WireGuard review (2026): is it any good?
Free, open-source VPN protocol and tunnel software
WireGuard report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for a fast tunnel you host yourself
WireGuard is free, open-source VPN software that connects two machines by swapping public keys. It is not a service: you bring the server and the keys, and it leaves user sign-in and policy to other tools.
Who WireGuard is for
- 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
Who WireGuard is not for
- 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
Why WireGuard gets a 2.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyFree 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.
- AFree plan and trialFree outright, with donations asked for. The software has no plan or cap.
- CFeaturesKey-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.
- DEase of useNo rating on record, and setup is on you: keys, a server and config files, usually from a command line.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, though the listing names no API or integrations.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from WireGuard's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make WireGuard? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/wireguard#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/wireguard.svg" alt="WireGuard: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where WireGuard stands among VPNs
WireGuard's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 22 of the 50 other VPNs we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 43 of 50) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
WireGuard has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 51 VPNs we grade, cut by the letter each got. WireGuard’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 3 of 50, level with 27
- AFree plan and trialAbove 43 of 50, level with 7
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 50, level with 30
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 50, level with 5
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 4 of 50, level with 41
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 46 VPNs. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep WireGuard, or make your own?
Keep it
WireGuard is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
What you could not
- Servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
What this rests on. WireGuard’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is WireGuard?
WireGuard is free, open-source VPN software and protocol that connects two machines by exchanging public keys, much as SSH does. It started in the Linux kernel and now has implementations for Windows, macOS, BSD, iOS and Android. It is not a hosted service: you run it yourself, or use it through a VPN provider's app.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
WireGuard pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, WireGuard is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- Free open-source software; the project accepts voluntary donations.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
Read from wireguard.com on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with WireGuard before you buy.
How people rate the WireGuard app
4.3
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
- 5 stars73%
- 4 stars8%
- 3 stars5%
- 2 stars4%
- 1 star10%
1,043 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Nov 13, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
WireGuard alternatives
- WireGuard vs OpenVPN
Free plan · from $7/mo
- WireGuard vs Firezone
Free plan · from $50/yr
- WireGuard vs Mullvad VPN
From €5/mo
Common questions
Is WireGuard open source?
Yes. WireGuard is open source, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.