Windscribe is a commercial, cross-platform open source virtual private network (VPN) service provider based in Canada.
Windscribe was founded by Yegor Sak and Alex Paguis in 2016.
In January 2021, Windscribe began beta testing ControlD, a DNS-based ad and tracker service. On July 7, 2021, Windscribe self disclosed that two VPN servers hosted in Ukraine were seized by local authorities on June 24, 2021. The disk of the VPN servers contained an OpenVPN private key, which under a set of strict pre-existing conditions could have been used to impersonate a Windscribe VPN server and capture traffic running through it, when OpenVPN protocol is used. There was no impact to users who used the official apps or used other VPN protocols. Only those who used custom OpenVPN configs and were on a network that is under complete control of a hypothetical attacker were potentially vulnerable.
What is Windscribe?
Windscribe by Windscribe Limited is open-source Windows software in the vpn & proxy category. It ranks 11th by popularity among vpn & proxy in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2016. It is written in C++.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE installers for 64-bit and ARM64 Windows. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 2.24.13, released on September 8, 2026. The version history goes back to October 18, 2022: 26 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 6.7 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 56,491 times. The source code on GitHub (Windscribe/Desktop-App) has 1,134 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 3 of our languages. Similar programs include OpenVPN, nginx and Proton VPN.
Project description on GitHub: “Public mirror of the Windscribe VPN desktop client for Windows, Mac and Linux”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- Documented silent install
- Frequent updates (about 6.7 a year)
- Mature project (since 2016)
In short: Windscribe is an open-source vpn & proxy tool for 64-bit and ARM64 PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is Windscribe safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
821FF217D87B4ACBD71408303D9A5BC35ABFEFDADA6761F7FD2944A92D5609D2· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 26 versions ›26 versions over 4 years · about 6.7 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.24.13Latest | September 8, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXEARM64 EXE |
| 2.24.12 | September 2, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXEARM64 EXE |
| 2.23.12 | July 9, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXEARM64 EXE |
| 2.23.11 | July 6, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXEARM64 EXE |
| 2.22.10 | May 22, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE64-bit EXE |
| 2.22.9 | May 19, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXEARM64 EXE |
| 2.21.7 | March 30, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE64-bit EXE |
| 2.20.7 | February 23, 2026 | — | ARM64 EXE64-bit EXE |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Windscribe.Windscribe -echoco install windscribe -yWindscribe_2.24.13_amd64.exe -silent -no-auto-startRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask windscribeInformation
- Publisher
- Windscribe Limited
- Category
- VPN & proxy
- Licence
- GPL-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/Windscribe/Desktop-App
- Written in
- C++
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64
- Installer
- EXE
- Version
- 2.24.13
- Released
- September 8, 2026
- First release
- 2016
- Added to the catalogue
- October 18, 2022
- Versions listed
- 26
- Updates / year
- 6.7
- Chocolatey downloads
- 56,491
- GitHub stars
- 1,134
- GitHub forks
- 145
- Website
- windscribe.com
- winget ID
- Windscribe.Windscribe
- Chocolatey package
- windscribe
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Windscribe
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Frequently asked questions
Is Windscribe free?
Yes. Windscribe is open-source software under the GPL-2.0 licence.
Is Windscribe safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Windscribe with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can Windscribe be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Windscribe run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of Windscribe?
The versions page lists all 26 versions with links to their official installer files, back to October 18, 2022.
What are alternatives to Windscribe?
OpenVPN, nginx, Proton VPN, Tailscale and Netbird. The alternatives page compares them.
