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Government · head to head

Periscope Holdings vs Windscribe

Periscope Holdings logo

Periscope Holdings

Government

Statewide e-procurement systems and supplier networks for large public agencies

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
W

Windscribe

Cybersecurity

VPN and firewall service with a generous free data tier and a customizable Build-A-Plan option

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Windscribe has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Periscope Holdings it is scaled and priced for statewide programmes, so a single city or county typically finds both the implementation effort and the cost out of proportion to its needs.; Windscribe free tier's 10GB cap still requires email confirmation and social sharing to unlock, unlike some no-strings-attached competitors.
  • They diverge on capability: Periscope Holdings covers Sealed bid solicitation, Windscribe covers Firewall / default block.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Periscope Holdings and Windscribe actually diverge.

Attributes where Periscope Holdings and Windscribe differ
AttributePeriscope HoldingsWindscribe
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebwindows, mac, linux, ios, android, web
CategoryGovernmentCybersecurity

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Periscope Holdings

  • Sealed bid solicitation
  • Supplier registration network
  • Contract catalogues
  • Cooperative purchasing
  • Spend and compliance reporting
  • Supplier diversity tracking

Only in Windscribe

  • Firewall / default block
  • Unlimited simultaneous devices
  • Build-A-Plan
  • R.O.B.E.R.T. content blocker
  • Static IP and port forwarding add-ons

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Periscope Holdings

  • A state building a central procurement portal serving many agencies and local entitiesnot Windscribe
  • A large agency needing statutory sealed bidding with a public opening recordnot Windscribe
  • A purchasing programme that must report spend and supplier diversity across entitiesnot Windscribe
  • A state wanting local governments to buy from its awarded cooperative contractsnot Windscribe

Windscribe

  • Running a free VPN across unlimited personal devicesnot Periscope Holdings
  • Buying access to just a few specific server locations cheaplynot Periscope Holdings
  • Blocking ads and trackers at the DNS level while browsingnot Periscope Holdings
  • Preventing IP leaks with a default-block firewall rulenot Periscope Holdings

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Periscope Holdings

  • It is scaled and priced for statewide programmes, so a single city or county typically finds both the implementation effort and the cost out of proportion to its needs.
  • The interface reflects the age and regulatory weight of the platform, and suppliers routinely describe registration and bidding as harder than on newer portals, which can suppress bid response.
  • Ownership has changed twice since 2021, from independent to mdf commerce to KKR, so roadmap and support continuity should be written into the contract rather than assumed.
  • Sibling products inside mdf commerce cover adjacent procurement ground, which means an apparently competitive shortlist may contain two products with the same owner.
  • Statewide implementations are multi year projects with heavy configuration and change management, and the professional services cost commonly exceeds the software over the contract term.

Windscribe

  • Free tier's 10GB cap still requires email confirmation and social sharing to unlock, unlike some no-strings-attached competitors.
  • Build-A-Plan's low cost only covers selected locations, so broad global coverage still requires the full Pro plan.
  • Server speeds and streaming reliability are inconsistent compared to larger premium VPN providers.
  • Customer support is primarily ticket/community-based rather than live chat for lower tiers.

Pricing, plan by plan

Periscope Holdings

On request
  • BuySpeed$undefined/year
    • Quoted per programme, scaled to entities served and transaction volume
    • Multi year statewide contracts with implementation priced separately
    • Supplier side registration fees form part of the commercial model on some programmes

Windscribe

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10GB of data per month with confirmed email
    • 10 server countries
    • Unlimited devices
  • Build-A-Plan$3/month
    • Pay per selected server location ($1/location)
    • $3 minimum purchase
    • Unlimited data on selected locations
  • Pro$9/month
    • Unlimited data
    • 69+ countries
    • $69/year on annual billing

Which should you pick?

Choose Periscope Holdings if

  • You need sealed bid solicitation.
  • You also want supplier registration network.
Periscope Holdings review

Choose Windscribe if

  • You need firewall / default block.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux, ios, android, web.
  • You also want unlimited simultaneous devices.
Windscribe review

Questions people ask

Is Periscope Holdings or Windscribe better?
Neither clearly leads. Periscope Holdings starts at On request and Windscribe at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Periscope Holdings or Windscribe?
Windscribe has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Periscope Holdings and Free for Windscribe.
Does Periscope Holdings or Windscribe run on more platforms?
Periscope Holdings runs on Web. Windscribe runs on windows, mac, linux, ios, android, web.
Can I use Windscribe for free?
Yes. Windscribe has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Periscope Holdings starts at On request.
What is Periscope Holdings best used for?
Periscope Holdings is most often used for a state building a central procurement portal serving many agencies and local entities, a large agency needing statutory sealed bidding with a public opening record, a purchasing programme that must report spend and supplier diversity across entities, a state wanting local governments to buy from its awarded cooperative contracts. Of those, a state building a central procurement portal serving many agencies and local entities and a large agency needing statutory sealed bidding with a public opening record are not what Windscribe is typically brought in for.
What can Periscope Holdings do that Windscribe cannot?
Periscope Holdings covers Sealed bid solicitation, Supplier registration network, Contract catalogues, Cooperative purchasing. Windscribe covers Firewall / default block, Unlimited simultaneous devices, Build-A-Plan, R.O.B.E.R.T. content blocker.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Periscope Holdings: Who owns Periscope Holdings?

mdf commerce acquired it in 2021, and mdf commerce was itself acquired by KKR in 2024.

Periscope Holdings: Is it suitable for a single city?

Usually not. It is built and priced for statewide or very large agency programmes.

Periscope Holdings: What is BuySpeed?

The e-procurement platform behind its statewide deployments, covering solicitation through catalogue ordering and reporting.

Periscope Holdings: Can we see what a state paid?

Yes. State procurement awards are public records and typically disclose the full multi year contract value.

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