VPN Protocols Compared

VPN Protocols Overview

A VPN protocol determines how your data is encrypted and transmitted through the VPN tunnel. Each protocol makes different trade-offs between speed, security, and compatibility.

WireGuard

WireGuard is the newest major VPN protocol, designed for simplicity and performance.

• Speed: Excellent — minimal overhead, ~4,000 lines of code
• Security: Strong — ChaCha20 encryption, Curve25519 key exchange
• Compatibility: Linux (kernel-level), macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
• Best for: Most users who want the fastest, most modern protocol

WireGuard uses UDP and establishes connections almost instantly. Its small codebase makes it easier to audit for security vulnerabilities compared to OpenVPN's 600,000+ lines.

OpenVPN

OpenVPN is the most widely deployed VPN protocol, trusted for over two decades.

• Speed: Good — slightly slower than WireGuard due to larger overhead
• Security: Very strong — AES-256, configurable ciphers and authentication
• Compatibility: Every major platform, extensive firewall traversal
• Best for: Environments requiring maximum configurability or TCP fallback

OpenVPN can run over TCP or UDP. TCP mode (port 443) is useful for bypassing firewalls since it looks like regular HTTPS traffic.

IKEv2/IPsec

IKEv2 (Internet Key Exchange version 2) with IPsec is built into most operating systems.

• Speed: Very good — native OS implementation means low overhead
• Security: Strong — AES-256, built-in certificate authentication
• Compatibility: Native on Windows, macOS, iOS; requires setup on Linux
• Best for: Mobile devices — handles network switches (Wi-Fi ↔ cellular) seamlessly

Protocol Comparison

Which Should You Choose?

• Default choice: WireGuard — fastest, simplest, and secure
• Restrictive networks: OpenVPN (TCP/443) — best at bypassing firewalls
• Mobile-first: IKEv2 — seamless network switching
• Legacy systems: OpenVPN — widest compatibility