Windscribe Review 2024 — Can You Trust This Free VPN?

My team and I tested everything Windscribe offers, including speeds, streaming performance, security, and more. We also thoroughly investigated its privacy policy to see how it's improved since the breach.

After our tests, I can confirm that Windscribe is safe and decent overall. It has strong security features and takes your privacy seriously. Its free version is one of the best available, but the paid version is lacking in a few areas. You can check out one of the best premium VPNs available in this list.

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You’ll have limited screen time with the free version, but the premium app is excellent for streaming. This is because the monthly data limit on the free tier will only let you stream for about 7 hours at the most. Additionally, during our tests, there were a few platforms that were only compatible with the paid app. With that said, the quality was excellent with both versions.

Works With: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Max

My international team and I could safely watch full Netflix libraries with Windscribe’s free version. This is especially impressive because most free VPNs leave you with Netflix Originals, a limited version of the site that excludes region-specific content.

We didn't experience additional buffering or extended load times

Windscribe is capable of securely accessing Hulu in excellent quality. However, Hulu was one of the platforms that didn’t work with the free tier, along with Disney+. Still, that’s actually a pretty great result for a free VPN.

The premium app offered slightly better video quality

Accessing BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, and ITVX uninterrupted from anywhere with Windscribe is also possible. Overall, the paid app is one of the best VPNs for streaming. The free version also compares favorably to its competitors. But while it can safely access several top platforms, the free app's data limit is insufficient for serious streamers.

While it doesn’t have the fastest top speeds, you probably won’t notice the speed drops while using Windscribe. We rarely experienced significant reductions while testing this VPN.

Our speed tester in the US performed several tests with each server listed below using the WireGuard protocol. However, please note that our tester has an exceptionally high base speed, which might contribute to steeper drops. This was because it was the fastest protocol in our tests, especially compared to the Stealth option, which can be 3 times as slow.

We lost 19% on nearby servers and 31% on distant ones

The fastest VPNs lower nearby speeds 10-20%, so Windscribe was in the higher end of this range. Houston is only 300km from our tester, but it lowered their speeds 26%. On the other hand, we were impressed by how well its rates held up on distant servers. For example, a test on a Japanese server (10,000km+ away) only reduced our speed by 21%.

It's a decent result, but I expected Windscribe to be faster

The free servers were about 15% slower than paid ones on average. At first I thought this discrepancy was due to overcrowding, but then I realized Windscribe actually displays server load, and there wasn’t a big difference between premium and free locations.

On that note, I appreciate that Windscribe is one of the only VPNs that shows you exactly how many people are using each server. The number to the right of each location displays this, so it’s easier to pick a faster city. Overall, Windscribe is a solid choice when it comes to speeds, but it won’t end up on our list of the fastest VPNs available.

Windscribe’s closeby servers were fast enough for enjoyable gameplay. Ping is the most important measurement when it comes to gaming because it tells you how quickly your data can travel. You want it to be below 85ms to avoid excessive lag.

We had no issues maneuvering around in this twin stick shooter

We tested Windscribe with multiple games, and it always performed well. There were a few short stutters while playing World of Tanks, but that often happens even with no VPN connected.

Just be aware that the free version will run out of data quickly while playing online games. You might also have issues finding a nearby server since there are limited locations in the free application.

Windscribe doesn’t have the largest network, but it gives you access to approximately 130+ cities in 69 countries. Actually, all of Windscribe’s servers are city-level, and there are 40+ different locations in the US, which tops what many of the most popular VPNs offer.

The list also displays 10GBPS and P2P-optimized servers

All but one of Windscribe’s servers are physically located as well. That means they’re actually in the city you connect to. Some VPNs offer virtual servers, which aren’t physically in the location listed. The sole exception is its “Fake Antarctica” location. It’s a bit of a cheeky joke from the developers, and it’s actually located in Toronto, Canada.

It also uses some rented servers while it owns others. Unfortunately, the company doesn’t disclose a lot about its network, including the exact number of servers it owns. It did claim to have 177 in the past. Windscribe won’t verify whether it makes use of RAM-only servers, which are more private since everything on them is deleted with each reboot.

I also like that Windscribe lets you access several countries that many VPNs neglect, like Ecuador and Turkey. You can also purchase static IP addresses, which are helpful if you need a consistent, encrypted IP to operate a website.

The free service lets you use the Hong Kong location, up to 10 US servers (it varies), and 7 European countries. Western Europe and North America have the most coverage for free and premium apps. We had no issues connecting to any server — both near and far away. I also appreciated that we could always connect quickly, usually in less than 6 seconds.

Windscribe is very safe, and it comes with military-grade AES 256-bit encryption, which makes your data virtually unreadable. It includes an auto-enable feature for public networks. For remote home network access, you can use port forwarding. With regular servers you have to request a new port every 7 days, while it offers permanent ports for the static IPs.

I also like that Windscribe provides advanced features like Perfect Forward Secrecy, split tunneling and a plethora of content blockers. There are even more rare features like double VPN and secure hotspot. In addition to supporting all the major protocols, it also has unique settings like packet size adjustment and API resolution.

The default settings work fine if you don't want to customize

These technical details might not matter to everyone, but they're a nice touch for those deeply interested in technology. Finally, its browser extensions offer GPS and time zone-spoofing features, and all of its desktop apps are open-source. So, Windscribe certainly isn’t lacking in this department.

Encryption

Windscribe secures your internet connection using the AES-256 cipher encryption, which is the same standard used by banks and many worldwide militaries. This means that the data you send and receive is encrypted in a way that makes it virtually impossible for anyone to decode.

Security Protocols

Windscribe lets you choose between the industry's best protocols, such as WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN (TCP and UDP), and even its proprietary protocol, WStunnel. As you could see from our speed tests, WireGuard is the fastest. But, OpenVPN is often considered the most secure since it’s open-source and constantly checked for vulnerabilities.

Additionally, Windscribe includes SOCKS5 proxy support, which is useful for torrenting by masking your IP address, though it doesn't encrypt data like the other protocols. There’s also a stealth protocol. This provides obfuscation, a feature that makes VPN traffic look like regular traffic, so it’s possible to connect on restrictive networks.

Firewall (Kill Switch)

Windscribe calls its dedicated kill switch Firewall, and it works as advertised. This feature will disable the network if your VPN connection drops. To test it, we tried to open a tab while the VPN was connecting. It always blocked the page until the connection was complete. This is a necessary feature every VPN needs to have.

IP & DNS Leak Protection

Windscribe also offers reliable IP and DNS protection features that prevent leaks.

Our IP remained hidden during tests with every protocol

I was confident that Windscribe would keep my data private.

R.O.B.E.R.T. (Ad Blocker)

This is a very customizable tool that serves as Windscribe’s ad and malware blocker. It does even more with the premium app. The paid version lets you block social networks, porn, gambling, clickbait, and more. It’s a nice addition, although some things like native banner ads would still show up occasionally, even with it activated.

I can recommend Windscribe as a private VPN because it follows a strict no-logs policy. You’re not even required to enter your email address when signing up. This is rare and makes its free option one of the safest.

Windscribe also offers transparency reports that verify its policy. These let you see any time there have been DMCA requests for its data, and they show that Windscribe has never shared anything. My only small complaint is the jurisdiction of its headquarters, which I’ll get into below.

Does Windscribe Keep Logs? No

Windscribe doesn’t log any unnecessary data. This is nice to know since Windscribe is one of the VPNs whose servers have been seized by the government before. In 2021, two Windscribe servers were seized in Ukraine as part of an investigation by local authorities.

However, the authorities weren’t able to recover any information since Windscribe does not store session logs or timestamps. It doesn’t collect your IP address, or the sites you’ve visited either.

Parallel connections and data usage are stored to prevent abuse

Like most top VPNs, Windscribe only stores anonymous data that’s necessary for maintaining the service. While you're connected, the server's memory will have your OpenVPN/IKEv2 username, the time of connection, and the amount of data transferred. The privacy policy also clearly states that all of this is deleted as soon as you disconnect.

Was Windscribe Audited? Yes

Windscribe recently underwent a full audit in 2024, and no major issues were found. Packetlabs confirmed that every small vulnerability they found was immediately remediated, making Windscribe even more privacy-friendly. The audit analyzed its complete server stack and its privacy policies.

In 2022, its mobile and desktop apps were audited by Cure53. This is a highly reputable firm that has performed audits for heavyweights in the VPN industry like ExpressVPN. Similar to the 2024 report, there were no major security threats detected.

Based in Canada

Canada is not the best location for a VPN’s headquarters because it’s in the 5 Eyes Alliance. This is an agreement between several countries to share data on their citizens. Luckily, the VPN doesn’t store any data that could compromise its users. Still, if privacy is crucial to you, there are many VPNs headquartered in more privacy-friendly countries.

Does Windscribe Work in China? Maybe

Windscribe’s support claims it’s possible to use the VPN in China. However, they warn that you’ll probably have to access different features and protocols to get it working.

Most VPNs I have tested struggle to work in China

The agent recommended trying Stealth and WStunnel protocols as these are the most efficient in highly restricted countries like China. This was a bit disappointing because, in my experience, these protocols are the slowest. If you’re looking for a faster option in China, you can check out these VPNs that have all been proven to work in the country.

The Chinese government has banned many VPNs, but there have been no publicly-reported cases of it going after people for using them. However, my team and I don’t condone any illegal activities. I suggest you read the laws before deciding to use a VPN in China.

You can torrent on nearly every server, but Windscribe slowed our download speeds significantly. We can normally complete a 700MB file in about 7 minutes, but it would have taken nearly an hour with Windscribe’s Best Location feature. On some distant servers, the download wouldn’t even start.

The only servers you can’t use for P2P are located in India, Russia, and South Africa. Windscribe offers port forwarding, but it only sped up our downloads by a few minutes. Plus, it’s a hassle to set up on its website, so I wouldn’t even bother.

If you want to download copyright-free files fast, check out these VPNs. Just be aware that torrenting is legal in most countries, but accessing copyrighted files isn’t. We ask that you please only download torrents in the public domain to be sure you don’t break any laws.