WireGuard · OpenVPN · IKEv2 · Side-by-Side
| Protocol | Speed | Security | Stability | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WireGuard | Fastest | Strong | Excellent | Best Overall |
| OpenVPN | Moderate | Strongest | Excellent | Most Trusted |
| IKEv2/IPSec | Fast | Strong | Great on Mobile | Best for Mobile |
| L2TP/IPSec | Moderate | Moderate | OK | Legacy |
| SSTP | Moderate | Good | Good | Windows only |
| PPTP | Fast | Broken | OK | Never use |
| Spec | WireGuard | OpenVPN | IKEv2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Encryption | ChaCha20-Poly1305 | AES-256-GCM | AES-256 |
| Key Exchange | Curve25519 | RSA/ECDH | Diffie-Hellman |
| Code Lines | ~4,000 | ~70,000 | ~15,000 |
| Audit Status | Formally verified | Multiple audits | Standardized |
| Port | UDP 51820 | TCP/UDP 443 | UDP 500/4500 |
| Reconnection | Near-instant | 5-30 seconds | Near-instant |
| Open Source | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Provider | Default Protocol | Based On |
|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | NordLynx | WireGuard |
| ExpressVPN | Lightway | Custom (wolfSSL) |
| Surfshark | WireGuard | WireGuard |
| Mullvad | WireGuard | WireGuard |
| PIA | WireGuard | WireGuard |
Most premium providers have adopted WireGuard as default due to its speed and security advantages.