WireGuard vs OpenVPN: Which VPN Protocol Should UK Users Choose?

What Is a VPN Protocol?

A VPN protocol is the set of rules and cryptographic methods that govern how data travels between your device and the VPN server. Think of the VPN service as a postal company and the protocol as the type of vehicle it uses for delivery. Both a bicycle and a lorry can deliver your parcel, but they differ enormously in speed, capacity, and reliability.

Protocols handle three critical tasks: establishing the connection between your device and the server, encrypting the data so third parties cannot read it, and maintaining the tunnel’s stability as network conditions change. Over the years, numerous protocols have been developed, including PPTP, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP, IKEv2, OpenVPN, and WireGuard. Today, the conversation has largely narrowed to the last two, as they represent the best balance of security, performance, and modern engineering.

Most leading VPN providers now offer both WireGuard and OpenVPN, sometimes alongside proprietary variants. NordVPN’s NordLynx protocol is built on WireGuard, while ExpressVPN developed its own Lightway protocol inspired by similar design principles. Understanding the differences between these protocols empowers you to adjust your VPN settings for optimal performance. You can see which protocols each provider supports using our VPN comparison tool.

WireGuard: The Modern Contender

WireGuard burst onto the scene in 2020 when it was merged into the Linux kernel, a milestone that signalled its maturity and the confidence the open source community placed in it. Created by Jason Donenfeld, WireGuard was designed from the ground up to be simpler, faster, and more auditable than its predecessors.

The most striking feature of WireGuard is its codebase. The entire protocol consists of roughly 4,000 lines of code. By comparison, OpenVPN contains approximately 600,000 lines. This dramatic difference means WireGuard has a vastly smaller attack surface and is far easier for security researchers to audit. Fewer lines of code translate to fewer places where bugs or vulnerabilities can hide.

Performance is another area where WireGuard excels. Independent benchmarks consistently show WireGuard achieving throughput speeds that are 20 to 60 percent faster than OpenVPN under comparable conditions. Connection establishment is nearly instantaneous, typically completing in under 100 milliseconds compared to the several seconds OpenVPN may require. For UK users on typical broadband connections of 50 to 100 Mbps, the difference can be the margin between a smooth streaming experience and frustrating buffering.

WireGuard uses a fixed suite of modern cryptographic primitives: ChaCha20 for symmetric encryption, Poly1305 for authentication, Curve25519 for key exchange, and BLAKE2s for hashing. This opinionated approach eliminates the cipher negotiation that can introduce vulnerabilities in more configurable protocols.

OpenVPN: The Established Standard

OpenVPN has been the backbone of the VPN industry for nearly two decades. First released in 2001, it has been subjected to extensive peer review, multiple independent audits, and countless real-world deployments. This track record gives it a level of trust that newer protocols are still building.

One of OpenVPN’s greatest strengths is its configurability. It supports a wide range of encryption algorithms and can operate over both TCP and UDP transport protocols. Running OpenVPN over TCP port 443 makes VPN traffic virtually indistinguishable from regular HTTPS web traffic, which is invaluable in restrictive network environments where VPN connections might otherwise be blocked.

The maturity of OpenVPN also means it is supported on virtually every platform and device imaginable. From ancient routers running DD-WRT firmware to the latest smartphones, OpenVPN compatibility is near universal. For UK users who need to run a VPN on older hardware or in corporate environments with specific compliance requirements, OpenVPN often remains the only viable option.

However, OpenVPN’s age and complexity are also its weaknesses. The large codebase is harder to audit, and performance on modern hardware trails behind WireGuard. On mobile devices, OpenVPN tends to consume noticeably more battery because it handles encryption in user space rather than at the kernel level.

Head-to-Head Comparison

On battery life alone, WireGuard is the clear winner for mobile users. Because it operates at the kernel level, it handles encryption more efficiently and wakes the CPU less frequently. UK commuters who keep their VPN active on smartphones throughout the day will notice meaningfully better battery performance with WireGuard compared to OpenVPN.

Security comparisons are more nuanced. WireGuard’s small codebase and modern cryptographic primitives represent excellent security engineering. OpenVPN’s longer track record and extensive auditing provide a different kind of confidence. Both protocols are considered highly secure by the information security community, and neither has any known unpatched critical vulnerabilities at the time of writing.

Which Protocol Should You Choose?

For most UK users, WireGuard is the recommended choice. Its superior speed, lower battery consumption, and leaner codebase make it the better option for everyday browsing, streaming, and mobile use. If you are connecting to UK servers to protect your traffic from ISP logging under the Investigatory Powers Act, WireGuard will deliver faster speeds with less overhead.

Choose OpenVPN if you need to bypass network restrictions that specifically block VPN traffic, if you are running a VPN on older router hardware that lacks WireGuard support, or if your organisation has compliance requirements that mandate OpenVPN. Its ability to masquerade as regular HTTPS traffic makes it the better choice in restrictive network environments such as certain workplace or university networks.

The best approach is to use a VPN provider that offers both protocols and makes switching between them easy. Most top-tier providers now default to WireGuard or a WireGuard-based protocol while offering OpenVPN as a fallback. This gives you the best of both worlds: blazing speed for daily use and a reliable alternative when circumstances demand it.