Windscribe VPN Assessment (2025): Options, Pricing, and Safety

Windscribe VPN is a good possibility for these searching for a digital personal community with a totally useful free model. Its free plan permits as much as 10GBs of knowledge, limitless system connections, and the identical security measures because the paid tier. It additionally has a customizable Construct A Plan subscription possibility, giving clients extra account flexibility.

Nonetheless, it will not be your best option for customers who worth having a big server community, notably for streaming or unblocking functions. Proper now, Windscribe helps macOS, Home windows, Android, iOS, Linux, Mozilla, and Opera.

Windscribe VPN pricing

For its annual subscription, the $5.75 per 30 days falls within the center vary when it comes to pricing in comparison with different VPNs. In the meantime, Windscribe’s month-to-month $9.00 per 30 days plan is likely one of the extra inexpensive choices available on the market. Whereas most VPNs make their long-term subscriptions extra inexpensive, I admire how Windscribe’s month-to-month plan is on the decrease finish of the spectrum.

Windscribe additionally gives a Construct A Plan tier that permits clients to pick out servers from completely different areas. There’s a $3 minimal buy, with every server location costing $1 per 30 days, however the general possibility may be very customer-friendly.

For groups of 5 or extra, ScribeForce is a plan that permits for centralized billing and crew administration with one subscription.

Lastly, Windscribe has a free model that gives a number of options discovered within the paid plan.

I might advocate customers keen on Windscribe strive the free model earlier than committing to a paid plan. For those who’re set on accessing the entire Professional options, their month-to-month plan is the way in which to go, given its lower-than-usual worth.

Windscribe VPN free model

Windscribe VPN has a free model that comes with numerous the identical in-app performance as their paid plans. The principle distinction is that the free model solely gives entry to servers in 10 areas.

Specifically, Windscribe VPN’s free model gives entry to servers from america, Canada, the UK, Hong Kong, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, and Romania.

On the flip facet, a Windscribe Professional account contains entry to all server areas in 69 international locations and 134 cities. These customers have entry to Professional servers which can be much less crowded and carry out higher. As well as, a paid subscription contains limitless knowledge, whereas the free model solely permits as much as 10GB month-to-month knowledge. Nonetheless, new customers can solely entry 2GB of knowledge with out offering an e mail tackle.

The choice to check out the service with out offering private data, reminiscent of an e mail tackle, is a plus. Just like the paid tier, the free Windscribe model permits limitless system connections. That is spectacular, contemplating that different VPNs don’t supply limitless system connections — even on their paid plans.

The free model additionally contains an abbreviated model of Windscribe’s R.O.B.E.R.T. area and IP blocking software for malware, advertisements, and monitoring safety. The complete R.O.B.E.R.T. function set is included with the Professional plan.

General, Windscribe’s free model is a strong free VPN with extra performance than anticipated. For those who’re keen on different free VPNs, try our rundown of the Greatest Free VPNs for 2024.

Is Windscribe VPN secure and dependable?

Sure, Windscribe VPN is a secure VPN to make use of in 2024. It gives all of the industry-standard safety protocols anticipated of a VPN: OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard. It additionally has AES-256 encryption, cut up tunneling, and a dependable Windscribe Firewall that acts as a VPN kill change.

It additionally has a no-logs coverage stating that Windscribe doesn’t document connection logs, IP timestamps, session logs, or consumer exercise. To ensure that is truly the case, it’s essential to test if a VPN’s no logs coverage, or any facet of its utility for that matter, has been independently audited.

After I first reviewed Windscribe final 12 months, the VPN supplier mentioned that it had been independently audited and was at the moment present process one other audit. Nonetheless, these audit outcomes had been neither printed nor obtainable for public viewing. On this regard, I needed to dock factors off of Windscribe since they didn’t have any publicly obtainable audits then.

Now that we’re in 2024, I’m completely happy to report that Windscribe has printed full particulars of its unbiased audits for each its no-logs coverage and utility. In September 2021, Windscribe’s desktop app was audited by Leviathan Safety Group, which aided the VPN supplier in addressing all points that had been raised.

In 2022, each Windscribe Android and iOS functions had been additionally audited by Leviathan. Lastly, Windscribe’s VPN stack known as FreshScribe was additionally lately audited by Packetlabs in June 2024.

WindScribe VPN additionally publishes real-time Transparency Stories that define the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and legislation enforcement requests despatched to their service.

On high of all this, Windscribe VPN has absolutely open-sourced its functions on GitHub, which means anybody can view their supply code and spot vulnerabilities or weaknesses. To me, this can be a significant promoting level that provides factors in the direction of Windscribe within the transparency and credibility division.

Some customers could also be cautious of Windscribe’s Canada-based operations because of the nation’s inclusion within the 5-Eyes knowledge and intelligence-sharing alliance. To be honest, they aren’t the one service based mostly in these areas, however customers in search of a VPN working in a pro-privacy nation may need to look elsewhere.

Having each the mandatory security measures and unbiased audits beneath its belt, I can say that Windscribe VPN is a secure and safe service to make use of in 2024.

SEE: Can a VPN Be Hacked? (TechRepublic)

Key options of Windscribe VPN

Along with providing a free model, Windscribe VPN has notable options that set it other than different VPNs; I’ve highlighted a number of of them beneath.

R.O.B.E.R.T. software

Windscribe VPN has a built-in area and IP blocking software known as R.O.B.E.R.T. It’s a customizable server-side software that may block advertisements and trackers and stop software program infections.

The software permits customers to customise blocking settings. They’ll choose to dam gadgets reminiscent of malware, advertisements and trackers, playing content material, porn, social networks, clickbait, and even pretend information.

Customers may also customise which IP addresses or domains they wish to be blocked or allowed through R.O.B.E.R.T.’s Customized Entry Guidelines.

Per my testing, the IP blocking labored as marketed.

ScribeForce Staff Accounts

ScribeForce is one other title for Windscribe Staff Accounts, which permits for centralized billing and crew administration with one subscription. This plan gives all Windscribe’s Professional options and is usually a highly effective administration software for a small enterprise.

With ScribeForce, an proprietor can generate and handle consumer accounts from a single web page. Plus, ScribeForce accounts are cheaper to put money into in comparison with common end-user accounts.

It is a significant worth proposition for small enterprise homeowners in search of a VPN that may be simply built-in into their enterprise workflow.

Windscribe Firewall

Whereas Windscribe doesn’t have a standard kill change like different VPNs, it does have Windscribe Firewall — firewall implementation that stops the potential for any packets leaking to your web service supplier in case your VPN session is disrupted.

The “All the time On” setting is noteworthy right here as it’s going to solely permit an web connection to your machine if it’s by way of Windscribe VPN’s safe connection. Even when the VPN crashes otherwise you manually exit the app, your machine gained’t be capable of connect with an ISP.

After I examined the firewall, it was capable of reliably minimize off the connection even when I had closed the app or disconnected from the VPN server. It is a handy set-and-forget safety function that I can see many customers benefiting from.

SEE: Is a VPN Actually Price It in 2024? (TechRepublic)

Velocity and efficiency: How briskly is Windscribe VPN?

Windscribe VPN’s speeds are on the good-to-average facet. General, I used to be capable of keep a secure connection throughout my use. Throughout my session, I used to be ready to make use of Google Drive and Google Docs, and I had a number of Chrome tabs open to browse the web for analysis and stream movies on YouTube.

I did expertise a problem loading and taking part in a 4K video on YouTube. This will have been an remoted concern with my connection, however it’s nonetheless price noting for the needs of this evaluate. Switching servers and establishing connections additionally took a number of extra seconds than I anticipated.

For readability, I used to be utilizing Windscribe’s free model throughout my testing, however Windscribe has mentioned that there’s no distinction when it comes to velocity between their free and paid variations.

To check Windscribe’s area title system leak safety, I ran it by way of a public DNS leak software a number of instances and recorded zero leaks.

For obtain speeds, I recorded a considerably bigger share drop with Windscribe in comparison with different VPNs I’ve examined. Whereas the quantity itself was respectable, the distinction was nonetheless bigger than lots of the VPNs I’ve used to date. Then again, add speeds had been respectable and in step with different VPN providers.

Lastly, the Windscribe app carried out nicely. I skilled zero points utilizing options and located it to be intuitive. I additionally favored the extra fashionable method it takes for its consumer interface.

Windscribe VPN servers and areas

In 2024, Windscribe’s server community provides you entry to servers in 69 international locations and 134 cities. That’s a good enhance in comparison with final 12 months, the place it had servers unfold out over 63 international locations and 110 cities. Whereas they don’t disclose the precise variety of servers they’ve, they’ve mentioned that it ranges within the tons of. Per my analysis, Windscribe has round 400–500 servers.

For those who’re in search of a VPN with many servers to select from, Windscribe most likely gained’t be the most effective match. Their server fleet is among the many lowest I’ve seen to date. different server networks, Personal Web Entry VPN has servers from 91 international locations; CyberGhost VPN gives servers from 100 international locations; and NordVPN has servers throughout 111 international locations.

That is, maybe, WindScribe’s greatest weak spot, as different VPNs can present a greater number of server areas for streaming, gaming, or torrenting use instances.

SEE: 5 Greatest VPNs for Streaming in 2024 (TechRepublic)

For safety, Windscribe has Double Hop, a server function that routes consumer requests by way of any two servers or areas on their community. Whereas it is advisable to use each the desktop app and Windscribe’s browser extension to make use of it, Double Hop nonetheless gives elevated anonymity and privateness for the top consumer.

Windscribe buyer help

For buyer help, Windscribe VPN has a web-based data base with guides and tutorials for all its VPN functions. It additionally has an official Discord and Reddit neighborhood for extra discussion-oriented help.

Windscribe additionally has its personal AI chatbot known as Garry, which is offered to each paid customers and most people. After I tried it, I discovered that it might present completely correct and useful details about Windscribe. The chat additionally loaded up rapidly and gave me responses with zero lag time.

That is in distinction to different AI chatbots I’ve tried, the place a number of merely gave me tutorial hyperlinks as an alternative of instantly answering my questions or had solutions that weren’t as coherent as Garry’s. I additionally admire how Garry is offered for customers, not simply premium Windscribe subscribers. To me, this can be a consumer-friendly means for folks to find out about Windscribe with out buying a full-fledged subscription.

Windscribe VPN execs

• Has a beneficiant free model.
• Helpful R.O.B.E.R.T. IP-blocking software.
• Impartial audits now obtainable in 2024.
• Open-source.
• ScribeForce crew accounts for organizations.
• Limitless system connections.

Windscribe VPN cons

• Very small server community and nation unfold.
• Velocity efficiency is inconsistent.
• Primarily based in Canada (5-Eyes member nation).

Who’s Windscribe VPN greatest for?

Windscribe VPN is greatest for potential VPN customers who wish to strive a totally useful, free VPN. Windscribe’s free model is likely one of the extra beneficiant free VPNs I’ve tried to date. With the free model, you’ll be able to entry their R.O.B.E.R.T. IP-blocking software and as much as 10 GB of knowledge with out price.

In 2024, it’s additionally a sensible choice for privateness fans who worth transparency. With its publicly obtainable unbiased audits and open-source structure, Windscribe VPN is effective for customers who need credible proof that their on-line exercise is secure and guarded.

Windscribe’s ScribeForce plan additionally makes it a good possibility for small enterprise homeowners in search of a VPN with administration options inbuilt. ScribeForce permits for centralized billing and handy consumer administration with only one VPN subscription.

Nonetheless, if you happen to’re in search of a VPN with a big and sturdy server suite, Windscribe will not be your best option.

SEE: All the pieces You Must Know in regards to the Malvertising Cybersecurity Risk (TechRepublic Premium)

Windscribe VPN options

For those who really feel that Windscribe VPN doesn’t have the options you want, I’ve listed related options that could be a greater match.

Surfshark

Surfshark is likely one of the extra well-known VPN choices at this time. It has zero bandwidth limitations, a seven-day free trial, and limitless system connections. It additionally comes with malware safety and advert blocker help.

To be taught extra, learn our full Surfshark evaluate.

TunnelBear

For those who’re in search of a VPN with yearly unbiased audits, TunnelBear is a best choice. They recurrently endure third-party safety testing and have dedicated to yearly audits to confirm their claims.

To be taught extra, learn our full TunnelBear VPN evaluate.

CyberGhost VPN

For consumers who need a big server community, CyberGhost VPN is likely one of the greatest. It gives an in depth suite of servers unfold throughout 100 international locations and 125 areas. It even segments these servers into streaming, torrenting, and gaming classes.

To be taught extra, learn our full CyberGhost VPN evaluate.

How I evaluated Windscribe VPN

My evaluate of Windscribe VPN concerned an in depth evaluation of its security measures, price, and real-world efficiency. I had hands-on expertise with Windscribe VPN’s free model and supplemented my findings with consumer testimonials and respected opinions for each the free and paid plans.

For velocity, I examined Windscribe by way of Ookla’s public Speedtest. For DNS leaks, I ran Windscribe a number of instances by way of DNSleaktest.

Lastly, I scored Windscribe on every little thing from its protocols to its pricing based mostly on an inside algorithm to get a rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars. This was based mostly on Windscribe VPN alone and with different VPNs obtainable at this time.