Windscribe vs Proton VPN (2026): Which Is Better?
The free plans are the real comparison here, and they're not alike: Proton's has no data cap, no ads and one device; Windscribe's gives you 10 GB a month across 10+ locations. On the paid plans it isn't close: Proton scores 8.9 overall to Windscribe's 5.2, and the privacy gap is the reason — Windscribe's servers were seized in Ukraine in 2021 and data was obtained, while Proton has fought data requests in court and won. Windscribe's refund window is seven days and forfeited past 10 GB of use, the tightest on this site, which makes its free tier the only realistic way to trial it.
Who wins each category
- Privacy & securityProton VPNWindscribe 3.0 · Proton 9.5
- SpeedTieWindscribe 0.0 · Proton 0.0
- StreamingTieWindscribe 0.0 · Proton 0.0
- Apps & easeWindscribeWindscribe 9.4 · Proton 8.8
- ValueProton VPNWindscribe 5.3 · Proton 7.8
Sub-scores are provisional for Windscribe and Proton VPN — published audits, jurisdiction and public record rather than our own measurement; see the review; weights are privacy & security 30%, speed 25%, streaming 15%, apps & ease 15%, value 15%. Methodology
Choose Windscribe if…
- You want to pick your country on a free plan — 10+ locations against Proton's auto-chosen one
- Unlimited devices on the paid plan, where Proton covers ten
- Port forwarding is included; Proton also offers it, but Windscribe bundles it at every tier
Choose Proton VPN if…
- A free plan you can actually live on: no data cap, no ads, no time limit
- A no-logs claim that held up in court, against Windscribe's 2021 server seizure where data was obtained
- A real 30-day refund rather than Windscribe's three
Windscribe vs Proton VPN: the numbers
 Windscribe |  Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 5.2provisional — not tested by us | 8.9provisional — not tested by us |
| Rank · badge | Not ranked · Build-a-plan | Not ranked · Best free tier |
| 2-year price / mo | $5.75 (1-year — no 2-year plan) | $3.49 |
| 1-year price / mo | $5.75 | $4.99 |
| Monthly price | $9.00 | $9.99 |
| Renewal | Billed $69 every 12 months and renews at the same rate | Billed $83.76 for the first 24 months, then renews at $83.88 every 12 months |
| Money-back | 7 days | 30 days |
| Simultaneous devices | Unlimited | 10 |
| Avg download speed | Not tested by us | Not tested by us |
| Jurisdiction | Canada | Switzerland |
| Owner | Windscribe Limited | Proton AG (Proton Foundation) |
| No-logs audit | Packetlabs security audit, 2024 | Securitum no-logs audit, 2024 |
| Servers | Undisclosed in 69 countries | 12,000+ in 117 countries |
| Protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, WStunnel | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, Stealth |
| Torrenting | P2P allowed on most servers | P2P allowed on P2P servers (paid plans) |
| Free plan | 10 GB/month, 10+ locations | no data cap, no ads, 1 device, auto-chosen country |
| Support | chatbot, email, help centre, subreddit | email, help centre, live chat (paid plans) |
| Visit Windscribe | Visit Proton VPN |
Full reviews: Windscribe · Proton VPN
What each one actually costs
The advertised rate covers the first term only. These are the totals once the renewal is counted.
| Windscribe | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan priced | 12-month plan | 24-month plan |
| Intro rate / mo | $5.75 | $3.49 |
| Then renews at / mo | $5.75 — no jump | $6.99 (+100%) |
| First term, up front | $69.00 | $83.76 |
| Total over 2 years | $138.00 | $83.76 |
| Total over 3 years | $207.00 | $167.64 |
| True cost / mo over 3 years | $5.75 | $4.66 |
| Money-back | 7 days — 7 days from the first payment and only under 10 GB of use — Windscribe's terms say 7 business days, its knowledge base says 7 days. Renewals are not refundable. Checked 15 September 2026; we have not claimed one. | 30 days — 30 days, published — we have not claimed one yet |
| Check Windscribe price | Check Proton VPN price |
Proton VPN is cheaper both ways — lower to start and $39.36 less across three years once the renewals are counted. Same arithmetic as our price calculator: the first term at the advertised rate, every month after it at the rate the provider publishes for renewals.
Speed by region
Neither VPN has been speed-tested by us yet, so there is nothing to chart here.
Windscribe and Proton VPN have not been through our speed rig yet, so there is no region-by-region chart for this pair. Speed figures other people have published are on the Windscribe and Proton VPN review, attributed to whoever measured them.
Streaming, service by service
| Windscribe | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Unblocked | 0 of 0 reported (not tested by us) | 0 of 0 reported (not tested by us) |
| Netflix US | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix UK | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix JP | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix CA | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix AU | n/r | n/r |
| Prime Video | n/r | n/r |
| Disney+ | n/r | n/r |
| Hulu | n/r | n/r |
| Max | n/r | n/r |
| Paramount+ | n/r | n/r |
| Peacock | n/r | n/r |
| BBC iPlayer | n/r | n/r |
| ITVX | n/r | n/r |
| DAZN | n/r | n/r |
| n/r — no published result found | n/r — no published result found |
Security features
| Windscribe | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Kill switch | ||
| Split tunnelling | ||
| Obfuscation / stealth | ||
| Port forwarding | ||
| Dedicated IP | ||
| Ad & tracker blocking | ||
| Multi-hop (double VPN) | ||
| RAM-only servers | ||
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, browser extensions, routers | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, browser extensions, routers |
Has the no-logs promise ever been tested?
Every VPN on this page says it keeps no logs. The claim only means something once someone has demanded the data — a police raid, a court order, a subpoena. Here is what happened to each of these two when that came up, and what it means if it never has.
- WindscribeFailed
2021 Ukraine server seizure. The claim did not hold: data existed that should not have. Windscribe has changed its setup since, but this is the reason it sits where it does on privacy.
Audit: Packetlabs security audit, 2024 · Canada
- Proton VPNHeld
Fought data requests in court. The claim held — there was nothing useful to hand over. That is the one form of proof no audit can give you, because it happened under real pressure rather than on a scheduled visit.
Audit: Securitum no-logs audit, 2024 · Switzerland
What each one is our top pick for
One of these scores higher overall, which does not make it the right buy for every job. These are the use cases where each one comes first on its own list.
- WindscribeNo category
Windscribe is not our top pick in any of our use-case lists. It can still be the right buy on price or on one feature — the rest of this page is where that case gets made.
- Proton VPN2 categories
No data cap, no ads, no logs, open-source apps on every platform. Limits: one device, an auto-chosen country, no streaming or P2P.
Questions
Which has the better free VPN, Windscribe or Proton?
Proton, for most people: no data cap, no ads and no time limit, against Windscribe's 10 GB a month. Windscribe's advantage is choice of location — 10+ against Proton's single auto-chosen country.
Is Windscribe's refund window a problem?
Yes, and it is the shortest of any VPN here: seven days from the first payment, and forfeited once you have used 10 GB — which on a fast line is an evening. Renewals are not refundable at all. The free tier is the mitigation, and a better one than the refund: run 10 GB a month through it for as long as you like, then pay only if it works for you.
Is Proton VPN worth paying for over Windscribe?
On the record, yes: it scores 8.9 against Windscribe's 5.2, and the gap is mostly privacy — Windscribe's 2021 server seizure in Ukraine produced data, where Proton has fought similar requests in court and won. Windscribe's counter-arguments are unlimited devices and a free plan with more locations to choose from.
We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. Scores and the winner are decided by the scoring rubric before any commercial consideration. Disclosure