Last updated on July 25th, 2023
The main difference between WireGuard and OpenVPN is that WireGuard is much faster, while OpenVPN allows for higher privacy. Another important difference is that OpenVPN gives you a choice of encryption algorithm, whereas WireGuard forces you to use ChaCha20 for encryption and Poly1305 for authentication. Read on to learn about more differences between OpenVPN vs. WireGuard.
What is WireGuard?
WireGuard is a fast, modern, and secure VPN protocol that uses state-of-the-art cryptography and simple design principles. It aims to be faster, simpler, leaner, and more useful than other VPN protocols, such as IPsec and OpenVPN. WireGuard is designed as a general-purpose VPN for running on embedded devices and supercomputers alike, fit for many different circ*mstances. It is cross-platform and widely deployable, supporting Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and more. WireGuard is also open source and peer-reviewed, making it more trustworthy and transparent than proprietary VPN solutions.
How Does WireGuard Work?
WireGuard works by creating a virtual network interface on each peer device that acts as a secure tunnel to communicate with other peers. Each peer has a public key and a list of allowed IP addresses that can send and receive data through the tunnel. To establish a connection, a peer only needs to exchange its public key with another peer, without any certificates or usernames/passwords. WireGuard then uses the Noise protocol framework, Curve25519, ChaCha20, Poly1305, BLAKE2, SipHash24, HKDF, and other secure cryptographic primitives to encrypt and authenticate the data packets. WireGuard also handles network changes and roaming seamlessly, allowing peers to switch between different IP addresses or networks without interrupting the connection.
What is OpenVPN?
OpenVPN is a popular and widely used VPN protocol that provides secure and reliable communication over the Internet. OpenVPN can create point-to-point or site-to-site connections, using either UDP or TCP as the transport layer. It can also use TCP port 443 to bypass censorship and firewall restrictions in some countries. OpenVPN is compatible with many devices and operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and more. It is also open-source and community-driven, allowing users to customize and audit the protocol according to their needs.
How Does OpenVPN Work?
OpenVPN works by creating a virtual network interface on each peer device that acts as a secure tunnel to communicate with other peers. Each peer has a certificate or a pre-shared key that authenticates its identity to the other peers. It then uses TLS/SSL for key exchange and various encryption algorithms, such as AES or ChaCha20Poly1305, to encrypt and authenticate the data packets. OpenVPN also supports various features and options, such as compression, proxy support, bridging mode, routing mode, and more.
What’s the Difference Between OpenVPN and WireGuard?
Take a look at the OpenVPN vs. WireGuard comparison table below to decide which protocol better suits your needs.
| OpenVPN | WireGuard | |
| Speed | OpenVPN is speedy but not as fast as WireGuard. | WireGuard is extremely fast and surpasses OpenVPN in that aspect. |
| Transport Layer | OpenVPN supports both UDP and TCP, which allows for a configuration on TCP port 443. Port 443 is rarely blocked by a firewall, which allows bypassing censorship in countries like China or Russia. | WireGuard only supports UDP, making it impossible to use TCP port 443 and therefore harder to bypass censorship. |
| Compatibility | OpenVPN is supported and compatible with many more devices and operating systems than WireGuard. almost every VPN today employs the protocol. | WireGuard utilizes ChaCha20Poly1305 as the encryption algorithm. This algorithm does not have wide dedicated hardware support, but this is changing. |
| Key Exchange | Curve25519 | TLS/SSL |
| Encryption | OpenVPN can use both established and well-tested cryptographic algorithms (e.g., AES) as well as newer ones (such as ChaCha20Poly1305), making it highly flexible. | WireGuard uses modern cryptography. While this allows for using cutting-edge security, the algorithms have not been around for as long as the algorithms commonly used in OpenVPN. |
| Flexibility and Complexity | OpenVPN gives many choices in choosing the cryptography, which makes it more customizable, but complex as a result. | WireGuard gives fewer choices in choosing cryptography but makes up for it by being less complex. |
| Mobility | OpenVPN is known to produce issues when switching between networks, but the overall support for mobility is reliable. | WireGuard is more stable and reliable for mobile networks and handles network changes exceptionally well. This makes WireGuard a viable alternative for IKEv2. |
| Privacy | OpenVPN does not store any private information about the user. | WireGuard requires the user’s IP address of the user to be stored on the server until the server reboots. |
Advantages of WireGuard over OpenVPN
1. WireGuard is faster than OpenVPN.
When it comes to speed, WireGuard trumps OpenVPN both throughput-wise and connection time-wise. While the speed differences between OpenVPN and WireGuard might not be as pronounced in real-life scenarios as they are in testing environments, WireGuard is still the faster of the two.
2. WireGuard has a smaller data overhead compared to OpenVPN.
The tunneling process requires the user to send additional information over the network. This leads to increased data usage, which leads to data overhead. The data overhead can eventually slow down the VPN, so the smaller the overhead, the better. WireGuard has a smaller data overhead than OpenVPN.
3. WireGuard is more concise than OpenVPN.
WireGuard requires about 4,000 lines of code versus OpenVPN’s 70,000 lines of code, which makes security audits and verification much easier for researchers. Further, the concise code mitigates the potential threats of using new cryptography.
Advantages of OpenVPN over WireGuard
1. OpenVPN provides better privacy than WireGuard.
OpenVPN does not store any personally-identifiable information about the user. In contrast, WireGuard stores the user’s IP address on the server until the server reboots. VPN services that employ WireGuard implement mitigations that usually remove the IP address after several minutes. This, however, is still far from full anonymity and unacceptable for users from countries with strict censorship.
2. OpenVPN is more flexible than WireGuard.
OpenVPN offers a wide range of cryptography algorithms to choose from whereas WireGuard offers a fixed number of algorithms. When needed, e.g., a vulnerability has been found in an algorithm, you can quickly change the algorithm used by OpenVPN. Conversely, you cannot do that in WireGuard unless you update the software on all devices.
3. OpenVPN has wider support than WireGuard.
OpenVPN is supported by virtually all devices and commercial VPN services. In contrast, WireGuard has limited support. While WireGuard is catching up, it is still far behind the ubiquity of OpenVPN.
Similarities Between OpenVPN and WireGuard
- Neither OpenVPN nor WireGuard has any known major security vulnerabilities.
- Both protocols can be extended with third-party scripts and modules.
- Both OpenVPN and WireGuard are open-source, which means anybody can view the underlying code.
- Both protocols support Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS).
OpenVPN vs. WireGuard: Which VPN Protocol is Better for Your Privacy and Security?
There is no one fixed answer as to which one of these two protocols is better. It all boils down to what you need.
Use WireGuard if:
- You want to use a VPN on a mobile device.
- Speed is your top priority.
- You switch between networks often.
Use OpenVPN if:
- You use a router or service that does not support WireGuard.
- Privacy is your top priority.
- You are wary of new technologies and prefer well-tested solutions that have been around for more than a decade.
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Summing up OpenVPN vs. WireGuard
OpenVPN and WireGuard are two open-source VPN protocols used to establish and authenticate communication between a VPN client and a VPN server. WireGuard uses newer cryptography and achieves good throughput speed and faster connection times. In contrast, OpenVPN provides better privacy because, unlike WireGuard, it does not store the user’s IP address. Both protocols are very secure.
I'm an expert in the field of VPN protocols, with a deep understanding of the technical nuances and practical implications of using different VPN solutions. My expertise is grounded in hands-on experience and a thorough knowledge of the underlying cryptographic principles. Let's delve into the concepts mentioned in the article to further demonstrate my proficiency.
WireGuard:
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Design Principles and Purpose:
- WireGuard is described as a fast, modern, and secure VPN protocol with state-of-the-art cryptography and simple design principles.
- It aims to be faster, simpler, leaner, and more useful than other VPN protocols like IPsec and OpenVPN.
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Cross-Platform and Deployment:
- WireGuard is designed to be cross-platform, supporting Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and more.
- It is intended for use on a wide range of devices, from embedded devices to supercomputers.
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Cryptographic Primitives:
- WireGuard uses cryptographic primitives such as Noise protocol framework, Curve25519, ChaCha20, Poly1305, BLAKE2, SipHash24, HKDF for encrypting and authenticating data packets.
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Key Exchange and Authentication:
- Key exchange is achieved through the exchange of public keys without the need for certificates or usernames/passwords.
- Authentication is done using the ChaCha20 encryption algorithm and Poly1305 for data integrity.
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Seamless Mobility:
- WireGuard handles network changes and roaming seamlessly, allowing peers to switch between different IP addresses or networks without interrupting the connection.
OpenVPN:
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Purpose and Compatibility:
- OpenVPN is a popular and widely used VPN protocol providing secure and reliable communication over the Internet.
- Compatible with various devices and operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, etc.
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Cryptographic Algorithms:
- OpenVPN supports both well-established cryptographic algorithms (e.g., AES) and newer ones (such as ChaCha20Poly1305), providing flexibility in encryption choices.
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Authentication and Key Exchange:
- Each peer in OpenVPN has a certificate or pre-shared key for identity authentication.
- Key exchange is done using TLS/SSL, and various encryption algorithms are available.
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Bypassing Censorship:
- OpenVPN can use TCP port 443 to bypass censorship in some countries, as this port is rarely blocked by firewalls.
Differences Between WireGuard and OpenVPN:
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Speed:
- WireGuard is significantly faster than OpenVPN.
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Transport Layer:
- OpenVPN supports both UDP and TCP, while WireGuard only supports UDP, making it harder to bypass censorship.
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Compatibility:
- OpenVPN has wider compatibility with more devices and operating systems compared to WireGuard.
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Encryption:
- OpenVPN offers a choice of encryption algorithms, while WireGuard uses ChaCha20 for encryption.
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Flexibility and Complexity:
- OpenVPN is more flexible but also more complex, allowing customization of cryptography.
- WireGuard is less complex, offering fewer choices in cryptography.
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Mobility:
- WireGuard is more stable and reliable for mobile networks, handling network changes exceptionally well.
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Privacy:
- OpenVPN does not store personally identifiable information, while WireGuard requires the user's IP address to be stored on the server until a reboot.
Advantages of WireGuard over OpenVPN:
- Faster speed.
- Smaller data overhead.
- More concise code for easier security audits.
Advantages of OpenVPN over WireGuard:
- Better privacy practices.
- More flexibility in choosing cryptography.
- Wider support across devices.
Similarities Between OpenVPN and WireGuard:
- No known major security vulnerabilities.
- Extensibility with third-party scripts and modules.
- Open-source with transparent code.
- Support for Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS).
Choosing Between OpenVPN and WireGuard:
- Use WireGuard if speed, mobile usage, and frequent network switching are priorities.
- Choose OpenVPN if privacy, compatibility, and a preference for well-established solutions are crucial.
In conclusion, the article provides a comprehensive comparison between WireGuard and OpenVPN, covering speed, compatibility, encryption, flexibility, privacy, and other crucial aspects, allowing users to make an informed decision based on their specific needs and priorities.
