A VPN protocol is the set of rules your device uses to set up an encrypted tunnel with a server. The protocol you pick affects connection speed, stability across network changes, and how easy it is to block. Our catalog's service cards mainly mention three — let's break down how they differ.
WireGuard
The newest of the three and now the de facto industry standard. Its codebase is far more compact than OpenVPN's, which makes it easier to audit for vulnerabilities and lets encryption run faster. Most major providers run WireGuard under their own name — NordLynx at NordVPN, for example — the same protocol with an extra layer for rotating the user's IP address between sessions.
OpenVPN
An old, well-studied, open-source protocol that's been on the market for about 20 years. It's slower than WireGuard, but flexible to configure and able to disguise itself as regular HTTPS traffic (over port 443), which sometimes helps get around VPN blocking at the ISP or country level. It was the de facto standard before WireGuard and still ships as a fallback option in nearly every app.
IKEv2/IPsec
A protocol that's especially good at holding a connection through network changes — switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data, for example, without the tunnel dropping. That's why it's often the default in mobile apps. Developed jointly by Microsoft and Cisco, it's natively supported in Windows, iOS, and macOS without extra client software.
What this means in practice
- For everyday use and maximum speed — WireGuard (or a provider's own variant of it under a different name).
- If your ISP or country blocks regular VPN traffic — look for a service supporting OpenVPN over port 443 or with obfuscation.
- For mobile devices that switch networks often — IKEv2 usually gives you the fewest dropped connections.
Every service card in our catalog lists supported platforms — to check which protocol is used by default, you can usually find that on the provider's own site or under the "WireGuard" filter in our catalog.
