Choosing the right VPN can feel like navigating a maze.
You want security, speed, and ease of use, right?
Two big names often come up: ProtonVPN vs OpenVPN.
But which one is the real champion for you?
This ProtonVPN vs OpenVPN comparison dives deep, looking at everything from their features and pricing to their performance and security.
Overview
We put ProtonVPN and OpenVPN through rigorous testing, evaluating speed, security, server network, user experience, and pricing.
This hands-on comparison will give you the insights you need to choose the best VPN for your needs.
Stop guessing which VPN is best. Choose ProtonVPN, the Swiss-based provider with over 15,000.
Pricing: It has a free plan. Paid plan starts at $4.49/month
Key Features:
- Email Aliasing.
- Encrypted Vault.
- Open Source.
Unlock the power of customization. OpenVPN lets you tailor your security settings with features.
Pricing: A free plan is available. Plan starts at $11/month
Key Features:
- Highly configurable
- Strong encryption
- Several platforms supported
What is ProtonVPN?
Want a VPN that’s serious about privacy? Check out ProtonVPN.
They’re based in Switzerland. This means that they have strong privacy laws.
They also have some unique security features. They offer a free version.
Also, explore our favorite ProtonVPN alternatives…
Our Take
Join over 100 million users who choose Proton VPN for ironclad online security. With 13,000+ servers spanning 120+ countries and speeds boosted by up to 400% with VPN Accelerator, you can browse, stream, and game with unparalleled privacy and performance.
Key Benefits
- Strong focus on privacy: Based in Switzerland with a strict no-logs policy.
- Secure core servers: Adds an extra layer of protection.
- Free version available: Try it out before you buy.
- Open-source apps: Transparency and community-driven development.
Pricing
- Proton Free: $0.00/month.
- VPN Plus: $4.99/month.
- Proton Unlimited: $7.99/month.
Pros
Cons
What is OpenVPN?
Okay, now let’s talk about OpenVPN. It’s a bit different from NordVPN.
See, OpenVPN is open-source. This means the code is available for anyone to look at and tinker with.
That makes it super flexible! But it also means you’ll need to get your hands a bit dirty with setup and configuration.
OpenVPN is known for its strong security; businesses and tech-savvy folks often use it.
Also, explore our favorite OpenVPN alternatives…
Our Take
Ready to experience a VPN that prioritizes both speed and security? Head over to OpenVPN’s official website to explore their plans and download the app.
Key Benefits
- Super flexible: You have total control over how it works. It’s like a custom-built VPN!
- Highly secure: It uses strong encryption protocols like AES-256. Your data is safe!
- Widely compatible: Works on almost any device you can think of. Phones, computers, routers… you name it!
- Large community: Tons of people use and support it. Help is always available!
Pricing
- Free Plan: $0/month
- Growth Plan: $11/month
- Enterprise: Contact Sales for a custom price.
Pros
Cons
Feature Comparison
This comparison pits a complete commercial virtual private network product against the core vpn protocol it often uses.
This proton vpn review clarifies the trade-off between the ease of a full vpn service and the control of openvpn software, helping new users secure their network traffic with the right vpn connection.
1. Product Nature and Ease of Use
- Proton VPN: A fully developed vpn service and virtual private network with a dedicated proton vpn app designed for simplicity, one-click connection, and split tunneling.
- OpenVPN: This is a tunneling protocol and openvpn software framework, not a complete consumer product. It requires manual configuration, importing certificate files, and setting up encryption keys for remote access.
2. Infrastructure and Server Types
- Proton VPN: Operates a vast network of vpn servers that include specialized secure core servers with proton vpn servers and Tor over VPN vpn servers. It owns and manages this proprietary vpn infrastructure.
- OpenVPN: Has no inherent server network. It is the software used on a server. Users must use the openvpn community edition to set up their own vpn server or connect to a third-party’s server.
3. Connection Protocols and Ports
- Proton VPN: Offers multiple modern protocols including WireGuard, IKEv2, and optimized implementations of openvpn tcp and openvpn udp. It defaults to the faster user datagram protocol (UDP).
- OpenVPN: Supports two main protocols: openvpn udp (faster, ideal for general traffic) and openvpn tcp (more reliable on restricted networks due to the tcp transmission control protocol).
4. Advanced Security Features
- Proton VPN: Includes built-in features like a kill switch, DNS leak protection, and obfuscation. The encrypted vpn tunnel is managed automatically by the proton vpn app.
- OpenVPN: Security features like a kill switch must be implemented externally, often via third-party scripts or firewall rules, as the tunneling protocol itself provides the encryption, not the full feature set.
5. Privacy Commitment and Audits
- Proton VPN: The proton vpn review highlights its strong no logs policy and privacy-friendly Swiss jurisdiction. Proton vpn passed independent security audits to confirm the integrity of its vpn tunnel.
- OpenVPN: As open-source software, it is inherently transparent and auditable by the community. However, its privacy relies entirely on how the vpn server operator (the user or third party) manages their logs and policies.
6. App Functionality and Ecosystem
- Proton VPN: The proton vpn app is available across all major operating systems, including android app and mobile devices. It integrates with proton mail and other proton services.
- OpenVPN: Requires a third-party openvpn software client (or the official OpenVPN Connect app) to run on mobile devices and computers. It offers basic vpn connection capability without additional features.
7. IP Address Management
- Proton VPN: Hides the user’s real ip address and assigns a new with access server, temporary ip address from its pool, ensuring multiple users share the ip address for anonymity.
- OpenVPN: The ip address assigned is determined by the vpn server configuration. If the user sets up their own server, they control the ip address that the network traffic appears to originate from.
8. Performance Optimization
- Proton VPN: Utilizes vpn accelerator technology to optimize performance, and its managed vpn servers are specifically tuned for high vpn connection speeds, offering a fast, secure vpn solution.
- OpenVPN: Performance depends entirely on the vpn server hardware, configuration (TCP/UDP), and the user’s local setup. It provides the protocol framework but no inherent performance boost.
9. Target Audience
- Proton VPN: Designed for general vpn providers users, privacy activists, and journalists who need high-security, easy-to-use remote access and a trustworthy vpn service provider.
- OpenVPN: Primarily used by network administrators, technical vpn providers, and individuals who want full control over their vpn server setup for customized remote access solutions.
What to Look for When Choosing a VPN?
- No-logs policy: Ensure the VPN provider doesn’t store your browsing activity. This is crucial for privacy for internet service provider.
- Kill switch: This feature cuts your internet connection if the VPN drops, preventing data leaks.
- DNS leak protection: Prevents your DNS requests from being exposed to your ISP.
- Server locations: Based on your needs (e.g., accessing content from specific countries), consider where you need servers.
- Customer support: A responsive team can be invaluable if you encounter issues.
- Free trial or money-back guarantee: You can test the free VPN risk-free before committing.
- Independent audits: Look for VPNs that undergo third-party audits to verify their security and privacy claims.
Final Verdict
In the battle of ProtonVPN vs OpenVPN, ProtonVPN emerges as our top pick for most users.
Its combination of strong security, a user-friendly VPN app, a wide range of VPN protocols (including WireGuard and OpenVPN), and a high-speed server network makes it a compelling choice.
ProtonVPN’s undetectable technology and double VPN features further enhance its security and ability to bypass VPN blocks.
While OpenVPN remains a powerful and versatile VPN protocol, its complexity and reliance on third-party providers for server infrastructure and features like a no-logs policy make it less appealing for the average user.
We’ve rigorously tested both options, comparing features, speed (NordVPN vs ProtonVPN speed tests included), security, and ease of use.
Our analysis, along with numerous ProtonVPN reviews and comparisons (like NordVPN vs ProtonVPN comparison).
Points to ProtonVPN as the more practical and accessible solution for most people seeking a secure and private online experience.
Whether you’re looking for the best VPN protocol for streaming, simply browsing the web securely, ProtonVPN delivers.
More of ProtonVPN
We’ve explored alternatives to ProtonVPN, so how does ProtonVPN stack up directly against them?
- ProtonVPN vs NordVPN: ProtonVPN prioritizes privacy with its Swiss base and open-source apps, while NordVPN focuses on speed and a vast server network.
- ProtonVPN vs ExpressVPN: It is often faster and more reliable for streaming, while ProtonVPN provides strong security features and a transparent open-source approach.
- ProtonVPN vs PureVPN: It is generally considered better overall with faster speeds and stronger security, while PureVPN boasts a larger server count.
- ProtonVPN vs SurfsharkVPN: It is often more affordable and allows unlimited connections, while ProtonVPN is known for slightly faster speeds and stronger privacy features.
- ProtonVPN vs PrivadoVPN: It offers a wider server network and a stronger focus on privacy, while PrivadoVPN provides a decent free plan and good speeds.
- ProtonVPN vs AdGuard VPN: It’s strength is its ad-blocking integration, while ProtonVPN is a more comprehensive VPN that focuses on security and privacy.
- ProtonVPN vs Virtual Shield: It offers more advanced security features and better performance than the simpler Virtual Shield.
- ProtonVPN vs StrongVPN: It generally has better speeds and a larger server network, while StrongVPN is known for strong encryption.
- ProtonVPN vs FastestVPN: ProtonVPN is typically faster and offers stronger privacy features compared to the budget-friendly FastestVPN.
- ProtonVPN vs AuraVPN: ProtonVPN focuses on VPN security and privacy, while AuraVPN includes identity theft protection.
- ProtonVPN vs CyberGhost: It is user-friendly with specialized servers, while ProtonVPN emphasizes security and privacy with features like Secure Core.
- ProtonVPN vs McAfee VPN: ProtonVPN is a dedicated VPN service with stronger security and privacy features than the basic VPN included with McAfee.
- ProtonVPN vs Private Internet Access: PIA is known for customization and a large server network, while ProtonVPN focuses on strong privacy and a transparent approach.
- ProtonVPN vs Mysterium: ProtonVPN uses a traditional server network known for security and speed, while Mysterium is a decentralized VPN.
More of OpenVPN
We’ve explored alternatives to OpenVPN, so how does OpenVPN stack up directly against them?
- OpenVPN vs NordVPN: It offers a massive server network and faster speeds with its NordLynx protocol.
- OpenVPN vs ExpressVPN: It features its proprietary Lightway protocol, designed for speed and reliability. This protocol competes with OpenVPN’s balance of security and compatibility.
- OpenVPN vs PureVPN: It supports WireGuard and IKEv2/IPSec alongside OpenVPN, giving users faster and potentially more stable options.
- OpenVPN vs SurfsharkVPN: It includes WireGuard, known for its speed, as a modern alternative to OpenVPN, alongside IKEv2.
- OpenVPN vs ProtonVPN: It utilizes WireGuard and IKEv2, emphasizing security and often providing better speeds than OpenVPN, especially on well-configured networks.
- OpenVPN vs PrivadoVPN: It supports the fast and secure WireGuard protocol as a key alternative to OpenVPN.
- OpenVPN vs AdGuard VPN: It primarily uses its protocol, often prioritizing speed and efficiency over the more established OpenVPN.
- OpenVPN vs Virtual Shield: It may rely on OpenVPN as a primary secure protocol option.
- OpenVPN vs StrongVPN: It supports WireGuard and IKEv2, offering faster and potentially more stable alternatives to OpenVPN.
- OpenVPN vs FastestVPN: It includes WireGuard and IKEv2, providing users with quicker alternatives to OpenVPN.
- OpenVPN vs AuraVPN: It may use OpenVPN as one of its core security protocols.
- OpenVPN vs CyberGhost: It supports WireGuard and IKEv2, providing faster connection options compared to OpenVPN in many scenarios.
- OpenVPN vs McAfee VPN: It may offer OpenVPN as a standard security protocol.
- OpenVPN vs Private Internet Access: It supports WireGuard and IKEv2, often delivering better speeds than OpenVPN while maintaining strong security.
- OpenVPN vs Mysterium: It utilizes the WireGuard protocol for its decentralized network, focusing on speed and security over OpenVPN.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ProtonVPN faster than OpenVPN?
ProtonVPN generally offers faster speeds due to its optimized server network and use of the WireGuard protocol. However, OpenVPN can also be fast depending on the VPN provider and server you choose. NordVPN vs ProtonVPN speed tests often show comparable results.
Can I use OpenVPN with ProtonVPN?
Yes, ProtonVPN offers the OpenVPN protocol as an option within its apps. This gives you the flexibility to choose between OpenVPN and WireGuard, depending on your needs.
What are the advantages of OpenVPN?
OpenVPN is a secure and battle-tested VPN protocol that’s widely trusted. It’s highly customizable, allowing for advanced configurations. OpenVPN also benefits from strong community support and is used by many leading VPN services.
How does ProtonVPN’s undetectable technology work?
ProtonVPN’s “undetectable” technology disguises your VPN traffic as regular internet traffic, making it harder for websites and firewalls to detect and block your VPN connection. This is particularly useful in countries with strict internet censorship.
Which is better for streaming, ProtonVPN or OpenVPN?
Both can work well for streaming, but ProtonVPN often has the edge due to its generally faster speeds and ability to bypass VPN blocks on streaming platforms. However, the effectiveness can depend on the specific streaming service and the server you choose.
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