Best Reviews AI Comparator

The comparison is done with AI, using propietary data from Best Reviews.

Please select between 2 and 4 products to compare.

AirVPN

Anonine

Anonymous VPN

Avast SecureLine VPN

AVG Secure VPN

Avira Phantom VPN

boxpn

Bright VPN

BTGuard

CactusVPN

ClearVPN

Encrypt.me

F-Secure Freedome

FastestVPN

GhostPath

GoodAccess

GOOSE VPN

GoTrusted

Hide My IP

Hide.me

HideIPVPN

HMA VPN

Hotspot Shield

IPVanish

Ivacy

iVPN

Liberty Shield

Mullvad

NordLayer

NordVPN

Norton Secure VPN

OVPN

Panda VPN

PC Matic VPN

Perfect Privacy

Perimeter 81

PrivadoVPN

Private Internet Access

PrivateVPN

Proton VPN

PureVPN

Shellfire VPN

SlickVPN

Speedify

StrongVPN

Surfshark

SwitchVPN

TorGuard

Trust.Zone

TunnelBear

Turbo VPN

UltraVPN

VeePN

VPN Unlimited

VPN.asia

VPN.ht

VPNSecure

VPNTunnel

VyprVPN

Webroot WiFi Security

Windscribe

ZenVPN

ZoogVPN

AI is effective but not infallible—reviewing outputs is recommended.

OpenVPN vs WireGuard Comparison

By Leo S. — Verified by Inês P. — Last updated: December 3, 2024 — (0)

VPNs are simpler than ever nowadays. That’s because providers are competing with each other to come up with minimalist, user-friendly apps that are even more intuitive and only require pushing a button. But there’s actually quite a lot happening in the background every time users turn on their VPN. Connection protocols are one of the most important factors, being responsible for the overall speed and safety of a VPN session. And while much has been debated about the pros and cons of each one, OpenVPN’s distinct features have made it the preferred choice for both VPN providers and users for some time now. However, 2020 has seen the arrival of WireGuard, a new alternative that many VPN companies regard as the future of the industry. But how do OpenVPN and WireGuard compare to each other?

OpenVPN

OpenVPN is a stable open-source application with a perfect speed/security balance. It’s also a multiplatform protocol that is compatible with the most popular computer and mobile operating systems. Importantly, OpenVPN connections are hard to block by firewalls. While it can use any TCP or UDP ports, the go-to option is TCP port 443 as this makes an OpenVPN connection appear to be a normal HTTPS one, thereby easily passing through a firewall.

Using its own custom encryption based on TLS/SSL, high security is another OpenVPN trademark. HMAC packet authentication, pre-shared 256-bit encryption keys, and strong ciphers are just some of the top-notch features actively protecting against man-in-the-middle attacks. Its open-source nature also allows the community to alter and further improve OpenVPN’s code. And, as an additional security layer, when OpenVPN goes down there’s no data loss or corruption as the network is paused to allow repairing or reconfiguration.

But OpenVPN isn’t perfect, and one of its biggest downsides is its complexity. At around 400,000 lines of code, OpenVPN has an immense range of options and configurable aspects that make it quite difficult to set up, especially for beginners.

WireGuard

WireGuard was first implemented in March 2020 on the Linux kernel, but now it’s already compatible with other platforms such as Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. Despite being quite recent and still under heavy development, it’s considered a game-changer in the VPN industry thanks to its light design and state-of-the-art security features.

Simplicity is actually one of WireGuard’s greatest strengths. While OpenVPN’s codebase contains 400,000 lines, this new protocol cuts that down to roughly 4,000. This not only makes it easier to deploy and audit, but also drastically reduces the possibility of vulnerabilities. Despite its lightness, WireGuard’s security is not compromised as it features advanced cryptography methods. From strong encryption keys and ciphers to IPv4 and IPv6 support over UDP, WireGuard’s top aspects are so sophisticated that some high-tier VPN providers are already using and recommending it over OpenVPN.

But WireGuard has a flaw related to the use of local static IP addresses, which compromises users’ anonymity. However, this has been solved by the VPN providers that already offer WireGuard; each has come up with its own unique solution so that customers can use the protocol without concerns.

Conclusion

In a world becoming ever more digital, dangers lurk in every corner and protecting your connection with a VPN is now more crucial than ever. Connection protocols are the gears that do all the work while you’re circumventing online barriers. OpenVPN is still a very reliable option and because it’s so vastly popular you’re likely to use it most of the time. But the natural evolution of technology has brought us the safer and lighter WireGuard, which will eventually replace its predecessor and conquer the market just like OpenVPN did.

Looking at it from a different perspective, all technology that is now obsolete was once cutting edge. So, while you shouldn’t overlook OpenVPN’s distinct features, it’s recommended that you take a step into the future and choose WireGuard whenever possible.

User Feedback

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Manage Consent

To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.

Functional Always active

The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.

Preferences

The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.

Statistics

The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.

Marketing

The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.

Up to 74% off NordVPN 2-year plans + 3 free months

OpenVPN vs WireGuard Comparison

OpenVPN

WireGuard

Conclusion

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Popular Guides

Latest Reviews

Best Reviews