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OpenPGP VS VeraCrypt

Compare OpenPGP VS VeraCrypt and see what are their differences

OpenPGP logo OpenPGP

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

VeraCrypt logo VeraCrypt

VeraCrypt is a free open source disk encryption software for Windows, Mac OSX and Linux.
  • OpenPGP Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-22
  • VeraCrypt Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29

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.

VeraCrypt features and specs

  • Open Source
    VeraCrypt is open source, meaning its source code is publicly available. This allows for transparency, community review, and auditing by security experts.
  • Strong Encryption
    VeraCrypt supports a variety of strong encryption algorithms such as AES, Serpent, and Twofish, providing robust protection for your data.
  • Cross-Platform
    VeraCrypt is available for multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring compatibility across different desktop environments.
  • Hidden Volumes
    VeraCrypt allows the creation of hidden volumes within an encrypted container, providing an additional layer of plausible deniability.
  • No Backdoors
    As an open-source project, VeraCrypt has no hidden backdoors, ensuring that no unauthorized parties can access your encrypted data.

Possible disadvantages of VeraCrypt

  • Performance Overhead
    Encrypting and decrypting data on-the-fly can introduce performance overhead, potentially slowing down system performance, especially on less powerful hardware.
  • Complexity
    VeraCrypt's advanced features and settings can be overwhelming for novice users, requiring a certain level of technical knowledge to use effectively.
  • Lack of Cloud Integration
    VeraCrypt does not offer built-in cloud storage integration, making it less convenient for users who rely on cloud services for data storage.
  • Limited Support
    Being an open-source project, VeraCrypt's support is limited to community forums and documentation, lacking the professional support options available with commercial encryption solutions.
  • No Mobile App
    VeraCrypt does not have a dedicated mobile application, limiting its usability to desktop and laptop environments.

OpenPGP videos

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VeraCrypt videos

The Complete VeraCrypt Encryption Tutorial

More videos:

  • Review - Veracrypt Get Started Guide: Encryption Made Easy
  • Review - FLOSS Weekly 340: VeraCrypt

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to OpenPGP and VeraCrypt)
Security & Privacy
6 6%
94% 94
Cloud Storage
100 100%
0% 0
Encryption
5 5%
95% 95
File Encryption
4 4%
96% 96

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare OpenPGP and VeraCrypt

OpenPGP Reviews

We have no reviews of OpenPGP yet.
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VeraCrypt Reviews

6 TrueCrypt Alternatives for Reliable Data Encryption
VeraCrypt owners built the tool from an earlier TrueCrypt fork, but more recent releases broke with the TrueCrypt volume format, which means the encryption software cannot open existing TrueCrypt encrypted files. Built with the same features and interface as TrueCrypt—which significantly reduces onboarding time—the software was improved with increased iterations per...
Best encryption software of 2020 : Free, paid and business tools and services
Best encryption software tools(Image credit: Folder Lock)1. Folder LockVISIT WEBSITEFree to download basic versionEffective personal encryptionMainly mobile oriented(Image credit: AxCrypt)2. AxCryptVISIT WEBSITEStrong encryption for personal useFree version availableMainly mobile-oriented(Image credit: CryptoExpert)3. CryptoExpertVISIT WEBSITEUses multiple encryption...
Best Disk Encryption Software – the 5 top tools to secure your data
VeraCrypt is a fork of TrueCrypt and is widely considered its successor. It performs all of the same functions as TrueCrypt and then some. VeraCrypt adds security to the algorithms used for system and partitions encryption. These improvements make it immune to new developments in brute-force attacks, according to developers. You can find a full list of improvements and...
5 Best TrueCrypt Alternatives - Open source encryption apps
A notable feature of VeraCrypt is that any file, for example, an innocent-looking photo file, can be used as the container for a VeraCrypt volume. Even more notable is its hidden volume feature which provides plausible deniability. It does this by hiding an encrypted volume inside another VeraCrypt volume in such a way that, if the correct precautions are taken, it is...
Source: proprivacy.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenPGP seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 4 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

VeraCrypt mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of VeraCrypt yet. Tracking of VeraCrypt recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing OpenPGP and VeraCrypt, 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

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.

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

Microsoft BitLocker - BitLocker is a full disk encryption feature included with Windows Vista and later.

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?

Axcrypt - AxCrypt - Password Protect Files With Strong Encryption. AxCrypt is the leading open source file encryption software for Windows.