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Cybersecurity · head to head

Recorded Future vs TunnelBear

Recorded Future logo

Recorded Future

Cybersecurity

Intelligence-driven cybersecurity

From
$25000/year
Rated
-
T

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.

Attributes where Recorded Future and TunnelBear differ
AttributeRecorded FutureTunnelBear
Starting price$25000/yearFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Api, Cloudwindows, mac, linux, ios, android
Founded2009Unknown

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.

Source
Recorded 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.

Source
Recorded 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.

Source
Recorded 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.

Source
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