- Windscribe claims its free VPN service is faster than paid rival NordVPN
- The company used a speed test server owned by another top VPN, Surfshark.
- Experts warn that a single speed test is inconclusive
The battle for the title of best VPN is notoriously fierce, with top providers constantly vying to gain an edge over their competitors. In a bold and fun new chapter in this rivalry, Windscribe has publicly claimed that its free VPN service can surpass one of the biggest names in the industry, NordVPN, in a speed race.
In an article on X, the company shared a screenshot of a speed test that appears to show that Windscribe Free VPN’s server achieves faster download speeds than a NordVPN server.
The ultimate punchline? The speed test server used to generate the results came from another major competitor: Surfshark.
This intelligent, multi-layered attack against two of his biggest rivals certainly turned heads.
“In today’s episode of Speedtest Smackdowns, we compared NordVPN to Windscribe’s free VPN servers in one place. We won. And the best part is that the speed test was conducted by Surfshark (which is owned by NordVPN),” the tweet read.
By using Surfshark’s server, Windscribe is not only calling NordVPN’s performance into question, but also dragging another industry giant into the fray, while promoting its own highly rated service, which is nevertheless one of the best free VPNs on the market according to TechRadar reviewers.
A pinch of salt is necessary
Although posting on social media is entertaining, users should be careful to draw definitive conclusions from it.
VPN speed is a notoriously complex metric to measure, and a single screenshot is far from a complete benchmark. The performance of any VPN can be affected by a wide range of variables.
Factors that can significantly influence a speed test include the specific server chosen (both its physical location and the user’s current load), the time of day the test is performed, the user’s underlying Internet connection speed, and the VPN protocol used.
For example, a connection using the modern WireGuard protocol will almost always be faster than a connection using the older OpenVPN protocol.
Without knowing the precise parameters of the test shown in the screenshot, it is impossible to verify this claim in a scientifically meaningful way.
This is more of a clever marketing stunt than a definitive performance benchmark, designed to generate conversation.
The battle between free and paid VPN
This public call also fits into the long-standing debate over the quality of free VPN services versus paid VPN services.
While free VPNs have a reputation for being slow, insecure, or having strict data limits, Windscribe has worked hard to position its free tier as a truly usable and secure option. It offers a generous 10GB of monthly data and access to servers in over 10 countries, making it one of the most robust free plans available.
NordVPN, on the other hand, represents the premium segment of the market. It offers a massive global server network, advanced security features like Threat Protection Pro, and consistently ranks as one of the fastest VPN providers in TechRadar’s independent tests.
Ultimately, while Windscribe’s tweet is a fun joke towards its competitors, potential users should base their decisions on more than just a social media post.
Reading in-depth reviews and taking advantage of money-back guarantees to test a service for yourself remains the most reliable way to find a VPN that truly meets your needs for speed, security, and usability.
