Windscribe

Introduction

Is it safe to torrent without a Virtual Private Network (VPN)? Well, I suppose the answer to that question depends on how you define “safe.” There are, of course, many potential risks to not having a good VPN for torrenting, that is for sure. Depending on where you live, too, you may face threats from multiple directions, not just the ever-present concern of hackers, trackers, and spies.

The best VPNs make it so that your ISP cannot see your internet activity either, by encrypting your data and scrambling your IP address. Finally, with a VPN, you can torrent in peace, without worrying whether your internet connection will be throttled or disconnected. It is always better, in my opinion, to be safe than sorry. By downloading one of the best VPNs for torrenting, you can download files worry free.

Which VPN is the best for torrenting, though? Well, that depends on what you hope to get out of your VPN service. There are a lot of options out there. Generally speaking, though, you probably will want to find a VPN that combines lightning fast download speeds with top-tier privacy and encryption, plenty of server locations all around the world, excellent customer support, and fair pricings.

Is that too much to ask? Absolutely not. There are a number of VPNs for torrenting that fit that description perfectly … which begs the question, is Wind Scribe one of them? Well, we’ll get into the nitty gritty details in a moment. For now, I will say this: Wind Scribe is definitely one of the top VPNs on the market. It is a very popular, widely beloved torrent friendly VPN that has a reputation for providing stellar privacy and some pretty cool features that are, as far as I know, unique to this VPN. Is Wind Scribe the best VPN for you? Let’s find out, shall we?

History

Wind Scribe is based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, founded by a man named Yegor Sak. Unfortunately, little is known about the origin story of Wind Scribe, other than the major updates and expansions launched by the service. For instance, in 2017, Wind Scribe launched its Chrome and Firefox browser extensions (now a staple of any worthy VPN). And in 2018, the VPN expanded into mobile protection when its apps for Android and iOS became available (an APK version came with it as well).

That is, more or less, the extent of the information that I was able to find on Wind Scribe. But that’s okay … more important than where the company came from is how well the service performs today, right? I’d say so.

Design

I don’t think I have ever seen a VPN interface that wasn’t a homerun. This is partly because of the fact that, well, there just isn’t a whole lot to a VPN, other than settings, a list of servers, and a power button. In the way of user experience, most VPNs focus on providing you with a clean, sleek, and aesthetically pleasing backdrop to look at while you turn your privacy on or off. Some programs try their damnedest to make the experience more interactive or quirky than others, sure, but, at the end of the day, if you can give me a good-looking command center, that’s all I need.

Which is precisely what Wind Scribe’s interface will provide – a clean, intuitive, minimalistic single panel on which I can tweak my VPN to my liking. Even if you have never heard of a VPN before in your life, you will instantly know how to use it. Just connect or disconnect via a clear power button, toggle your firewall on or off, and select your server location. That’s all there is to it. A nice electric blue background gives the whole app a pleasant and somewhat exciting feel.

Content and Features

When it comes time to find a new VPN for torrenting, one thing that you want to look for is a service that is features rich. If I’m going to be giving you my money, I expect something more than just basic privacy and encryption. The quantity and quality of features offered by different VPNs has become quite competitive over the last few years, each service trying to outdo the next. So, where does Wind Scribe place in this race to provide the greatest list of features? Here’s what Wind Scribe has to offer…

Decent array of international servers – If you’ve spent any time looking into VPNs for torrenting before, you know how much weight is placed on each network’s quantity of servers. The more servers, the better. The more countries in which these servers are located, the better. Wind Scribe has a decent number of servers located in 63 countries and 110 cities. It’s not the smallest list there is, but it is also not the largest. So, this is something you may want to take into account when making your decision.

That being said, there are plenty of torrent specific servers to choose from. Plus, each server that is dedicated to torrenting is handily marked with a P2P icon beside it, making it easy to browse and connect to torrenting servers.

Strong encryption, no logs, and split tunneling – With Wind Scribe, you can expect the best of the best in encryption: AES 256, the same level of encryption that is used by most militaries. This should give you peace of mind while you torrent. Wind Scribe also boasts a no log policy, meaning that nobody – not even the VPN itself – will be able to identify you based on IP and timestamp. Lastly, split tunneling gives you the ability to operate both on and off of the VPN simultaneously by choosing which apps go through the VPN and which do not (some domains and apps do not allow the use of VPNs; with Wind Scribe, you won’t have to disconnect your VPN to access them).

Desktop app features – The desktop app offers some special features, such as a firewall, the ability to turn your computer into a secure WIFI hotspot, a proxy gateway, and flexible connectivity. The firewall gives you an even more secure connectivity tunnel, preventing any potential leaks. The WIFI hotspot feature is just plain cool for obvious reasons. And the flexible connectivity and proxy gateway put you in complete control over your privacy protocols.

Browser extension features – Enjoy browser specific perks with Wind Scribe as well, including an ad-blocker, split personality (automatically rotates user agent to reduce fingerprinting), cookie monster (tracks and deletes all cookies automatically), time warp (changes your time zone), location warp, and auto pilot (picks the best server location for you, changes it as soon as a faster one becomes available).

Mobile and Desktop Experience

Thankfully, the mobile app is every bit as well designed and user-friendly as the desktop one. And apps are available on both iOS and Android devices. There is also an APK version and, of course, you can get it on Mac, Windows, and Linux.

That being said, I am disappointed in how limited the device compatibility is on Wind Scribe. The VPN doesn’t appear to be compatible with any smart TVs, gaming consoles, or routers. This is a huge drawback for me, since I would prefer a VPN for torrenting that keeps my data covered across all my devices. I don’t want anyone spying on my TV viewing or gaming either!

Pricings and Plans

Wind Scribe is certainly not the cheapest of the VPNs on the market. The good news, though, is that they do offer a free version, allowing you up to 10 GB per month of VPN coverage. If you’re on the fence with Wind Scribe, I recommend trying out the free version first. Here are the other plans available:

-Monthly: $9.00/month

-Yearly: $4.08/month

-Build a plan: $1.00/month per server