WireGuard
WireGuard® is an extremely simple yet fast and modern VPN that utilizes state-of-the-art cryptography. It aims to be faster, simpler, leaner, and more useful than IPsec, while avoiding the massive headache. It intends to be considerably more performant than OpenVPN. WireGuard is designed as a general purpose VPN for running on embedded interfaces and super computers alike, fit for many different circumstances. Initially released for the Linux kernel, it is now cross-platform (Windows, macOS, BSD, iOS, Android) and widely deployable. It is currently under heavy development, but already it might be regarded as the most secure, easiest to use, and simplest VPN solution in the industry.
Pros
- Free and Open Source. Anyone can look into its code, which makes it easier to deploy, audit, and debug.
- Modern and extremely fast. It consists of only 4,000 lines of codes, making it “the leanest” protocol of them all. In comparison, OpenVPN code has 100 times more lines.
- It’s simple, secure and lightweight. It takes a minimalist approach to a VPN protocol.
- It has potential to become the VPN of the future.
Cons
- Incomplete. WireGuard is promising to be the “next big thing”, but its implementation is still in its early stages and it has a lot of room for improvement. It currently fails to provide users full anonymity, so VPN providers need to find custom solutions for providing the necessary security without losing speed.
- It doesn’t have a stable release.
- Only technical Linux users can effectively implement.
- It’s not as flexible as other VPN protocols.
When to use it?
Use WireGuard whenever speed is a priority: streaming, online gaming, or downloading large files.
WireGuard is an innovative and cutting-edge VPN protocol that’s been developed to optimize performance. The implementation is small, making it a much more lightweight project in terms of the code base. By having a simpler codebase it’s easier for developers to integrate.
The goal of the project is to create an alternative to IPSec, that’s lighter, faster, and leaner. It was originally released on the Linux platform, but it’s on its way towards cross-platform compatibility and can be deployed across a variety of different distributions.
WireGuard shines in its simplicity.
It only supports a single cryptographic suite, which keeps the design simple and leads to fewer security holes. The algorithm choice is also incredibly simple, which helps to reduce any security bugs, now and in the future.
However, keep in mind that WireGuard is not yet complete. It’s still a work in progress and the team is working towards a stable release.
Early signs point towards it being a widely used, fast and efficient VPN protocol in the future. If you want to deploy it keep in mind there may be some security vulnerabilities, and it won’t be as secure as other stable VPN protocols highlighted in this list.
WireGuard Official Website
WireGuard® is an extremely simple yet fast and modern VPN that utilizes state-of-the-art cryptography. It aims to be faster, simpler, leaner, and more useful than IPsec, while avoiding the massive headache. It intends to be considerably more performant than OpenVPN. WireGuard is designed as a general purpose VPN for running on embedded interfaces and super computers alike, fit for many different circumstances. Initially released for the Linux kernel, it is now cross-platform (Windows, macOS, BSD, iOS, Android) and widely deployable. It is currently under heavy development, but already it might be regarded as the most secure, easiest to use, and simplest VPN solution in the industry.
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