WARP Review 2024 — Is It Really Free & Safe?

Cloudflare’s WARP is a VPN add-on for its 1.1.1.1 DNS resolver (a free app that handles your DNS queries to make your connection faster). WARP essentially protects your traffic with encryption, while 1.1.1.1 optimizes your DNS to give you a faster connection. But can this hybrid approach reliably protect you online?

I tested everything WARP offers, including its speeds, security features, customer support, gaming capabilities, and more. I also thoroughly explored its privacy policy to see if it’s as trustworthy as the top VPNs.

Overall, I can’t recommend the free WARP service or its premium version WARP+. It can’t securely access most streaming platforms, and its slow speeds might offer bad quality during playback. The Windows app isn’t very stable, and its customer support is nonexistent. If you want a fast and easy way to stay safe online, I recommend you try one of our top-rated VPNs from this list.

WARP only works with a few services, but I wouldn’t rely on it. Cloudflare did not design WARP with streaming in mind, and you’re better off using a premium VPN if you’re a heavy duty binge-watcher. It also doesn’t allow you to switch servers manually, which can cause some issues.

My international team and I had trouble safely streaming most platforms, and the quality won’t be great if your base speeds are low. Lastly, it’s quite an unsafe service, so your personal information will be at risk while you’re streaming.

Works With: Netflix and Max

From my and my global testing teams' locations, our local Netflix worked well while connected to WARP. We could stream in high quality without any annoying buffering.

We could even skip through videos without any additional load times or buffering

From my location in the US, I also found you can use WARP for securely streaming Max (formerly HBO Max).

The video loaded quickly, and it only took a few seconds to resolve into HD

However, I’d be a bit cautious about depending on WARP to always work this smoothly. It’s common that you’ll have to switch nearby servers to optimize your streaming connection, and that isn’t an option with WARP.

Doesn’t Work With: Hulu, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video

Hulu can't be safely viewed from anywhere with WARP. Unfortunately, customer support was inaccessible during our tests, so we couldn’t reach out for assistance.

I received this error message even though I was in the US testing a US server

Disney+ loaded indefinitely, and Amazon Prime Video detected WARP. But, there are many VPNs that make it possible to stream safely on all the major platforms from anywhere. You can maintain your online privacy while watching your favorite shows if you check out our list of the best VPNs for streaming.

WARP slows down your speeds significantly. WARP was mainly designed for browsing, so it’s possible the developers didn’t prioritize speed.

I looked into 3 factors while testing its speeds:

• Download speed (in Megabytes per second — Mbps) is how fast you receive data, which is useful for streaming and loading websites.
• Upload speed (in Mbps) is how fast you send data, which is needed for uploading videos or posting online.
• Ping (in milliseconds — ms) measures the time data takes to travel, and it’s essential for gamers.

To make fair and accurate comparisons, we try to conduct all our speed tests from one location in the UK using the same internet connection. Our tester's speeds were cut in half when connecting to WARP servers.

The upload speed and ping rate were subject to even larger drops

I also tested WARP from my location in Nairobi, and my speeds dropped by 71%. It’s normal for speeds to fall by about 20% on nearby servers because your data has to be rerouted. However, a 70% drop in speeds is quite disappointing. Many of the top VPNs will lower your speeds much less, even on servers on the other side of the world.

Even after paying for the premium service, I couldn’t switch over to WARP+ to test its speeds. As I stated before, support was inaccessible. So, this was quite disappointing. Even if WARP+ is faster, I can’t recommend it knowing you may face these same issues.

If you’re looking for a VPN with excellent speeds for all your online activities, check out this list of the fastest VPNs.

My gaming experience with WARP wasn’t great. The ping was 165ms (even though I was on the closest server). This is not optimal for gaming as it’s recommended you have a ping rate of 85ms or less for smooth gameplay. I tried playing a simple online Minecraft game but experienced immense lag, and the game became unplayable.

It took more than 30 seconds to load an online game with Minecraft

I also tried playing Valorant, but the game took more than 1 minute to load. After it started, the lag made it impossible to play. However, there are many VPNs you can use for seamless online play. I recommend you check out these options that are perfect for online gaming.

WARP has a solid global server network of 310 servers in 120 countries, but you can only use the closest ones. However, the wide coverage does give you a better chance of finding a server nearby. I was also happy I could connect to my server almost instantly, and my connection was very stable.

Asia gets the most servers with 50+. Below is a breakdown of the other regions WARP has servers in:

On the plus side, Cloudflare claims to own and operate all of its servers. Unfortunately, I couldn’t reach out to support to find out if it uses physical or virtual servers. Virtual servers aren’t necessarily unsafe, but they can affect speeds.

One of the main appeals of a VPN (or DNS service) is being able to connect to tons of worldwide locations. If you want a vast selection of IPs, look into our list of VPNs with some of the best server networks.

WARP offers barebone security features. 1.1.1.1 is a third-party DNS service meant to increase privacy and improve load times on your browser. In short, your DNS queries often go to your ISP, which might use that info to track your activity. So, using a third-party service like 1.1.1.1 prevents this. It also increases speeds with improved routing technology.

But, 1.1.1.1 didn’t protect you from everyone else looking to spy on your data. That’s where the WARP add-on comes into play. It turns 1.1.1.1 into a VPN with encryption. However,
I’m a bit disappointed that it doesn’t tell you which encryption level it uses (like AES-256 for example).

It’s also missing crucial features like a kill switch, which blocks your internet connection if your VPN suddenly disconnects. WARP never revealed my location during my leak tests, but it admits on its site that there are some situations where your IP could be revealed. On a positive note, I appreciate that it comes with a family feature that allows you to block all adult content (1.1.1.1 for Families).

Protocols

WARP uses a version of the WireGuard protocol called BoringTun. It claims this offers the security and efficiency of WireGuard, while ensuring smooth operation on platforms like macOS and Windows. WireGuard is known for its solid security and speeds, but I do wish WARP gave you a choice of multiple protocols like all the top VPNs do.

Split-Tunneling

Split tunneling allows you to specify which apps or websites use the VPN connection and which access the internet directly. This can be helpful if you want to encrypt your browser while still using apps like Office 365 through your normal connection, so you don’t run into issues.

IP/DNS leak protection

I never experienced any leaks while testing WARP. Normally, we like to test 20 servers or more, but this obviously wasn’t a possibility with WARP since you can't switch servers. Do be warned that your IP may leak if you use 1.1.1.1 alone. While it does enable fast browsing speeds, I recommend only going online with an encrypted connection.

However, I was concerned when I found out that WARP may reveal your IP at times. According to information on the website, some sites need your real location data to provide their services. This is why some of them might still access your IP.

Many users have complained about WARP revealing their IP, which the company hasn’t denied

On Cloudflare’s own community website, I saw many photos of individuals showing their real IP address being revealed while connected to WARP. Representatives from the company claimed in the forum that this has been solved, but I must admit this makes me a little uneasy.

If you are looking for a VPN for maximum online security, check out this list of top VPNs that offer kill switches and military-grade encryption.

WARP has a strong policy, but I do wish it was headquartered elsewhere. It’s under the jurisdiction of a country within the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances. However, a recent audit has confirmed that it follows its privacy policy.

Does WARP Keep Logs? No

WARP claims that it doesn’t log any “user-identifiable data”, and it doesn’t hurt that you don’t need to register to use the service. Cloudflare states that it logs the absolute minimum amount of data necessary to provide the service. However, it does record a bit more than some of the most popular VPNs.

For instance, WARP logs your app installation ID, your average speeds when using the application, and the amount of data transferred through Cloudflare’s network. In addition, it collects information related to request data (source IP, source port, and destination IP), crash logs, and DNS resolver information.

This means it sees your IP address and uses it to find you a nearby server. It claims not to record this information long-term or to ever connect it to your browsing activities. All the information it stores is anonymized.

In its privacy policy, Cloudflare says it will give out personal data if ordered to by a court or if it needs to look into illegal activities or suspected fraud. However, this shouldn’t be a huge concern since it doesn’t store any identifiable data anyway.

Was WARP Audited? Yes

In 2019, Cloudflares's privacy policy was independently audited by the reputable auditing firm KPMG. The auditor confirmed WARP's privacy claims but noted that logs were deleted after 25 hours, and some anonymous data was kept forever. While it doesn’t store any personally identifiable data, it is a little concerning that there’s some information it never deletes.

Based in the US

WARP is based in the United States, a country not known for its strict privacy standards. The US is part of the 5 Eyes Alliance, an agreement between countries to exchange information about suspicious individuals. This means that the government could possibly ask WARP to share data, and it would need to comply. Thankfully, its verified policy makes this less worrying.

Does WARP Work in China? Unsure

I can’t say for sure whether or not Warp works in China. However, on its website, it states that it has a special Cloudflare China Network. The network has data centers across China to help you protect your privacy. For further information, I tried contacting support through the ticketing system and even posting on the forums, but I never received any response.

WARP doesn’t allow you to switch to a server outside of China

The Chinese government has prohibited many VPNs. However, they target the technology itself and not individual users. My team and I don't support illegal activities, so make sure to read up on the laws before using a VPN there. If you’re looking for a VPN that will work in any country, look at this list of the top VPNs for China.

It works with torrenting, but it’s not the best option. WARP does help encrypt your data, which decreases the risk of accessing torrent networks. However, it might leak your IP in the torrent swarm, which can be used to identify you.

It also doesn’t have a kill switch which is crucial when torrenting. You never know who you’re connecting to on these shared networks, so you need maximum security. WARP did let me download a 700MB file in about 11 minutes, which is equivalent to my speed with no VPN connected. However, the security concerns mean I can’t recommend it for P2P.

While torrenting isn't illegal in many countries, downloading copyrighted materials is. We recommend you read up on the rules and regulations of the country you’re in before torrenting and only access files in the public domain. If you need a privacy-friendly VPN to help you torrent, you can find one of the best VPNs for P2P in this list.