Windscribe is an innovative Canadian company with a generous free VPN plan that finds various ways to stand out from the crowd.
The 10 GB of data plan isn't very advanced: Atlas VPN, Hide.me, and others offer the same, but Windscribe beats the rest by supporting unlimited devices and simultaneous connections. You can install and use it whenever and wherever you want.
The choice of 14 locations in 11 countries also tramples most of the competition. We are not just talking about the usual options: there is a server from the UK (very unusual in the world of free VPNs), Turkey and even Hong Kong.
- Windscribe subscription options:
- 1 month plan – €9 per month (total cost €9) (Opens in a new tab)
The free plan doesn't push you to overloaded "free" servers, where speeds drop at a frenetic rate during peak hours. Your data may be limited, but free users can enjoy the same performance as everyone else (more on that later).
Cool bonuses include ROBERT, Windscribe's DNS blocker. By default, this blocks ads, trackers, and malware, but you can also use it as a content filter to block porn, gambling sites, social media, and more.
If you'd rather try a VPN before deciding if it's reliable, you can even sign up for an account without providing your email address. You'll get a smaller amount of monthly data, 2GB instead of 10GB, but that's more than enough to explore apps and see if they provide what you need.
Windscribe explains that there is no long-term logging except what is necessary to determine data usage (Image credit: Windscribe)
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Privacy and registration
Windscribe apps are designed for maximum privacy, with strong AES-256 encryption, support for the highly secure WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 protocols, multiple layers of leak protection, and a firewall to block Internet access if the VPN fails. it falls off (like an off switch, only better).
It's not just a marketing spin, either. We've used several test sites to check for DNS leaks, but Windscribe has us covered on every case. And no matter how we forcefully terminated the VPN connection, no matter how extreme the techniques we tried, the firewall instantly blocked our Internet access and protected our data from being exposed.
Windscribe's clear and well-written confidentiality policy explains that it is not a long-term journalization of the registration of the dernière that you are connected to and the amount of donations that you have used. this month. That's not a surprise: the data cap can only be enforced if Windscribe logs what you've been using, and there's no sign of anything misleading.
While that sounds great, there's nothing to back it up, at this point. Windscribe hasn't yet undergone a security audit or no logs, so potential customers don't have independent confirmation that it delivers on its promises. We're hearing this may change soon, and if so, we'll be keeping an eye out for any reports.
Desktop clients strike a perfect balance between elegance and compactness (Image credit: Windscribe)
Windows and Mac apps
Windscribe's open source desktop apps offer a sleek and compact window, which still manages to pack in all sorts of options and status details. There are also technical references (UDP, 443, Firewall, a network icon) that might intimidate VPN newbies. But look past that, and the apps aren't hard to use.
Getting started can be as simple as clicking the Connect button to get to the nearest Windscribe server, or you can click Locations and choose your preferred city from the dropdown list. The apps don't show free slots at the top of the list, so you have to scroll down (or search manually) to find them, but otherwise it's pretty straightforward.
We also found no connection issues during the review. Each server connected the first time, and connection times were fast, around 2-4 seconds, and we experienced no unexpected connection drops.
Life can get more complicated if you decide you need to change something and head to the Settings area, but that's mainly because they're extremely configurable (we counted over 40 important settings).
Ignore anything you don't understand (or just look it up on the support site), and there are plenty of easier options here.
Windscribe is incredibly configurable and comprehensive when it comes to VPN configuration (Image credit: Windscribe)
You can choose to launch the app when your device boots, and perhaps sign in as well. There are settings to change the appearance of the app, including providing a custom background. You can switch between protocols with one or two clicks (IKEv2, OpenVPN, WireGuard and others are offered). And there are some surprisingly powerful extras, including the ability (if your network card supports it) to set your device as a Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing other devices to share the Windscribe connection.
If you're looking for VPN simplicity above all else and aren't even interested in extra options or controls, Windscribe's configurability won't matter much. You may be better off with a more basic service like TunnelBear.
But for everyone else, there's a lot to love here. Of course, you may not understand all the options and settings, but the Windscribe apps are pretty easy to use on a basic level, and it's nice to have those extra settings available if you need them. .
This is the iOS app and it's a commendable effort, though not quite on par with the Android software (Image credit: Windscribe)
Apps for Android and iOS
Les applications mobiles de Windscribe ont une conception plus conventionnelle les versions de bureau, et même les débutants VPN les plus verts comprehension tout de suite les bases: choissez un emplacement dans la liste, click sur Connecter pour commencer, Déconnectez-vous lorsque vous avez Finished. But then again, if you're looking for more configurability, there are some real surprises.
Make your choice of protocol. Typical VPN apps may allow you to select a protocol, but then apply those settings every time you connect. Windscribe allows you to set a custom option for each network, so you can set Windscribe generally for speed, but OpenVPN or IKEv2 for more complicated networks where WireGuard doesn't always work. It's a small detail, and maybe not even a feature you'll ever use, but if you ever need it, you'll be very glad it's there.
The Windscribe iOS app can't match the power of Android, but you still have control over the look and feel of the app, a choice of protocols (IKEv2, OpenVPN, WireGuard), ROBERT advertising, content tracker and blocker, and more.
Whether you use these capabilities or not, it's nice to see a provider that doesn't leave key features out of the free app to try and persuade you to upgrade. Hide.me's free plan doesn't include WireGuard, for example, while Hotspot Shield's free product doesn't have a kill switch. Windscribe's free plan seems much better - the kind of product you might want to use for the long haul.
The good news is that Windscribe's free plan is probably fast enough for your needs (Image credit: nPerf)
Performance
Part of Windscribe's appeal is that it doesn't throttle speeds or push all of its free users onto the same underpowered hardware. The end result should mean more than enough performance for any task, but is that really what's happening?
We tested Windscribe from a UK data center with a 1 Gbps connection and the results were positive, with average download speeds reaching 240 Mbps. Not the fastest free VPN we've seen: Atlas VPN, PrivadoVPN, Proton VPN and TunnelBear go for 300Mbps or more, but it's better than many and probably fast enough for most devices and connections.
Windscribe's free plan does not include its Windflix servers, with specialized support for unblocking Netflix. It didn't unblock US Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Disney Plus in our tests, but it did have some success. The free service gave us instant access to BBC iPlayer and we were able to unblock UK Netflix, suggesting it might work with Netflix in other countries too.
While the apps worked fine for us, VPNs can be tricky and there's always a chance you'll run into trouble. However, you can contact Windscribe email support for advice, and overall we've found that the company does a good job of identifying issues and explaining how to get the service back up and running smoothly.
final verdict
It's not the fastest service or the easiest to use, but Windscribe Free VPN's generous 10GB data allotment, 14 locations, and feature-rich open source apps ensure it's still one of the best free VPNs around.
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