Windscribe Review
The only free VPN worth recommending.
Windscribe is where most free VPN conversations should end. The free tier is 10 GB/month, 10 server locations across multiple continents, unlimited devices, and a network firewall — no other free VPN comes close. The paid tier at $2.70/month is among the cheapest in the category.
Our scores
Windscribe
Overall score — April 2026
Windscribe's free tier gives you 10 servers, 10 GB/month, and a firewall — more than any free VPN competitor. The paid tier is under $3/month. Build-Your-Own-Plan pricing is unique in the category.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Best free tier in the category: 10 GB/month, 10 server locations, no device limit
- Under $3/month on annual plan
- ROBERT (custom blocklist) is the most configurable ad/tracker blocker we've tested
- Stealth protocol works in China and UAE
- Build-a-Plan: pay only for the server locations you actually need
Cons
- Free tier speed is throttled and server options are limited
- Streaming reliability is inconsistent on both free and paid tiers
- Smaller company — support and server infrastructure less reliable than NordVPN
- Annual pricing is confusing — several tiers with unclear value differences
Speed
590 Mbps
Download
360 Mbps
Upload
14 ms
Latency
77%
Speed kept
590 Mbps on the paid tier — 77% speed retention. The free tier is noticeably slower and more variable, particularly during peak hours. Paid performance is adequate for all use cases except professional-grade needs.
Tested: . 1 Gbps base connection.
Privacy & Security
No-logs policy is claimed but not independently audited — a meaningful gap compared to NordVPN, ProtonVPN, or Mullvad. Canadian jurisdiction (5 Eyes member) adds risk. For casual privacy, it's fine. For high-stakes privacy, the lack of audit is disqualifying.
Streaming
Inconsistent. Netflix US and UK work most of the time (80% in testing). BBC iPlayer and Disney+ are unreliable. Not the right choice if streaming is a primary use case.
Pricing
$9/mo
Monthly
$2.7/mo
Annual plan
billed annually
The Build-a-Plan model is unique: you pay for server locations rather than a flat tier, starting from $1/month. For users who only need 1-2 regions, this can mean paying $2-3/month for exactly what they use. No other VPN offers this.
User Ratings
4.3/5
Trustpilot
5k reviews
4.0/5
Google Play
40k ratings
4.3/5
App Store
18k ratings
78%
Community
Reddit sentiment
Ratings sourced from Trustpilot, Google Play Store, and Apple App Store. Community score is derived from Reddit/r/VPN sentiment analysis. Scores are aggregated periodically and may not reflect real-time data.
Verdict
Windscribe is the right choice if you want to try a VPN without paying, or if your use case is limited enough that the Build-a-Plan model makes sense. For full-service privacy and reliability, upgrade to NordVPN or ProtonVPN.
Windscribe vs. Alternatives
| Feature | Windscribe8/10 | NordVPN9.2/10 | ExpressVPN8.6/10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our Score | 8 | 9.2 | 8.6 |
| Monthly Price | $2.70/mo | $3.39/mo | $8.32/mo |
| Servers | 480+ | 6,400+ | 3,000+ |
| Countries | 69 | 111 | 105 |
| Simultaneous Devices | Unlimited | 10 | 8 |
| Speed (tested) | 590 Mbps (77%) | 730 Mbps (96%) | 755 Mbps (98%) |
| No-Logs Policy | |||
| Independently Audited | |||
| Kill Switch | |||
| Ad Blocker | |||
| Streaming | |||
| Torrenting / P2P | |||
| Port Forwarding | |||
| Obfuscation | |||
| Double VPN | |||
| RAM-Only Servers | |||
| Jurisdiction | Canada (5 Eyes member) | Panama (outside 5/9/14 Eyes) | British Virgin Islands |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 3 days | 30 days | 30 days |
All data verified April 2026.