Cloudflare Announces VPN Warp Service

Cloudflare announced today the company's first VPN product, called Warp, which it plans to launch shortly as part of the company's 1.1.1.1 application.

April 1st is probably the worst day to make announcements for existing products. Cloudflare apparently did not miss the opportunity to choose April 1 or 4/1 as the Warp revelation date.

The company launched a DNS service a year ago and with it the DNS 1.1.1.1 applications for Android and iOS. The service supports security features such as DNS over TLS and DNS over HTTPS, a strict IP address-free registration policy, 24-hour log deletion, and fast throughput, especially with respect to Default DNS services managed by most ISPs. .

Cloudlfare calls Warp a "VPN for people who do not know what VPN means". The explanation given by Cloudflare is relatively small: according to Cloudflare, it is the simplicity that makes it attractive for users who are not familiar with VPN services. The explanation is weak because the Cloudflare solution is not the first to offer a simple option to use a VPN.

Warp encrypts all Internet traffic, respects end-to-end encryption, and does not require users to install a root certificate on their devices. Unencrypted Internet connections will be encrypted but only between the user device and the Cloudflare server (in the same way as all ce VPNs). The same goes for all respected VPN services.

Cloudflare promises that Warp's performance, reliability, and attention to energy conservation will distinguish it from comparable services.

We built Warp around a UDP-based protocol optimized for the mobile Internet. We also leveraged Cloudflare's vast global network, allowing Warp to connect to servers in milliseconds only by most of the world's Internet users. Thanks to the direct peering connections of our network and the unencumbered paths, we can offer an excellent experience all over the world. Our tests showed that Warp often dramatically increased Internet performance.

Warp will be offered as a free option included in the company's 1.1.1.1 application. Cloudflare is working on Warp +, a high-end version of Warp that will be available for a "low monthly fee" for those who want more speed.

It is not uncommon for companies to finance free versions of a product with the help of premium offers.

Warp + follows the Cloudlfare web service model. The company offers a basic version of Cloudlfare for free and paid upgrades to unlock certain features.

Cloudflare promises, with respect to the confidentiality of news items, that

1. navigation data will not be sold or used for targeted advertising.
2. log data identifiable by the user is not written to the disk.
3. that users can use Warp without providing their name, phone number or email address.
4. It will hire third-party auditors to ensure that the service delivers what it has promised.

The service itself uses WireGuard combined with Cloudflare Mobile SKD. Warp +, the premium version of Warp, will also use Cloudflare's Argo.

Waiting list

Android or iOS users can join the waiting list in the 1.1.1.1 application. Some may not yet be able to join the waiting list because the spread of the update takes a long time in general.

Closing words

The strength of Warp is that it is supported by a company that operates one of the largest networks in the world and will now be part of 1.1.1.1 on mobile for its ease of use. Users should not register if they use the free version in the same way as the VPN of the Opera browser. The difference is that Warp works globally while the Opera solution only exists in the browser.

Desktop applications will be released later. Warp will not convince users who doubt Cloudflare, but the success of the 1.1.1.1 application has shown that there is a huge market for such a product.

Now, it's your turn: What is your vision of Warp?

Publicity