The best vpn protocols, according to hackers
5 vpn protocols recommended in Hacker News comments over the past year, ranked by how many separate people recommend each one.
- Most recommendedWireGuard315 people recommend it
- Built to lastOpenVPNowners report a median of 10 years
All vpn protocols
- WireGuardA small, audited VPN that gives secure remote access to home networks and servers without a third party, though setup takes some learning and NAT traversal is limited.315recommend
- OpenVPNPeople recommend it for working in restrictive and firewalled networks and for reconnecting reliably; critics say it is more complicated to set up than WireGuard.19recommend
- AmneziaWGA WireGuard fork that disguises VPN traffic as QUIC or DNS to get past protocol blocking, though one critic notes ISPs can still fingerprint and throttle random-looking traffic.6recommend
- GotaTunRecommended as a useful, lightweight tool for connecting to remote networks without complex port forwarding. The one caveat raised is a reported bug that stops a phone from entering deep sleep.5recommend
- TrustTunnelRecommended as a free, open-source VPN protocol with a clear spec that others can reimplement, useful for censorship bypass. Caveat: one report of clients stuck on connecting.5recommend