PPTP vs OpenVPN: What’s the difference?
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Find out more about these commonly used protocols in our PPTP vs OpenVPN guide.
Although most people consider price to be the biggest factor when choosing a VPN service, it is also important to consider the choice of protocols offered by each provider. Two of the most used options today are OpenVPN and PPTP, which bring their own set of pros and cons to the table.
If you don’t understand the strengths and weaknesses of these two protocols, it can be difficult to figure out the right protocol for your needs. However, we’ve got you covered! Below, you will learn about the difference between PPTP and OpenVPN as well as the advantages and disadvantages of using either of the two technologies.
Let’s dive into:
What is PPTP?
Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol, or PPTP, is one of the oldest protocols in existence. Developed by Microsoft, it is supported by most VPN providers and easier to set up than other protocols as it comes preinstalled on most Windows, Android, iOS, and macOS devices.
PPTP is the fastest in terms of speed, which makes it a great choice for bandwidth-heavy activities like streaming and gaming. However, it is not enough in terms of security, using RC4 and RSA algorithms with 128-bit encryption to secure your data.
The protocol has many known vulnerabilities, which cybercriminals can exploit to target you with attacks. Furthermore, PPTP can be blocked by ISPs because it runs on TCP port 1723 and uses easily identifiable GRE (Generic Routing Encapsulation) packets.
Advantages of using PPTP
Here are the advantages of using PPTP as your protocol:
- Simple setup process
- Does not require the use of any special software
- Provides high speeds with low load
Disadvantages of using PPTP
Here are the cons of using PPTP as your protocol:
- weak security
- full of weakness
- It can be detected and stopped easily
- It was cracked by the NSA
What is OpenVPN?
Open Virtual Private Network, or OpenVPN, is one of the newer protocols available. Developed by OpenVPN Technologies, it is the preferred protocol for many VPN services and can be used on all major (even the lesser known) devices via a third-party client.
OpenVPN offers up to 256-bit encryption and is capable of using both TCP and UDP ports, which is why it is the best choice for security and bypassing geo-blocks and firewalls. The protocol provides decent speeds as well, although you may experience slowdowns as it is not very lightweight.
Since OpenVPN is open source, vulnerabilities are fixed by a community of developers as soon as they are discovered. By the way, the protocol has also passed several security audits. The best part of all is that OpenVPN is highly configurable as it can use different connection ports and encryption levels.
Related reading: TCP vs UDP – What is the difference between both protocols?
Advantages of using OpenVPN
Here are the advantages of using OpenVPN as your protocol:
- Highest level of security
- Great stability when roaming over cellular and Wi-Fi networks
- It gets around most firewalls and geo-blocks
- Great cross-platform compatibility
Disadvantages of using OpenVPN
Here are the cons of using OpenVPN as your protocol:
- Technical setup process, especially for first time users
- Connection speed problems are not common
- Requires third party software to be used
Comparison of PPTP vs. OpenVPN
Now that OpenVPN and PPTP and the advantages and disadvantages of each are, let’s take a look at how they stack up against each other:
PPTP | OpenVPN | |
easy to prevent | Yes | number |
Compatibility | Integrated into a wide range of operating systems/devices | Not built into OS/Devices |
encryption | Up to 128 bit | up to 256 bit |
use | Via the built-in client/OS or the VPN provider’s native app | Via third-party software or the VPN provider’s native app |
Speed | high speeds | OpenVPN over TCP offers better speeds than OpenVPN over UDP |
stability | Unreliable in some communications | very stable |
Supported Operating Systems / Devices | Android, Windows, iOS, Linux, macOS, DD-WRT, Tomato, etc. | Android, Windows, iOS, Linux, OpenBSD, Solaris, FreeBSD, etc. |
vulnerabilities | Cracked by the NSA | There are no known weaknesses |
best for | Bandwidth-intensive activities such as gaming and streaming | Situations where both speed and security are important |
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about PPTP and OpenVPN:
Is PPTP VPN secure?
No, PPTP is not secure at all. Since it provides the weakest level of encryption, you cannot trust it regarding the security of your sensitive data. Moreover, there are several known vulnerabilities in this protocol. In fact, PPTP traffic has been hacked by the NSA. For these reasons, you should not use PPTP unless it is the only option available, or if security is not your priority.
Does OpenVPN use PPTP?
No. OpenVPN is based on SSL/TLS and uses the SSL/TLS protocol to create an encrypted tunnel for all of your traffic and communications. As such, it is not compatible with PPTP, L2TP, IPSec, or any other protocol.
What replaced PPTP?
L2TP was created to provide a more secure alternative to PPTP. The protocol has all the features that PPTP offers, but is more firewall friendly and uses 256-bit encryption to secure your data. The increased security means that L2TP uses more CPU resources than its predecessor, which makes its performance relatively slower.
What’s better than OpenVPN?
While OpenVPN is the best all-in-one option you can use right now, there is a newcomer in the world of VPN protocols: WireGuard. The open source protocol is equally secure, can better manage network changes, and consumes less data. However, you still need to thoroughly test and pass security audits to get a full advantage over OpenVPN.
conclusion
PPTP has faster speeds and is easier to set up but provides a poorly secured connection. On the other hand, OpenVPN offers decent speeds and excellent security, plus is great at bypassing geo-blocks and undetected firewalls.
Do you have any questions for us? Feel free to use the comments section below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
PureVPN PureVPN is a leading VPN service provider that excels at providing easy online privacy and security solutions. With over 6,500 servers in over 78 countries, it helps consumers and businesses keep their online identity secure.
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