Windscribe Review

The VPN industry is very competitive, but that doesn’t mean that there is no room for new options, particularly if the new solutions released, offer a high level of privacy. Although Canadian provider Windscribe is new in the market (the service was officially launched early in 2016), it has already made a good impression and it is quickly earning the trust of many users who want to ensure that their online traffic is truly private. The fact that a convenient free service is available, adds to the appeal of Windscribe.

Privacy/Security

Security is a crucial area for a VPN and Windscribe clearly knows this. They support OpenVPN, which is the most reliable and secure protocol available. The level of encryption used is AES 256-bit with SHA512 for data authentication and a 4096-bit RSA key. Windscribe supports perfect forward secrecy and the IPs are shared, which makes identifying an individual user practically impossible.

In line with its commitment to keep your data secure, Windscribe offers a strong privacy policy that states that no activity or connection logs are kept. This means that they don’t store or monitor your browsing history, or details like timestamps. Only bandwidth usage is stored in order to prevent abuse of the system.

While the fact that the company is based in Canada, raises some concern due to the fact that the country is part of the Five Eyes spying alliance, Windscribe is firm in its claim that it stands by their customers’ privacy. Since they don’t keep logs of your connection or traffic and customers can sign up for the service without providing an email address, even if they are asked to hand over data, there is nothing of value that they could provide. In addition, they accept Bitcoin as method of payment, which allows you to enhance your privacy.

Features

Windscribe is compatible with commonly used operating systems like Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and Linux, although the last two are only supported in the Pro version. The VPN can also be set up on DD-WRT or Tomato routers and there are browser extensions for Firefox, Opera and Chrome. The Windows client offers strong Firewall protection (kill switch) to ensure that your actual IP address is not revealed even if the VPN connection fails. The client also offers protection against IPv6 and DNS leaks.

The Stealth connection mode is an effective solution for users in China who need to bypass strict restrictions. Other practical features can be found in the browser extensions, which support ad and tracker blocker to maintain your privacy protected. There is also a Secure.link option that allows you to check how secure a website really is. This service lets you find out if a website is tracking you.

Servers

Windscribe has servers in over 30 countries including Ireland, Czech Republic, Mexico, Sweden, Australia, Romania, South Korea, Hungary, Norway and South Africa. Their free plan offers access only to servers in the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Hong Kong, Netherlands and Luxembourg. This is a wide selection of locations so even customers of the free plan will be able to browse with versatility. P2P file sharing is allowed, but only on certain locations.

Plans

As previously mentioned, there is a free option that allows you not only to test the service, but also to enjoy the flexibility and security that Windscribe provides. You get access to servers in 8 countries, up to 10GB of data per month and the possibility to connect one device at a time. The Unlimited Pro plan, gives you access to all the servers in their network, unlimited downloading and support for as many devices as you want. This plan costs $9 USD per month or $7.50/month if you pay $90 in advance for a yearly plan.

Customer Support

Although the website seems quite basic and doesn’t exactly stand out, it contains valuable information about the service and clear explanations about the features supported. There are detailed set up guides, FAQ section and an option to contact the support team via ticket. Apart from that, Windscribe is very active in Social media sites and forums. They proactively address people’s questions on Reddit and other websites. It is great to see a company that cares about establishing a good image and that is taking the right step to gain new customers and keep their existing ones happy.

Conclusion

In general, Windscribe is a promising new VPN solution and the varied selection of server locations, high security and commitment to privacy are some of its best features. While the price of the Pro plan is a bit high, the service includes useful features that will help you to defend your online privacy. Plus, they have a free service that will allow you to test Windscribe to find out if it suits your needs. Let us know what you think in the comments below.