Government · head to head
Ring Neighbors vs TunnelBear
T
TunnelBear
Cybersecurity
Consumer VPN with a limited free tier and a bear-themed, beginner-friendly app
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Ring Neighbors neighbors by Ring is a free app only available in the US, per the vendor's own page (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2023); TunnelBear free plan's data cap is small compared to competitors offering more generous free allowances.
- They diverge on capability: Ring Neighbors covers Video Request Portal, TunnelBear covers Encrypted VPN tunnel.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Ring Neighbors and TunnelBear actually diverge.
| Attribute | Ring Neighbors | TunnelBear |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android | windows, mac, linux, ios, android |
| Category | Government | Cybersecurity |
| Founded | 2013 | Unknown |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), 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 Ring Neighbors
- Video Request Portal
- Community Alerts
- Geographic Requests
- Case Management
- Resident Opt-in
- Ring Devices
- CAD Systems
- Social Media
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.
Ring Neighbors
- Citizen Servicesnot TunnelBear
- Records Managementnot TunnelBear
- Public Safetynot TunnelBear
- Civic Engagementnot TunnelBear
TunnelBear
- Casual browsing protection on public Wi-Finot Ring Neighbors
- Occasional geo-unblocking with a light free allowancenot Ring Neighbors
- Bypassing network-level VPN blocking via obfuscationnot Ring Neighbors
- Managing VPN access for a small team with centralized billingnot Ring Neighbors
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Ring Neighbors
- Neighbors by Ring is a free app only available in the US, per the vendor's own page (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2023)
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
Ring Neighbors
Free- Public Safety PortalFree
- Video Requests
- Community Alerts
- Case Management
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 Ring Neighbors if
- You need video request portal.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want community alerts.
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 Ring Neighbors or TunnelBear better?
- Neither clearly leads. Ring Neighbors starts at Free and TunnelBear at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Ring Neighbors or TunnelBear?
- Ring Neighbors starts at Free and TunnelBear at Free.
- Does Ring Neighbors or TunnelBear run on more platforms?
- Ring Neighbors runs on Web, Ios, Android. TunnelBear runs on windows, mac, linux, ios, android.
- Can I use Ring Neighbors for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Ring Neighbors best used for?
- Ring Neighbors 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 Ring Neighbors do that TunnelBear cannot?
- Ring Neighbors covers Video Request Portal, Community Alerts, Geographic Requests, Case Management. TunnelBear covers Encrypted VPN tunnel, Server location switching, GhostBear obfuscation, Browser extensions.
Related pages
More on Ring Neighbors
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- TunnelBear vs CivicPlus
- TunnelBear vs Granicus
- TunnelBear vs DocuWare
- TunnelBear vs CentralSquare
- TunnelBear vs Axon Records
- TunnelBear vs IAPro
- TunnelBear vs Mark43
- TunnelBear vs SafeCity
- TunnelBear vs Citizen
- TunnelBear vs ShotSpotter
- TunnelBear vs Tyler Brazos
- TunnelBear vs NEXGEN Asset Management
- TunnelBear vs NextRequest
- TunnelBear vs Trimble Unity Maintain
- TunnelBear vs VUEWorks
- TunnelBear vs American Legal Publishing
- TunnelBear vs ArchiveSocial
- TunnelBear vs Windscribe
- TunnelBear vs Mullvad VPN
- TunnelBear vs Private Internet Access
- TunnelBear vs IVPN
- TunnelBear vs Enpass
- TunnelBear vs CyberGhost VPN
- TunnelBear vs NordVPN
- TunnelBear vs Surfshark
- TunnelBear vs Avast One
- TunnelBear vs ProtonVPN
- TunnelBear vs LastPass
- 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