Is Cloudflare WARP a VPN?
While a virtual private network (VPN) is a great tool for increasing privacy and security online, there is an alternative service that can work as a VPN or a proxy for certain services, and that’s Cloudflare’s WARP service.
WARP is a managed service that allows Cloudflare users to access their content from anywhere in the world. It’s a CDN (content distribution network), and its main function is to accelerate and secure web pages. It also protects users from DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks.
What is a VPN?
A VPN, or virtual private network, is a secure connections between two computers, allowing one to securely send and receive data. It’s most commonly used to connect a home computer to a office network. However, it can also be used for mobile data, such as when using public Wi-Fi. A VPN service can obfuscate (spoof) your location, encrypt your traffic, and create a secure tunnel between you and the VPN server. You can use this tunnel to secure sensitive information, such as your personal data, banking information, or secret passwords. A VPN can also be used for other purposes. For example, with a Japan VPN, you can access Japan-only contents with a Japanese IP address. With one of the working VPNs for China, you can visit blocked websites while traveling in China.
What is Cloudflare WARP?
Cloudflare’s WARP service was built with the goal of providing maximum security and privacy online. Thus, it’s a managed security service that allows Cloudflare’s users to access their content from anywhere in the world.
WARP works by routing your traffic through Cloudflare’s global network of proxy servers. Using multiple proxy server is the best method to defeat online censorship and geo-restrictions.
Cloudflare also supports HTTPS and SPDY protocols, which ensure a faster and more secure connection between you and the cloudflare-powered website you’re visiting.
Is Cloudflare WARP a VPN?
No, Cloudflare’s WARP is not a VPN. However, it can be used as a proxy service to spoof your location.
A proxy server is a service that acts as an intermediary for network requests, re-routing them through a specified server. Proxies can be used to watch Hulu or Netflix in a country that doesn’t support those services, to unblock websites, or to bypass a firewall at the office.
Cloudflare’s proxy service is ideal for streaming geo-restricted content, circumventing web content filters, or getting around corporate firewalls.
Cloudflare WARP doesn't offer some features that are available from many VPN services.
For example, unlike some VPN services, Cloudflare WARP has no kill switch feature. While it still remains the best option for people looking to protect their personal information and keep themselves safe online, this means that if a user is disconnected from the internet due to an error or network congestion on their connection - they will not be able to connect again until after twenty-four hours of trying without any success.
Some other features that are missing from Clouldflare WARP include more advanced DNS leak protection options as well as protocol support like OpenVPNs PPTP/L2TP/SSTP which allows users access all regions including Asia where most providers don't offer service.
How to use Cloudflare WARP
Using Cloudflare WARP is easy, as it's available on multiple platforms.
Cloudflare's WARP is available on the following operating systems: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux (Ubuntu), FreeBSD and Solaris. It can be installed in minutes by downloading a script that handles most of installation for you or run it from Cloudflare's online portal.
Cloudflare WARP's Pros & Cons
Pros:
Access geo-restricted content: Cloudflare’s proxy network can be used to access geo-restricted content, such as American Netflix in countries like Japan or Canada.
Access Blocked websites: Cloudflare’s proxy server can be used to bypass website blocks, such as those at schools or offices.
VPN-like protection: Cloudflare’s proxy service is faster than VPN connections and doesn’t sacrifice security.
Cons:
Using Cloudflare WARP may slow down your internet connection.
Cloudflare WARP doesn't offer advanced features available from many VPN services.
Final Words
While Cloudflare WARP can be useful and it's easy to use, it's not perfect and it's not a VPN. If you’d like a VPN that can unblock more websites or is more stable, we recommend go with a VPN service such as ExpressVPN.