Which protocol to choose — WireGuard, AmneziaWG or VLESS — depends on the device and on how you use a VPN. In short: for a router, take WireGuard or AmneziaWG; for a phone or a computer any of them works; and if you want one link for every location with switching right in the app, take VLESS. You can change protocols at any time: all three are included in one plan.
This guide covers how the protocols actually differ, which apps each one needs, which of them work on a router, how to move from one protocol to another, and why an AmneziaWG config won't open in the regular WireGuard app.
Which protocol to choose: in short
- A phone or a computer — any protocol works. If you want to switch locations in one tap, VLESS is more convenient.
- A router — WireGuard or AmneziaWG: both come as a .conf file, and a router needs the file, not a QR code. VLESS on a router is manual setup only.
- One specific location — a WireGuard or AmneziaWG config.
- Every location in one link — a VLESS subscription.
- You want traffic obfuscation — AmneziaWG: the same WireGuard with an extra layer of traffic processing.
WireGuard
WireGuard is a lightweight, modern VPN protocol. It works on many routers that support it, Keenetic for example, and official apps exist for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
At RuSolv a WireGuard connection is a config for one location: you pick a country, create the connection and get a QR code for your phone and a .conf file for a computer or a router.
- Pros: the simplest setup, an official app for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux, works on most routers that support WireGuard.
- Cons: one config, one location; you can change it, but you'll import the file again.
AmneziaWG
AmneziaWG is a modified WireGuard: the encryption is the same (Curve25519), but it adds an extra layer of traffic processing. The obfuscation overhead makes its MTU slightly lower — 1280 versus 1420 — while the speed is comparable to WireGuard.
An AmneziaWG connection is also a config for one location, but the protocol is not offered at every location. Detailed setup for a phone, a computer and a router is in the AmneziaWG guide.
- Pros: traffic obfuscation on top of the same WireGuard encryption; works on Keenetic natively, on OpenWrt with packages, and on some GL.iNet models in select firmware.
- Cons: it needs the separate AmneziaWG app — the standard WireGuard app won't open its configs.
By default RuSolv issues AmneziaWG configs in the 1.0 format — the one routers support most broadly.
VLESS Reality
VLESS+Reality is a protocol built on the Xray core: Reality handles the encryption, and the traffic goes over standard TLS, as HTTPS does.
The main difference for the user is the format. Instead of a config for one location you get a subscription: one protected link or QR code. The app loads every location available to you from it, and you switch regions right in the app, with no new files. How the subscription works and where to get it is on the VLESS Reality page.
- Pros: one link for every location, switching inside the app, the same link works in Happ and FlClashX.
- Cons: you need a client app (Happ, FlClashX, or Hiddify), and on a router it is manual setup only.
How they compare in practice
Setup
WireGuard and AmneziaWG are imported from a QR code or a .conf file. For VLESS you add the subscription to the app — by its link or a QR code.
Locations
With WireGuard and AmneziaWG, one config is one location. With VLESS, one subscription covers every location available to you.
Apps
- WireGuard: the official WireGuard app for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- AmneziaWG: the AmneziaWG app for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows; for Linux, follow the Amnezia documentation.
- VLESS: Happ (iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android TV), FlClashX (Android, Windows, macOS, Linux), Hiddify; for Apple TV, INCY.
Router
WireGuard works on many routers that support it, such as Keenetic, OpenWrt, and GL.iNet; support depends on the model and firmware version. AmneziaWG runs on Keenetic natively, on OpenWrt with packages, and on some GL.iNet models in select firmware. VLESS on a router is manual setup only, and we have no step-by-step guide for it. Details are in the article how to set up a VPN on a router.
Plan
All three protocols are included in one plan: you pay for the number of devices, not for the protocol. WireGuard and AmneziaWG configs and VLESS devices share your plan's device slots. On the free plan you get both a config and a subscription — one WireGuard or AmneziaWG config and one VLESS device, each with 10 GB a month.
How to change protocol or location
For WireGuard and AmneziaWG configs, the connection card has two buttons:
- Switch Location moves the connection to another country;
- Switch Protocol switches WireGuard to AmneziaWG and back, if the location offers AmneziaWG.
Either way, the current config stops working: you get a new config and QR code, and you import them again into the app or the router. If you switch from WireGuard to AmneziaWG, import the new file into the AmneziaWG app.
VLESS is simpler: you switch locations right in the app, and the subscription updates itself.
WireGuard and AmneziaWG compatibility
An AmneziaWG config won't open in the WireGuard app: an AmneziaWG file has extra parameters (Jc, Jmin, Jmax, S1, S2, H1–H4) that standard WireGuard doesn't know. AmneziaWG needs the AmneziaWG app — and a WireGuard connection and an AmneziaWG connection for the same location are different connections, each with its own file.
The "invalid H1 value" error
A router shows ""Wireguard": invalid H1 value" when it receives an AmneziaWG 1.5 or 2.0 config it cannot parse. RuSolv issues the 1.0 format by default; what to do about this error on Keenetic is in the router documentation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use all three protocols at once?
Yes. WireGuard and AmneziaWG configs and VLESS devices share your plan's device slots: for example, you can keep a VLESS subscription on your phone and an AmneziaWG config on your router. Each device takes one slot.
Which protocol is faster?
WireGuard and AmneziaWG are comparable in speed. We don't limit speed on any plan, and the real speed depends on your network, device and location, so the simplest thing is to compare two or three options on your own network.
What should I pick for a TV?
For Android TV there is Happ for TV with a VLESS subscription. For Apple TV on tvOS 17 or newer, the INCY app, also with VLESS. If your TV supports neither, set up the VPN on your router.
What is available for free?
One WireGuard or AmneziaWG config and one VLESS device, each with 10 GB of traffic a month and the free locations. The free plan turns on once you link Telegram. Pro unlocks every location, and traffic is unlimited.
Bottom line
WireGuard is the simplest setup, AmneziaWG is the same WireGuard with traffic obfuscation, and VLESS is one subscription for every location with switching inside the app. For a router, WireGuard and AmneziaWG both fit; for a phone or a computer, any of the three. Step-by-step setup is in the WireGuard documentation, and all three protocols are included in one plan.
