6 VPN Protocols Compared: Which Is Best?

There are several VPN protocols to choose from, but which one comes out on top? Should you prefer one over the other? Let's find out.

Not all VPNs are equal, and the critical difference boils down to the core technologies, known as VPN protocols. There are a variety of VPN protocols, and each VPN protocol has its pros and cons.

So, you might be asking yourself, "What is the best protocol for a VPN?". To help you with that, here is a comparison of the six best VPN protocols.

The Major VPN Protocols

In the background of any VPN is a VPN protocol. A VPN protocol dictates how the VPN works under the hood. Or, in simpler words, it determines how a VPN routes your internet traffic from your device to the VPN server. See our article on what a VPN is for more details.

There are a variety of VPN protocols, but we'll only be comparing the major ones. They include Wireguard, OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, SSTP, IKEv2, and PPTP. While you don't need to understand protocols to get started with VPNs (the best VPNs are plug and play), these technologies come in handy in specific applications. This is because each protocol has strengths and weaknesses.

1. Wireguard

Wireguard is the latest kid on the block. It's a fast and open-source VPN protocol still in active development. Although it's in development, Wireguard is available to use. The only caveat is it's not ubiquitous in commercial VPN services like older protocols.

Wireguard's key strengths include its open-source nature and fast speed. The protocol's top-notch speed is all thanks to its smaller codebase. The lean codebase also makes Wireguard easier to implement and easier to use, something you'll notice in all VPN services that use the protocol. Wireguard also doesn't hurt battery life as much as other VPN protocols on mobile devices.

Wireguard leverages a wide range of modern encryption techniques, which gives it an edge over old protocols. For instance, instead of using industry standards like the AES-256 bit key encryption protocol, it uses newer cryptographic techniques like the ChaCha20 encryption algorithm.

Considering its specifications, Wireguard is the best VPN protocol if you want the fastest speed over a VPN connection. Primary use case scenarios include online gaming, video streaming, and downloading large files over the internet.

2. OpenVPN

Similar to Wireguard, OpenVPN is also open source. But unlike Wireguard, OpenVPN is older and hence is ubiquitous among commercial VPN providers—it's often the default VPN protocol for most paid VPN services.

Alongside 2048-bit RSA authentication, OpenVPN utilizes the industry-wide AES-256 bit key encryption standard for security. It also uses other security protocols, making it one of the most secure VPN protocols.

OpenVPN implements both the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), so you can choose which your VPN should run on depending on your use case. For starters, UDP prioritizes speed, and TCP is for reliability.

Additionally, OpenVPN is highly configurable, allowing you to dictate various things beforehand. While this is a plus for expert users, it can be challenging for beginners.

In summary, OpenVPN is your go-to choice if you need a VPN protocol that is widely available and secure. Some example scenarios where you might want to use OpenVPN include when connecting to public Wi-Fi. Check out our article on what is OpenVPN and how to use it for more details.

3. PPTP

The Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) is an older VPN protocol that we don't expect you to use in 2022 and beyond if you can avoid it. This is because PPTP is no longer secure. Besides, it has since been replaced by more secure protocols, although you'll still find it in some services, and for one main reason: speed.

PPTP excels in transmission speed, which is due to its lax nature on security matters. Because of its fast nature, PPTP is applicable in areas where speed is of utmost importance, like streaming. It's one of the best VPN protocols for streaming.

4. IKEv2

IKEV2 (Internet Key Exchange version 2) is only a tunneling protocol with no privacy and security measures, unlike OpenVPN and Wireguard. Instead, it leverages a security protocol called IPsec (Internet Protocol security) that leverages banking-security level AES-256 bit encryption.

Thankfully, IKEv2 is fast and what makes it stand out is the so-called Mobility and Multi-homing Protocol offered by the IPsec suite. Thanks to the Mobility and Multi-homing Protocol, IKEv2 ensures that your internet traffic is secure even when switching from one connection to another. So, for instance, when you switch from mobile data to Wi-Fi.

IKEv2 comes in handy on mobile devices due to its fast speed and stable connection. It's also suitable for streaming, thanks to its transmission speeds. Although there are no publicly known vulnerabilities, some reports claim that the NSA compromised IPsec.

5. SSTP

Microsoft owns SSTP or Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol, and it is one of the major VPN protocols available. SSTP is secure and uses the popular AES-256 encryption protocol to encrypt data and 2048-bit SSL/TLS certificates for authentication purposes.

However, since SSTP isn't open-source, there's no way to know how the code works under the hood. However, despite being developed by Microsoft with native support for Windows, Linux, and BSD systems, it's also available on other platforms.

In terms of speed, SSTP performs fairly well. However, it's not fast enough to recommend for streaming or any use that requires fast transmission speeds.

6. L2TP/IPsec

L2TP/IPsec is an upgrade to L2F (Layer 2 Forwarding Protocol) and PPTP. L2TP stands for Layer 2 Tunnel Protocol and, at its most basic, is just a tunneling protocol. Like IKEv2, it adds a layer of the IPsec suite for secure tunneling that uses AES-256 bit encryption.

However, L2TP is not as secure as the open-source OpenVPN protocol. One of the key reasons being it uses UDP by default on port 500. Plus, you might want to stay away from L2TP like a plague, just like IKEv2, due to alleged reports of IPsec being compromised by the NSA.

And when it comes to speed, L2TP/IPsec isn't the fastest VPN protocol. Its primary selling point is stability and wide support, similar to OpenVPN.

However, we recommend that you use L2TP/IPsec as your last option—when you can't connect to OpenVPN for some reason. Or, say, it's the only option available. Unsurprisingly, commercial VPNs are dropping support for L2TP. A good example is NordVPN and Cyberghost VPN, two of our best VPN services.

Which Is the Best VPN Protocol Right Now?

There's no overall best VPN protocol. All VPN protocols have their pros and cons and are hence most applicable in different scenarios.

As seen above, Wireguard is excellent for its speed and security but doesn't feature comprehensive support. OpenVPN is highly configurable and excels in its stability, broad support, and versatility. IKEv2 is mobile-friendly and sports fast speeds, while L2TP/IPsec is handy for basic use. However, both IKEv2 and L2TP are not considered well secure.

SSTP is only suitable for its security features but falls short in other areas. And while PPTP lags security-wise, it's fast and handy for streaming.