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OpenVPN Windscribe users have more variants than most providers offer. Windscribe’s apps carry OpenVPN over UDP and over TCP, plus two disguised forms built on it: Stealth, which wraps OpenVPN in SSL so it looks like web traffic, and WStunnel, which carries it over WebSocket, Tom’s Guide explains. Pro subscribers can also generate OpenVPN configuration files for routers and other devices without a Windscribe app.
This guide covers each OpenVPN option, ports, when to choose it over WireGuard, configuration files, routers and the limits. Our guide to Windscribe and WireGuard covers whether it is supported and how to set it up.
Four OpenVPN-Based Options
OpenVPN over UDP is the standard form and the faster of the two plain variants. OpenVPN over TCP is slower but gets through networks that block UDP. Windscribe’s iOS page lists six UDP ports and eleven TCP ports to choose from.
Stealth runs OpenVPN inside an SSL layer so it resembles HTTPS, on eleven ports. WStunnel tunnels it over WebSocket for networks that filter even Stealth, Windscribe’s pages describe. Our obfuscation guide explains how disguised protocols work.
OpenVPN Windscribe vs WireGuard
WireGuard is the faster default, and Windscribe builds post-quantum encryption into it, its App Store listing says. OpenVPN’s strength is reach: TCP on port 443 looks like ordinary web traffic, and Stealth and WStunnel go further. OpenVPN has also been in use far longer, so more routers and older devices support it.
Use WireGuard at home and on open networks. Switch to OpenVPN TCP, Stealth or WStunnel when a hotel, office or national firewall blocks the connection. Our WireGuard vs OpenVPN guide compares the protocols in depth.
Switching Protocol and Port
In the desktop app, open Preferences, then Connection, and choose the protocol and port, TechRadar describes. On Android, the main screen shows your current protocol, TechRadar notes, and the app’s settings let you change it; iPhone works the same way. On Linux, the command windscribe-cli connect best udp:443 picks protocol and port in one line, Windscribe’s CLI guide shows.
If a network blocks one port, try another before changing protocol. Each switch takes seconds, so working through the options is quick, even on a slow hotel network. Ports 443 and 80, used for web traffic, are the ones restrictive networks usually leave open.
OpenVPN on the Free Plan
Every protocol, including OpenVPN, Stealth and WStunnel, is available on Windscribe’s free plan inside its apps, the App Store listing says every user gets the full privacy and security stack. Free users are limited by data and locations, not by protocol.
That makes the free plan unusually useful on restrictive Wi-Fi, within its 10 GB a month. Our Windscribe Free guide covers the allowance.
OpenVPN on Linux
Windscribe’s Linux command-line app supports OpenVPN over UDP and TCP alongside WireGuard, Stealth and WStunnel, its July 2026 guide lists. The command windscribe-cli ports followed by a protocol name shows the ports available for it.
On a server behind a strict firewall, connect with TCP on port 443 first. Our Windscribe for Linux guide covers the CLI in full.
OpenVPN Configuration Files
Windscribe Pro includes a configuration generator for OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard, its upgrade page lists. That lets you use the service on devices with no Windscribe app, such as NAS boxes and some routers. Build-a-Plan subscribers can generate configurations only for the locations in their plan, Windscribe’s help pages note.
Free accounts do not get the generator, so router and manual setups need a paid plan. Our Windscribe price guide compares Pro with Build-a-Plan.
OpenVPN on Routers
Windscribe has no router firmware of its own; router support is manual, using generated OpenVPN, IKEv2 or WireGuard files on any router that accepts them, a 2026 review notes. OpenVPN suits older routers that lack WireGuard support. Build-a-Plan subscribers can do the same, but only for the locations in their plan.
A router running Windscribe covers every device behind it, and Windscribe sets no device limit anyway, so the router does not crowd out other devices. Our router setup guide compares hardware and firmware.
Speed and Battery
OpenVPN generally runs slower and uses more power than WireGuard. TheBestVPN’s 2026 battery test found OpenVPN over TCP used several times the battery of WireGuard over two hours of streaming.
On a phone, keep OpenVPN for networks that need it and return to WireGuard afterwards. On a laptop plugged in at a desk, the difference matters less. Our VPN battery guide covers the figures.
Port Forwarding and OpenVPN
Pro subscribers get ephemeral port forwarding, and static IP buyers can add permanent forwarding, Windscribe’s pages and our tables record. Build-a-Plan does not include ephemeral port forwarding, Windscribe’s help article notes.
Forwarded ports work regardless of protocol, so OpenVPN users on Pro can still seed or host services. Our port forwarding guide lists providers that still offer it.
How We Research
This page draws on Windscribe’s iOS feature page, upgrade page, Build-a-Plan help article and Linux CLI guide, Tom’s Guide’s and TechRadar’s Windscribe reviews, TheBestVPN’s battery test and our Windscribe tables. We cross-checked these sources against each other, and where they conflict or something can’t be verified, we say so in the text rather than guessing. We checked time-sensitive figures, including prices in US dollars, on 8 October 2026. The main source we relied on is Windscribe’s plans page. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
OpenVPN Windscribe FAQ
Over UDP and TCP, plus Stealth and WStunnel, which are built on OpenVPN.
When a network blocks WireGuard; try TCP on port 443 or Stealth.
Pro includes a generator; Build-a-Plan covers its chosen locations.
In the apps, yes; the config generator needs a paid plan.
Generally, and it uses more battery than WireGuard.
The Verdict
OpenVPN Windscribe options matter most on blocked networks: TCP 443, Stealth and WStunnel get through where WireGuard cannot. Keep WireGuard as the everyday choice.