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Windscribe VPN is a Canada-based provider that promises to help you browse the web privately.
In addition to its paid service, this VPN has a popular free version that attracts many users with its generous 10GB monthly data limit. The Pro version gives you access to unlimited data and 177 servers spread across 69 countries. Windscribe Pro also gives you the option of port forwarding.
Fans of its advanced feature R.O.B.E.R.T will be happy too. New updates to the feature allow you to spoof domains to an IP address of your choosing, and to blacklist IPs and IP networks that may be untrustworthy. If you’re not sure what R.O.B.E.R.T is don’t worry, I cover it in further detail a bit later on in this review.
I put this VPN to the test to find out how its performance compares to other top VPNs on the market. Overall, Windscribe VPN has a lot to offer. I discovered a few other areas with some weaknesses as well. Keep reading to find out how this VPN performs in each category.
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| 💸 Price | 0 USD/month |
| 📆 Money Back Guarantee | 3 Days |
| 📝 Does VPN keep logs? | No |
| 🖥 Number of servers | 180+ |
| 🛡 Kill switch | Yes |
| 🗺 Based in country | Canada |
| 🛠 Support | Online chat/email |
Windscribe VPN offered very different results on every server I tested, but they were still fast enough for most online activities.
One of the most important qualities that you should be looking for in a VPN is fast connection speeds. A VPN that slows you down can quickly become very frustrating.
I tested the connection speeds of Windscribe VPN to see how it compares to other popular VPNs.
Before connecting to Windscribe, my download speed was 61.74 Mbps. By comparing my starting speed to my average connection speeds while connected to the VPN, I can find out if Windscribe is slowing me down.
I connected to a Windscribe server near my location in the US. Servers closer to your physical location tend to give you the best connection speeds. In this case, my average connection speed on the US server was 26.22 Mbps.
One of its specialized US servers was a bit faster, standing at 38.15 Mbps. In the UK, I gor around 30 Mbps. However, the German server dropped my speed down to 3.77 Mbps — this is alright for regular browsing, but not if you want to enjoy your favorite shows in HD. In Japan, my average connection speed was 9.63 Mbps.
There were some inconsistencies in Windscribe’s server speeds. The good news for Windscribe is that its dedicated US server, which is only available to premium members, delivered pretty fast connections.
On the other hand, I experienced a noticeable drop in speed on some of the servers that I tested. Windscribe has decent server speeds overall, but right now it can’t compete with the fastest VPNs on the market.
Windscribe VPN has a decent network of 177+ servers in 69 countries. Larger server networks are generally good news for a VPN’s speed because more servers mean less crowding. However, Windscribe VPN doesn’t have any problems keeping up. On its website, you can check out the status of every data center, so you can choose the server that’s best for your needs.
It offers servers in a lot of useful locations on 5 continents, including some hard-to-reach locations.
Browse With Windscribe VPN Now!
Windscribe is doing its job correctly in terms of security. It protects your data with strong encryption. The VPN uses AES-256 cipher with SHA512 auth and a 4096-bit RSA key.
The VPN also supports perfect forward secrecy. This is a method of encryption that regularly generates new, unique encryption keys for your VPN sessions. This guarantees that even if your encryption key were somehow compromised, only a small amount of data would be vulnerable.
Windscribe allows you to choose your VPN protocol. By default, it uses the IKEv2 protocol, which offers a good balance of security and speed.
You can also use the VPN with OpenVPN. Windscribe lets you choose between UDP and TCP OpenVPN connections. The VPN’s Stealth Mode hides OpenVPN in a TLS tunnel via Stunnel.
I ran multiple tests while connected to Windscribe VPN and I did not detect any DNS or IP leaks.
My real location in the US was masked with an IP address in the UK. This is exactly what it looks like when a VPN is doing what it’s supposed to. Windscribe offers DNS/IPv6 leak protection to ensure that there is no way for your location to be exposed.
The VPN also comes with WebRTC leak protection and an automatic kill switch, which Windscribe calls its firewall. The kill switch will cut off all internet traffic if your VPN connection suddenly drops. Without a kill switch, your data could be exposed if you lose your VPN connection.
Other advanced features that you can use to customize your security include port forwarding, split tunneling, and double hop.
Browse Safely With Windscribe VPN Now!
Windscribe is located in Canada, which is a member of the 5/9/14-Eyes Alliance. That is typically not something that privacy lovers like to see.
However, a VPN provider can’t share data that it doesn’t collect in the first place. The most important thing to look at is the VPN’s privacy policy. Windscribe’s privacy policy states that the VPN never collects usage data such as the websites that you visit while connected to the VPN.
The following types of information are never collected by Windscribe:
This is what Windscribe does collect:
Overall, this is a pretty standard privacy policy. I also like the fact that Windscribe makes an effort not to require you to give out any identifying information.
The only things you need to provide to create an account are a username and password.
You don’t have to give Windscribe an email or any other type of contact information if you don’t want to. To maximize your anonymity, Windscribe allows you to pay with Bitcoin.
Get Started With Windscribe VPN!
One big advantage to Windscribe VPN’s service is that you can connect an unlimited number of devices with a single account. This is more than most of Windscribe VPN’s competitors. I tested it with 7 different devices, and my connection never dropped on any of them.
Windscribe offers dedicated apps for all major platforms, along with router installation guides.
The company also sells pre-configured routers that make it easy to protect all the devices in your home or workplace. If you install it on your router, you can connect any WiFi-enabled device to the VPN.
You can download the Windscribe VPN app for Windows, Mac, and even Linux. The VPN also has browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. The Chrome and Firefox browser extensions now include malware and phishing protection and API spoofing.
Windscribe also recently developed a new iOS app, that offers IKEv2 and OpenVPN support, network whitelisting, and shortcuts for Siri. Its Android app was updated as well, and now includes IKEv2/OpenVPN support, split routing, and new design features like Dark and Custom Color Mode.
It’s easy to get started with Windscribe. You can install the desktop app or browser extension in seconds without even creating an account.
Upgrading to a paid account is super easy as well. You will find an upgrade link within the app.
Windscribe supports single-click connect. The desktop app offers a Best Location feature, which is called Autopilot in the browser extension. This feature will automatically connect you to the best server for your location.
You can open Windscribe and get started right away without a hassle, but there are also some advanced configuration settings for experienced users.
Windscribe VPN is a very user-friendly service. The desktop apps and browser extensions have a stylish, minimalist design. It didn’t take more than 5 minutes to get started, as you can find quick download links for both desktop and mobile devices.
You can connect to the VPN with a single click from Windscribe’s main interface. The Best Location feature will automatically connect you to a nearby server. You can conveniently toggle the automatic kill switch (called Firewall) on and off at the bottom of the screen.
To access the settings, click on the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner. Clicking on your current location will bring you to the server selection menu. The server menu and the settings interface are both intuitive and easy to navigate.
Windscribe offers a choice of three different-length paid plans. These include a monthly, yearly, and 2-year subscription. The VPN service also has a free tier, which comes with some limitations, but it is one of the better free VPNs out there.
When you upgrade to a Pro plan, you can pay with a credit card, PayPal, Payment Wall, or Bitcoin. As a cryptocurrency, Bitcoin will provide the most anonymity.
The monthly subscription rate is reasonable for the great value that Windscribe offers with its VPN service.
Decent discounts are offered on longer subscriptions, which makes it even more affordable. The company also offers special discounts for students.
With the free version, you only have access to servers in 11 countries. These servers are sometimes slower because they are more crowded. It allows 10GB of data per month and offers unlimited connections. This isn’t a huge amount of data, but it is much more generous than most free VPNs.
Windscribe VPN’s refund policy is pretty restrictive compared to many of its competitors.
When you buy the service, you only have 3 days to request a refund. It’s not a lot of time, but considering you can test it out with the free version, this is somewhat reasonable.
To request a refund, you must submit a written request to the support desk within three days of purchasing a subscription. Keep in mind that you will only receive a refund if you have used less than 10GB of data.
Most popular VPN services offer a longer money-back guarantee without these kinds of restrictions.
In the past, the only way to contact Windscribe was through their ticket system, which still exists. The customer service team typically responds to tickets within a few hours, but it can take as long as a few days.
For basic troubleshooting and common questions, you can turn to Windscribe’s website for helpful resources like FAQs, a searchable knowledge base, and informative blog posts.
If you want real-time assistance, you can turn to Windscribe’s live chat service. The company’s chatbot, Garry, can answer the most common questions and support requests. If your question is too complicated for Garry to handle, you will be transferred to a live chat team. I found the live chat customer service team to be responsive, friendly, and helpful.
The website also provides some helpful resources like FAQs, blog posts, and a searchable knowledge base.
Strong performance overall, but still room for improvement
Strong performance overall, but still room for improvement. Windscribe VPN offers good value for your money. It keeps your data safe while you browse and can access a handful of websites and platforms.
The VPN’s user-friendly apps are well-designed and offer some advanced security features advanced users would be very happy with. Its speeds are decent, but a bit inconsistent, and the refund policy could also be better.
However, it’s a safe and reliable service, and you can always give it a try with its 3-day money-back guarantee, or by using its free, but limited plan.
Katie is an experienced tech researcher and writer with a passion for fluff-free web content.
