IKEv2 vs. OpenVPN: What’s the Difference? – Rublon (2024)

Last updated on July 21st, 2023

The main difference between IKEv2 and OpenVPN is that IKEv2 is a standard protocol that is natively supported by many operating systems and offers faster and more stable connections, while OpenVPN is an open-source protocol that requires third-party software and offers more flexibility and security options.

If you are looking for a secure and reliable VPN protocol, you may have come across IKEv2 and OpenVPN. These are two of the most popular and widely used protocols in the VPN industry, but what are the differences between them, and which one should you choose? In this article, we will explain what IKEv2 and OpenVPN are, how they work, and what are their advantages and disadvantages. We will also provide some tips on how to use them effectively.

What are IKEv2 and OpenVPN?

IKEv2 and OpenVPN are both VPN protocols that create a secure tunnel for communication between a VPN client and a VPN server. They use encryption and authentication to protect the data that travels through the tunnel from being intercepted or tampered with by third parties.

However, they differ in their design, implementation, features, and performance. Let’s take a closer look at each protocol.

What is IKEv2?

IKEv2 stands for Internet Key Exchange version 2. It is a standard protocol described in RFC-7296 that was jointly developed by Microsoft and Cisco. It is a successor to IKEv1, which was defined in RFC-2409.

IKEv2 is a tunneling protocol within the IPSec protocol suite. It is responsible for setting up Security Associations (SAs) for secure communication between VPN clients and VPN servers within IPSec. SAs are agreements on how the security and authentication of the tunnel will take place.

IKEv2 uses UDP as the transport layer protocol, usually on port 500. It uses Diffie-Hellman (DH) or Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH) for key exchange, which is a process of generating a shared secret key that can be used to encrypt and decrypt the data. It can use a big number of cryptographic algorithms, such as AES, Blowfish, and 3DES, for encryption.

IKEv2 is often paired with IPSec, which is another protocol that provides additional security features, such as Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP) or Authentication Header (AH). The combination of IKEv2 and IPSec is commonly known as IKEv2/IPSec.

What is OpenVPN?

OpenVPN is an open-source protocol that was created by James Yonan in 2001. It is not based on any standards, but it uses the OpenSSL library extensively to provide encryption and authentication. It also uses the TLS protocol for key exchange.

OpenVPN can use UDP or TCP as the transport layer protocol, depending on the configuration. It can also use any port number, but it usually uses port 1194 for UDP and port 443 for TCP. Port 443 is the same port used by HTTPS traffic, which makes it harder to block or detect by firewalls.

OpenVPN can also use a big number of cryptographic algorithms, such as AES, RC5, Blowfish, ChaCha20, and 3DES, for encryption. It supports Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS), which means that it generates a new encryption key for each session, making it more resistant to attacks.

OpenVPN is not natively supported by any operating system, but it is available on many platforms through third-party software. Some of the most popular software includes the official OpenVPN client, Tunnelblick for macOS, OpenVPN Connect for iOS and Android, and OpenVPN GUI for Windows.

IKEv2 vs. OpenVPN: What are the Similarities Between IKEv2 and OpenVPN?

Before we delve into how OpenVPN and IKEv2 differ, let’s take a look at what they have in common.

• Both IKEv2 and OpenVPN provide full confidentiality, authentication, and integrity. This means that they prevent anyone from reading, modifying, or spoofing the data that travels through the tunnel.
• Both IKEv2 and OpenVPN support Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS). This means that they generate a new encryption key for each session or connection, making it harder for attackers to decrypt past or future traffic even if they obtain one key.
• Both IKEv2 and OpenVPN have no proven major vulnerabilities and are generally considered to be secure. They are constantly updated and audited by their developers and communities.

IKEv2 vs. OpenVPN: What’s the Difference Between IKEv2 and OpenVPN?

Here’s a table describing the differences between IKEv2 vs. OpenVPN.

Note that just like L2TP, IKEv2 is often paired with IPSec, so some of the differences include the differences between OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec.

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Conclusion of IKEv2 vs. OpenVPN

IKEv2 and OpenVPN are two secure protocols used to establish and authenticate communication between a VPN client and a VPN server. Generally, IKEv2 is faster than OpenVPN. Further, IKEv2 has the ability to re-establish a connection after a loss of signal and handle changes in the network very well thanks to the MOBIKE protocol. On the other hand, OpenVPN can use both UDP and TCP as transport layer protocols. It is open-source, secure, reliable, and cost-efficient.

Summing up, if you need a secure and versatile protocol, OpenVPN is a good choice. However, if you care about speed or want to use a mobile VPN client, go for IKEv2.