Windscribe and Proton VPN are two of the few VPNs that offer a genuinely usable free plan, and both are popular with people who care more about privacy than flashy marketing. But they make very different trade-offs. This comparison is research-based: every fact below comes from the providers’ own plan, pricing and privacy pages or from published independent audits, linked inline. We didn’t run speed or streaming tests for this page, so it contains no measured speed numbers.
This article contains no affiliate links. See our affiliate disclosure and how we review. Updated: November 2026
Bottom line: Proton VPN for an unlimited free plan and audited no-logs; Windscribe for flexible, cheaper paid options
- Free users: Proton VPN Free has no data cap but only one device and no server choice; Windscribe Free lets you choose from 10 countries on unlimited devices, but caps data at 10 GB a month.
- Privacy proof: Proton’s no-logs policy has passed five consecutive annual Securitum audits. Windscribe has a 2024 PacketLabs infrastructure assessment, app audits and a court case where it had no logs to hand over, but no standalone recurring no-logs audit.
- Paying: Windscribe Build-A-Plan starts at $3/month and Pro is $69/year with unlimited devices. Proton VPN Plus covers 10 devices and a much larger network, but renews at $83.88/year after the discounted first term.
- Pick Proton if you want the strongest audit trail or a free VPN without a data limit. Pick Windscribe if you want location choice on the free plan, a built-in blocker for free, or a very cheap paid plan.
Windscribe vs Proton VPN at a glance
| Feature | Windscribe | Proton VPN |
|---|---|---|
| Company / base | Founded in Toronto, Canada (2016) | Proton AG, Geneva, Switzerland |
| Free plan data | 10 GB/month with a confirmed email, 2 GB without | No data cap |
| Free plan locations | 10 countries; you pick the location | 10 countries; server chosen for you |
| Free plan devices | Unlimited devices on one account | 1 device at a time |
| Ad/tracker blocker on free | Yes (R.O.B.E.R.T., limited custom rules) | No (NetShield is paid-only) |
| Cheapest paid option | Build-A-Plan: $1 per location/month, $3 minimum | VPN Plus: $9.99 month-to-month; discounted 1- and 2-year first terms |
| Full paid plan | Pro: $9/month or $69/year | VPN Plus renews at $83.88/year after the first term |
| Paid network | 69+ countries, 135+ cities | 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries (some virtual locations) |
| Paid devices | Unlimited | 10 at once |
| Streaming / P2P | Not covered here; check Windscribe’s current feature pages | Listed as included on VPN Plus, not on Free |
| Independent reviews | PacketLabs server-infrastructure assessment (June 2024); Leviathan app audits (2021, 2022) | Securitum no-logs audits, five consecutive years (latest 2026) |
| Open-source apps | Yes | Yes |
1. Free plans: data cap vs device limit
This is where most readers start, and the two free plans are close to opposites. According to Windscribe’s free-plan page, Windscribe Free gives you 10 GB of data a month once you confirm an email address, or 2 GB if you sign up with just a username and password. You can connect to servers in 10 countries (the US, Canada, the UK, Hong Kong, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway and Romania) and use the account on as many devices as you like.
Proton VPN Free, per the Proton VPN pricing page, has no data limit and no ads, but it protects only one device at a time, its speed tier is listed as “medium” and you connect to servers in 10 countries that are selected for you rather than chosen. Streaming, P2P and the NetShield ad blocker are paid features. We cover the free plan in more detail in Is Proton VPN Free safe?
In practice: if you use a VPN all day on one laptop, Proton’s unlimited data matters more. If you want to protect a phone, tablet and laptop occasionally, or need a specific free location such as the UK or Canada, Windscribe’s free plan is more flexible, as long as you stay under the cap.
2. Privacy, logging and audits
Both companies say they don’t keep logs that tie activity to you, on free or paid plans (see the Windscribe privacy policy and the Proton VPN privacy policy). The difference is how each claim has been checked.
Proton says its no-logs policy has passed a fifth consecutive annual third-party audit by Securitum, most recently in 2026, and it publishes the reports openly (Proton’s audit announcement). Its apps are open source, and the company is based in Switzerland.
Windscribe takes a different approach. Windscribe’s audit page lists a June 2024 PacketLabs assessment of its FreshScribe server infrastructure, plus Leviathan Security Group audits of its desktop apps (2021) and mobile apps (2022); its apps are also open source. The published PacketLabs report notes that testers initially found some temporary debug logging (kept for hours, not long-term), which was remediated before the retest. Windscribe also points to real-world tests on Windscribe’s no-logs page: a 2025 Greek court case where it says it had no logs linking a user to the activity, and a server seizure in which it says no user data was present. Independent reviewers, such as Gizmodo, note that this is strong evidence but not the same as a recurring audit of the no-logs policy itself.
3. Pricing and paid plans
Windscribe has two ways to pay, according to Windscribe’s pricing page. Pro costs $9 a month or $69 a year (about $5.75 a month) and unlocks all 69+ countries, unlimited data, the full R.O.B.E.R.T. blocker, port forwarding and custom configs. Build-A-Plan charges $1 per location per month with a $3 minimum; adding unlimited data and R.O.B.E.R.T. costs another $1.
Proton VPN’s Proton VPN pricing page lists VPN Plus at $9.99 month-to-month, with discounted first terms on 1- and 2-year plans (the exact discount changes with promotions). The key number is the renewal: VPN Plus renews at $83.88 a year. Proton offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
If price is your main concern, Windscribe is cheaper over the long run, especially Build-A-Plan if you only need one or two countries (see Windscribe’s Build-A-Plan explainer for its limits). Check Proton’s renewal price before you commit.
4. Network size and devices
Proton’s network is much larger: its pricing page lists 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries for paid users, and Proton’s server list breaks that down by country, including Secure Core multi-hop servers. Some of those countries are virtual locations, meaning the server physically sits elsewhere; Proton marks these on its server list. Windscribe Pro lists 69+ countries and 135+ cities.
Device limits run the other way. Proton VPN Plus covers 10 devices at once. Windscribe allows unlimited devices on one account, on both free and paid plans, which is unusual and handy for large households.
5. Features worth knowing
- Ad and tracker blocking: Windscribe’s R.O.B.E.R.T. works on the free plan (with a few custom rules) and fully on Pro. Proton’s NetShield is paid-only.
- Multi-hop: Proton’s Secure Core routes traffic through privacy-friendly countries first, on paid plans.
- Protocols: both support WireGuard and offer stealth-style protocols for restrictive networks; Windscribe lists six protocols and 20+ ports, even on free.
- Streaming: Proton lists streaming support on VPN Plus only. We haven’t tested either service with streaming apps for this page; see our streaming VPN guide and Fire TV Stick setup guide.
6. Which should you choose?
- Choose Proton VPN if you want a free VPN with no data cap on one device, the most thoroughly audited no-logs policy of the two, Swiss jurisdiction, or a large network with multi-hop.
- Choose Windscribe if you want to pick your free location, protect several devices on a free plan, get ad blocking for free, or pay very little for one or two locations through Build-A-Plan.
- Either way, run a quick VPN leak test after setup, and if speeds feel slow, try these fixes.
For a deeper look at Proton’s paid plans, read our Proton VPN review; for how it stacks up against a bigger rival, see NordVPN vs Proton VPN, and for a wider shortlist, our best VPN guide.
FAQ
Is Windscribe better than Proton VPN?
Neither is better for everyone. Proton VPN has an unlimited free plan and a stronger audit record; Windscribe has a more flexible free plan (location choice, unlimited devices) and cheaper paid options.
Which free VPN is better, Windscribe or Proton?
Proton VPN Free is better if you need unlimited data on one device. Windscribe Free is better if you want to choose from 10 countries or use several devices, and can live with 10 GB a month.
Has Windscribe’s no-logs policy been audited?
Windscribe has a June 2024 PacketLabs assessment of its server infrastructure and app audits from 2021 and 2022, but no recurring standalone no-logs audit like Proton’s annual Securitum audits. It also cites a 2025 court case where it had no logs to provide.
How much does Windscribe cost compared with Proton VPN?
Windscribe Pro is $9 a month or $69 a year, and Build-A-Plan starts at $3 a month. Proton VPN Plus is $9.99 month-to-month, with discounted first terms on longer plans, then renews at $83.88 a year.
How many devices can I use with each?
Windscribe allows unlimited devices on both free and paid plans. Proton VPN Free allows one device at a time and VPN Plus allows 10.
Where are Windscribe and Proton VPN based?
Windscribe was founded in Toronto, Canada. Proton VPN is run by Proton AG in Geneva, Switzerland.
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