OpenVPN has been a dominant player in the VPN space since its release in 2001. With a 23-year history, OpenVPN has proven to be a reliable and secure protocol. However, it has some downsides, particularly regarding performance and ease of use.
OpenVPN creates a secure tunnel between two endpoints using SSL/TLS for encryption. While robust, the protocol is complex and requires considerable resources to run efficiently. Setting up and managing OpenVPN can be cumbersome, especially for DevOps teams juggling multiple environments and configurations. It wouldn’t be the first time an OpenVPN server stopped working because the TLS certificates expired.
WireGuard, on the other hand, is the new kid on the block, having been introduced in recent years. What sets WireGuard apart from OpenVPN is its simplicity and efficiency. While OpenVPN relies on older, more complex cryptographic algorithms, WireGuard uses modern encryption that is both faster and more secure.
Unlike OpenVPN, WireGuard is integrated directly into the Linux kernel, meaning it operates at a lower level and with less overhead. This results in faster connection times and lower resource usage. One of the significant benefits of WireGuard is its minimal codebase — about 10% the size of OpenVPN’s — which reduces Continue reading
Edward Viaene