OpenVPN vs WireGuard
Learn how OpenVPN and WireGuard differ in their key features, development activity, technology
stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these vpn & secure access tools is best for you.
Learn how OpenVPN and WireGuard differ in their key features, development activity, technology stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these vpn & secure access tools is best for you.
OpenVPN
Last 30 days
Last commit
18 hours agoRepository age
14 yearsVersion
v2.7.6Self-hosted
YesRepository
openvpn/openvpn
WireGuard
Last 30 days
Last commit
4 months agoRepository age
7 yearsLicense
GPL-2.0Repository
wireguard/wireguard-tools
Detailed Comparison
OpenVPN appears to have several advantages over WireGuard, particularly in popularity, growth, activity, maturity and features. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, growth, activity, maturity, licensing and features when making your decision.
OpenVPN appears to have several advantages over WireGuard, particularly in popularity, growth, activity, maturity and features. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, growth, activity, maturity, licensing and features when making your decision.
Community & Popularity
OpenVPN significantly outpaces WireGuard in community adoption with 14,440 stars compared to 705 stars on GitHub. This 20.5x difference suggests OpenVPN has a much larger and more active community. In terms of developer contributions, OpenVPN has 3,384 forks, indicating strong developer engagement.
Growth Momentum
OpenVPN is growing faster, adding 147 stars in the last 30 days (+1%) against adding 5 stars for WireGuard (+0.7%). OpenVPN is both larger and pulling further ahead.
Development Activity
OpenVPN shows more recent development activity with its last commit 18 hours ago, while WireGuard was last updated 4 months ago. This suggests OpenVPN is being more actively maintained.
Project Maturity
OpenVPN has been in development longer, starting 14 years ago, compared to WireGuard which began 7 years ago. This 7.8-year head start suggests OpenVPN may have more mature features and established processes.
Licensing
WireGuard is licensed under GPL-2.0, while OpenVPN's license terms are not publicly specified.
Use Cases & Features
Both tools serve similar use cases in VPN & Secure Access. However, they also have distinct specializations: WireGuard extends into VPN & Secure Tunnels, Network Security.
Hosting & Deployment
OpenVPN provides self-hosting options for complete data control and customization, while WireGuard may be primarily cloud-based or require different deployment approaches.
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