WireGuard vs OpenVPN: Which One is Superior?

WireGuard and OpenVPN are two of the best protocols that you can use to establish a VPN connection, but how do they fare against each other? In our WireGuard vs OpenVPN guide, we’ve compared both options to help you determine which protocol you should be using.

OpenVPN has been around for two decades and is the industry-standard VPN protocol as it provides a good balance of speed and security. However, there’s a new protocol in town. Launched in 2018, WireGuard is faster, modern, and utilizes the latest encryption technologies, making it a worthy alternative to OpenVPN.

Is Wireguard faster than OpenVPN?

Yes, WireGuard is faster than OpenVPN. WireGuard is a modern VPN that uses cryptographic algorithms. 

On the contrary, OpenVPN is relatively slow because it is not well aligned with modern processors. The downloading speed of WireGuard is 52% faster than OpenVPN, and it is 17% faster at uploading. 

WireGuard gives a faster internet connection as it preserves 50% of your original upload speed and around 86% of your original download speed. 

On the other hand, OpenVPN reduces your actual upload speed by 54% and approximately 59% of your original download speed. Hence, it is evident that in terms of speed, WireGuard is the winner. 

WireGuard vs OpenVPN – Quick Summary

Here’s the TL;DR version of our comparison, though you should read on for an in-depth analysis:

Category	Winner
Speed	WireGuard
Encryption	Tie
Security	Tie
Privacy	OpenVPN
Auditability	WireGuard
Mobility	WireGuard
Censorship Circumvention	OpenVPN
Device Compatibility	OpenVPN

What is WireGuard?

WireGuard is an advanced open-source VPN protocol that could soon replace today’s most well-known solutions, like OpenVPN, for example. Developed by Jason Donenfeld, an experienced independent software developer and security researcher, it was initially released for the Linux kernel and now has support for a handful of other major devices as well.

The protocol is already regarded as the next big thing in the VPN industry as it offers cutting-edge cryptography and lightning-fast speeds. Fewer lines of code and a simpler setup process are some other reasons why WireGuard is increasing in popularity.

What is OpenVPN?

OpenVPN is the most used VPN protocol around the world due to its flexibility and reliability. Developed by James Yonan, the open-source protocol is highly secure and capable of bypassing most firewalls and ISP/network restrictions.

It implements a wide variety of cryptographic algorithms and can run over either the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) or Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) transports. OpenVPN is supported by almost every VPN provider today and was considered the pinnacle of VPN technology until WireGuard came into the picture.

Related Read: TCP vs UDP – What is the Difference Between Both Protocols?

WireGuard vs OpenVPN – A Comparison

Now that you know more about OpenVPN and WireGuard, take a look at our comparison to see how these protocols perform in various categories:  

• Speed

No other VPN protocol can deliver the consistently fast speeds that WireGuard can give you. As you can see below, the protocol’s throughput handily beats other protocols by some distance. It also connects more quickly (in approximately 100 milliseconds), and sudden/random disconnects are less frequent than OpenVPN.

OpenVPN isn’t as fast as WireGuard and takes longer to establish a connection with a server (as long as 8 seconds). While the protocol doesn’t deliver the fastest speeds, it certainly isn’t the slowest either. It can’t keep up with leaner protocols such as WireGuard because its architecture is a tad more robust..

Verdict: If you’re into bandwidth-intensive activities like gaming or streaming, then WireGuard is the best choice for you as it offers faster speeds.

OpenVPN vs. Wireguard Speed Summary

WireGuard has better speed than OpenVPN because it uses a smaller codebase of 4,000 lines than OpenVPN’s 70,000 lines. 

It becomes easier to audit and maintain the network. To sum it up, WireGuard is undeniably faster than OpenVPN.

• Encryption

Unlike OpenVPN, WireGuard uses one set of protocols and ciphers, including ChaCha20, Poly1305, Curve25519, BLAKE2s, and SipHash25. This reduces the complexity of the code and attack surface that hackers can exploit. There’s no possibility of downgrade attacks, either.

OpenVPN is flexible as it can run various protocols and ciphers via the OpenSSL library like AES, DES, RSA, and SHA-1. However, this agility also brings with it increased complexity, a broad attack surface for hackers, and vulnerability to downgrade attacks.

Verdict: WireGuard has a smaller attack surface and uses modern encryption algorithms. On the other hand, OpenVPN offers greater freedom in terms of the encryption you can use and relies on slightly outdated technology. Regardless, both are highly secure protocols, and which one you choose depends on your preference.

• Security

OpenVPN is secure as long as it’s appropriately configured. There are no known security vulnerabilities associated with this protocol. What’s more, the code has been audited several times and is backed by many security experts.

There are no known security flaws in WireGuard, too. The protocol is very secure and uses newer and faster cryptographic primitives. Since it has a small codebase, it’s easier to audit. Most importantly, if a hole is found in any cipher or algorithm, all endpoints are forced to update to a new version, ensuring no one uses the compromised code.

Verdict: Both don’t have any security flaws. WireGuard is relatively new and hasn’t gone through as many audits as OpenVPN, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s unsafe to use. As the protocol matures, it’ll become all the more attractive, courtesy of its minimal codebase and updated encryption algorithms.

• Privacy

OpenVPN doesn’t store any personally identifiable information on users, such as their Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. If you use the protocol in conjunction with a true no-log VPN service, rest assured that your privacy will stay protected from prying eyes.

There are some privacy concerns with using WireGuard, though. The protocol’s Cryptokey Routing algorithm stores users’ IP addresses on the VPN server until it reboots, which doesn’t complement the concept of a zero-logs VPN.

There’s also the risk that your IP address could become exposed due to a WebRTC leak. The good news is, leading VPN providers have come up with workarounds to address this issue to make WireGuard more private.  

Verdict: OpenVPN takes the win as VPN services that support WireGuard must include mitigations to ensure the privacy of users.

• Auditability

Privacy advocates prefer using open-source VPN protocols because they can be audited. However, just because the code of a protocol is open-source doesn’t mean it’s easy to audit.

OpenVPN is an auditable protocol, but it has hundreds of thousands of lines of code. This means it’s impossible to conduct an audit without a team of experts and in a short span of time.

WireGuard is also an auditable and open-source protocol. However, with a codebase somewhere in the thousands, a single engineer can audit it without taking too much time.

Verdict: When it comes to auditability, WireGuard easily beats all other open-source VPN protocols.

• Mobility

Users today frequently switch between Wi-Fi and mobile networks on their devices. The best VPN protocols should be able to make that transition effectively and efficiently.

WireGuard is great for mobility as it manages network changes smoothly, but the same can’t be said about OpenVPN. The latter struggles when users regularly move between networks.

That’s why most VPN providers opt to use IKEv2/IPSec for mobile devices. The protocol is reasonably good, though there are concerns that it has been compromised by the National Security Agency (NSA).

Verdict: If you’re using a VPN on the go, try WireGuard instead of OpenVPN, as it’s capable of dealing with regular network changes. The protocol is also faster and more privacy-friendly than IKEv2/IPSec.

• Censorship Circumvention

WireGuard and OpenVPN are both reliable VPN protocols that provide a stable internet connection in most scenarios. However, you only have the option to use TCP with OpenVPN, which is helpful for circumventing censorship in countries with poor internet freedom.

You can use port 443 (the same is used by regular HTTPS traffic) via TCP connections, and it’s highly unlikely that internet-censored countries would block it because it would cease essential activities like online shopping and banking.  

Verdict: OpenVPN is better at circumventing censorship as it can use both UDP and TCP. WireGuard, on the other hand, doesn’t support TCP connections.

• Compatibility

As far as device compatibility is concerned, OpenVPN takes the cake. It’s compatible with all major platforms and even the less popular ones such as Solaris, QNX, Maemo, FreeBSD, and ChromeOS.

WireGuard, meanwhile, only covers the big hitters and can be used on iOS, Windows, Android, and Linux. However, expect the list of supported devices to grow with time.

Verdict: OpenVPN is the clear winner as it supports all major (and minor) platforms.

Wireguard vs. Openvpn Performance Summary

WireGuard and OpenVPN have their pros and cons. 

Wireguard offers better speed than OpenVPN due to its newer algorithms. 

OpenVPN provides better privacy as it doesn’t store users’ sensitive information, unlike WireGuard. 

Since WireGuard is a new service, it is not supported by all the devices unlike OpenVPN which is supported by almost all devices and commercial VPN services. 

WireGuard vs OpenVPN – Which Should You Use?

WireGuard has been receiving praise from security experts worldwide, and many leading VPN services are already offering it. However, the VPN protocol is still in its early days, and problems could still arise at any time. For now, you should use both WireGuard and OpenVPN alongside each other as they excel in the areas where the other falls short. PureVPN offers OpenVPN as one of its protocol options and has recently added support for WireGuard to its Windows and Android apps, too.

Can WireGuard replace OpenVPN?

WireGuard is a new, open source VPN protocol that promises to be faster and more secure than OpenVPN. It’s still in development, but it’s already been adopted by several major VPN providers. So, can WireGuard replace OpenVPN?

In short, yes. WireGuard has the potential to replace OpenVPN as the standard VPN protocol. It’s faster and more secure than OpenVPN, and it’s much easier to set up and use. However, WireGuard is still in development, so it may not be ready for everyone just yet.

If you’re looking for a fast and secure VPN protocol, WireGuard is worth considering. But if you need a VPN that’s compatible with all devices and operating systems, OpenVPN is still the best option.

Are New Encryption Algorithms Safe?

OpenVPN is flexible as it supports several different cryptographic algorithms. It supports both modern algorithms ChaCha20Poly1305 and conventional methods like AES. 

WireGuard uses one fixed set of algorithms. The set includes ChaCha20, Poly1305, Curve25519, BLAKE2s, and SipHash25. However, both WireGuard and OpenVPN use modern technology to encrypt data.

The purpose of encryption is to keep the information private and confidential. New encryption algorithms are safe and beneficial because they are easier to implement than traditional ones. 

With modern encryption, security is improved because more sophisticated algorithms and larger key sizes exist. This makes it challenging for hackers to crack passwords using Brute Force methods. 

Also, modern cryptography provides better protection and security as they are designed to be extra safe and resistant against known attacks.

Frequently Asked Questions