Windscribe VPN is an honest possibility for these in search of a digital non-public community with a totally practical free model. Its free plan permits as much as 10GBs of knowledge, limitless gadget 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.

Nevertheless, it is probably not the only 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 by way of 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 reasonably priced choices available on the market. Whereas most VPNs make their long-term subscriptions extra reasonably priced, I respect 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 servers from completely different areas. There’s a $3 minimal buy, with every server location costing $1 per 30 days, however the total possibility may be very customer-friendly.

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

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

I’d suggest customers concerned with Windscribe attempt the free model earlier than committing to a paid plan. If you happen to’re set on accessing all the Professional options, their month-to-month plan is the best way to go, given its lower-than-usual worth.

Windscribe VPN free model

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

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

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

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

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

General, Windscribe’s free model is a stable free VPN with extra performance than anticipated. If you happen to’re concerned with different free VPNs, take a look at our rundown of the Finest 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, break up tunneling, and a dependable Windscribe Firewall that acts as a VPN kill swap.

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 necessary 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 stated that it had been independently audited and was presently present process one other audit. Nevertheless, these audit outcomes had been neither revealed nor out there for public viewing. On this regard, I needed to dock factors off of Windscribe since they didn’t have any publicly out there audits then.

Now that we’re in 2024, I’m pleased to report that Windscribe has revealed 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 regulation enforcement requests despatched to their service.

On prime of all this, Windscribe VPN has totally open-sourced its functions on GitHub, that 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 information and intelligence-sharing alliance. To be truthful, they aren’t the one service primarily based in these areas, however customers on the lookout for a VPN working in a pro-privacy nation might need to look elsewhere.

Having each the required security measures and unbiased audits underneath 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? (roosho)

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 couple of of them under.

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 adverts and trackers and forestall software program infections.

The software permits customers to customise blocking settings. They will choose to dam objects equivalent to malware, adverts and trackers, playing content material, porn, social networks, clickbait, and even pretend information.

Customers may customise which IP addresses or domains they need 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 identify for Windscribe Staff Accounts, which permits for centralized billing and staff administration with one subscription. This plan supplies all Windscribe’s Professional options and could be 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 spend money on in comparison with common end-user accounts.

This can be a significant worth proposition for small enterprise house owners on the lookout for a VPN that may be simply built-in into their enterprise workflow.

Windscribe Firewall

Whereas Windscribe doesn’t have a conventional kill swap like different VPNs, it does have Windscribe Firewall — firewall implementation that forestalls the potential of 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 is going to solely enable an web connection to your machine if it’s via Windscribe VPN’s safe connection. Even when the VPN crashes otherwise you manually exit the app, your machine received’t be capable to 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. This can be a handy set-and-forget safety function that I can see many customers benefiting from.

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

Velocity and efficiency: How briskly is Windscribe VPN?

Windscribe VPN’s speeds are on the good-to-average aspect. General, I used to be capable of keep a steady connection throughout my use. Throughout my session, I used to be in a position 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 may increasingly have been an remoted challenge with my connection, but it surely’s nonetheless price noting for the needs of this evaluation. Switching servers and establishing connections additionally took a couple of extra seconds than I anticipated.

For readability, I used to be utilizing Windscribe’s free model throughout my testing, however Windscribe has stated that there’s no distinction by way of pace between their free and paid variations.

To check Windscribe’s area identify system leak safety, I ran it via a public DNS leak software a number of occasions and recorded zero leaks.

For obtain speeds, I recorded a considerably bigger proportion drop with Windscribe in comparison with different VPNs I’ve examined. Whereas the quantity itself was respectable, the distinction was nonetheless bigger than most of the VPNs I’ve used thus far. However, add speeds had been respectable and consistent with different VPN providers.

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

Windscribe VPN servers and areas

In 2024, Windscribe’s server community offers you entry to servers in 69 international locations and 134 cities. That’s an honest improve 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 stated that it ranges within the lots of. Per my analysis, Windscribe has round 400–500 servers.

If you happen to’re on the lookout for a VPN with many servers to select from, Windscribe most likely received’t be one of the best match. Their server fleet is among the many lowest I’ve seen thus far. Taking a look at different server networks, Non-public 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 point, as different VPNs can present a greater number of server areas for streaming, gaming, or torrenting use instances.

SEE: 5 Finest VPNs for Streaming in 2024 (roosho)

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

Windscribe buyer help

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

Windscribe additionally has its personal AI chatbot known as Garry, which is out there 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 couple of merely gave me tutorial hyperlinks as a substitute of immediately answering my questions or had solutions that weren’t as coherent as Garry’s. I additionally respect how Garry is out there for customers, not simply premium Windscribe subscribers. To me, this can be a consumer-friendly method for individuals to find out about Windscribe with out buying a full-fledged subscription.

Windscribe VPN professionals

• Has a beneficiant free model.
• Helpful R.O.B.E.R.T. IP-blocking software.
• Unbiased audits now out there in 2024.
• Open-source.
• ScribeForce staff accounts for organizations.
• Limitless gadget 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 need to attempt a totally practical, free VPN. Windscribe’s free model is likely one of the extra beneficiant free VPNs I’ve tried thus far. 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 lovers who worth transparency. With its publicly out there 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 an honest possibility for small enterprise house owners on the lookout for a VPN with administration options inbuilt. ScribeForce permits for centralized billing and handy consumer administration with only one VPN subscription.

Nevertheless, in the event you’re on the lookout for a VPN with a big and sturdy server suite, Windscribe is probably not the only option.

SEE: Every part You Have to Know concerning the Malvertising Cybersecurity Menace (roosho Premium)

Windscribe VPN alternate options

If you happen to really feel that Windscribe VPN doesn’t have the options you want, I’ve listed related alternate options which may 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 gadget connections. It additionally comes with malware safety and advert blocker help.

To study extra, learn our full Surfshark evaluation.

TunnelBear

If you happen to’re on the lookout for a VPN with yearly unbiased audits, TunnelBear is a best choice. They frequently bear third-party safety testing and have dedicated to yearly audits to confirm their claims.

To study extra, learn our full TunnelBear VPN evaluation.

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 study extra, learn our full CyberGhost VPN evaluation.

How I evaluated Windscribe VPN

My evaluation 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 critiques for each the free and paid plans.

For pace, I examined Windscribe via Ookla’s public Speedtest. For DNS leaks, I ran Windscribe a number of occasions via DNSleaktest.

Lastly, I scored Windscribe on every part from its protocols to its pricing primarily based on an inner algorithm to get a rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars. This was primarily based on Windscribe VPN alone and with different VPNs out there at this time.