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WireGuard vs. OpenVPN: What’s the difference?

We compare two of the most popular VPN protocols.
By
Darragh Murphy
 on 
WireGuard vs. OpenVPN versus image
Check out our Wireguard vs. OpenVPN showdown, allowing you to make an informed decision about which is best for you. Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable

Two of the best VPNs around are WireGuard and OpenVPN. To the casual VPN user, they essentially offer the same results: faster VPN connections, security, and reliability, right? Not exactly. 

While WireGuard (released in 2015) is a more modern protocol that’s been vastly adopted by several of the best VPN services, OpenVPN (released in 2001) is still widely used and is considered to be more secure. 

In the grand scheme of things, one isn’t truly better than the other, as it depends on what you’re using your VPN for. This analysis will help you decipher the key differences between the two. 

WireGuard vs. OpenVPN: Speeds

When it comes to internet and VPN connection speeds, WireGuard is the go-to choice. It was specifically designed to offer higher speed performance and be lighter than OpenVPN. To put that into perspective, WireGuard only uses 4,000 lines of code, whereas OpenVPN uses around 70,000.

This lightweight process makes it easier to package and send information, making it faster to browse through websites, stream content, play online multiplayer games, and more. 

It isn’t to say OpenVPN is slow, but WireGuard can pull off speedier connections. So if speed is a priority, you’ll want to switch to a WireGuard VPN protocol.

Winner: WireGuard

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WireGuard vs. OpenVPN: Security

Security is a priority for OpenVPN, as its Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption protocol makes it hard for anyone to break through. It supports military-grade AES-256 encryption, has the ability to bypass nearly all firewalls, and is adaptable enough to include several additional security features, such as a kill switch. 

While WireGuard is arguably just as secure, its ChaCha20 cryptography uses fewer lines of code, which is shorter than AES-256. It also doesn’t obfuscate your connection as a matter of course, meaning it’s apparent that you’re actually using a VPN. That said, many prominent VPN services have these features included anyway, like obfuscated servers or dynamic IP addresses.

Overall, if you’re using public Wi-Fi, or need a secure way to access heavily restricted websites, it’s best to use OpenVPN. 

Winner: OpenVPN

WireGuard vs. OpenVPN: Reliability

Both WireGuard and OpenVPN are open source, meaning that anyone can delve into their codes to see if everything is in order. This alone makes them reliable protocols to use, as developers and experts can see if there are any vulnerabilities or backdoors that can be exploited by threat actors. 

Winner: Draw

Other VPN protocols

WireGuard and OpenVPN aren’t the only protocols you can use, as there’s also IKEv2/IPsec, L2TP/IPsec, and PPTP. Now, major VPN services have also tried their hand in creating their own VPN protocols, namely ExpressVPN and NordVPN — and with notable success.

ExpressVPN has its very own Lightway protocol, which is touted to be faster, more secure, and more reliable. Launched in 2020, this open-source protocol uses wolfSSL cryptography that’s been vetted by third-party companies for transparency and security, is lightweight for speedier VPN connections, and is less prone to connection drops. 

NordVPN rivals this with its proprietary NordLynx protocol. It’s built around the WireGuard protocol, but provides even faster VPN connection speeds while still keeping privacy and security a priority. According to NordLynx’s speed test results, it makes it one of the fastest VPNs around. 

Both VPN protocols are available on a majority of platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. If you’ve opted to subscribe to ExpressVPN or NordVPN, it’s worth giving these protocols a try over WireGuard and OpenVPN. Besides, it only takes a couple of clicks to switch VPN protocols. 

Darragh Murphy profile picture
Darragh Murphy
VPN and tech reporter

Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things bizarre, which usually leads to assorted coverage varying from washing machines designed for earbuds to the mischievous world of online security. Whether it's connecting Scar from The Lion King to two-factor authentication or turning his love for laptops into a fabricated rap battle from 8 Mile, he believes there’s always a quirky spin to be made.

When he's not checking out the latest devices and all things VPNs, he can be found swimming laps, watching terrible shark movies, and trying to find time to game.


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