Difference between OVPN and OpenVPN app for Windows 10? (and Viscosity and Wireguard too)!

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1

Hello,

Please help me understand the difference between these two install files. (I currently subscribe to OVPN). I will take a stab at trying to answer my own questions, So please clarify/correct/explain my “guesses”. Also, any suggestions as to what app is “best” or most stable, or preferred is welcome!

The latest version of the 64 bit OVPN install file (as of July 2, 2022) is “OVPN-win-6-2.2.0.4662.exe”, as listed on the OVPN.com web site.

However, I can also download this file “OpenVPN-2.5.7-I602-amd64.msi”

The OVPN.com web site tells me that I can use either the OVPN app or the OpenVPN app.
https://www.ovpn.com/en/guides#openvpn

I am guessing that the “OVPN” install file is program that is written and supported by the company OVPN.

Again, just guessing, the OpenVPN install app is written by the community for OpenVPN, and can use the OVPN servers etc, but is a different “front end”?? Maybe OpenVPN is “open source” and can be used by other VPN’s as well?

Am I close?

So I am guessing that “Viscosity” is also an alternative “front end” to connect to the OVPN servers etc? However, I do not understand the advantages of Viscosity over the other two

And then there is WireGuard, that based on everything that I read, seems to be both a faster and more secure way to connect to OVPN and other VPNs. However, when I installed WireGuard, (a few times actually), and while it worked, I had some issues, and removed the software. I would prefer to use something that is both “faster an more secure”, but I also do not want “issues”.

I am also concerned about having both OVPN and OpenVPN installed on my PC at the same time, is that a concern, or no?

I have more questions, but I think I will stop here, and let you educate me.

Thanks!

2

openvpn is a software/protocol that can be used to set up VPN tunnels.

wireguard is a software/protocol that can be used to set up VPN tunnels. it can be faster in some scenarios but its not more secure, . it can be easier to set up , and some people like it because of this.

viscosity is a shiny gui front end for Mac , and it contains 1. the shiny gui , and 2. standard openvpn application. its probably the best openvpn client app for Mac, though there is also Tunnelblick - which works, but is a bit clunkier (even though at the core - its the same software)

ovpn.com is a VPN provider service, probably named ovpn to take advantage of the confusion surrounding the similarity between ovpn and openvpn. they offer their service using both the openvpn protocol and also the wireguard protocol. the language on their website is designed to confuse, so they’re probably scummy.

if you want to install OVPN and openvpn then by all means do so. you might have issues if theyre both active at the same time, but no more so than with any other 2 VPN products.

you can probably use the OVPN service through any client software that supports the openvpn protocol. so you you probably dont need to install the specific OVPN software

openvpn.net is the group that makes the openvpn software, and also offers various paid VPN servers/services. they like to take advantage of the even-greater similarity between ‘openvpn’ and ‘openvpn.net’ and ‘openvpn community edition’ to confuse people into buying a VPN service or VPN appliance from them when most of the time with a little effort they could do what they wanted with the openvpn community edition, which is available for free.

3

Well interesting, I tried one more time to install Wireguard, and after installing, I had to leave, so I shut down my computer, and when I came back, and turned it back on, I was connected to my OVPN via Wireguard! So I guess a reboot after install was needed for me!

4

Thank you Boli99, a complete, detailed and concise answer! Appreciate your time! I do have the “Wireguard” software/protocal working now, I will probably stick with that for a while. I also have an Asus router, and I have the “asuswrt-merlin” firmware on my Asus RT-AX88U. I thought about installing OpenVPN on the router, but as I also use my network for work, I would want some devices to use OpenVPN, and some to connect directly to the internet, and I would have to “whitelist/blacklist” each device. Too much trouble!

My next project is to decide if it is worthwhile to upgrade my Netgear CM1000 (not V2) to a Netgear CM2000 or Motorola MB8611, or just “limp” along with my CM1000 (all three are Docsis 3.1) until Comcast/Xfinity upgrades to Docsis 4.0.

Thanks again!