What is Windscribe used for?

Windscribe is a VPN service with a free tier, ad and tracker blocking, and servers in more than 130 locations. It is a good fit for casual VPN use on a free plan, blocking ads and trackers network-wide, and browsing from heavily censored countries.

Yes. Windscribe has a free plan, and paid plans start at $9 per month.

Is Windscribe open source?

No. Windscribe is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Windscribe include IPsec VPN Server, OpenVPN and wg-easy.

What are some alternatives to Windscribe?

Windscribe competes with Proton VPN, NordVPN and Surfshark. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Windscribe alternatives.

Windscribe: features, pricing and alternatives

About Windscribe

Windscribe is a VPN provider that offers both free and paid plans. Beyond tunneling traffic, it markets built-in tools for blocking ads and trackers, and it claims servers in over 130 locations so users can mask their location and reach content from other regions.

The company describes itself as self-funded and says its software is open source, backed by transparency reports, audits and court cases. Its infrastructure runs from RAM disks and is designed so that no identifying data is stored. It also promises that renewal prices match the price originally signed up for, and says the service works in heavily censored countries.

Windscribe is a hosted commercial service with apps available from its download page. Plan details are on the upgrade page.

Key features

Free tier alongside paid plans
Ad and tracker blocking
Servers in 130+ locations
Open source client software
RAM disk server infrastructure
Use in censored regions

Good fit for

→Casual VPN use on a free plan
→Blocking ads and trackers network-wide
→Browsing from heavily censored countries

Tags: vpn; privacy; ad-blocking; free-tier; open-source-client; security; censorship

Windscribe: questions and answers

What is Windscribe used for?: Windscribe is a VPN service with a free tier, ad and tracker blocking, and servers in more than 130 locations. It is a good fit for casual VPN use on a free plan, blocking ads and trackers network-wide, and browsing from heavily censored countries.
Is Windscribe free?: Yes. Windscribe has a free plan, and paid plans start at $9 per month.
Is Windscribe open source?: No. Windscribe is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Windscribe include IPsec VPN Server, OpenVPN and wg-easy.
What are some alternatives to Windscribe?: Windscribe competes with Proton VPN, NordVPN and Surfshark. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Windscribe alternatives.