OpenVPN
OpenVPN is a long-established, open-source VPN protocol valued for its strong security, flexibility, and ability to run reliably across almost any network.
OpenVPN explained
OpenVPN has been the trusted workhorse of the VPN industry for years. It is open source, heavily audited, and highly configurable, using proven TLS-based encryption. It can run over TCP for reliability or UDP for speed, and its use of common ports helps it slip through restrictive firewalls.
Its trade-off is overhead: it is slower and heavier than WireGuard. Many providers now offer both, defaulting to WireGuard for speed while keeping OpenVPN for compatibility and situations where blending in with normal web traffic matters.
Examples
- 01Falling back to OpenVPN over TCP on a restrictive network
- 02Choosing OpenVPN for maximum compatibility on an old device
- 03Running OpenVPN on port 443 to blend with HTTPS traffic
Common use cases
Frequently asked questions
It is a mature, open-source VPN protocol known for strong TLS-based security and flexibility, able to run over TCP or UDP and through restrictive firewalls.
WireGuard is faster, but OpenVPN offers broad compatibility and can disguise traffic as normal HTTPS, which helps on networks that block VPNs.
Yes. It uses well-audited TLS encryption and has a long track record, making it one of the most trusted VPN protocols available.
TCP is more reliable and better at bypassing firewalls but slower, while UDP is faster and preferred for streaming and general use when the network allows it.
It has a larger codebase and more protocol overhead. WireGuard was designed from scratch to be lean, which gives it a speed advantage.
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