Protocol Efficiency and Resource Utilization in VPN Technologies: A Comparative Analysis of OpenVPN and WireGuard

Virtual Private Networks are essential for securing Internet communication, but the selection of a VPN protocol can substantially affect overall network performance. Nonetheless, typical VPN protocols (e.g., OpenVPN) are too secure relative to their worst-case latency and computational overhead. New-generation VPN protocols, such as WireGuard, are said to offer greater efficiency due to a lightweight cryptographic design. This paper then depicts a comparison trial of OpenVPN and WireGuard throughput under controlled cooperation. Download and upload speeds, latency, and CPU and RAM utilization were measured using the Speedtest application on a Windows 11 platform. The results reveal that WireGuard achieved network performance approaching the baseline, with 50.4 Mbps download speeds, low latency (8.01 ms), and low CPU consumption (3%). In contrast, OpenVPN decreased download speeds to 22.1 Mbps and was accompanied by high latency (160.38 ms). The results imply that WireGuard is a valid choice for latency-sensitive and throughput-demanding use cases. In contrast, OpenVPN is appropriate for use cases that focus on interoperability and established security.