Side by Side
| Aspect | WireGuard | OpenVPN | Tailscale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A VPN protocol and kernel module | A VPN program built on TLS | A managed mesh network built on WireGuard |
| Transport | UDP only | UDP or TCP (can use port 443) | WireGuard over UDP, relayed over HTTPS if UDP is blocked |
| Speed | Fast, low CPU | Slower in user space; better with kernel offload (2.6+) | WireGuard speed when direct; slower when relayed |
| Identity | One public key per device | Certificates, or username and password plugins | Your existing login (Google, Microsoft, GitHub and others) |
| Setup | A short config file per device | A certificate authority and longer configs | Install the app and sign in |
| Who runs the control side | You | You | Tailscale (or a self-hosted control server such as Headscale) |
| Best for | Your own server and a handful of devices | Many users, strict networks, existing OpenVPN clients | Connecting many devices and servers with no key handling |
WireGuard
WireGuard has been part of the mainline Linux kernel since version 5.6. Each device has a key pair, and each side lists the other's public key and the addresses it may use. There are no certificates, no user accounts and no negotiation of ciphers: it uses one fixed modern set (Curve25519, ChaCha20-Poly1305, BLAKE2s). That makes the code small and the configuration short.
The trade-offs follow from the same simplicity. It only speaks UDP, so a network that blocks UDP blocks it. It does not hand out addresses or push settings to clients; you write them into each config. And adding a device means adding its key on the server. Our guide to setting up WireGuard on a VPS goes through the whole setup in about fifteen minutes.
OpenVPN
OpenVPN builds its tunnel on TLS. Clients authenticate with certificates issued by your own certificate authority, optionally with a username and password on top, and the server can push routes and DNS settings to them. It runs over UDP by default and can switch to TCP, including on port 443, which helps on hotel, school and corporate networks that only let web traffic out.
It is slower than WireGuard in a default install because packets pass through a user-space program. OpenVPN 2.6 added data channel offload (a kernel module that moves encryption into the kernel), which brings it much closer where it is available. Choose it when you need per-user logins, when clients already have OpenVPN, or when UDP is not an option.
Tailscale
Tailscale uses WireGuard for every tunnel but takes over the parts WireGuard leaves to you. A coordination service distributes keys and addresses, works out a direct path between two devices even when both are behind NAT, and relays traffic through its own servers when no direct path exists. You sign in with an existing account, and access rules decide which devices may reach which.
The cost of that convenience is a dependency: the coordination service is run by Tailscale. If you want the same model under your own control, Headscale is an open-source, self-hosted implementation of the control server that works with the Tailscale clients.
Which to Choose
- A private tunnel to your own server: WireGuard. One server, a few laptops and phones, nothing else to run.
- Many people with their own logins, or networks that block UDP: OpenVPN, ideally on TCP 443 for the restrictive networks.
- Many devices in many places, little time: Tailscale, or Headscale if you want to run the control server yourself.
Whichever you pick on a server, open its port in the server's firewall (51820/udp is WireGuard's usual one) and check that the server is a KVM VPS rather than a container, which may not allow the kernel module or TUN device. To join several of your own servers in one location without any VPN at all, private networking is simpler.
Tailscale, OpenVPN and WireGuard are trademarks of their respective owners. Virteche is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Details about their products come from their public documentation as of the date at the top of this guide.