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WireGuard VS OpenVPN

Compare WireGuard VS OpenVPN and see what are their differences

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WireGuard logo WireGuard

Fast, Modern, Secure VPN Tunnel

OpenVPN logo OpenVPN

OpenVPN - The Open Source VPN
  • WireGuard Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-24
  • OpenVPN Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-19

WireGuard features and specs

  • Simplicity
    WireGuard is noted for its simplicity in terms of codebase and configuration, making it easier to understand, audit, and maintain.
  • Performance
    WireGuard offers high performance, low latency, and minimal overhead, which results in faster connections compared to other VPN protocols.
  • Security
    WireGuard uses state-of-the-art cryptographic protocols and algorithms, providing a high level of security.
  • Cross-Platform
    WireGuard is compatible with many operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.
  • Modern Design
    Designed with modern networking use-cases in mind, WireGuard supports advanced features like roaming and easier NAT traversal.
  • Efficient Codebase
    With approximately 4,000 lines of code, WireGuard's minimalism reduces the attack surface and potential for vulnerabilities.

Possible disadvantages of WireGuard

  • Limited Features
    WireGuard primarily focuses on being a secure VPN protocol and lacks some advanced features found in other protocols.
  • Still Evolving
    As a relatively new technology, WireGuard may still undergo significant changes and improvements, which could impact stability and support.
  • Static IP Assignment
    WireGuard assigns static IP addresses to each peer, which can be less flexible compared to dynamic IP allocation in other VPN solutions.
  • Server Compatibility
    Some legacy infrastructures and older systems may not support WireGuard natively, creating challenges for widespread deployment.
  • No Built-in Authentication
    WireGuard itself does not include built-in authentication mechanisms, relying solely on public key cryptography for peer identification.
  • No Built-in Traffic Obfuscation
    WireGuard lacks built-in mechanisms for traffic obfuscation, making it easier for restrictive networks to detect and block WireGuard traffic.

OpenVPN features and specs

  • Security
    OpenVPN uses robust encryption standards like AES-256, providing a high level of security for data transmission.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, OpenVPN allows users to verify its code for vulnerabilities, ensuring transparency and reliability.
  • Flexibility
    OpenVPN can run on various platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android, offering extensive compatibility.
  • Customizability
    Users can configure OpenVPN according to their specific needs, allowing advanced network setups and policies.
  • Performance
    OpenVPN offers strong performance with efficient handling of large data transmissions and support for high and stable speeds.
  • Community Support
    A large and active community provides ample resources, including tutorials, forums, and user support.
  • Cost
    As a free and open-source solution, OpenVPN significantly reduces the cost compared to many commercial VPN offerings.

Possible disadvantages of OpenVPN

  • Complex Setup
    Setting up OpenVPN can be complex and may require technical expertise, particularly for advanced configurations.
  • Resource Intensive
    OpenVPN can be resource-intensive compared to some other VPN protocols, potentially impacting the performance of older or lower-spec hardware.
  • Client Software
    The official OpenVPN client software has a less user-friendly interface compared to some commercial VPNs, possibly deterring less tech-savvy users.
  • Mobile Experience
    Although OpenVPN supports mobile devices, the user experience on mobile can be less streamlined compared to desktop environments.
  • Initial Learning Curve
    New users may find the initial learning curve steep due to the multitude of configuration options and the need for understanding networking concepts.
  • Support
    While community support is strong, there may not be as much immediate or personalized support as found with some commercial VPN services.

Analysis of WireGuard

Overall verdict

  • Yes, WireGuard is generally regarded as a good choice for VPN solutions, particularly for those who prioritize speed, security, and ease of use.

Why this product is good

  • WireGuard is considered good due to its simplicity, efficiency, and strong security features. It offers a minimal codebase, which reduces the surface for potential vulnerabilities and enables high performance. Additionally, WireGuard uses modern cryptographic protocols and algorithms, ensuring robust protection for data being transmitted over the network.

Recommended for

  • Individuals looking for a straightforward and efficient VPN solution
  • Organizations requiring secure and high-performance VPNs
  • Developers and IT professionals who need a reliable VPN with a modern codebase
  • Users who prioritize privacy, security, and low latency in their network connections

Analysis of OpenVPN

Overall verdict

  • OpenVPN is generally regarded as a good option for both personal and enterprise-level VPN needs. Its strong encryption, adaptability, and community support make it a preferred choice for those who need secure and reliable virtual private network services.

Why this product is good

  • OpenVPN is considered a reliable and secure VPN solution due to its strong encryption standards, open-source nature, and flexibility. It supports a variety of operating systems and devices, and can be configured to meet different security requirements. Its open-source nature allows the community to inspect, modify, and enhance the code, ensuring transparency and continuous improvement. Additionally, it offers robust support for different authentication methods and network configurations.

Recommended for

  • Individuals seeking enhanced online privacy and security.
  • Businesses looking for a scalable and secure VPN solution.
  • IT professionals who require customizable and flexible VPN configurations.
  • Users who prefer open-source software with an active development community.

WireGuard videos

+ Add

WireGuard Overview

More videos:

  • Review - What is WireGuard? Should You Use it? Best VPN for WireGuard?
  • Review - OpenVPN vs WireGuard vs IKEv2 vs PPTP - Which is the Best VPN Protocol to use in 2020?

OpenVPN videos

+ Add

OpenVPN Overview

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to setup OpenVPN on Windows | macOS | Android | iOS - Smart DNS Proxy

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to WireGuard and OpenVPN)

WireGuard

OpenVPN

VPN
27 27%
VPN
73% 73
Security & Privacy
28 28%
Security & Privacy
72% 72
Cloud VPN
29 29%
Cloud VPN
71% 71
Monitoring Tools
100 100%
Monitoring Tools
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

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

WireGuard Reviews

Best Top 20 OpenVPN Alternatives (Pros and Cons)
Wireguard is a VPN alternative that is under development. Yet it is faster and carefully designed when compared to other similar products.
Source: cloudinfrastructureservices.co.uk
6 Types of VPN Protocols, Compared: Which is the Best to Use?
In essence, every VPN has to strengthen WireGuard’s wobbly privacy to benefit from its speed and security. That’s why we recommend using WireGuard-based protocols only if they come from reputable VPN providers. NordVPN, for example, fixes WireGuard’s privacy issues with the so-called “double NAT system” (network address translation). This allows them to establish secure...
Source: vpnoverview.com
OpenVPN vs WireGuard: Which protocol is best?
WireGuard was not designed to obfuscate user traffic to this degree, and only supports UDP. This means that a simple, standalone WireGuard connection is easy to detect. However, as WireGuard is so extensible, most VPN providers have added their own obfuscation methods on top. The efficacy of these varies, but we’ve seen services with WireGuard support that even work in...
Source: www.comparitech.com
The 10 Best Open Source VPN Apps
In addition to using the latest encryption techniques, Mullvad is based on some of the VPN protocols in WireGuard and OpenVPN. So, users will be able to decide for themselves which VPN client to opt for. Also, you can find Mullvad on Windows, macOS, and Linux-based systems, as well as Android and iOS. There is no paid version of Mullvad, either, so you need not worry about...
Source: www.fosslinux.com
WireGuard vs OpenVPN
WireGuard was designed for speed and security. It was not specifically designed for people like us, who look to their VPN service for both security and privacy. However, in order to give users the benefits of WireGuard, VPN services have come up with WireGuard solutions that add strong privacy protections without sacrificing what makes WireGuard special. Here’s the problem:
Source: restoreprivacy.com

OpenVPN Reviews

The top 10 alternatives to OpenVPN
OpenVPN is an open-source software application that provides virtual private network (VPN) services. It allows the creation of secure network connections over the internet, using a custom security protocol that utilizes SSL/TLS for key exchange. OpenVPN is capable of traversing network address translators (NATs) and firewalls, providing users with the ability to securely...
Source: www.twingate.com
Best Top 20 OpenVPN Alternatives (Pros and Cons)
OpenVPN is a virtual private network system used to create trusted end-to-end connection configuration and remote access services. As with any other VPN service, OpenVPN also has its own drawbacks. For instance, its inability to bypass particular proxy servers and complexities in user journeys lead to less user-friendliness. Therefore, we will be discussing a few...
Source: cloudinfrastructureservices.co.uk
6 Types of VPN Protocols, Compared: Which is the Best to Use?
In most cases, OpenVPN or WireGuard will be your best bet. PPTP is a protocol we don’t recommend using because of its relatively low-level encryption. However, you could try this protocol when privacy and security are not your highest priorities, such as for unblocking streams. If OpenVPN is not supported or does not work well for whatever reason, you could consider using...
Source: vpnoverview.com
OpenVPN vs WireGuard: Which protocol is best?
OpenVPN was first released in May 2001. Although the PPTP protocol had been around for five years already at this point, OpenVPN became popular because it offered stronger encryption without too much of a drop in speed. Over the years, vulnerabilities were patched and new clients were developed that brought OpenVPN support to a greater range of devices. This previously...
Source: www.comparitech.com
9 Best NordVPN Alternatives You Must Use In 2022
The next alternative to NordVPN on our list is OpenVPN. OpenVPN allows you to establish a point-to-point secure connection between your device and the Internet. It is a flexible VPN solution that can cater to business needs as well.
Source: wethegeek.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenVPN should be more popular than WireGuard. It has been mentiond 40 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.

WireGuard mentions (9)

  • Remote access from work/corporate network
    Wireguard. Wireguard uses UDP only and runs TCP sockets over UDP. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Central reverse-proxy ssh access?
    Look at Wireguard. I know you don't want Yet Another VPN running alongside your IPSec, but it's less VPN and more encrypted point-to-point UDP. You can set it up on any port you wish, including common ports that might be open on an outbound smart firewall not doing deep packet inspection. That way, it can stay out of the way of your existing IPSec deployment. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Official /r/rust "Who's Hiring" thread for job-seekers and job-offerers [Rust 1.69]
    We use Elixir/Erlang for our control plane, and Rust for our data plane, built on the excellent WireGuard® tunneling protocol. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Globally distributed Elixir over Tailscale
    Both products are based off Wireguard which is available for all new linux distributions. https://wireguard.com . I'm not saying OP's solution is wrong, just curious what the advantages are. Other than potentially simpler client setup, what are the advantages of paying for tailscale. With the opensource tailscale, I'm not sure if you get access to an api you can use to look up the hosts. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Whisper: wraps any Go io.ReadWriter in a secure tunnel using Ed25519/X25519
    Noise Protocol Framework (used by Wireguard). Source: over 2 years ago
View more

OpenVPN mentions (40)

  • Ask HN: Who is hiring? (October 2023)
    OpenVPN is hiring! https://openvpn.net/ C++ Developer in the United States. Full-time| Fully remote| Flexible work schedules Link to look at vacancy details and apply:. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Are there any work arounds for the Netflix new "household" system?
    How you connect to your modem will depend on the device you are using, but for windows laptops as an example you download the OpenVPN program and input your modem details there, much like you would any other vpn service. I think there would be some guides on youtube. https://openvpn.net/. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Can i use PFSense to control incoming user connections (without a vpn?)
    I just started playing with CloudConnexa for remotely managing my second pFSense. Really nice and is free for up to 3 concurrent users. https://openvpn.net. Can also self-host OpenVPN access server with a free 2 concurrent license. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Is the 7spotlight Markle family interview airing now? Is anyone watching and can provide comment? 👀📺
    If anyone is being blocked check out free OpenVPN. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Is it possible for a sysadmin to block only some packets from a VPN connection ?
    I too haven't used the client-nat directive in some years (I currently implement 1:1 NAT with pfsense to access my network because I'm too lazy to change the networks subnet from the default) so I decided to retest and it does appear that OpenVPN Connect clients do not properly support the client-nat directive but the traditional OpenVPN server/clients still do. I've just tested this on OpenVPN 2.6.3 Server,... Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing WireGuard and OpenVPN, you can also consider the following products

ProtonVPN - ProtonVPN is a security focused FREE VPN service, developed by CERN and MIT scientists. Use the web anonymously, unblock websites & encrypt your connection.

ZeroTier - Extremely simple P2P Encrypted VPN

Hotspot Shield - Hotspot Shield is a software application developed by AnchorFree, Inc.

Hamachi - Hamachi is a VPN service scaled to the unique needs of business owners.

Psiphon - Psiphon is circumvention software for Windows and Mobile platforms that provides uncensored access to Internet content. Read more about Psiphon.

TailScale - Private networks made easy Connect all your devices using WireGuard, without the hassle. Tailscale makes it as easy as installing an app and signing in.

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