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For a VPS where UDP traffic is allowed, WireGuard is usually the better starting point for a VPN tunnel. It is designed around UDP and has a compact key-establishment protocol. OpenVPN remains useful when you need TCP transport to reach networks that block UDP, and its performance can change substantially when Data Channel Offload (DCO) is available. Neither protocol guarantees a particular speed or CPU saving: the VPS, route, configuration, and workload matter.
Which should you choose for a VPS?
Choose WireGuard when you can use UDP and want a straightforward tunnel to evaluate for sustained traffic. Choose OpenVPN when transport flexibility—especially TCP—is important for connectivity, or when your environment already depends on OpenVPN’s configuration model. If speed is the deciding factor, test both on the same VPS with the same transport and comparable security settings rather than relying on a universal ranking.
- WireGuard: UDP-only as a protocol, with a compact Noise_IK-based handshake and recurring key exchange.
- OpenVPN: supports UDP and TCP, separates control-channel setup from tunnel data, and can use DCO in supported configurations and platforms.
- Performance verdict: the available official comparison is historical and explicitly cautions against treating its results as well-conducted current benchmarks.
Throughput: why there is no reliable universal winner
A protocol’s handshake is not a throughput test. The initial handshake establishes keys; after that, the sustained cost of moving packets, the network path, and the VPS’s available CPU generally determine long-transfer results. A quick connection setup does not, by itself, establish higher sustained throughput.
WireGuard’s official performance page includes an older comparison using Intel i7-3820QM and i7-5200U systems, Linux 4.6.1, and OpenVPN in UDP mode with an equivalently secure AES/HMAC suite. The page itself describes the benchmarks as “old, crusty, and not super well conducted.” Those results should not be converted into a current VPS-wide speed multiplier.
#1 Best Overall
- 【Five Gigabit Ports】1 Gigabit WAN Port plus 2 Gigabit WAN/LAN Ports plus 2 Gigabit LAN Port. Up to 3 WAN ports optimize bandwidth usage through one device.
- 【One USB WAN Port】Mobile broadband via 4G/3G modem is supported for WAN backup by connecting to the USB port. For complete list of compatible 4G/3G modems, please visit TP-Link website.
- 【Abundant Security Features】Advanced firewall policies, DoS defense, IP/MAC/URL filtering, speed test and more security functions protect your network and data.
- 【Highly Secure VPN】Supports up to 20× LAN-to-LAN IPsec, 16× OpenVPN, 16× L2TP, and 16× PPTP VPN connections.
- Security - SPI Firewall, VPN Pass through, FTP/H.323/PPTP/SIP/IPsec ALG, DoS Defence, Ping of Death and Local Management. Standards and Protocols IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3ab, IEEE 802.3x, IEEE 802.1q
Comparing WireGuard over UDP with OpenVPN over TCP also changes the transport, so it cannot isolate the protocol’s performance. For a fair raw-tunnel comparison, start with UDP on both. If TCP is a real requirement, test that separately as a connectivity option rather than presenting it as an apples-to-apples speed contest.
CPU use: measure it against delivered traffic
There is no established current figure showing that WireGuard always uses a particular percentage less CPU than OpenVPN on VPS plans. CPU allocation, kernel and implementation, cipher configuration, traffic volume, and network conditions all affect the result. OpenVPN 2.6 may use DCO opportunistically in supported configurations; the manual’s documented mode requires AEAD data ciphers and Linux with the ovpn-dco module.
Rank #2
- 【AC1200 Dual-band Wireless Router】Simultaneous dual-band with wireless speed up to 300 Mbps (2.4GHz) + 867 Mbps (5GHz). 2.4GHz band can handles some simple tasks like emails or web browsing while bandwidth intensive tasks such as gaming or 4K video streaming can be handled by the 5GHz band.*Speed tests are conducted on a local network. Real-world speeds may differ depending on your network configuration.*
- 【Easy Setup】Please refer to the User Manual and the Unboxing & Setup video guide on Amazon for detailed setup instructions and methods for connecting to the Internet.
- 【Pocket-friendly】Lightweight design(145g) which designed for your next trip or adventure. Alongside its portable, compact design makes it easy to take with you on the go.
- 【Full Gigabit Ports】Gigabit Wireless Internet Router with 2 Gigabit LAN ports and 1 Gigabit WAN ports, ideal for lots of internet plan and allow you to connect your wired devices directly.
- 【Keep your Internet Safe】IPv6 supported. OpenVPN & WireGuard pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers. Cloudflare encryption supported to protect the privacy.
Compare CPU at the same achieved throughput, or compare throughput under the same CPU limit. Otherwise, a result may simply show that one test pushed more traffic through the tunnel. Record whether DCO was active; a result without that detail may not describe the OpenVPN setup a reader can reproduce.
Handshake and key management are not the same as speed
WireGuard’s protocol uses a Noise_IK-based handshake. Its documented cryptographic primitives include Curve25519, ChaCha20-Poly1305, BLAKE2s, SipHash24, and HKDF. The initial handshake establishes symmetric keys, and WireGuard performs recurring key exchange for forward secrecy. Retries and rate limits are also part of its protocol behavior. See the WireGuard protocol and cryptography specification.
Rank #3
- New-Gen WiFi Standard – WiFi 6(802.11ax) standard supporting MU-MIMO and OFDMA technology for better efficiency and throughput.Antenna : External antenna x 4. Processor : Dual-core (4 VPE). Power Supply : AC Input : 110V~240V(50~60Hz), DC Output : 12 V with max. 1.5A current.
- Ultra-fast WiFi Speed – RT-AX1800S supports 1024-QAM for dramatically faster wireless connections
- Increase Capacity and Efficiency – Supporting not only MU-MIMO but also OFDMA technique to efficiently allocate channels, communicate with multiple devices simultaneously
- 5 Gigabit ports – One Gigabit WAN port and four Gigabit LAN ports, 10X faster than 100–Base T Ethernet.
- Commercial-grade Security Anywhere – Protect your home network with AiProtection Classic, powered by Trend Micro. And when away from home, ASUS Instant Guard gives you a one-click secure VPN.
OpenVPN’s wire protocol describes a control channel for setup and a data channel for tunneled packets; in TLS mode, both use the same connection. That architecture is not directly comparable to a simple count of WireGuard handshake steps. Connection time depends on the exact versions, authentication modes, network conditions, and configuration—not just the protocol name. See the OpenVPN wire protocol specification.
Transport choice: UDP versus TCP
WireGuard uses UDP
WireGuard packets use UDP; the protocol does not directly provide a TCP transport. Its known limitations page describes using an additional adaptation layer to carry UDP traffic over TCP. That is not the same as native WireGuard-over-TCP support.
Rank #4
- 【DUAL BAND WIFI 7 TRAVEL ROUTER】Products with US, UK, EU, AU Plug; Dual band network with wireless speed 688Mbps (2.4G)+2882Mbps (5G); Dual 2.5G Ethernet Ports (1x WAN and 1x LAN Port); USB 3.0 port.
- 【NETWORK CONTROL WITH TOUCHSCREEN SIMPLICITY】Slate 7’s touchscreen interface lets you scan QR codes for quick Wi-Fi, monitor speed in real time, toggle VPN on/off, and switch providers directly on the display. Color-coded indicators provide instant network status updates for Ethernet, Tethering, Repeater, and Cellular modes, offering a seamless, user-friendly experience.
- 【OpenWrt 23.05 FIRMWARE】The Slate 7 (GL-BE3600) is a high-performance Wi-Fi 7 travel router, built with OpenWrt 23.05 (Kernel 5.4.213) for maximum customization and advanced networking capabilities. With 512MB storage, total customization with open-source freedom and flexible installation of OpenWrt plugins.
- 【VPN CLIENT & SERVER】OpenVPN and WireGuard are pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers (active subscription required). Simply log in to your existing VPN account with our portable wifi device, and Slate 7 automatically encrypts all network traffic within the connected network. Max. VPN speed of 100 Mbps (OpenVPN); 540 Mbps (WireGuard). *Speed tests are conducted on a local network. Real-world speeds may differ depending on your network configuration.*
- 【PERFECT PORTABLE WIFI ROUTER FOR TRAVEL】The Slate 7 is an ideal portable internet device perfect for international travel. With its mini size and travel-friendly features, the pocket Wi-Fi router is the perfect companion for travelers in need of a secure internet connectivity on the go in which includes hotels or cruise ships.
OpenVPN can use UDP or TCP
OpenVPN supports both transports. UDP is the more direct comparison with WireGuard for tunnel performance. TCP can help when a network blocks UDP or only permits TCP-oriented firewall traversal. But carrying TCP application traffic inside a TCP tunnel can cause reliability-layer interactions and performance problems; TCP fallback is a reachability trade-off, not an automatic speed improvement.
How to compare them on your VPS
Run a controlled test on the VPS and endpoint you actually plan to use. Keep transport and cryptographic strength comparable, and treat initial connection time, sustained throughput, CPU, latency, and packet loss as separate results.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Next-Gen Gigabit Wi-Fi 6 Speeds: 2402 Mbps on 5 GHz and 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz bands ensure smoother streaming and faster downloads; support VPN server and VPN client¹
- A More Responsive Experience: Enjoy smooth gaming, video streaming, and live feeds simultaneously. OFDMA makes your Wi-Fi stronger by allowing multiple clients to share one band at the same time, cutting latency and jitter.²
- Expanded Wi-Fi Coverage: 4 high-gain external antennas and Beamforming technology combine to extend strong, reliable, Wi-Fi throughout your home.
- Improved Battery Life: Target Wake Time helps your devices to communicate efficiently while consuming less power.
- Improved Cooling Design: No heat ups, no throttles. A larger heat sink and redefined case design cools the WiFi 6 system and enables your network to stay at top speeds in more versatile environments.
- Record the test environment. Note VPS CPU plan and location, kernel and software versions, endpoint and route, and the no-VPN baseline.
- Match the configuration. Compare UDP with UDP where possible; record cipher and authentication settings, MTU, and whether OpenVPN DCO is enabled.
- Use representative traffic. Test both a single stream and concurrent flows, and include the TCP or UDP application traffic you expect to tunnel.
- Measure separate outcomes. Record sustained throughput, CPU use, latency, packet loss, and initial connect time rather than collapsing them into one “faster” result.
- Keep the conclusion local. Report the duration and conditions and apply the result to that VPS, route, and configuration—not to every provider or plan.
Bottom line by use case
- UDP is available and sustained tunnel traffic is the priority: start with WireGuard, then verify performance on your VPS.
- UDP is blocked or TCP traversal is necessary: OpenVPN’s TCP option may provide connectivity, with possible performance costs for TCP traffic inside TCP.
- You need a CPU comparison: include OpenVPN DCO status and compare at matched throughput or CPU limits.
- You care about connection setup: time the exact configurations you will deploy; do not infer throughput from handshake design alone.
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