Android
Settings › ProtocolOpens “Protocols”, on phones and tablets. Without a plan, you can still choose any protocol.
VPN protocols
VPN protocols: what each one is for
VPN protocols are the rules your device and a CopVPN server follow to build the encrypted tunnel between them. CopVPN has 5 protocols. Optimal picks one for you automatically.
No plan needed on iPhone, iPad and Android, on the free locations: you can choose any protocol there.
30-day money-back guarantee (except crypto and manual payments)
The app says
WireGuard “Fastest. Best for everyday use where VPNs aren’t blocked.”
Real Protocol screen · CopVPN for Windows · Settings › Connection › Protocol
Which protocol
Which protocol should I use?
Start with Optimal and let the app decide. If you’d rather choose yourself, match the protocol to the network you’re on, and work down the path when one won’t connect. Switching in Settings takes seconds. No VPN works on every network, but each step gives you another way to connect.
- Start hereWireGuardFastest. Best for everyday use where VPNs aren’t blocked.
- If WireGuard is unstableOpenVPN UDPReliable and widely supported. Good if WireGuard is unstable.
- If a firewall blocks UDPOpenVPN TCPSlower, but gets through firewalls that block UDP, such as hotels, offices and schools.
- If the network blocks VPN trafficAmneziaWGDisguised WireGuard. For networks that detect and block VPN traffic.
- If everything else is blockedStealthLooks like ordinary web browsing. For the most restrictive networks, when everything else is blocked.
Compared
Which is the best VPN protocol for you?
Our VPN protocol comparison at a glance: what each of the 5 is for, how it encrypts your traffic and where to find it. All 5 are VPN encryption protocols, so whichever you pick, your traffic travels encrypted between your device and the server.
| Protocol | Best for (the app’s words) | Encryption | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| WireGuard | Fastest. Best for everyday use where VPNs aren’t blocked. | WireGuard’s built-in cryptography (ChaCha20-Poly1305) | In the CopVPN apps |
| OpenVPN UDP | Reliable and widely supported. Good if WireGuard is unstable. | AES-256 encryption | In the CopVPN apps |
| OpenVPN TCP | Slower, but gets through firewalls that block UDP, such as hotels, offices and schools. | AES-256 encryption | In the CopVPN apps |
| AmneziaWG | Disguised WireGuard. For networks that detect and block VPN traffic. | WireGuard’s built-in cryptography (ChaCha20-Poly1305) | In the CopVPN apps |
| Stealth | Looks like ordinary web browsing. For the most restrictive networks, when everything else is blocked. | Encrypted; looks like ordinary HTTPS web traffic | In the CopVPN apps |
Optimal is the default, marked “Recommended” in the app, and “picks the best protocol for your network automatically”. It isn’t a protocol of its own: it chooses one of these 5 for you.
In the apps
How to change protocol in the app
In the latest CopVPN apps, open Settings and choose Protocol. The picker lists a protocol only when a server offers it. Older app versions don’t show AmneziaWG and Stealth, so update the app if you can’t see them. For the other settings in each app, see VPN features by platform.
iPhone and iPad
Settings › ProtocolOpens “Select Protocol”. Without a plan, you can still choose any protocol.
Windows and Linux
Settings › Connection › ProtocolOr click the protocol chip under the connect button on the Home screen. The app needs a plan to connect.
Mac
Settings › Connection › ProtocolThe app needs a plan to connect.
Android TV
Settings › ProtocolThe same picker as the phone app. The app needs a plan to connect.
Browser extension
No protocol pickerChrome, Edge and Firefox use one connection type, “Secure Proxy”, and protect the browser only.
What is a VPN protocol?
A VPN protocol is the set of rules your device and a VPN server follow to connect, confirm who’s on each end and encrypt everything in between. Protocols make different trade-offs. Some suit everyday use, and others are built for strict firewalls or for networks that look for VPN traffic. That’s why CopVPN gives you 5 protocols, and Optimal can choose one for you.
Which VPN protocol should I use?
If you’re not sure, leave it on Optimal. If you’d like to choose: WireGuard for everyday use, OpenVPN UDP if WireGuard is unstable, OpenVPN TCP behind hotel, office or school firewalls, AmneziaWG on networks that detect and block VPN traffic, and Stealth when everything else is blocked.
What does Optimal do?
Optimal is the default, marked “Recommended” in the app. It “picks the best protocol for your network automatically”, so you can connect without thinking about it. It isn’t counted as one of the 5 protocols, because it chooses one of them for you.
Is WireGuard better than OpenVPN?
Not on every network. The app describes WireGuard as “Fastest. Best for everyday use where VPNs aren’t blocked.” OpenVPN UDP is “Reliable and widely supported. Good if WireGuard is unstable.” Both encrypt your traffic: WireGuard with its built-in cryptography, OpenVPN with AES-256 encryption.
What’s the difference between OpenVPN UDP and TCP?
They’re the same OpenVPN, sent two different ways. UDP sends data without waiting for each piece to be confirmed, which makes it the lighter choice. TCP checks that every piece arrives, so it’s “Slower, but gets through firewalls that block UDP, such as hotels, offices and schools.”
Can I use every protocol without a plan?
Yes, on iPhone, iPad and Android. Without a plan, those apps connect to the free locations, and you may choose any protocol. The Windows, Linux, Mac and Android TV apps need a plan to connect at all. A plan opens all 85+ locations in 65+ countries.
Does the browser extension have these protocols?
No. The CopVPN extensions for Chrome, Edge and Firefox use one connection type, “Secure Proxy,” with no protocol picker, and they protect the browser only. For the 5 protocols, use the CopVPN apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android or Android TV.
Keep reading
The 5 protocols, one page each
- EverydayWireGuardFastest. Best for everyday use where VPNs aren’t blocked.
- FirewallsOpenVPN UDP and TCPThe reliable fallback, and the one for firewalls that block UDP.
- DisguiseAmneziaWGDisguised WireGuard, for networks that detect and block VPNs.
- Last stepStealthLooks like ordinary web browsing, when everything else is blocked.
Plans
All 5 protocols, in the CopVPN apps
Every protocol comes with the apps, and Optimal picks one for you. Plans run from 1 month to 5 years.
30-day money-back guarantee (except crypto and manual payments)We follow a no-logs policy