Pros
ConsThe details
The Ontario-based company has set up 500 servers in more than 60 countries Windscribe claims to have servers in secluded countries like Panama, Peru, and Macedonia. And despite piling on numerous features, it remains user-friendly.
Speed
Its overall speed is more than impressive for a VPN within this price range. Download speeds average about 220-260 Mbps surpassing CybeGhost and Surfshark. However, when tested on US servers, the speed dropped to a disappointing 60-80 Mbps. surprisingly upon testing it on UK servers the speed increased to an average of 210 Mbps. The only explanation for the erratic behavior is that at the time US servers were overloaded.
Protection
Windscribe uses IKEv2 and OpenVPN protocols along with the strong AES-256 encryption to keep your web traffic safe from attackers. In terms of private keys, the VPN is equipped with 4096-bit RSA which ensures one-time use of every key.
Furthermore, with a kill switch feature set up Windscribe prevents attackers from accessing the internet during a connection blackout. It is this feature that limits IPv6 traffic and redirects DNS traffic too.
Ease of use
Our overall experience on Windscribe was simply flawless. What’s more, the VPN managed to block most of the ads, trackers, and internet content types like clickbaits. This is because the VPN comes equipped with a DNS-based tool that grants users more power and configurability than any desktop app can deliver.
Value
The billing price is average as you only need to pay $9 per month. What stands out is its free plan that offers 10GB of data transfer for a month if you register an account, and 2GB if you don’t.
The free plan provides VPN services to 11 countries only, but a commercial upgrade should grant you unlimited data and access to 110 locations. In addition, you can customize OpenVPN, SOCKS5, and IKEv2 protocols and there are no limits to the number of simultaneous connections you can make.
Other features
- Device compatibility: The VPN is compatible with devices equipped with Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac operating systems. And the good news is WireGuard support is available on mobile apps too.
- Customer support: In case of technical troubles, visit Windscribe’s support site. It has a range of resources including setup guides for different platforms, FAQs, and knowledgebase. Unfortunately, WindScribe doesn’t have a live chat platform. The only way to contact customer care agents is via email.
- Streaming sites unblocked: Upon testing Windscribe’s unblocking abilities, we found that we could log into Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video and US YouTube TV.
Final verdict
Windscribe is a reasonably-priced VPN packed with features and accessible to all users.
The company also shows commitment to users’ privacy and it’s free plan is the most comprehensive one we’ve reviewed. However, its lack of a responsive customer support platform is a bummer for such a feature-packed VPN.
