Tunnelblick vs WireGuard (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, WireGuard grades higher than Tunnelblick: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Tunnelblick grades higher on value for money. WireGuard grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Tunnelblick if
- Fits if you run a Mac and already have an OpenVPN server or provider
- Works for people who want free, open-source software with no ads
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a VPN service, as it includes no servers
- Not for you if you use Windows, Linux or a phone, as it is Mac only
- Skip it if config files put you off, as you set up each connection yourself
- Watch out: it speaks OpenVPN only, and builds need macOS 13 or later
Pick WireGuard if
- Fits if you are happy to run your own server and exchange keys by hand
- Works for people building a VPN or a provider's app on top of a small protocol
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a hosted VPN, as there are no provider servers
- Not for you if you want sign-in, users and policy, because those need other tools
- Too light for a team: pushing configuration to many people is outside its scope
- Watch out: the site says the project is under heavy development
- Watch out: the Mac and iPhone apps come from the App Store, and Android from Google Play or an APK
How we grade them
| 2.2GPATunnelblickFair | 2.4GPAWireGuardFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree open-source software, against a category where paid plans start near $4 a month, though you still pay for a VPN service to connect to. | CFree to download, but there are no provider servers, so you pay for a server of your own. Software that is only free if you host it yourself is a C. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright under the GNU GPL, with no ads and no cap. | AFree outright, with donations asked for. The software has no plan or cap. |
| Features | DIt does one narrow job, an OpenVPN client, and needs a VPN service or your own server to be of any use. | CKey-based tunnels with a small codebase. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller job: key distribution and pushed configuration are outside its scope. |
| Ease of use | DYou add OpenVPN configuration files yourself, so it is a command-line-adjacent job for most people. | DNo rating on record, and setup is on you: keys, a server and config files, usually from a command line. |
| Platforms and integrations | DmacOS only, and the current builds need macOS 13 or later. | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, though the listing names no API or integrations. |
| Best for | an OpenVPN client for the Mac at no cost | a fast tunnel you host yourself |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Tunnelblick and WireGuard. How we grade
Price against what you get
Tunnelblick has no paid plan and scores 1.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. WireGuard has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
WireGuard scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other VPNs on the chart, none scores higher than Tunnelblick for less, and none scores higher than WireGuard for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Tunnelblick also covers menu bar app.
At a glance
| Tunnelblick | WireGuard | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | None | Free open-source software; the project accepts voluntary donations. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | The Tunnelblick Project | Jason A. Donenfeld (ZX2C4) and Edge Security |
| Price read from | tunnelblick.net | wireguard.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Tunnelblick
- It is only a client: it does not include servers, so you need a VPN service or your own server.
- Supports OpenVPN only, and runs on macOS only; the current builds need macOS 13 or later.
- The project does not accept donations of money and is maintained by volunteers.
WireGuard
- It is software, not a hosted VPN: there are no provider servers, and you supply the server and keys.
- Key distribution and pushed configuration are outside its scope, so users, sign-in and policy need other tools.
- The site says the project is under heavy development.
- The macOS and iOS apps are installed from the App Store, and the Android app from Google Play or as an APK.
Key features
Tunnelblick
- OpenVPN client
- Controls OpenVPN connections on macOS and ships with OpenVPN, easy-rsa and the tun/tap drivers, so nothing else needs installing.
- Works with your own configurations
- You add OpenVPN configuration and encryption files from a VPN provider or from a server you run yourself.
- Free software
- Licensed under the GNU GPL version 2. The site states there are no ads, no affiliate marketers and no tracking.
- No logs of IP addresses
- The project says it does not keep logs of your IP address or other usage information, and collects no usage statistics.
- Stable and beta releases
- The downloads page lists a stable and a beta build, both universal for Intel and Apple Silicon Macs on macOS 13 or later.
WireGuard
- Key-based tunnels
- A connection is made by exchanging public keys between peers, and each peer lists the tunnel IP addresses it is allowed to send from.
- Modern cryptography
- Uses the Noise protocol framework, Curve25519, ChaCha20, Poly1305, BLAKE2, SipHash24 and HKDF.
- Small codebase
- Designed to be short enough for one person to review, in contrast to the larger IPsec and OpenVPN codebases, the project says.
- Roaming
- A connection can keep working as a peer's IP address changes.
- Wide platform support
- The install page lists Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and many Linux and BSD distributions, plus OpenWRT.
Plans
Tunnelblick
Free$0
Free software under the GNU GPL version 2, with no ads or tracking. You supply the VPN server or service.
WireGuard
WireGuard$0
Free software you set up and host yourself. The kernel components are GPLv2; other projects use MIT, BSD, Apache 2.0 or GPL licenses.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Tunnelblick or WireGuard?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Tunnelblick and WireGuard are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Tunnelblick or WireGuard?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Tunnelblick and WireGuard have a free plan.
Which platforms do Tunnelblick and WireGuard run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only WireGuard lists Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps. Both list a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.