBear vs ProtonVPN
- TunnelBear vs Resolver
- TunnelBear vs Saviynt
- TunnelBear vs Windscribe
- TunnelBear vs Mullvad VPN
- TunnelBear vs Private Internet Access
- TunnelBear vs IVPN
- TunnelBear vs Enpass
- TunnelBear vs CyberGhost VPN
- TunnelBear vs Surfshark
- TunnelBear vs Avast One
- TunnelBear vs Jamf Pro
- TunnelBear vs Keeper Password Manager
- TunnelBear vs Keygen
- TunnelBear vs KnowBe4
- TunnelBear vs Legit Security
- TunnelBear vs LogRhythm SIEM
- TunnelBear vs ExpressVPN
