RiseupVPN vs Windscribe

RiseupVPN is a free personal VPN for traffic encryption, location anonymization and censorship circumvention. Clients are available for Android, Linux, macOS and Windows, and torrent support is listed. The software is designed to install and run without account registration or configuration. It routes internet traffic through an encrypted connection to riseup.net before reaching the public internet. Riseup describes protection against ISP surveillance, blocking most tracking companies and bypassing government censorship where internet access remains available. Its stated logs exclude IP addresses, DNS requests, traffic flows, browser fingerprints and identifying information; minimal logs are encrypted and rotated within five days. Riseup warns that traffic can face man-in-the-middle attacks after leaving the VPN gateway, so HTTPS remains important. The service is funded by donations and estimates its cost at approximately $60 USD per person per year. Android installation is documented through F-Droid, Google Play or an LEAP APK. Riseup says clients use open-source Bitmask software. Windows lacks a kill switch, and the Linux Snap package is out of support.

Windscribe is a VPN service available on the web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. It supports WireGuard and includes a kill switch, with a verified no-logs audit. The service lists servers in 69 countries and supports streaming and torrents. Its free plan gives 2 GB per month without a confirmed email, or 10 GB per month across 10 countries. Build-A-Plan costs $1 per location per month, with a $3 minimum monthly purchase, up to seven locations, and 10 GB per location. Pro Monthly is $9 a month; Pro Yearly is $69 a year. Both Pro plans list unlimited data and access to 69+ countries and 135+ cities. The maker was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.