Windscribe review (2026): the free plan, prices and its Ontario base

Verdict

Windscribe is a good fit if you want a free VPN with Canadian servers, or a paid plan that costs very little because you only need one or two locations. Its features page promises unlimited devices. It is also the only one of the six providers we review that is run by a company registered in Canada. The weak spot is evidence: Windscribe says it is audited, but we could not find a published audit report on its site.

This is an editorial review based on Windscribe's own pages: pricing, terms, features and server list. We did not run our own tests. Our review method explains how we work.

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Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

Windscribe suits you if:

• you want a free plan that includes servers in Canada;
• you only need a few locations and want to pay for those alone;
• you would rather deal with a company registered in Ontario and governed by Ontario law.

Look elsewhere if a published, independent audit is a requirement for you. Proton VPN publishes a yearly no-logs audit and also has a free plan.

The free plan

Windscribe's server page says the free plan gives "free server access in 10 countries, including the US, Canada, UK".

The pages we read did not give the free data allowance as a number. The terms mention a 10 GB figure, but only in the refund clause, so we do not treat it as the free allowance. Check the current limit on Windscribe's site. Our page on free VPNs in Canada compares the free plans side by side.

Plans and prices

Windscribe showed prices in US dollars when we checked on October 6, 2026 from outside Canada. Providers set prices by location, so your checkout may show a different amount or currency. We have not converted anything.

Build-a-Plan is the unusual part. You pay USD 1.00 a month for each location you add, with a USD 3 minimum. Each location adds 10 GB of data, and you can add up to 7. If all you want is a Canadian server while you travel, this is the lowest paid amount on Windscribe's page.

The pricing page says plans renew automatically. It does not say the price changes at renewal. For how Windscribe compares on cost with others, see the cheapest VPN in Canada.

Servers in Canada and protocols

Windscribe's server page lists Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Calgary as Canadian places, and also lists Halifax among its Canadian locations.

Its total network size is harder to pin down. The features page says "69 countries and 135 cities", the pricing page says over 69 countries and 112 cities, and an FAQ says over 85 countries. We report the figures as they appear.

The features page lists IKEv2, OpenVPN over UDP and TCP, WireGuard, Stealth and WStunnel. Our VPN protocols guide explains the standard options.

Privacy: jurisdiction and audits

The terms of service say Windscribe is owned by "Windscribe Limited ... a company registered in the province of Ontario, Canada", that Ontario law governs the terms, and give a mailing address at 555 Richmond St West, Toronto. The about page says the team has been "building internet security and privacy products since 2006". It does not say where the company was founded, so we do not claim it.

On audits, the server page has a comparison table with the line "Privacy: Audited & Court-Proven". It names no auditor, gives no year and links to no report. We could not find a published audit report on Windscribe's site. A claim without a report is hard for you to check, so give it less weight than the audits other providers publish.

What Ontario registration means for you

Windscribe Limited is registered in Ontario, and its terms say the laws of Ontario govern them. For a Canadian customer, that means a contract under Canadian law with a company that gives a Toronto mailing address.

Canada's federal private-sector privacy law is PIPEDA. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada says it "sets the ground rules for how private-sector organizations collect, use, and disclose personal information" in commercial activity. The OPC also notes that Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec have their own private-sector laws deemed substantially similar. How these laws apply to a particular VPN service is a legal question. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Registration does not replace an audit. The same office warned in a 2017 blog post that a VPN provider is in a "privileged position to monitor, log, or tamper with" what passes through it. A Canadian address tells you which law the contract falls under. A published audit tells you what an outsider checked.

What to check before you pay

• Refund rules. The terms allow a refund of the first payment only if you ask within 7 days (another clause says 7 business days) and have used under 10 GB. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark and Proton VPN each offer 30 days.
• Renewal. Plans renew automatically. Confirm the renewal price in your account.
• Data on Build-a-Plan. Each location adds 10 GB, so heavy use may need the full yearly plan.

Check Windscribe's prices

Alternatives

For a free plan with a published audit, read our Proton VPN review. For a flat-priced paid VPN with audits, Mullvad is the closest alternative.

Common questions