Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

OpenPGP VS GnuPG

Compare OpenPGP VS GnuPG and see what are their differences

OpenPGP logo OpenPGP

The most widely used email encryption standard. Defined in RFC 4880.

GnuPG logo GnuPG

GnuPG is a complete and free implementation of the OpenPGP standard as defined by RFC4880 (also known as PGP).
  • OpenPGP Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-22
  • GnuPG Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-18

OpenPGP features and specs

  • Interoperability
    OpenPGP is an open standard that's widely supported across various platforms and software, making it possible to work with many different clients and systems.
  • Security
    OpenPGP uses strong cryptographic algorithms to provide confidentiality, integrity, and authentication for communications, offering robust protection against data breaches and snooping.
  • Email Encryption
    OpenPGP is particularly well-known for its ability to encrypt emails, which is crucial for maintaining privacy in digital communication.
  • Authentication and Verification
    It provides a mechanism for signing messages, which can authenticate the sender and verify data integrity, reducing the risk of forgery and tampering.
  • Data Portability
    As an open standard, OpenPGP ensures that data encrypted or signed with one application can be decrypted or verified by another supporting application, preventing vendor lock-in.

Possible disadvantages of OpenPGP

  • Complexity
    The setup and usage of OpenPGP can be complex for non-technical users, involving key generation and management, which could lead to misuse or errors.
  • Key Management
    Maintaining and securing private keys can be cumbersome, and losing a private key can make encrypted data irretrievable.
  • Lack of Forward Secrecy
    OpenPGP does not inherently offer forward secrecy, meaning that if a private key is compromised, previous communications encrypted with the corresponding public key could be decrypted.
  • Integration Challenges
    Integrating OpenPGP into existing systems and workflows can be challenging, especially in environments that have not previously supported encryption.
  • User Adoption
    Even though OpenPGP is widely supported, its adoption among general users remains limited, which can lead to difficulties in communicating securely with others who do not use it.

GnuPG features and specs

  • Open Source
    GnuPG is free and open-source software, which means that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance the code to fit their needs. This transparency enhances security by allowing independent audits.
  • Strong Encryption
    GnuPG uses well-established encryption standards like OpenPGP, providing strong security for encrypting and signing data.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    GnuPG runs on a variety of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and more, making it highly versatile.
  • Wide Adoption
    GnuPG is widely used and supported by many software applications, making it easier to integrate into existing workflows.
  • Active Development
    The software is actively maintained and updated, ensuring that any security vulnerabilities are promptly addressed and new features are added.

Possible disadvantages of GnuPG

  • Complexity
    For non-technical users, GnuPG can be difficult to set up and use, especially if they are unfamiliar with command-line interfaces.
  • Limited GUI Options
    While there are some graphical user interfaces available for GnuPG, they often lack the full functionality of the command-line version and can be less user-friendly.
  • Interoperability Issues
    Not all email clients or communication platforms fully support GnuPG, which can cause interoperability issues when exchanging encrypted messages.
  • Key Management Complexity
    Managing public and private keys can be complex, requiring users to understand key generation, distribution, and revocation processes.
  • Performance Overhead
    Encrypting and decrypting data can introduce performance overhead, particularly for large files or systems with limited resources.

OpenPGP videos

No OpenPGP videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

GnuPG videos

The Complete PGP Encryption Tutorial | Gpg4win & GnuPG

More videos:

  • Review - PGP | Send Encrypted Emails using GnuPG
  • Review - NYLUG Presents: Neal Walfield -on- An Advanced Introduction to GnuPG

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to OpenPGP and GnuPG)
Security & Privacy
13 13%
87% 87
Cloud Storage
100 100%
0% 0
Encryption
14 14%
86% 86
File Encryption
12 12%
88% 88

User comments

Share your experience with using OpenPGP and GnuPG. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, GnuPG should be more popular than OpenPGP. It has been mentiond 39 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

OpenPGP mentions (4)

  • WKD on custom domains
    You're trusting the service (openpgp.org seems to be the only server offering this?) to serve up your correct key. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Verification Key? OpenPGP and Keys, How to acquire Verification Code
    Hello, I used openpgp.org to create a set of pgp keys, and I tested them out and all is well. I went to a web site and uploaded my pub key fine, but now it asks for a Verification Code/Key? What is that, and how do I get that off my newly created PGP keys? Thanks. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Future of Key-Pools
    Not sure, but it looks like keys.openpgp.org is up. I found a keyserver still running where I could find my public key (this one: http://pgp.mit.edu/) and uploaded it to the openpgp.org one. This seems rather recent; there's a related post on r/GnuPG. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Keyservers are gone
    Anyways; it looks like openpgp.org is trying to get on the right side of these crowds ... Source: almost 4 years ago

GnuPG mentions (39)

  • How to Automate Encryption with C++ Script
    The other day I noticed that I had compressed several files as backups on a DVD media (the DVDs were at least 15 years old) and I had also encrypted all of them with GnuPG. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • GPG secret key: How to change the passphrase
    Suppose you get along with GPG (The GNU Privacy Guard, GnuPG) for good privacy, and sometimes want to change the passphrase of its secret key. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Is there a way to encrypt gmail emails?
    GnuPG will do this, but both people need to have it set up properly. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • pyaction 4.19.0 Released
    This Docker image is designed to support implementing Github Actions With Python. As of version 4.0.0., it starts with The official python docker image as the base Which is a Debian OS. It specifically uses python:3-slim to keep the image size Down for faster loading of Github Actions that use pyaction. On top of the Base, we've installed curl Gpg, git, and the GitHub CLI. We added curl and gpg because they Are... - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • [Request] Here is a drawing of a cat. Unfortunately a superhacker form the future is after it (the hacker has dyson-sphere super computers etc.). I encrypt the cat using a random number from 1 to N as password, and the hacker knows this as well. What N do you recommend? WHY? (math too pls)
    Though FWIW my real answer, if you were asking this as a practical question rather than an educational exercise, would be to find some existing standard encryption program and use that. Something like GPG, perhaps, or even the built-in encryption in your computer's filesystem. It's going to be plenty good enough. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing OpenPGP and GnuPG, you can also consider the following products

Skizzle Email - Skizzle is the most secure way to share end-to-end encrypted files through email, backed by blockchain

VeraCrypt - VeraCrypt is a free open source disk encryption software for Windows, Mac OSX and Linux.

OpenPGP Keyserver - Pool of places to publish and search OpenPGP public keys.

Cryptomator - When it comes to saving your files on a cloud server, it is important to ensure the security of those files. Keeping your delicate files out of the wrong hands can save you a lot of time and hassle. Read more about Cryptomator.

Virtru - Virtru is your data privacy force field, wrapping and protecting emails and files wherever they're shared. Easy-to-use data security software for business. People also askIs Virtru Hipaa compliant?

Kleopatra - Kleopatra is a certificate manager and GUI for GnuPG.