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WireGuard

A fast, minimal, open-source VPN protocol built into Linux and available on every major OS.

Open sourceSelf-hostableVPN services
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About WireGuard

WireGuard is a modern VPN protocol and set of tools created by Jason A. Donenfeld. It uses a small, fixed set of current cryptography and is written in very few lines of code compared with OpenVPN or IPsec, which makes it easier to audit and noticeably faster. It has been part of the Linux kernel since 2020 and has official apps for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, plus packages for BSDs and many router systems. Most commercial VPNs and mesh tools, including Mullvad, Proton, Tailscale and NetBird, are built on it. On its own, WireGuard is a building block: you exchange public keys and write short configuration files, with no user management, web console or dynamic IP assignment. That is why tools like wg-easy exist. It is free, with kernel components under GPLv2. It suits technical users who want to run their own fast VPN tunnel between machines or a home server.

Best for: Technical users building their own fast VPN tunnels between machines.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Very fast with a small, auditable codebase
  • Built into the Linux kernel
  • Official apps on every major platform

Why people leave

  • No user management or web UI on its own
  • Manual key and config handling
  • Static configuration needs extra tools for larger setups

Top WireGuard alternatives

See all 5
  1. 1wg-easy logo
    wg-easy

    Adds a web UI and client management on top of WireGuard.

    66.5
  2. 2Tailscale logo
    Tailscale

    Handles keys, NAT traversal and access rules for you on top of WireGuard.

    62.6
  3. 3OpenVPN logo
    OpenVPN

    Older protocol that works over TCP on any port and is supported everywhere.

    59.6
  4. 4NetBird logo
    NetBird

    Open-source WireGuard mesh with SSO and a management dashboard.

    57.2
  5. 5Pritunl logo
    Pritunl

    Server with a web console that supports WireGuard and OpenVPN clients.

    55.3

Why people left WireGuard

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

No switching stories yet. If you moved away from WireGuard, review the app you switched to and tell us why.

Reviews

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WireGuard: common questions

Is WireGuard free?

Yes. WireGuard is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.

Is WireGuard open source?

Yes. You can also run it on your own server.

What platforms does WireGuard run on?

WireGuard is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and Self-hosted.

What are the best alternatives to WireGuard?

The highest-ranked WireGuard alternatives right now are wg-easy, Tailscale and OpenVPN. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 WireGuard alternatives