Which VPN protocol should I use?

No, the internet is open → Speed and battery life

WireGuard, IKEv2/IPsec

WireGuard is the fastest mainstream protocol with a small, audited code base; IKEv2 reconnects quickly when a phone switches between Wi-Fi and mobile data.

No, the internet is open → Works on older devices and routers

OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec

OpenVPN runs almost everywhere, including router firmware; IKEv2 is built into Windows, macOS, iOS and Android without an extra app.

Some VPNs are blocked (some networks or countries) → Keep WireGuard speed

AmneziaWG, WireGuard

AmneziaWG is WireGuard with traffic made harder to fingerprint; plain WireGuard is a fallback where it is not blocked.

Some VPNs are blocked (some networks or countries) → Look like ordinary web traffic

Shadowsocks, OpenVPN, obfs4

Shadowsocks and obfs4 disguise the tunnel; OpenVPN over TCP port 443 looks like HTTPS to simple filters.

Strict blocking with deep packet inspection (DPI) → Stealth first

VLESS + Reality, Trojan, NaiveProxy

VLESS with Reality, Trojan and NaiveProxy hide inside real TLS connections, so the traffic looks like visiting an ordinary website.

Strict blocking with deep packet inspection (DPI) → Speed on slow or lossy networks

Hysteria2, TUIC, VLESS + Reality

Hysteria2 and TUIC run over QUIC and keep speed on congested mobile networks; VLESS + Reality is the fallback if UDP is blocked.