WireGuard vs OpenVPN

Struggling to choose between WireGuard and OpenVPN? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

WireGuard is a Security & Privacy solution with tags like networking, encryption, tunneling, privacy.

It boasts features such as Uses modern cryptography like Curve25519, ChaCha20, Poly1305, BLAKE2, SipHash24, Minimal attack surface, Small codebase (~4k LoC), High performance, Built-in roaming, Stealthy VPN - appears as regular traffic, NAT traversal and pros including Very fast connection speeds, Simple setup and configuration, Cross-platform support, Open source and audited, Fewer resources required compared to traditional VPNs.

On the other hand, OpenVPN is a Security & Privacy product tagged with encryption, tunneling, remote-access.

Its standout features include Encryption - Uses OpenSSL encryption to secure data, Authentication - Supports certificate-based authentication, Routing - Routes traffic through VPN tunnel, NAT Traversal - Can traverse NAT firewalls, Platform Support - Available on Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, iOS, Plugins - Extensible through plugins, Protocols - Supports UDP and TCP protocols, and it shines with pros like Open source, Highly secure encryption, Extensive platform support, Flexible configuration, NAT traversal capability, Active development community.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

WireGuard

WireGuard

WireGuard is an extremely simple yet fast and modern VPN that utilizes state-of-the-art cryptography. It aims to be faster, simpler, leaner, and more useful than IPsec. WireGuard is designed as a general purpose VPN for running on embedded interfaces and super computers alike.

Categories:
networking encryption tunneling privacy

WireGuard Features

  1. Uses modern cryptography like Curve25519, ChaCha20, Poly1305, BLAKE2, SipHash24
  2. Minimal attack surface
  3. Small codebase (~4k LoC)
  4. High performance
  5. Built-in roaming
  6. Stealthy VPN - appears as regular traffic
  7. NAT traversal

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Very fast connection speeds

Simple setup and configuration

Cross-platform support

Open source and audited

Fewer resources required compared to traditional VPNs

Cons

Limited client support currently

Less configurable than other VPNs

Relatively new project with smaller user base


OpenVPN

OpenVPN

OpenVPN is an open-source software application that implements virtual private network (VPN) techniques for creating secure point-to-point or site-to-site connections in routed or bridged configurations and remote access facilities. It uses a custom security protocol that utilizes SSL/TLS for key exchange. It is capable of traversing network address translation (NAT) and firewalls.

Categories:
encryption tunneling remote-access

OpenVPN Features

  1. Encryption - Uses OpenSSL encryption to secure data
  2. Authentication - Supports certificate-based authentication
  3. Routing - Routes traffic through VPN tunnel
  4. NAT Traversal - Can traverse NAT firewalls
  5. Platform Support - Available on Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, iOS
  6. Plugins - Extensible through plugins
  7. Protocols - Supports UDP and TCP protocols

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Open source

Highly secure encryption

Extensive platform support

Flexible configuration

NAT traversal capability

Active development community

Cons

Configuration can be complex

Limited native user management

No built-in web GUI

Limited scalability without additional tools