Windscribe is a free VPN for Windows from Windscribe Limited, released under the GPL-2.0 license. It encrypts browsing activity, blocks ads, and unblocks entertainment content. Version 2.24.13 weighs 40.1 MB, came out on September 8, 2026, and the installer is fetched from github.com.
Encryption, ad blocking and unblocking in one client
Windscribe is a VPN that encrypts browsing activity, blocks ads and unblocks entertainment content. It sits in the VPN category with tags for network, privacy, proxy and security.
What a typical session looks like
You install the 40.1 MB package, sign in and connect, and traffic from the PC is then encrypted. Ad blocking and content unblocking come from the same app.
The app is free to download.
Windscribe against other VPN clients
Alternatives include Cloudflare One Client, WireGuard, OpenVPN, OpenVPN Connect, Surfshark and ExpressVPN. WireGuard and OpenVPN are protocol-focused clients, while Surfshark and ExpressVPN are other consumer VPN services.
What's new in 2.24.13
Version 2.24.13 fixes a startup crash that occurred when the user profile path contains non-ASCII characters.
Windscribe pros and cons
Pros
- Free to download
- Open-source GPL-2.0 license
- Combines encryption, ad blocking and content unblocking
- Download served from the official github.com host
- Recent update fixes a startup crash
Cons
- No independent security review is available
- Server locations and data limits are not covered here
- Package size of 40.1 MB is larger than a bare protocol client
Is Windscribe safe?
The installer is served from github.com, the official server, so the file never passes through our own storage. Windscribe Limited publishes the app under GPL-2.0. No scan results or audit reports came with this release, so check the file yourself if you need more assurance.
How to install Windscribe
- Press the download button to get the official file.
- Run the installer you saved and confirm the Windows security prompt if the publisher matches.
- Follow the setup steps, then start Windscribe from the Start menu.
