The match is over
OpenVPN did immense service for twenty years. But in 2025, for a self-hosted personal or business VPN, WireGuard wins on every measurable front. Here are our test bench numbers.
Throughput
On an identical Apex, same network: WireGuard reaches 940 Mbps, OpenVPN (UDP, AES-256-GCM) caps at 280 Mbps, IPSec at 400 Mbps. WireGuard's kernel integration and ChaCha20 (faster than AES on CPUs without dedicated AES-NI) explain the gap.
Handshake latency
OpenVPN: several RTTs, TLS negotiation. WireGuard: a single round trip. On roaming mobile, that's the difference between a VPN that reconnects instantly and one leaving 5-second gaps at every antenna change.
Attack surface
4,000 lines of code versus 400,000. WireGuard has been formally verified, and its configuration fits in 15 lines — less config, fewer mistakes, fewer flaws.
When OpenVPN stays useful
One serious case: hostile networks blocking UDP — OpenVPN on TCP 443 gets through almost everywhere. Keep it handy as a backup. Otherwise, WireGuard — and our 15-minute guide to deploy it on your VPS.