WARP For Mac

Cloudflare's DNS has been around for a while as an alternative to the DNS used by your ISP or Google. It offers better privacy practices, helps get around regional content restrictions, and usually has lower latency as well.

Now, Cloudflare has released WARP, an app that lets you manage your DNS easily from the menu bar, while also including a VPN that offers most of the benefits of traditional VPN services, save for server selection.

We all rely on a DNS service when accessing the web, and it's usually the DNS provided by our ISP — which can be slow, unreliable, and open to data collection. Not to mention, ISPs regularly block certain websites in many countries via their DNS.

Clouldflare's DNS comes with several advantages. It is usually faster, as shown by global DNS rankings, it helps you avoid regional website restrictions, and it keeps your DNS queries private. Logs are purged after 24 hours, and the information is not used for any purpose other than debugging.

Now, if you're looking for a VPN that allows you to route your traffic through specific locations, WARP isn't for you. However, it does offer most of the other features you would expect from such a service, such as IP masking and data encryption.

While your traffic is secured, all connections will be routed through the Cloudflare network and encrypted, with a minimal effect on speed thanks to the company's extensive and well-optimized infrastructure.

If all you want is to hide your public IP and ensure all traffic going in and out of your device is encrypted, WARP is an excellent choice. It is also completely free, with an optional paid plan that promises even faster traffic using optimized routes.

The app supports DNS over TLS and DNS over HTTPS, and you select your preferred protocol from the settings. You can also configure the DNS to block malware or adult content.

For networks you trust, the service can be disabled automatically. DNS logs can be monitored, and detailed traffic statistics are available for those who are interested.

WARP may be the perfect solution for users who want a VPN but don't want to subscribe to a traditional service. If you don't need to change your location, it is great for securing your traffic. And if you don't need a VPN at all, you can just use the DNS service and take advantage of the improved speed and privacy.