OpenVPN vs WireGuard: Guide to Choose the Best VPN

Here is a complete guide on OpenVPN vs WireGuard, to help you choose which VPN Protocol is Better by comparing their key parameters and features:

OpenVPN and WireGuard are two prevalent and widely used VPN protocols today. While both of them serve a similar purpose, they differ from each other regarding various other aspects.

The most obvious difference between OpenVPN vs WireGuard has to be their age. While WireGuard is a relatively new protocol that is quickly gaining ground in the industry, OpenVPN is a fairly old and well-recognized protocol that is offered by most major VPN providers today.

OpenVPN vs WireGuard – Pick the Best

While examining OpenVPN vs WireGuard, both of these protocols come with their share of pros and cons, especially owing to how different they are from each other in their technical and functional aspects.

Considering how popular both of these two protocols are, it is baffling to see how little material you’ll find online that attempts to answer the often-asked question – which of them is a better VPN tool?

This is a question we intend to finally address in this article. Below you’ll see me pitting both OpenVPN and WireGuard against each other to determine which VPN protocol comes out on top.

But before we do that let’s take some time out first to understand what a VPN protocol’s supposed to do.

What is a VPN Protocol and How Does it Work

A VPN protocol refers to a set of rules that determine how your data will move between your computer and the VPN server. Most VPN providers rely on these instructions to ensure a stable and reliable connection. When a VPN is turned on, a user’s data will travel through an encrypted secure tunnel from the computer to a VPN server, where an IP address is assigned.

A VPN protocol’s purpose is to determine how these encrypted tunnels are supposed to be formed. As of today, you’ll find it extremely difficult to find a VPN protocol that can be deemed perfect. They all come with their own share of pros and cons. This is true for both OpenVPN and WireGuard as well.

Each of these protocols is afflicted by vulnerabilities that have already been discovered or will come to light in the near future. However, the idea isn’t to work with a VPN protocol that is perfect. It is to find a solution whose benefits far outweigh its flaws.

This is exactly what we tried to find when we decided to compare OpenVPN with WireGuard on the basis of their overall performance.

So which one is a better VPN protocol? What makes you better than the others? Does OpenVPN’s long history automatically make it a more reliable protocol or does the privilege that a new tool like WireGuard has of improvements over its predecessors make it a naturally superior solution?

Let’s explore all about OpenVPN vs WireGuard.

WireGuard vs OpenVPN Performance: Compare Key Parameters

Differences: OpenVPN vs WireGuard

#1) OpenVPN

Initially released in 2001, OpenVPN was a prominent open-source VPN protocol. They are known for leveraging technologies like TLS, OpenSSL library, etc. to set up a VPN connection that is stable and secure. Its use of technology like the OpenSSL library also makes it one of the more versatile VPN tools out there.

OpenVPN runs on both TCP and UDP protocols. Moreover, OpenVPN uses two channels to transfer data.

They are:

• Control Channel: This channel establishes a connection between a VPN and the VPN server. This entire process requires a symmetrical key cipher. The actual key exchange, however, requires an asymmetric encryption system wherein a public key is used to encrypt data. Of course, this encrypted data can only be decrypted using a private key.
• Data Channel: The Data Channel comes into the picture after a TLS connection has been established. OpenVPN will transfer actual data via the data channel with a symmetric cipher.

Below are just a few encryption schemes that are used by OpenVPN:

• AES
• Diffie-Hellman Exchange
• HMAC SHA
• RSA
• AES-GCM

20 years after its introduction, OpenVPN is still considered one of the most secure VPN protocols being used today. The code has been audited several times and no security flaws were found in each instance.

On the downside, however, OpenVPN’s code consists of over 100,000 lines, which makes it very difficult to implement. It also uses way more processing power than most modern VPN protocols. This, of course, now brings us to WireGuard.

=> Visit OpenVPN Site

#2) WireGuard

Released in 2019, WireGuard is a relatively new VPN protocol on the market. They are known to leverage an amalgamation of cryptographic primitives to secure VPN connections.

They are as follows:

• Noise Protocol Framework
• Curve25519
• ChaCha20
• Poly1305
• HKDF
• SipHash24
• BLAKE2

Unlike OpenVPN, WireGuard’s code only consists of 4000 lines, which makes it easier to implement and far more efficient.

This also means that the protocol is very easy to audit. Similar to OpenVPN, no security flaws have been found to date every time its code has been audited. WireGuard’s speed is considered to be its major USP. In fact, the speed delivered by WireGuard matches the agility of hardware-accelerated AES.

One downside of WireGuard stems from its relative novelty in the industry, which raises a lot of questions about its security. It’s new and still hasn’t proved itself as OpenVPN has. As such, WireGuard may possess risks and instabilities that we simply aren’t aware of yet.

However, most VPN providers like NordLynx NordVPN, for instance, implement their version of WireGuard that allows users to experience all of its merits with none of its flaws.

Now that we know what WireGuard and OpenVPN VPN protocol solutions entail. Let us now compare these two protocols and understand which one does better than the other.

=> Visit WireGuard Site

WireGuard vs. OpenVPN Performance

#1) Speed: As mentioned before, WireGuard benefits from being relatively lightweight, thus making it faster than OpenVPN. Moreover, WireGuard facilitates high-speed secure networking, thanks in large to the fact that it lives inside the Linux Kernel and uses high-speed cryptographic primitives.

Below is a comprehensive depiction of WireGuard’s speed:

#2) Bypassing Restrictions: Although slower, TCP protocol is extremely beneficial in bypassing censorship. As OpenVPN runs on TCP protocol, it is better at bypassing restrictions imposed by authoritarian regimes than WireGuard.

It is highly unlikely that a country like China will be able to block TCP protocol as a plethora of other traffic will also be passing through the same port.

#3) Security: Although both protocols are considered to be secure, WireGuard, despite having a larger attack surface, can be considered less secure than OpenVPN since it is new. Many users still think of WireGuard as an experimental protocol.

Open VPN, on the other hand, has established itself as a secure platform, especially because it uses technology like OpenSSL to set up a stable connection.

#4) Compatibility/Mobility: Being an older tool, OpenVPN has a significant advantage over WireGuard when it comes to compatibility with a wide range of platforms. That being said, OpenVPN has struggled to switch between networks ever since its inception 20 years ago.

WireGuard isn’t plagued with such issues. You’ll also notice that most major VPN providers are already offering WireGuard or a version of its implementation to users. Take NordLynx by NordVPN for example.

#5) Auditability: It is imperative for VPN protocols to go through auditing regularly without fail. Consistent auditing ensures that the VPN is serving its intended purpose competently. Auditing also helps one find out if a VPN’s performance has been affected by malicious code or other similar vulnerabilities.

The amount of data that needs to be audited will determine whether the VPN protocol demands higher or lower audibility.

Simply put, the more lines of code a VPN protocol features, the lower will be its auditability. Now when it comes to WireGuard and OpenVPN, both are open source. However, this doesn’t in any way mean that they are easy to audit.

WireGuard possesses approximately 4000 lines of code as compared to the 70000 lines of code that OpenVPN contains. This means that WireGuard is more auditable than OpenVPN. It will be easier for a team of experts to inspect WireGuard. OpenVPN, on the other hand, requires more effort when auditing.

Although WireGuard scores a point here, it is important to note that as of this very moment, both of these tools have been audited thoroughly. All vulnerabilities found were fixed. So you won’t have any issues using them.

#6) Encryption: Encryption is undoubtedly why people rely on VPNs. So it only becomes obvious to discuss the competency of both WireGuard and OpenVPN about this very crucial parameter.

When it comes to OpenVPN, the encryption options presented are highly configurable. You have the option to choose whether the encryption of transmitted data is to be strong or weak.

A huge advantage of this configurability is the fact that it allows for both slower and faster speeds on servers and devices that are generally known for being slow. As of today, OpenVPN offers a choice between 5 encryption ciphers. They are listed below starting from the strongest to the weakest.

1. AES-256-GCM
2. AES-128-GCM
3. AES-256-CBC
4. AES-192-CBC
5. AES-128-CBC

WireGuard, on the other hand, uses the encryption protocol – ChaCha20. It shares similarities to AES-256-GCM about its security. As such, it is currently recognized as the strongest level of encryption offered.

Both WireGuard and OpenVPN leverage the most advanced technology at their disposal to encrypt transmitted data.

#7) Privacy: Privacy is a major cause of concern for VPN users. There was a time when VPN service providers kept data logs pertaining to their customer’s online browsing activity. That is seldom the case anymore as every major VPN service provider promises uncompromised privacy and security assurance to their users.

The same applies to both WireGuard and OpenVPN today. WireGuard, in particular, was used to store the IP addresses of its users during its initial run. This is no longer the case. Both VPN protocols are pretty safe to use and respect their user’s privacy.

#8) Deep Packet Inspection: There is no competition here. OpenVPN is objectively better at combatting attempts at deep packet inspection. OpenVPN offers multiple viable implementation options that make it better at circumventing censorship. OpenVPN protocol can run on UDP (User Datagram Protocol) and TCP (Transmission Control Protocol).

Assessing both of these options side by side you will find that TCP is far more reliable whereas UDP ensures good speed. TCP is simply relatively better at thwarting attempts made by governments and other organizations to block traffic. TCP via OpenVPN leverages the same port that HTTPS traffic uses to set up its connections.

Even countries with the strictest censorship laws will have a hard time blocking this port. That being said, there are advanced deep packet inspection methods out there that can successfully detect OpenVPN. The safest bet would be to also enable Scramble inside the advanced protocol settings. This will add another layer of protection to your VPN traffic.

Circumventing Censorship: Who Does it Better

It should be obvious to you by now as to which VPN protocol is ideal for circumventing censorship laws. WireGuard doesn’t even come close to OpenVPN as it only uses UDP. If you want to thwart censorship attempts or bypass online restrictions in authoritative countries, then OpenVPN is a far better and more sensible option than WireGuard.

WireGuard privileges speed over censorship circumvention. It also does not support tunneling over TCP. WireGuards can easily be detected and blocked through various simple censorship techniques.

OpenVPN’s use of TCP makes it extremely effective for use in countries that practice heavy censorship like Russia, China, and Iran. The only downside we see of TCP use is the relatively slower speeds. There is still a reasonable price to pay if you wish to bypass strict censorship laws.

You wish to unblock websites, hide your online presence from prying entities on the internet, or participate in anonymous activism, then OpenVPN becomes a no-brainer first and only option.

Which is a Better VPN Protocol for You

In hindsight, both OpenVPN vs WireGuard have competent protocols with their own fair share of pros and cons. However, there can only be one clear winner and that winner in my opinion is undoubtedly WireGuard.

Yes, WireGuard is deemed experimental. Upon further use, we might become privy to risks and instabilities related to WireGuard that we weren’t previously aware of. It also doesn’t fare well against OpenVPN when it comes to bypassing censorship restrictions.

However, all of its flaws seem inconsequential in front of its shining merits. Its code only consists of 4000 lines, which makes it easier to implement. The tool is also faster than OpenVPN, which also makes it more efficient.

While both WireGuard and OpenVPN are flawed, many major VPN service providers have come up with a variety of solutions to overcome these issues. The most effective of these solutions, in my opinion, is the one developed by NordVPN for their WireGuard and OpenVPN Implementation.

Suffice it to say, that if you wish to use OpenVPN or WireGuard without burdening yourself with any of their cons, then we highly recommend you give NordVPN a try.

Why Choose NordVPN

NordVPN which is often counted among the very best VPN service providers in the world, offers its WireGuard-based protocol to users in the form of NordLynx. This protocol allows users to enjoy the speed of WireGuard without encountering any of the privacy risks normally associated with it.

Besides WireGuard, NordVPN also offers OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPsec protocols as well, thus allowing you to reap the benefits of these protocols without experiencing their flaws.

A single account of NordVPN is all you need to simultaneously secure 6 devices. It also helps that NordVPN is a cross-compatible VPN app that works well with Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux devices. It can also be installed as a browser extension for both Chrome and Firefox.

NordVPN users also benefit from being powered by a vast range of high-performance servers. As of today, the ace VPN provider boasts more than 5200 servers in more than 60 countries worldwide. NordVPN automatically chooses the fastest server on your behalf in any selected country.

Furthermore, NordVPN’s official website is studded with insightful information about VPN servers, protocols, and more. This invaluable reading material can easily be accessed for free on the website anytime you wish.

There is also a 24/7 customer support team that you can approach anytime without a hassle to get your queries or concerns addressed. Perhaps the most enticing aspect of NordVPN is its no-log policy.

You can rest assured that your online activity will remain confidential when using NordVPN to secure your internet connection.

Pros and Cons of NordVPN

Simply put, NordVPN is a service we would recommend if you wish to enjoy secure, stable, and fast internet surfing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Looking back at both OpenVPN vs WireGuard, we would claim that both are quite effective as far as VPN protocols go and can go toe-to-toe with each other on many parameters. There are areas where OpenVPN shines and there are other factors where WireGuard truly excels.

WireGuard is better than OpenVPN because of the speed it offers, thanks to its dependence on UDP. It is also more auditable thanks to the very low line of code it features. It is also equally as great at encryption and privacy as OpenVPN.

OpenVPN truly excels when it comes to bypassing highly censored regions. Its support of TCP makes it ideal if you wish for a secure browsing experience in regions around the world that are notorious for spying on their people’s online activities.

It ultimately depends on your personal preference. If you are living in an advanced democracy that respects your basic right to internet privacy, then, by all means, use WireGuard.

If you stay in regions like China, Iran, Russia, Syria, etc., you’ll need OpenVPN to bypass censorship restrictions and access blocked websites. OpenVPN is ideal if you are a journalist, activist, or simply a tourist who is visiting countries with strict censorship laws temporarily.