Windscribe VS VyprVPN

There are more VPN providers today than ever. So choosing the right one can be challenging. Marketing will never tell you the whole story, so you need to dig deeper to determine if a particular VPN service is right for you.

To properly assess a VPN’s performance, we run a multitude of comprehensive tests to see if one outperforms the other. In this post, we’ll use the results of those tests to figure out who to recommend between Windscribe and VyprVPN.

Comparison highlights

Windscribe Service is optimized for security and privacy Ads and malware blocker Only supports secure VPN protocols (OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard) Poor speeds

VyprVPN Great speeds Very good privacy and security practices Works in China Supports proprietary VPN protocol

Windscribe and VyprVPN pricing

	Windscribe	VyprVPN
Subscription periods	One month	One month
	One year	One year
Special offer
Highest price per month	$9.00	$10.00
Lowest price per month	$5.75	$5.00
One-year price	$69.00	$60.00
Money-back guarantee	3 days	30 days

Looking at our pricing information, there isn’t much to set these two providers apart on cost. VyprVPN charges a bit more for its monthly subscription, but its yearly price is lower. However, Windscribe also offers a “Build a Plan” subscription. With “Build a Plan,” you pay $1 per month per server location. And you can add as many locations as you like (there comes a point, of course, where you’ll be better off signing up for either a monthly or yearly plan).

VyprVPN subscriptions come with the industry standard 30-day money-back guarantee. That makes Windscribe’s 3-day money-back guarantee appear somewhat anemic. It would be nice if Windscribe lengthened its refund period. In its defense, it does offer a free tier, which can be used to test the service before signing up.

Windscribe and VyprVPN features

	Windscribe	VyprVPN
Simultaneous connections	Unlimited	5
Operating system apps	macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, FireTV, Nvidia Shield, KODI	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Manual install devices	Routers	Linux, routers
Split tunneling	Yes (macOS and Windows only)	Yes (macOS and Android only)
Free extras	Ad-blocking (R.O.B.E.R.T.), browser extension for Firefox, Chrome, and Edge	No

Both providers cover all of the most popular platforms. Windscribe goes the extra mile by providing a Linux client app. That’s not something you see very often. While VyprVPN also supports Linux, it only provides a command line client app. Windscribe supports FireTV, Nvidia Shield, and KODI. That’s a lot of coverage.

Both Windscribe and VyprVPN support routers and provide instructions on configuring them on their websites.

Both providers also support split tunneling, though somewhat selectively. Split tunneling lets you control which apps (or URLs) go through the VPN and which go through your ISP gateway. VyprVPN can split tunnel on macOS and Android, while Windscribe supports the feature in its macOS and Windows clients. Hopefully, both our providers will expand support for the feature to more platforms moving forward.

Concerning the number of simultaneous connections, Windscribe is unbeatable. It places no limit on concurrent connections. That’s very generous. VyprVPN, for its part, caps this at five connections. That’s pretty much the industry standard.

Speed

Speed	Windscribe	VyprVPN
North America	77 Mbps	393 Mbps
Europe	48 Mbps	191 Mbps
Asia	41 Mbps	79 Mbps
Global	55 Mbps	214 Mbps

Crowning a winner in this category isn’t going to be very difficult. Clearly VyprVPN’s speeds are better than Windscribe. I remember reviewing Windscribe in the past, and its speeds were significantly better. Let’s hope it manages to enhance its speeds to bring them back to their previous levels.

Bottom line: if you’re someone for whom VPN speed is critical, VyprVPN will be the better choice.

Streaming capabilities

	Windscribe	VyprVPN
Streaming service
Netflix	US	US, UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, Japan
Hulu	No	Yes
Sky Go	No	No
Amazon Prime Video	No	Yes
BBC iPlayer	No	Yes
Disney+	No	Yes
ABC	No	No
CBS	No	No
NBC	No	No
ITV Hub	No	Yes
HBO Max	No	Yes
Channel 4 (All 4)	No	Yes

While Windscribe does support streaming, it only works with Netflix US. That’s not what one could call comprehensive support. But it also comes down to how VPN providers choose to define themselves. Some want to be a “jack of all trades” type of service, while others would rather focus on a VPN’s core mission of providing online security and privacy. That’s the path taken by Windscribe.

Looking at VyprVPN’s streaming support, it pops out that it’s a much more streaming-friendly VPN provider. So for streaming, VyprVPN also takes the win.

Look at our recommended VPN providers for streaming if streaming over VPN is important to you.

China

Windscribe and VyprVPN both work in China – that’s not something you see every day. So making a connection from China should be possible with both providers, but you might have to do a bit of server surfing before finding one that actually works. Getting a VPN to work from China is becoming increasingly difficult, with many variables at play. That’s probably why neither provider prominently highlights the feature in their marketing.

You can look at our post listing the best VPN providers that work in China. Remember to download your VPN apps before landing in China – they’re likely to be blocked from within the country.

Setup and interface

	Windscribe	VyprVPN
Automatic setup wizard	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Main location selection	List-based	List-based
Extra settings pages	Yes	Yes
Mobile friendly	Yes	Yes

Both our providers’ desktop apps are well-designed and work pretty well. But despite being proper desktop apps, their design is more akin to a mobile app. So the apps’ UIs are small and can feel a bit cramped. Desktops have more screen real estate than mobile devices; it would have been nice if they designed their desktop apps to use the larger screen.

Still, both apps are easy enough to use and navigate.

In VyprVPN’s app, server selection is list-based, and you can search for servers by country and city. The app can also connect you to the fastest server automatically.

In Windscribe’s app, server selection is also list-based only, although you can find servers by region and city. And just like VyprVPN, Windscribe’s app can automatically connect you to the fastest server in your chosen region.

 

Both Windscribe and VyprVPN have Settings pages that allow users to customize the apps to their needs. Windscribe definitely exposes more settings to its users. And that makes Windscribe’s app more complicated to understand than VyprVPN’s app, but with the benefit of accommodating more complex setups. So tweakers or “edge case” users should have everything they need. And less technical users can still use the app without changing those settings, and they’ll be fine.

VyprVPN provides simpler option menus. But they include the settings that the overwhelming majority of users would need. So it all depends on the type of VPN user you are. For customization, go for Windscribe. For ease of use, VyprVPN would be a better choice.

VyprVPN app settings

Windscribe app settings

Both Windscribe and VyprVPN provide mobile apps that support iOS and Android. Each provider’s mobile app is easy to navigate and use. And both apps are adapted to smaller screens.

VyprVPN mobile app

Windscribe mobile app

Servers

	Windscribe	VyprVPN
Server countries	63	Over 70
Total number of servers	Over 480	Over 700

Windscribe’s VPN network is “middle of the road” – it has a medium-sized network. You’ll find some bigger ones as well as some smaller ones. And while some VPN users want massive server networks, I feel that Windscribe’s network would be fine for most users. I tend to prefer smaller networks because it gives me the impression that more care goes into each server’s configuration. But impressions aside, VyprVPN’s network is significantly larger, so if you’re the type of user that needs an extensive network (there are good reasons to want to have many different servers to choose from), then, VyprVPN will be the way to go.

Below is a list of countries where each provider hosts VPN servers:

	Windscribe	VyprVPN
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belgium
Bosnia
Brazil
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Canada
Chile
Columbia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Kenya
Laos
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Malaysia
Maldives
Marshall Islands
Mexico
Moldova
Netherlands
New Zealand
North Macedonia
Norway
Pakistan
Panama
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Singapore
Slovenia
Slovakia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Vietnam

Security

	Windscribe	VyprVPN
VPN protocols	OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard	WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, Chameleon
OpenVPN data encryption	AES-256	AES-256
OpenVPN control channel encryption	RSA-4096	RSA-4096
Cloaking technology	Stealth	None
App security	Kill switch	Kill switch
DNS status	Private DNS	Private DNS

Windscribe and VyprVPN both support secure VPN protocols. Windscribe supports OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard. VyprVPN supports WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, and Chameleon. Chameleon is a custom protocol developed by VyprVPN. It’s stated to be a modified version of OpenVPN that scrambles the packets transiting through the VPN tunnel to get around DPI inspection. That’s probably how VyprVPN manages to work out of China.

Windscribe and VyprVPN both use 256-bit AES encryption with 4096-bit RSA keys for OpenVPN and IKEv2. WireGuard uses different ciphers that are no less secure – in fact, the ciphers used by WireGuard are newer and perhaps more secure.

Both our providers also include a kill switch in all of their apps. And they both use their own no-logging DNS servers by default.

Both Windscribe and VyprVPN are very similar on the security front. We’re giving the win to Windcribe as it only supports robust VPN protocols – and still manages to work from China.

Privacy

	Windscribe	VyprVPN
HQ base	Canada	United States
Connection logs	None	None
Activity logs	None	None
User details for sign-up	Email address	Email address
Anonymous payment options	Bitcoin	No

VyprVPN is based in the United States, and Windscribe is based in Canada. Both Canada and the US are part of the Five Eyes Alliance: an intelligence-sharing network between nations that includes the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States – the head of the organization. So neither provider is ideal regarding its jurisdiction.

Moving on to privacy policies, Windscribe’s privacy policy is excellent. Windscribe tries to collect as little data as possible to provide its service. It collects only the following data points:

• Username
• Connection timestamp
• Amount of data transferred
• Number of simultaneous connections

The last point on the list may seem odd, given that Windscribe allows unlimited simultaneous connections. It counts the number of simultaneous connections to avoid abuse and account sharing. So if you have an extremely high number of simultaneous connections, you may come under Windscribe’s scrutiny. There’s no word on the threshold, but I would expect it to be unusually high. So I wouldn’t worry. Windscribe’s privacy policy is one of the best we’ve seen.

VyprVPN, for its part, isn’t as clear-cut as Windscribe. It made some big changes to its privacy policy in 2018. Before that, its privacy policy stated that VyprVPN collected “the user’s source IP address, the VyprVPN IP address used by the user, connection start and stop time, and total number of bytes used.” That’s not exactly lean.

Post-2018, its overhauled privacy policy states that the VPN provider doesn’t collect any user data. It also underwent an independent audit to back up its claims. So today, VyprVPN is a no-logging VPN provider.

Still, Windscribe takes the win for privacy.

Configuration

	Windscribe	VyprVPN
Address allocation	Shared or private (add-on)	Shared
Static IP address possible	No	No
DDoS protection	No	No
Ad & malware blocking	Yes	No

Shared IP addresses provide better privacy than dedicated IP addresses. Because the IP address is shared between many users, all the traffic from all those users appears to be coming from the same source. And that makes correlating any of that traffic to a single user almost impossible.

Windscribe and VyprVPN both provide their users with shared IP addresses by default. You can get a dedicated IP address from Windscribe as a paid add-on, which can be useful to host servers that should be accessible from the internet while benefiting from the VPN’s security gains.

Only Windscribe blocks ads and malware. The feature works via DNS blackholing, which references your DNS requests against a blocklist containing malware domains and ad networks, blocking any matches. It’s a great feature that works exceptionally well.

Customer service

	Windscribe	VyprVPN
Live chat	Yes	No
Ticket support	No	No
Email support	Yes	Yes
Average email response time	2.6 days	2 days
Phone support	No	No
Searchable knowledge base	Yes	Yes
Video guides	No	No

Windscribe and VyprVPN provide email support and a searchable knowledge base with answers to the most common issues on their respective websites. Windscribe additionally supports live chat.

We wanted to test each provider’s response time regarding customer service emails. So we sent each of them three questions in three separate emails. The first two questions are quite common and shouldn’t be difficult to answer for any support rep. The third question is purposefully more challenging. The point of the third question is to find out if their representatives have the ability to answer more technical queries. The third question differs for each provider because they don’t support the same features.

The results are below:

Windscribe
Question	Initial response time	Number of emails	Question answered
What kind of logs does Windscribe keep?	2 days	1	Yes
Can I install Windscribe on a DD-WRT router?	3 days	1	Yes
What's the difference between the Windscribe app and the browser extension?	3 days	1	Yes

VyprVPN
Question	Initial response time	Number of emails	Question answered
What kind of logs does VyprVPN keep?	2 days	1	Yes
Can I install VyprVPN on a DD-WRT router?	2 days	1	Yes
What is the difference between a proxy server and a VPN?	2 days	1	Yes

So we didn’t get “fast” support from either provider. The response delays averaged two days (VyprVPN) and two and a half days (Windscribe). That can be a long time to wait if you’ve got a pressing issue. So I would hope to see both providers’ response times improve.

Both Windscribe and VyprVPN’s answers were well-written, polite, and informative enough to answer my questions. But I have to say that Windscribe’s responses demonstrated a firmer understanding of networking, VPNs, and online privacy. That’s not to say that VyprVPN’s answers were lacking in any way – they weren’t. It’s just that Windscribe went the extra mile and explained everything I needed to know right in the body of the email. It didn’t just give me a summary and a link to its knowledge base.

While both providers here are comparable in terms of support, Windscribe takes the win for its more comprehensive answers.

The winner: Windscribe

Apps Available:

• PC
• Mac
• IOS
• Android
• Linux

VPN Ratings:

• Overall score: 6.3 / 10
• Streaming: 4 / 10
• Speed: 7 / 10
• Security & Privacy: 8 / 10
• Value for Money: 6 / 10

Website:  www.windscribe.com

Money-back guarantee: 30 DAYS

So the winner is Windscribe. Given the results above, I feel Windscribe will be the better choice for most users – despite its streaming support being far from stellar. That’s Windscribe’s biggest downside (with its speeds – but I’m confident those will get better in time).

VyprVPN has much better streaming, and its speeds are significantly better. But there are two big turn-offs: 1) Its past data collection, and 2) Its custom VPN protocol (Chameleon). But don’t get me wrong: I still feel VyprVPN is a fine choice, and I trust that its collection practices have changed.

Keep in mind that this is a “VS” post between two providers, and I can only pick one. Given what a VPN is – a privacy and security-enhancing tool – I tend to favor the ones that perform the best on a VPN’s core mission. In this case, that’s Windscribe. But I’d happily sign-up for a VyprVPN account. If the results were strictly based on speed or streaming, VyprVPN would be the winner. This isn’t good vs. bad; they’re both good.

In a nutshell, Windscribe takes it for the reasons below:

1. Its security and privacy practices are excellent.
2. It only supports secure, open-source VPN protocols (no custom protocols here).
3. It provides an ad and malware blocker.
4. It can cater to more advanced users.

For most VPN users, the better all-around choice will be Windscribe.

Windscribe Coupon

$5.75 per month for the annual plan

Get Deal >

Discount applied automatically

See also:

• NordVPN vs Windscribe
• Windscribe vs PrivateVPN
• ExpressVPN vs VyprVPN
• VyprVPN vs AtlasVPN

L’article Windscribe VS VyprVPN est apparu en premier sur Comparitech.