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WireGuard VS ProtonVPN

Compare WireGuard VS ProtonVPN and see what are their differences

WireGuard logo WireGuard

Fast, Modern, Secure VPN Tunnel

ProtonVPN logo ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is a security focused FREE VPN service, developed by CERN and MIT scientists. Use the web anonymously, unblock websites & encrypt your connection.
  • WireGuard Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-24
  • ProtonVPN Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-17

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.

ProtonVPN features and specs

  • Privacy and Security
    ProtonVPN offers strong encryption protocols (AES-256), a no-logs policy, and is based in Switzerland, which has strong privacy laws.
  • Open Source
    The ProtonVPN apps are open source and have been independently audited, which adds to their transparency and trustworthiness.
  • High-Speed Servers
    ProtonVPN provides high-speed servers and supports P2P file sharing, making it suitable for activities like streaming and torrenting.
  • Multi-Platform Support
    It supports a wide range of devices and operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux.
  • Free Tier Available
    ProtonVPN offers a free version that has no data limits, although it does come with some restrictions compared to the paid plans.
  • Secure Core
    The Secure Core architecture routes traffic through multiple servers in privacy-friendly countries, offering an additional layer of security.

Possible disadvantages of ProtonVPN

  • Price
    ProtonVPN's paid plans are generally more expensive compared to other VPN services with similar features.
  • Limited Free Tier
    The free tier has limited access to servers and slower speeds, which may not be suitable for all users.
  • Streaming Limitations
    Although it supports streaming, some users have reported limitations and inconsistencies when trying to access certain geoblocked content.
  • Device Connection Limit
    The basic plan allows only up to two simultaneous device connections, which might be limiting for some users.
  • No 24/7 Customer Support
    ProtonVPN lacks 24/7 live chat customer support, which could be a drawback for users needing immediate assistance.

WireGuard videos

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?

ProtonVPN videos

ProtonVPN Review 2019 - HONEST REVIEW!

More videos:

  • Review - ProtonVPN Review 2020 - WATCH BEFORE YOU BUY
  • Review - ProtonVPN Review 2020 - here is the TRUTH

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to WireGuard and ProtonVPN)
VPN
22 22%
78% 78
Security & Privacy
28 28%
72% 72
Cloud VPN
26 26%
74% 74
Monitoring Tools
100 100%
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 ProtonVPN

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.
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...
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...
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:

ProtonVPN Reviews

Best 5 Psiphon Alternatives in 2023
The risks associated with picking a free VPN usually outweigh the pros, but in the case of ProtonVPN that’s a trusted service, you might just get away without paying a single dime for spoofing your location. There are obvious downsides with going for a completely free service – only 3 server locations and no access to geo-restricted Netflix content. However, the moment you...
The Best NordVPN Alternatives in 2022
What’s unique about ProtonVPN is its VPN Accelerator solution combined with a 10 Gbps server network to increase VPN speeds by over 400 percent. It also uses multiple OpenVPN processes for every server and re-engineered OpenVPN for optimum distribution of load.
Source: www.alphr.com
Best NordVPN Alternatives
ProtonVPN hails from a long line of privacy-centric products like ProtonMail. Moreover, CERN scientists are responsible for the company behind this VPN. Thus, it has a reputation to uphold, that of a privacy-centric VPN. Furthermore, the providers also offer a free ProtonVPN version by subsidizing the premium user base. As expected, the company hails from Switzerland and...
Source: vpnwired.com
10 Best NordVPN Alternatives – Safe & Fast VPNs in 2022
ProtonVPN is one of the reliable alternatives of NordVPN when it comes to well-optimized servers. The VPN service has both free and premium plans, but users can’t select servers in the free plan. In total, ProtonVPN has 526 servers in 42 countries, and it’s always known for its ping time and faster speed.
Source: techviral.net
The 10 Best Open Source VPN Apps
If you frequently watch YouTube, you must have at least heard of this VPN application. Not only is ProtonVPN available on all Windows, macOS, and Linux-based systems, but you’ll also find its mobile apps on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store. A little background on this app: ProtonVPN has been developed by a team of scientists from MIT and CERN, so you know it’s...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, ProtonVPN seems to be a lot more popular than WireGuard. While we know about 310 links to ProtonVPN, we've tracked only 9 mentions of WireGuard. 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: about 2 years ago
  • Whisper: wraps any Go io.ReadWriter in a secure tunnel using Ed25519/X25519
    Noise Protocol Framework (used by Wireguard). Source: about 2 years ago
View more

ProtonVPN mentions (310)

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What are some alternatives?

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

OpenVPN - OpenVPN - The Open Source VPN

Windscribe - Windscribe is a desktop application and browser extension that work together to block ads and trackers, restore access to blocked content and help you safeguard your privacy online.

ZeroTier - Extremely simple P2P Encrypted VPN

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

NordVPN - NordVPN offers VPN technology that encrypts data twice.

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.