Windscribe is a relatively new VPN service based in Ontario, Canada. Having started its full operations in April 2016, you can rightly say that the company has a lot of catching up to do in terms of brand recognition and user base.
However, within the short time it has been in operation, Windscribe VPN has generated some solid press due to its innovative features and focus on internet privacy.
The Windscribe offer includes;
- An ad-blocker
- Kill switch
- Chrome extension
- Unlimited connections
- A free version
- Secure Hotspot
- Proxy Gateway
Windscribe VPN is ready to take on the world. Continue reading this Windscribe VPN review to know more about this fresher.
Pricing & Plans
During our Windscribe VPN review, we established that the VPN has a simple pricing structure. The pricing includes three plans;
- The Free Account (10GB of data, if you confirm your email address, otherwise you get just 2GB)
- The Monthly Plan
- The Yearly Plan
The Monthly Plan goes for $9 a month
The Yearly Plan goes for $49 annually
You can notice that with the yearly plan, you will be able to save about a 2-month payment.
Though their pricing isnât the cheapest in the market, the VPN providers work hard to make sure that you get great value for every penny. Considering all the features offered and that this is a VPN that works just as advertised, then it is worth your money.
The Free Plan
Thanks to the free account, you can test the functionality of Windscribe VPN before making a purchase. This already shows the amount of trust the providers have in their service.
However, opting for the free plan means that you will have to do with some compromises. One of the key differences between the Free plan and the Pro Version is that the former has a 2 GB data limit (extended to 10 GB if you confirm your email) while the Pro version has no data limits at all.
Again, the free trial gives you access to a limited number of servers, unlike the Pro version. With the Free VPN, youâll only be able to use only a few servers. These servers are located in 11 countries;
- US
- Canda
- France
- Germany
- Hong Kong
- UK
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Switzerland
- Norway
- Romania
Note, however, that applying for the free VPN plan OpenVPN configs is not available.
However, Windscribe VPNâs free plan goes further with some features that you wonât easily find for free from other providers. You will be able to get ad-blocking via a browser add-on, and even P2P support.
Our Windscribe VPN review also finds out that whatever plan you go for, including the free one, you have unlimited simultaneous connections. Anyway, Windscribe do not permit you to resale the service.
In any case, you can still take advantage of this and share it with your family, to keep everybody secure.
Windscribe VPN Payment Options
Windscribe VPN makes your payments easy by accepting all leading credit cards and debit cards. These include Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. During this Windscribe VPN review, we also found out that the VPN also accepts Bitcoin to facilitate anonymous payments, which is a great point.
Other third-party payments like PayPal and Paymentwall are also supported. The latter accepts 150 payment methods globally.
Windscribe VPN Features
Server Review
Windscribe VPN offers you hundreds of servers in 50 different countries. The server network is large enough to give you the online freedom you are looking for.
However, you should remember that the servers available will depend on your package. With the free package, you can only access limited servers.
One other thing we notice is that Windscribe VPN permits P2P on all its servers, and users will be updated in case of any changes.
Windscribe VPN Privacy
From our Windscribe VPN review, we can state that Windscribe does quite well in terms keeping your privacy in check. The provider is also quite transparent regarding their logging policies.
On their Website, they clearly state that they log your sign-up information, but only for tracking purposes. They, however, do not log your ISP, assigned IP, activity log or any other metadata apart from your bandwidth usage for a 30 day period (e.g., 600 Mb).
They further explain that data is deleted after a month, and is only kept to enforce free tier limitations and prevent abuse. A timestamp of your activity may also be stored to weed out inactive accounts.
Other data that Windscribe VPN stores are the amount of data transferred, the time of connection details, OpenVPN username and the location. This type of data expires within 3 minutes of session termination and is therefore not much of a concern. It is stored for the same reasons of enforcing free plan limitations and also prevent the abuse of their free service.
After all, we have found the level of security provided very good.
Windscribe VPN Security Review
From our Windscribe VPN review, we also find out that the VPN employs the latest technology is securing your data. Data encryption is handled using AES 256 with SGA 512 for data authentication and a hefty RSA 4096 handshaking.
Although the VPN does not offer the biggest versatility regarding available protocols, they offer you the best and the most used protocol, OpenVPN. This VPN is very secure, and therefore you wonât have to worry about your security issues. Even with a VPN that offers the most protocol, youâll just end up using OpenVPN for almost every connection.
You can also establish a secure connection using the UDP mode, and in case you are having troubles with it, the VPN will automatically shift to TCP. UDP is much faster, but TCP is much secure.
Windscribe VPN also offers a Stealth Mode that is very useful for people living or visiting highly censored countries like China and Korea. This enables you to bypass most restrictions that would otherwise detect a VPN connection and block you.
Windscribe VPN also blocks IPv6 request at the client level and has a DNS leak protection included, in addition to a Kill Switch, a feature weâll discuss further in the Windscribe client section. All these are meant to boost your security while using the VPN.
Windscribe VPN P2P/ Torrenting Review
During this Windscribe VPN review, we noted that the provider is quite open when it comes to torrenting. Surprisingly, P2P is permitted on all its servers, and not just a select few. Also, there are no torrenting or bandwidth restrictions imposed, unless you are operating on the free VPN plan.
With the Pro version, you can download or share torrents as much as you want, without worrying about being banned. Windscribe VPN protects your torrenting activities by offering you a high level of encryption and security features.
Windscribe VPN Compatibility
Windscribe is highly compatible. It works on almost all leading platforms, including Mac, Windows, and Linux. It also works on Android and iOS.
Apart from these, Windscribe VPN also offers Chrome, Firebox and Opera extensions that can be used to instantly unblock thousands of blocked sites, with just a single click.
Double Hop Feature
Windscribe VPN also offers you the double-hop feature in a number of servers.
With doublehop VPN, your traffic is routed through 2 servers that are located in different jurisdictions.
Such a connection offers significantly high levels of anonymity, privacy and security, as one would need sophisticated timing attacks to have a chance with traffic that is streaming from multiple locations in different jurisdictions at the same time.
Windscribe Windflix To Unblock Netflix
All you have to do is to connect to the Windflix location in the browser extension and you will magically have access to any Netflix Library including Netflix US. This is a great feature when you are outside your country. Despite being miles away you can enjoy all your favorite shows or movies exactly as if you were on your sofa.
It comes as a surprise that even users with a free account can benefit from Windflix.
Getting Started On Windscribe VPN
Signing Up
To sign up with Windscribe VPN, navigate to the Homepage. On the right-hand side, you will see a sign-up option. After clicking that option, you will be required to select a plan of your choice.
You will then be required to choose a username, password and an optional email. If you choose not to provide your email address, then you will not be able to recover your password in case you forget it. Itâs therefore advisable to use an email address if subscribing to a Pro version, and especially the annual one.
If you have chosen the unlimited version, you will be given an option to choose between the monthly and the yearly one. You can also enter a voucher if you have one.
After that, you can then choose your preferred mode of payment and complete the process.
Windscribe VPN Client Review
As a part of this Windscribe VPN review, we decided to test the VPNâs windows app and the Google Chrome Browser Extension.
The Client
Windscribe VPNâs Windows client is quite simple and stylish. It doesnât have too many or needless additions, but rather has the most important functions organized in a great manner.
The huge on/off toggle button easily connects to your server of choice. These servers can be selected using the drop-down menu on the left side of the button. After connecting to a server, the client’s theme color changes from dark gray to sky blue.
Down below is the Firewall button, and Windscribe explains it very well in their FAQ section
There is also a menu button on the right top side represented by three horizontal white lines. Clicking on them opens a list of options that will offer you no problem in knowing the function of each.
One of the options in that list is ‘Preferences’.
This is the most comprehensive feature there, and it helps you customize your client.
It provides you with 4 options;
- General
- Connection
- Proxy
- Debug
The general section is quite straightforward and so we wonât give it much of a thought in this Windscribe review.
However, the Connection tab gives you some options that might require you to have some prior knowledge.
There is a Firewall Mode
There is then the Connection Mode
And the API Resolution option
The Proxy option will only be used if you are using a connection that has a proxy, while the Debug option will be used to see your logs.
New Features Of Windscribe VPN Client
The company keeps improving their service on a monthly basis and we were pleased to see two brand new features implemented in the Windscribe Desktop app.
Secure Hotspot
Windscribe Secure Hotspot works only for Windows and allows you to create a secure WiFi on your computer. This functionalities is very useful if you want to connect and protect internet-connected devices that are not supported by Windscribe. Or you may provide a secure connection to your friends without having them install Windscribe on their device.
Proxy Gateway
Proxy Gateway works both on Mac and Widows and allows you to create a HTTP or SOCKS5 proxy server on your computer. Thanks to this option you can configure any device that support proxy servers to take advantage of your secure connection.
Windscribe VPN Browser Extension Review
The Windscribe Chrome extension almost looks identical to the Desktop Version. Though it is also somehow similar in functioning, it has some special features, and therefore Windscribe recommends that you have both.
When connecting, youâll see the Cruise Control feature. This feature automatically selects the best server, according to your location and network speed.
However, the most notable feature here is the Secure.Link generator. This feature operates as both a privacy awareness tool and a marketing tool. It will show you the extent of a websiteâs extent of tracking you (using Cookies, APIs etc.), while also suggesting a problem-solving option in the form of Windscribe VPN.
Regarding marketing, if you send the secure link to a friend who then subscribes to a pro version, then you get 50% of the earnings back.
In the Preferences Privacy Settings, option, you can set the Extension to work as you wish.
Windscribe VPN Speed test
This Windscribe VPN review rates the VPNâs speeds as good. You can easily stream HD movies using Windscribe VPN with no much of a bother. The following impressive speeds were recorded when connected to the service.
However, you should note that when you use the Double-hop feature we explained earlier in the review, you will sacrifice on speeds but double your security.
Windscribe VPN Support Review
From our Windscribe review, we can say that this VPN has quite an active support system. They however do not provide a live chat, because they are against having 3rd party services on their website, something which they believe can compromise the privacy of visitors/ potential customers on their website. However, they try to make up for that with the many options available for client assistance.
One option for support is the email. In case you need any assistance, you can always email [email protected]
On the Support page, there are three more types of support.
- Set Up Guides
- FAQ Support
- Ticket Support
The Set-Up guide section provides you with step-to-step instructions that help configure Windscribe VPN on various platforms and devices. With these, you can learn how to configure the VPN on;
- Windows
- Mac
- Ubuntu
- Android
- Windows Mobile
- iOS
- Chrome
- Opera
- Firefox
- DD-WRT
- Asus
- Tomato
- Torrent clients.
Clicking the FAQ option takes you to a page filled with various questions that can help you get the answers you are looking for. If the support you are seeking for canât be provided there, you can always opt for the Ticket Support System or send an email, in which case you will get assistance within 4-5 hours.
Windscribe VPN Pros & Cons
Pros
- Modern UI
- Excellent Free plan
- Supports DoubleVPN
- Superb extension with Ad/Tracker Blocking
- Unlimited Simultaneous Connections
Cons
- No Live-Chat support
Conclusion
From our Windscribe VPN review, we can conclude that this is quite a solid provider. The Windows client works seamlessly with the Chrome Browser to offer you excellent protection while doing your activities online. Being fresh in the market, this Windscribe VPN is a standout. Though priced a bit high, we definitely recommend it for users.
19 comments
Lexie
December 9, 2017 at 4:31 pm
Hi Joel! Came across your review last week and found it really helpful! I’ve been looking for a reliable VPN and had read Windscribe was pretty good, and the amount of positive reviews was a good sign. With the help of your review I decided to sign up for the free plan and said to myself i’d come back to your page after a week to leave a comment on how it’s been so far. So, a week in i’m really impressed with the features and speed windscribe provides for the free plan. I’m also impressed how you can unblock US Netflix lol as I’m often travelling and Netflix is one of my afternoon ‘de-stressing’ activities, which makes it even better having it available as and when needed. I’m still considering upgrading to the pro plan but i think i’ll wait til i’ve used up my data allowance first. Thanks again for a really detailed review!
Jeff
December 10, 2017 at 11:35 am
Dear Lexie,
Thanks for your comments. You can visit our Best VPN Reviews Comparison page in order to compare Windscribe VPN to others.
Best Regards
Natalie W.
January 6, 2018 at 2:45 pm
Interesting and detailed review Joel, thanks! Just like Lexie I too have been looking for online help to see which VPN’s are among the best. I’ve actually been using Windscribe for a little over 2 weeks now and have been happy with the results so far. I especially like how user friendly it is.
Martinus
April 7, 2019 at 2:01 pm
I agree, it’s mega user friendly.
Easy to setup and you have the freedom of unlimited devices.
I especially like the Windflix Netflix service http://www.Windscribe.nl provides.
Christine
February 6, 2018 at 10:33 am
Windscribe has been absolutely great so far. I’ve compared it to plenty of other VPN providers and find this one is among the best. Despite the lack of live customer support, or a number to call, their overall systems work well including their customer service which you can reach via email. Overall i’d say Windscribe has only just started towards the success of becoming the top VPN provider.
Rennee
February 27, 2018 at 4:05 pm
The easiest VPN i’ve used to date, and by far the best! Superb speeds, quality features, and great security services that do the job well! A must for every day use. Keep up the good work Windscribe, I’ll be one of your customers for the years to come.
IvyMae
March 7, 2018 at 3:05 pm
I’m loving every aspect of Windscribe! The overall performance, features, speeds, and ease of use is perfect!
Krystal Chastain
April 24, 2018 at 5:49 pm
Better than many other VPN’s out there, an affortable price too.
Amelie Sander
May 25, 2018 at 3:55 pm
To add to your reviews about windscribe, let me just say that I am very very satisfied with this company’s services and features. A lot of server locations to choose from and the speeds are perfect, even when I’m downloading it still comes across as reliable. In my opinion it’s giving other big companies a run for their money!
Aj Lee
June 2, 2018 at 4:00 pm
I’ve been on windscribes free app for a month now and I’m actually liking its speeds and featured services! Is their pro plan much different? Is it faster than the free app?
Nico Slouz
June 29, 2018 at 11:44 am
Unblocking geo resticted sites is a really amazing service from Windscribe and especially comes in handy when travelling and in my line of work. One of my favorite features alongside their fast connection speeds.
Louie Emerson
July 4, 2018 at 11:12 am
Probably the best VPN i’ve ever used. Great selection of features, all which work, and work well! Great value for money seeing as you can use it on multiple devices and on different browsers. One account is good neouhg ofr my family and I to use on all our devices seeing as we get unlimited data on the pro plan.
Fiona
August 8, 2018 at 12:35 pm
A lot faster than Hide my ass and Ghost VPN in my opinion, two which have been named as some of the best VPN’s this year. Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve had better connections speeds with Windscribe than I have had with them.
Benjie
December 4, 2018 at 2:38 am
A must! Windscribe is great for everyday use so I’d recommend signing up to the pro plan. The new payment feature makes it easier for those that aren’t ready to fully invest, but with their great features and speeds that are always top of the class, it’s worth going pro and saving at the same time.
Beth
December 11, 2018 at 11:51 pm
Worth every cent! Great performance from windscribe, with very consistent speeds. Worth the upgrade and perfect for everyday use.
Cherry
January 9, 2019 at 8:55 am
Love how you can now purchase a static IP address! Great add on.
Gwen
January 11, 2019 at 1:01 pm
I’m a user of windscribe and it deifnetly works well for me. They often update too so there’s lot of maintenance going on in the background which is good. Secrutiy wise, they have a selection of features that are superb, and the speeds are remarkable.
Alysan
January 23, 2019 at 8:13 am
A very smooth set up from the start to the end. Windsscribe is great for both new members and advance VPN users. It’s layout is easy to use, there is a lot of good information on their site that is easy to understand, and most importantly all of their advertised services and features work!
Knorelyn
March 22, 2019 at 7:44 am
I’ve been using Windscribe for a year now and it’s so good knowing I have a reliable VPN i can use whenever I want. It’s great to have on my desktop and mobile devices, especially when traveling and on the go. It’s easy to unblock geo-restricted sites, and use US netflix where you are. The security features are also great!