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.
