Viscosity vs WireGuard (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, WireGuard grades higher than Viscosity: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Viscosity grades higher on value for money. WireGuard grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Viscosity
OpenVPN client for Mac and Windows, bought once
Free trial · from $16 one-time
Which one is for you
Pick Viscosity if
- Fits if you use OpenVPN on both a Mac and Windows and want a tidy client
- Works for admins who want scripting and deployment bundles
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a VPN service, as it has no servers
- Skip it if you use Linux or a phone, as it runs on Mac and Windows only
- Watch out: a license includes free updates for 1.x versions only, and upgrades are sold separately
- Skip it if OpenVPN is not your protocol, as it supports nothing else
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
| 2.0GPAViscosityFair | 2.4GPAWireGuardFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$16 once is under a year of the category's middle subscription at $5 a month, though you still pay for a VPN service. | 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 | C30-day free trial on Mac and Windows; the page does not say whether a card is needed. | AFree outright, with donations asked for. The software has no plan or cap. |
| Features | DIt does a narrow job, an OpenVPN client, and needs a VPN server or provider to be of any use, even with its scripting and split DNS. | 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 import or write OpenVPN configurations and can script connections, so it needs technical know-how. | DNo rating on record, and setup is on you: keys, a server and config files, usually from a command line. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac and Windows desktop only, with OpenVPN and AppleScript as its only listed links. | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, though the listing names no API or integrations. |
| Best for | a paid OpenVPN client for Mac and Windows | 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: Viscosity and WireGuard. How we grade
Where they differ
- Viscosity can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- WireGuard is open source, according to its own site.
- Viscosity also covers menu bar app.
In commonmacOSWindowsVPN
At a glance
| Viscosity | WireGuard | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free |
| Starts at | $16 one-time, per license | Free |
| Free plan | None | Free open-source software; the project accepts voluntary donations. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial for Mac and Windows | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | SparkLabs Pty Ltd | Jason A. Donenfeld (ZX2C4) and Edge Security |
| Price read from | sparklabs.com | wireguard.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Viscosity
- It is only a client and includes no servers or VPN service.
- Supports OpenVPN, and runs on macOS and Windows only.
- A license includes free updates for 1.x versions only; the store lists upgrades separately.
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
Viscosity
- Connection editor
- Create or edit OpenVPN connections without writing configuration by hand, including multi-factor authentication settings, with advanced commands for experts.
- Full and split DNS
- Send every DNS lookup to the VPN's servers, or only lookups for chosen domains.
- Traffic statistics
- A menu overview of connections plus a details window with a traffic graph and network and encryption information.
- Scripting and automation
- Control the app with AppleScript or VBScript, and run custom scripts when a connection changes state.
- Obfuscation and simultaneous connections
- Works with an Obfsproxy server to get past networks that block VPNs, and can hold several VPN connections open at once.
- Deployment bundles
- Organizations can bundle the app with preset settings and connections to hand to their users.
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
Viscosity
Viscosity license$16
one-time, per license
One-time purchase with no subscription. Includes email support and free updates for all future 1.x versions.
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.
Ways to pay less
Viscosity
- Other savings
Volume discount on multiple licenses
The store says raising the quantity of licenses shows an instant discount at checkout.
WireGuard
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Viscosity or WireGuard?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Viscosity starts at $16 one-time, per license, and WireGuard is free.
Which has a free plan, Viscosity or WireGuard?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only WireGuard has a free plan. Viscosity does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Viscosity and WireGuard run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only WireGuard lists Linux, iOS and Android apps. Both list macOS and Windows apps. 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.