Windscribe Review 2023 — Keep This in Mind Before Buying

Windscribe claims to offer top-notch encryption and access to tons of streaming platforms at a super low price, but are these claims accurate? With so many VPNs on the market offering similar perks but at a higher cost, these features seemed too good to be true. I had to find out for myself how good it really is.

To see out how it performs, I thoroughly tested every aspect of the Windscribe app, including its security, speeds, and unblocking capabilities. I also looked into how well it works for torrenting and ran it through several leak tests. In addition, I did extensive tests on the free version and found out whether its 10GB data limit is enough for the average user.

Overall, I was impressed with many of Windscribe’s features, but it falls short in several key areas like speeds, gaming, privacy, and support. There are definitely other VPNs that offer better overall security and performance.

Streaming — Works with Every Major Streaming Platform

I was able to unblock Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer for buffer-free streaming. It worked so well because Windscribe uses a proprietary spoofing technology (called Location Warp) that helps mask your IP, so you can access geo-restricted streaming platforms.

On top of that, I was impressed that I could unblock all of these platforms with the free version of Windscribe, which uses Location Warp too. Sign up with an email address, and you can get 10GB of data per month on your free account, and a tweet about Windscribe will get you 15GB. That will let you stream in HD for a little over 7 hours.

I tested Windscribe's streaming capabilities on my laptop, tablet, and Android Phone. Then, I tried it out on my Fire TV Stick using Windscribe's native app, and it worked great.

One minor issue is that compared to my base connection, videos took a little longer to load with Windscribe. However, the streaming quality never dropped below HD. I didn’t experience any buffering, whether I was using the free app or the paid version.

Unblocked Netflix

I was able to unblock US Netflix along with libraries from the UK, Canada, Japan, and Australia. The free app unblocked all these regions too, except for Japan which is only on the premium service. In my first test, I connected to the Atlanta server and opened Netflix. I selected an episode of Supernatural, and the entire episode played back in HD without any buffering.

Every show I watched on Netflix loaded instantly too

I also got similar results using the Dallas server. The only difference was that the video took 2 seconds longer to load, which is still an impressive result.

Unblocked Hulu

I was able to access Hulu using the Los Angeles server.

The shows I watched never paused to buffer either

This let me watch The Wonder Years, one of my favorite shows, in sharp HD. I was impressed that it played back without any dips in quality.

Unblocked Disney+

All 5 US servers I used managed to unblock Disney+. While connected to Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Chicago, and New York servers, I could easily access all my favorite movies.

I finished watching an entire movie without any dips in picture quality

It took 2 seconds to load the page and 5 seconds to load each video. However, the movies never stopped to buffer once they started playing.

Unblocked Amazon Prime Video

I was able to watch Amazon Prime Video, although it didn't work on the first try. The videos didn’t load on my initial attempt. However, I simply reloaded the page, and I was able to instantly start playing movies and shows.

The US region has the most content, and I used it to watch Evangelion

The quality never dropped below HD, and it didn’t stop to buffer.

Unblocked HBO Max

It was easy to load up HBO Max. I usually have issues unblocking this platform, but it worked immediately using Windscribe’s Atlanta server.

All the videos I opened, loaded in high quality

It took the video 3 seconds to load, but then it played without buffering. It worked just as well on the Denver server but videos took a bit longer to start up (around 5 seconds on average).

Unblocked BBC iPlayer

It was easy to access BBC iPlayer with Windscribe. I was impressed that all the videos loaded immediately with the highest quality already selected.

Every video I watched played back without any interruptions

The quality of the picture remained consistent even though I was downloading a few large files in the background.

Also Unblocked: ITV, All 4, YouTube, Spotify, and DAZN

The UK server even managed to unblock All 4. Most VPNs focus their attention on US streaming platforms as these are more popular. This makes it hard to find a service that works with UK platforms, but Windscribe’s UK server worked great.

I was able to enjoy all my favorite shows in the best quality

Windscribe managed to unblock every platform I tried it with. This is impressive since it has a relatively small server network compared to other providers like CyberGhost or ExpressVPN. The servers it does have are super reliable for getting past geo-blocks.

Speeds — Fast Local Connections, but Slow Long-Distance Ones

Windscribe has great speeds on local servers, but it slows down at long distances. Usually, the farther you are from a server, the slower your speeds will be since the data you are requesting takes longer to reach you. However, the drops in speed are much larger than normal with Windscribe. These tests were performed with the premium app; on the free version, I didn't notice any difference in speeds. Every test was recorded on a Windows 10 laptop using the IKEv2 protocol.

Short-distance server speeds are impressive. First, I tested its Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Moldova locations. Best Location is a convenient feature that connects the VPN to the server closest to you, which was Poland in my case. These servers are all less than 300km away from my location and each one gave me similar results. All together, I got an average speed of 62.10 Mbps, which is more than enough to stream 4K content. My average download rate without a VPN is 70.80 Mbps, so the VPN only dropped my speeds by a small amount.

I could perform any online activity comfortably with these speeds

However, long-distance download rates dropped by 80%, and upload rates fell by 72%. I used its Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, and Singapore locations for my long-distance speed tests. All of these locations are more than 2500 km away from me. On average, I recorded speeds of 12.46 Mbps. This isn't fast, but it’s suitable for streaming since you only need 5 Mbps to stream in HD. There are several other premium VPNs that give you faster speeds, especially at long distances.

Although some of the long-distance servers had alright speeds, some were unusable

I wondered what the speed difference would be between different protocols, so I tested them using the Singapore location.

WSTunnel never worked and repeatedly prompted an error screen

IKEv2 is the fastest and most reliable protocol. OpenVPN (TCP) was 10X slower than IKEv2, and Stealth wasn't much better. OpenVPN (UDP) was only 42% slower than IKEv2, but I still recommend IKEv2 or Wireguard when you do any activities that require fast speeds.

Are Windscribe’s Speeds Fast Enough for Gaming? Yes, but Not for Cloud Gaming

Windscribe is suitable for PC and consoles, but it’s not a good option for cloud gaming (playing games that you stream rather than download). To start my test, I set up Windscribe on my router and booted up Super Smash Bros Ultimate on a Nintendo Switch. It took me 2 minutes to find a match, and I didn’t notice any lag. During my gaming session, the ping remained low (the higher the ping, the longer your button presses will take to register by the game), and I was never disconnected.

However, when I tried it with GeForce Now using a US server, it took about 4 minutes to load. I tried again using a UK one, and it worked. However, the experience wasn’t good as there was a lot of pixelation, lag, and I was even disconnected a few times.

I also noticed that input latency was 3X higher for me than it is without a VPN connected

I also tried Google Stadia and xCloud, but Windscribe failed to unblock them. You won’t be able to stream games using Windscribe. To experience cloud-gaming safely, you’ll need to use one of the top VPNs for gamers.

Server Network — Small Network With Good Coverage

Windscribe has a decent size server network with some unique countries. It offers 170 servers in 69 countries with the premium app. There are VPNs with much larger server networks. For example, IPVanish has 2,000 servers, and it owns all its servers. Windscribe uses rented servers, which isn't uncommon, but when a company owns its servers, it can offer the best security because it doesn't have to rely on third-parties. However, Windscribe does let you access several countries many VPNs neglect, like Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Turkey.

The free service lets you use the Hong Kong location too, along with servers in the US and 8 European countries. Overall, Western Europe and North America have the most coverage.

Navigating the server list is easy. After you’ve opened the server list, select the country you wish to connect to, and hit the “+” icon. This will reveal a list of cities (all accompanied with funny names) you can connect to, along with the option to bookmark a location. Plus, you can always check the Windscribe website for updates that will tell you if any servers are down.

Click the plus symbol to see each city in your selected country

With the expanded list, you’ll also be able to see the latency rate (in ms). This is useful for when you're gaming, but I would have preferred if it included a load percentage too. The load lets you know how many people are on a server, so you can find one that’s less crowded. When less people are on a server, it's usually faster.

You can also purchase static IP addresses, which is helpful if you need a consistent, encrypted IP to operate a website. You can choose between 10 data center IPs in 6 countries for an additional $2/month. Residential IPs are offered in Chicago, Dallas, and Toronto for an added $8/month. Windscribe's website claims these can also help you access streaming sites. However, I was able to unblock every streaming platform I tried with its normal servers. So, if you need a static IP, stick with the data centers and save some money.

Security — Top-Notch Features to Protect Your Data

Windscribe provides you with military-grade security that keeps you safe online. It offers AES 256-bit encryption which makes your data virtually unreadable. This is further enhanced by a SHA512 algorithm, and a 4096-bit RSA key. This turns your information into a random set of characters that only your device can read correctly. On top of that, Perfect Forward Secrecy creates a new encryption key each time you log in. So, even if a key was ever cracked, a new one would be generated immediately at the start of your next session.

Split tunneling lets you choose which apps or websites move through the VPN tunnel. I tested this by running my Netflix app through a Japanese server. This let me stay updated on local news while I streamed Death Note.

It also comes with a dedicated kill switch (called Firewall). This feature will disable the network when your VPN connection drops, so you don’t leak any data. I know it works because anytime I switched servers I could see that my connection was blocked. You can enable it in the app simply by toggling the white switch near the connect button. There are three modes you can select, Automatic, Manual, and always ON. However, be aware this isn't available for Android phones.

There’s also a whitelisting feature that will automatically activate the VPN connection when you log in to an unsecured network. This is a lifesaver for someone like me, as I often forget to turn on a VPN when using public networks. I used this feature to set up my home network as “secured” and all others as “unsecured.” That way, my device is protected every time I use a public Wi-Fi network. You can access your home network remotely with port forwarding, but only if you pay extra for a static IP.

Other Security Features

The R.O.B.E.R.T. feature is a strong customizable ad-blocker. This is a dedicated domain and IP-blocking system you can use to blacklist IPs, ads, tracking, and crypto miners, which can also help you save internet data. One unique feature is that it lets you toggle a variety of IPs to block, like porn, gambling, and social media sites. When I tested it, it worked great at blocking sites and most ads, but YouTube advertisements still come through. However, the set-up needs to be done through your account page on the website. Most VPNs lets you change the ad-blocker settings in the app, so this is an annoying added step. The system is also capable of malware blocking, phishing detection, and location spoofing. R.O.B.E.R.T. is available to both paying and free users, but the free version only offers the malware blocking.

There’s a botnet attack prevention feature — a botnet invasion is a curated attack of several computers that have access to your device through malware or a phishing website. It’ll automatically block these threats, so you won’t have to worry about network-related invasions.

Another handy feature is Secure Hotspot which you can use to make your computer work as a protected router. This could be useful, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to use it. I tried this feature on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks, restarted my device, and even tried to connect via Ethernet port, but it didn’t work.

The Double Hop tool will route your traffic through an extra server. This will make your traffic more secure and untraceable for hackers, trackers, and malware. To activate this feature, you first need to install both the desktop app and the browser extension. Then, simply connect to a server on the desktop app and connect to the same way on the browser extension.

The latency doubled, and I lost a lot of speed

Since Double Hop reroutes your traffic, I expected a drop in speeds. I wanted to see how severe the reduction is, so I connected to the Romania server and did a speed test which gave me 18.50 Mbps. I then connected the browser extension to the US and redid the speed test again, resulting in 9.65 Mbps, roughly a 52% reduction. Unless you need an extra security layer, I do not recommend using this feature since you lose so much speed.

Location Warp will make it look like you’re in a specified location. In most cases, a VPN will give you the necessary IP address so you can access geo-restricted content. However, some websites might check your physical location through the GPS module on your device or through your Wi-Fi SSID. This feature helps prevent such issues by giving the website you are visiting fake GPS coordinates.

Time Warp is another feature that’ll help you keep your device anonymous. Some sites can detect that you are using a VPN by looking at your time zone. This feature will prevent that by showing the website you’re on a matching time figure.

It also has DNS/IPv6 leak protection, which allowed it to pass all my leak tests. Many VPNs leak data through your browser (a.k.a WebRTC), so I was glad to see that Windscribe kept my data hidden from the websites I visited.

I’m actually 8,787 km away from the US

There are also multiple protocols to choose from, so you can customize your security level. Windscribe supports every major security protocol, including IKEv2, OpenVPN (TCP and UDP), WireGuard, WSTunnel, and its own Stealth option. Overall, I recommend using WireGuard as it offers the best balance of speed and security.

Is It Safe to Combine Windscribe With Tor? Yes!

You can use Windscribe over Tor for maximum security. Tor, also known as The Onion Router, is a special browser that was designed to offer complete anonymity. It is more secure than a traditional browser which makes it useful in highly restrictive countries.

You can combine Windscribe with Tor to add another layer of security and mask your activities from the ISP. And if there’s something wrong with Tor, Windscribe’s IP will be exposed, not yours. However, Tor is notorious for cutting speed so I decided to test this.

I had to deal with long load times when I used Windscribe with Tor

It's possible to use Windscribe with Tor, but you'll have to deal with a very slow connection.

Privacy — A Great No-Logs Policy, but There Are Problems

Windscribe has faced a few issues when it comes to privacy, but its been proven it does not reveal any information about you. It follows a strict no-logs policy and does not store any of its customer’s data. Your IP address, the sites you’ve visited, and timestamps for your VPN sessions won’t be collected either. You can be sure that your information will stay safe.

Windscribe offers transparency reports which verify its policy. There’s a graph you can use on its website to track how many times the company’s received DMCA or law enforcement data requests. It also tells you whether Windscribe fulfilled any of these requests. After reading through them, I found out that Windscribe has never complied with any of them because no relevant data is ever stored. This proves the company sticks to its no-logs policy.

Windscribe only stores anonymous data that's necessary for maintaining the VPN and upholding its rules. The only things you need to create an account are a username and a password.

It only stores what it needs to maintain the free tier's limitations

While you're in a session, the server's memory will have your OPENVPN/IKEv2 username, when you connected, and how much data you transferred. All of this is deleted as soon as you log off.

You don’t even have to give Windscribe an email or any other type of contact information if you don’t want to. This is pretty rare and makes its free option one of the safest around. Windscribe even allows you to pay with Bitcoin to maximize your anonymity on the premium tier.

However, you should be aware that the company is based in Canada, a member of the 14 Eyes Alliance. This is an agreement between Canada, the US, the UK, New Zealand, and 10 other countries to share data on their citizens. While they don't have any information about you to share, it is still a bit concerning. In addition, Windscribe has never had a third-party come in and verify its policy, like so many of its competitors have (Proton VPN, for example). The evidence shows that it sticks to its policy, but an independent audit (which it has promised to do in the future) would provide more peace of mind.

My biggest privacy concern is the fact that Windscribe servers were seized by Ukrainian officials in June of 2021. Even worse, the servers were not encrypted. So, the Ukrainian government was able to find a key that would make it possible for them to create fake Windscribe servers. On its blog, the VPN company stated it thinks this is highly unlikely but not impossible. Luckily, there was no identifiable information on the server that could put customers at risk.

After the seizures, Windscribe increased its staff by 50% to improve its security

An incident like this means there are other VPNs I'd trust more with my data. However, I was impressed with how honest Windscribe was in reporting this to their customers. It's making drastic changes to the VPN to ensure this doesn't happen in the future. For example, it plans to convert all of its servers to in-memory servers in the future, which would delete all of their info after every reboot.

Torrenting — Great Speeds for P2P File Transfers

Windscribe speeds are fast enough for large torrents. It allows you to torrent on most servers, excluding India, Lithuania, Russia, and South Africa. Servers that don't allow torrenting are indicated with a small red flag in the app and are also listed on the website. There are no data caps and download speeds are quick. I downloaded Charlie Chaplin in Mabel's Strange Predicament (160MB) using its UK server.

During my download, the speed reached a maximum of 4.6Mb/s

Windscribe also works with popular torrent clients such as uTorrent, Deluge, qBittorrent, and VUZE. I tested all of them and didn’t notice any differences in speeds. You can also use its SOCKS5 proxy to get better speeds, but I recommend sticking to the VPN since it provides full encryption for your device. Lastly, port forwarding may help you download faster, but you need to pay extra for a static IP to use it.

Does Windscribe Work in China? Yes

Windscribe can bypass the Great Firewall of China. I confirmed this with its chatbot, which also said it works in other restrictive countries like Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The Great Firewall is a strict system of censorship that blocks internet users in China from accessing popular websites and apps such as Google, Instagram, YouTube, Netflix, Wikipedia, and many more.

Windscribe uses a Stealth connection protocol that is designed to work in restrictive environments like China. The protocol masks your OpenVPN traffic by hiding it inside a secure tunnel (called TLS) that makes it look like regular traffic. This can even be done with the free service, making it one of the only free options for people who need a VPN in China. Unfortunately, this feature isn't offered on iOS, but its website stated it should be available on Apple phones in the future.

You can also use WSTunnel to use the VPN in China, but this protocol never worked for me. It's nice that the VPN offers 2 ways to help the VPN work in China. I just hope this protocol's performance issues are improved because I couldn't get it to connect during my tests.

It's best to download the VPN before entering China since it will be difficult to access it once you're there. China tends to regulate VPN use by blocking the technology, not by penalizing users -- I couldn't find any instances where a tourist was targeted for using a non-government approved VPN there. However, keep in mind that non-government-approved VPNs are illegal in China. I suggest that you read up on the most recent laws and regulations in China to avoid getting penalized.

Simultaneous Device Connections — Unlimited

For both the free and paid versions, you can connect as many devices as you want. I connected my laptop, 2 smartphones, and my Fire TV Stick to the same location and started streaming on all of them. Speeds remained the same, and each time I added a new device, I was still able to stream without buffering. Many VPNs only let you connect around 5 devices and free services usually let you use one max. So, this is a strong feature that almost no other free service can match.