VPN Protocols Explained: Types, Speed & Security Compared

Data over the internet moves via protocols, which are sets of rules. Whenever you see HTTPS before the website’s full address, it means Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure, which is a protocol. Secure means it is encrypted using the AES-256 algorithm.

Similarly, VPNs also have protocols. Right now, WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 are most widely used. But you may also encounter L2TP, SSTP, and PPTP, which are less frequently used and have setbacks. Picking the right protocol is important, as some are faster, while others excel at bypassing severe online restrictions.

Below, I explain when to choose which and how they work.

What Is a VPN Protocol?

A VPN protocol is a set of rules that a VPN uses to encrypt data and move it online. In reality, there’s a stack of VPN protocols at work simultaneously. One protocol manages encryption, the security stack. While another, like OpenVPN, controls how encrypted data is sent to the target destination and back, the tunneling stack.

The three main protocol aspects are speed, security, and stability. A good VPN for streaming must be fast enough to support high definition quality. But a VPN used to bypass censorship and restrictions like the Great China Firewall must prioritize stability above all else.

It’s also worth mentioning that WireGuard revolutionized the VPN protocol setup. Released in 2015, it is now widely used by practically all top-notch consumer-centric VPNs. While it is a default protocol for many VPN apps, there are circumstances when you should switch to OpenVPN. These currently dominate the choices, and providers like Surfshark (desktop version) offer only these options.

The Most Common Types of VPN Protocols

WireGuard

WireGuard is the current industry standard. It uses the advanced ChaCha20 encryption algorithm, which sets it apart from other major VPN protocols. One of its exceptional features is its compact code base, consisting of only 4000 lines of code, compared to 100K OpenVPN.

It makes WireGuard faster, easier to deploy, and audit. It is also open-source, so a massive number of people contribute to its security and vulnerability solving. However, that also makes WireGuard stand out, which is a setback from a privacy point of view. It is easier to detect, so while it is the best choice in many circumstances, it’s not an ideal option when online anonymity is paramount.

OpenVPN

Before WireGuard, OpenVPN was the industry standard. You will mostly encounter two versions of OpenVPN: TCP and UDP. These are also data transmission protocols.

UDP is faster, and it does not require establishing a handshake, which is a verification that two devices communicate successfully. It simply transmits the information and waits for a response. Meanwhile, TCP makes sure the data delivery is successful and also verifies that data packets were not corrupted in transit.

You should use OpenVPN to bypass censorship and challenging restrictions, like firewalls. Even though firewalls use deep packet inspection to identify VPNs, OpenVPN supports traffic obfuscation, mimicking the simple HTTPS protocol.

IKEv2/IPSec

IKEv2 was released in 2005, and it is often paired with IPSec. IKEv2 is essentially used to establish the connection, taking care of device handshakes. Meanwhile, IPSec (Internet Protocol Security) takes care of the packet encapsulation, encryption, and delivery.

IKEv2 is most often used for mobile VPNs. Because it is optimized to streamline and maintain connectivity, it establishes a very stable connection. Smartphones often reconnect to different mobile towers, which requires a stable connection to the VPN server, and IKEv2 ensures mobile VPNs do not disconnect while switching towers.

PPTP

PPTP is a legacy protocol, and we do not recommend using it in most circumstances. In fact, most VPNs dropped PPTP support altogether. It was publicly released by Microsoft in 1999 with Windows 95 support.

PPTP uses the old Microsoft Point-to-Point Encryption (MPPE) protocol, which is now breakable. It is the main setback and a huge risk for privacy-protection-oriented VPNs. However, if that’s not important, it is still sometimes used in old legacy systems and devices that cannot support newer protocols.

Proprietary Protocols

Several VPN providers develop proprietary protocols, although often built around a WireGuard or OpenVPN base. For example, NordVPN offers NordLynx, which is built on the WireGuard framework. VPN providers adapt and optimize these protocols for better speed, security, and undetectability.

ExpressVPN offers the Lightway protocol, and unlike many others, it is built and written from scratch. Its advantage was evident during our ExpressVPN test, as it maintained excellent connection speed and unblocked most streaming services we tried.

Catapult Hydra is another example, which is used by Hotspot Shield, TotalVPN, and Betternet. It is optimized to bypass censorship. So understanding protocols is essential to picking the best VPN because it shows what the service excels at.

VPN Protocols Compared: Speed, Security, and Compatibility

Before concluding, take a look at the table below for a side-by-side VPN protocol comparison.

How to Choose the Right VPN Protocol for Your Needs

Firstly, we recommend subscribing to a VPN that supports WireGuard as it performs best in most cases. Its encryption is highly secure, and the speeds are more than enough for streaming. It’s also good for gaming if you aim to access geographically restricted games.

However, to bypass censorship and avoid online surveillance, OpenVPN is still the gold standard. It can be channeled through port 443, which is a port for HTTPS traffic, evading firewall detection. For smartphones, we recommend IKEv2/IPSec as it maintains a stable connection. 

If you have very old legacy devices, you can try PPTP. But remember, its encryption is now outdated, and you should not use it for any sensitive data transfers.

Still not sure which VPN is right for you? Check out our full breakdown of the top-rated VPNs in 2026 – ranked, tested, and compared side by side, so you can get protected in minutes.

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