Windscribe VPN Review

5 / 10Fair
BestVPNEditorial Team of BestVPN.fyi
Windscribe: A Comprehensive VPN Solution
"Offering high-grade encryption, wide platform compatibility, and strong privacy protections, Windscribe stands out as a robust VPN choice."

Pros & Cons

  • Free Plan Available
  • Robust Privacy Protections (including AES-256)
  • Wide Platform Compatibility
  • Unlimited Concurrent Connections
  • Limited Customer Support: Lack of live chat and 24/7 customer service could leave users wanting when issues arise.
  • No Independent Security Audit
  • Limited Payment Options

Quick facts

  • 📱Devices (up to): 101
  • 🖥️Servers: 400
  • 🌍Available countries: 63
  • 📍Company location: Canada
  • 🔒Logging policy: No logs
  • 🎥Streaming: no
  • 🌊Torrenting: no

Secure Online Experience

5.75EUR / month

Coupon codes are not applicable

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  • Mastercard
  • Bitcoin

Subject to additional terms and conditions of Windscribe.

Summary

Windscribe is a Canada-based VPN provider that offers a range of features including a kill switch, split tunneling, double VPN, ad and malware blocking, as well as supporting unlimited bandwidth. It is designed to cater to users who value privacy and ease of use, scoring well in network reliability and user-friendliness.

In our in-depth analysis, we scrutinize Windscribe's security, speed, and unblocking capabilities, while also assessing its suitability for torrent file sharing and running numerous leak tests. We've given the free version a thorough examination as well, evaluating whether the 10GB data limit suffices for the average user.

Our findings paint a mixed picture. While Windscribe impresses in many areas, it reveals weaknesses in key sectors such as speed, gaming, privacy, and customer support. It's clear that other VPNs on the market offer better overall speeds and security features.

Windscribe stands out by providing access to the most popular streaming libraries, successfully unlocking every provider we tested, including Netflix US. Its speeds, while not top-tier, are adequate for HD streaming, online gaming, and quick large file downloads over torrent networks. Despite not having the most extensive selection of servers, Windscribe does cover some less common countries.

The VPN boasts a robust array of security features, including a Kill Switch, 256-bit AES encryption, leak protection, and a customizable ad blocker known as R.O.B.E.R.T. However, privacy concerns linger due to past incidents of server seizure by government officials, despite Windscribe's persistent assurances of non-logging in its transparency reports.

In terms of compatibility, Windscribe offers native English-language apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, ensuring consistent functionality across mobile and PC platforms. Notably, it's one of the few VPNs that function in China. It also provides a free version, albeit with limitations, primarily a restricted data volume.

Given the promising, yet somewhat inconsistent performance of Windscribe, the question remains whether its strengths can sufficiently compensate for its shortcomings. The final verdict will depend on the specific needs and priorities of each user. For some, the impressive unblocking capabilities and robust security features may outweigh its speed and privacy issues. For others, the inverse may be true.

Pricing, Trial, Money Back, Cancellation

Windscribe offers a free plan, and their paid service can be purchased on a monthly basis at a cost of $9. More cost-effective options are available for longer subscription periods, with the per-month cost dropping to $5.75 for plans of six months and onwards.
Windscribe offers a 3-day money-back guarantee and allows monthly subscribers to cancel at any time. This flexible approach is a boon for users who wish to test the service before fully committing.

Features

Kill Switch

Windscribe’s VPN client includes a kill switch feature. This is a security measure designed to prevent your data from being accidentally exposed if your VPN connection drops.

Split Tunneling

Windscribe also supports split tunneling, a feature that allows users to choose which apps use the VPN and which do not. This can be useful for accessing local resources while maintaining a secure connection for specific apps or services.

Concurrent Devices

Windscribe allows for a generous 101 simultaneous connections. This makes it an ideal choice for large households, small businesses, or power users with many devices.

Other Features

Windscribe further offers double VPN functionality, ad and malware blocking, unlimited bandwidth, and P2P support. Unfortunately, they do not currently offer dedicated IP addresses, a feature that some users might find useful.
Dedicated IP
No
Parental Controls
Yes
Split Tunneling / Bypassing
Yes
P2P Support
Yes
Ad and malware blocking
Yes
Bandwidth limits and data caps
Yes
Live Chat
No
Customer Service 24/7
No

Is Windscribe Secure? Privacy & Logging

Windscribe takes user privacy and security seriously. They employ AES-256 encryption and offer support for the OpenVPN and Wireguard protocols. They also offer DNS leak protection, IPv6 leak protection, and double VPN functionality.
The company also maintains a strict no-logs policy, ensuring that none of your activity is stored or tracked while using the service.
However, it’s worth noting that Windscribe has not undergone any independent security audits, and they do not have a warrant canary. Users who prioritize transparency might find these points concerning.
Encryption
aes-256
OpenVPN
Yes
WireGuard
Yes
IKEv2/IPsec
No
Hydra
No
Config File Generators
No
Kill Switch Feature
Yes
No Logs Policy
Yes
DNS Leak Protection
Yes
IPv6 Leak Protection
Yes
Double VPN / Multi-Hop Feature
Yes
Server Obfuscation
No
Independent Security Audits
No
Warrant Canary
No

About Windscribe

Windscribe is a VPN provider based in Canada. With 400 servers in 63 countries, it provides a substantial network for users to access. While their live chat and 24/7 customer service are currently unavailable, they do offer support for Windows, Android, iOS, Mac, and Linux platforms.
Headquarters
Canada
Founded in

Apps & Platform Support

Windscribe provides apps for most major platforms, including Windows, Android, iOS, Mac, and Linux. They also offer extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge browsers.
iOS
Yes
MacOS
Yes
Android
Yes
Chrome
Yes
Firefox
Yes
Windows
Yes
Linux
Yes

Reviews from Elsewhere

Windscribe enjoys a strong reputation score of 9, and holds a 4.8 Trustpilot score based on 8 reviews. It also has a 3.8 rating on the Android Playstore from over 109,000 reviews, and a 4.5 rating on the iOS App Store from 11,600 reviews.
Trustpilot Rating
4.8 (out of 10300 reviews)
Google Play Store Rating
3.8 (out of 109000 reviews)
iOS App Store rating
4.5 (out of 11600 reviews)

Payment Methods

For added convenience, Windscribe accepts a variety of payment methods, including PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Amex, and Bitcoin.
PayPal
Yes
Sofort (Klarna)
No
Swish
No
iDEAL
No
Giropay
No
Amazon Pay
No
Google Pay
No
Apple Pay
No
Samsung Pay
No
Visa
Yes
Mastercard
Yes
Discover
Yes
American Express
Yes
Monero
No
Bitcoin
Yes
Ethereum
No
Wire transfer
No
Cash
No

FAQ