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The Windscribe Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about Windscribe in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

Windscribe

The Insider’s Guide

VPN with a 10GB free plan and pay-per-location pricing

Windscribe, as pictured on windscribe.com

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among VPNs, read from Windscribe’s own pages.

Made by Windscribe Limited · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.6GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from Windscribe’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Windscribe’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.6

GPA, above 10 of the 16 other VPNs we grade

Windscribe is an open-source VPN with a free plan of 10GB a month in 10 countries, a Pro plan with unlimited data in 69+ countries, and a Build A Plan option that charges $1 a month per location. Every account can connect any number of devices, and the R.O.B.E.R.T blocker filters ads, trackers and malware on the server side.

To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Windscribe, taken from its own pages and our grades.

No App Store rating on record, but you install the app, confirm an email and connect, with nothing else to set up.
From our grade for ease of use
  1. 1

    Best for a free VPN with room to grow

    Windscribe gives you 10GB a month free, and if you only need a couple of countries you can pay $1 a month per location instead of a full plan.

  2. 2

    Paid plans start at $3 a month

    As its pricing page puts it: $3 per month for 3 locations (Build A Plan).

  3. 3

    There is a free plan

    10GB of data a month once you confirm an email address, with servers in 10 countries including the US, Canada, the UK and Germany.

  4. 4

    It runs on 5 platforms

    macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android, with a browser extension too.

  5. 5

    Free plan

    10GB a month once your email is confirmed, with servers in 10 countries. Pro locations stay locked.

  6. 6

    Build A Plan

    Pay $1 a month per Pro location you want, from a $3 minimum and up to 7 locations, each adding 10GB of data.

  7. 7

    R.O.B.E.R.T

    A customizable server-side blocker for ads, trackers and malware, included with Pro.

  8. 8

    A 2.6 GPA, above 10 of 16

    That is against the other VPNs we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  9. 9

    Keep it

    To replace Windscribe you would be making servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

Windscribe at a glance

Pricing
Free plan, from $3 per month for 3 locations (Build A Plan)
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
None stated
Runs on
macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
Made by
Windscribe Limited
Category
VPNs
Our grade
2.6 GPA, good

The report card

Best for a free VPN with room to grow

Windscribe gives you 10GB a month free, and if you only need a couple of countries you can pay $1 a month per location instead of a full plan. Pro is $69 a year with unlimited data. The free plan runs out fast if you stream, and the per-location plans only add data in 10GB steps.

ToolGPA report cardWindscribeGraded Oct 17, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyCPro is $69 a year and stays at that price, so two years cost $138, about $5.75 a month, above the middle of the pack. Build A Plan starts at $3 a month for 3 locations, but each adds only 10GB of data.
Free plan and trialC10GB a month free once you confirm an email, with servers in 10 countries including the US, UK and Germany. Plenty for café Wi-Fi, but streaming will burn through it, and most locations are Pro only.
FeaturesBUnlimited devices, the R.O.B.E.R.T blocker for ads, trackers and malware, double hop, split tunneling, a firewall and config generators for routers, across 69+ countries on Pro. It covers the whole job.
Ease of useBNo App Store rating on record, but you install the app, confirm an email and connect, with nothing else to set up.
Platforms and integrationsBMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and browser extensions, plus config files for routers. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B.
Grade point averageGood, out of 4.02.6

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who Windscribe is for

  • Great if you want a free VPN for light use where you still pick the country
  • Handy when you only need one or two countries and don't want to pay for the lot
  • Good for households connecting lots of devices to one account

Who it is not for

  • Tight if you stream on the free plan, which stops at 10GB a month
  • Skip it if you want to share your account with friends, as the terms forbid it
  • Too light for heavy use on Build A Plan, where each location adds only 10GB

Good to know

Good for

  • Light users who can live within 10GB a month for free
  • People who only need one or two countries and want to pay per location
  • Households connecting many devices to one account

Worth knowing

  • The free plan stops at 10GB a month and needs a confirmed email; most locations are Pro only.
  • Build A Plan locations each add only 10GB a month rather than unlimited data.
  • Static IPs and team accounts are sold separately, and their prices are not on the plans page.
  • Account sharing is prohibited by the plan terms.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$3

A month to start. There is a free plan too

Windscribe has a free plan. Paid plans start at $3 per month for 3 locations (Build A Plan).

Plenty for café Wi-Fi, but streaming will burn through it, and most locations are Pro only.
From our grade for free plan and trial

  • Free

    $0

    10GB a month with a confirmed email, and servers in 10 countries: the US, Canada, UK, Hong Kong, France, Germany and four more.

  • Build A Plan

    $3

    per month for 3 locations, then $1 per extra location

    $1 per Pro location per month, from 3 up to 7 locations; each adds 10GB to your monthly data. For more, the page points to Pro.

  • Pro Yearly

    $69

    per year

    $5.75 a month. Unlimited data, every location in 69+ countries, R.O.B.E.R.T and config generators.

  • Pro Monthly

    $9

    per month

    The same Pro features as yearly, billed $9 every month.

The free plan

10GB of data a month once you confirm an email address, with servers in 10 countries including the US, Canada, the UK and Germany.

Read from windscribe.com on Oct 17, 2026.

Ways to pay less

  • Annual discount

    About 36% off with yearly billing

    Pro Yearly costs $69 a year, against $108 for twelve months of Pro Monthly at $9.

    Stated on windscribe.com

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

6

Places it runs: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android and Browser extension

VPN with a 10GB free plan and pay-per-location pricing. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, vPN, ad and tracker blocking.

Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and browser extensions, plus config files for routers.
From our grade for platforms and integrations
Free plan
10GB a month once your email is confirmed, with servers in 10 countries. Pro locations stay locked.
Build A Plan
Pay $1 a month per Pro location you want, from a $3 minimum and up to 7 locations, each adding 10GB of data.
R.O.B.E.R.T
A customizable server-side blocker for ads, trackers and malware, included with Pro.
Unlimited connections
Use one account on as many devices at once as you like, with apps and browser extensions for each platform.
Config generators
Generate OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard configurations for routers and devices without an app.
Double hop, split tunneling and firewall
Route through two servers, choose which apps skip the VPN, and block traffic outside the tunnel.

Where it runs

  • macOS
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • iOS
  • Android
  • Browser extension

What it works with

Its own pages name no integrations.

Windscribe is made by Windscribe Limited.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

10/16

Other VPNs it is graded above

Windscribe's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 10 of the 16 other VPNs we grade, and level with 2.

It stands best on ease of use (B, above 6 of 16) and worst on value for money (C, above 1).

Its paid plans start at $3 a month, against a middle price of $5 for the category: 2 of the 15 others that charge start lower.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 17 VPNs we grade, cut by the letter each got. Windscribe’s own letter is outlined.

  • CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 16
  • CFree plan and trialAbove 11 of 16
  • BFeaturesAbove 5 of 16
  • BEase of useAbove 6 of 16
  • BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 16

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 16 VPNs. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Windscribe is the marked dot.

C2.0B3.0A4.0$1$2$5$10$20More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessWindscribeSurfsharkhide.mePrivadoVPNProton VPNMullvad VPN

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

To replace Windscribe you would be making servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

It costs $36 a year. Windscribe is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.

What you could make

  • Ad and tracker blocking: an app builder makes this well.

What you could not

  • Servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private.
  • Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
  • The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

What this rests on. Windscribe’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

Proton VPN, Mullvad VPN, TunnelBear, Surfshark and Private Internet Access

The 5 tools Windscribe is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

10

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is Windscribe free?

Windscribe has a free plan. 10GB of data a month once you confirm an email address, with servers in 10 countries including the US, Canada, the UK and Germany.

How much does Windscribe cost?

Windscribe lists 4 plans. Free: $0.

What platforms does Windscribe work on?

Windscribe is available on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android. It also has a browser extension.

Does Windscribe offer any discounts?

Windscribe publicly lists the following: About 36% off with yearly billing.

Is Windscribe open source?

Yes. Windscribe is open source, according to its own site.

Who makes Windscribe?

Windscribe is made by Windscribe Limited.

What are the alternatives to Windscribe?

The closest alternatives to Windscribe in our directory are Proton VPN, Mullvad VPN, TunnelBear, Surfshark and Private Internet Access.

How does Windscribe compare with other VPNs?

Windscribe's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 10 of the 16 other VPNs we grade, and level with 2.

Is Windscribe good value for money?

ToolGPA grades Windscribe C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $3 a month, against a middle price of $5 for the category: 2 of the 15 others that charge start lower.

Could I make my own version of Windscribe?

To replace Windscribe you would be making servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Windscribe’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Windscribe's own pages on 17 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Windscribe Limited. Prices change, so check windscribe.com before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

1,858

Tools graded, in 46 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

  • 1,858

    tools graded

  • 46

    categories

  • 426

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "Windscribe: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/windscribe

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See our other guides

The best-graded VPNs after Windscribe, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

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Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Windscribe’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Windscribe is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Windscribe Limited. Prices and plans change: check windscribe.com before you buy.