While many VPN protocols exist, few VPN providers develop their own. Lightway, developed by leading provider ExpressVPN, is an outlier here. Written entirely in-house by ExpressVPN and fully open-source, Lightway is an alternative for those who don't want to use the standard OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols.
A VPN protocol is a set of instructions that both the VPN itself and the server use to set up a connection and communicate with each other.
In other words, these protocols dictate how your data is encrypted and the route it takes between a device and VPN server. The best VPNs use these protocols in order to create a fast, but also secure, encrypted tunnel for your internet.
Here, we'll explain what makes Lightway different to more established protocols, and why you might want to consider signing up to ExpressVPN to use it.
What is Lightway?
A VPN protocol is what VPNs use to encrypt your data and transfer it. It's an integral part to any VPN. Developed by ExpressVPN, Lightway launched back in 2020, replacing OpenVPN as ExpressVPN's default protocol. It is completely open-source and is available to view and download on GitHub. That means you can download the code yourself, making changes to it or redesigning the protocol for your own purposes.
Along the journey, Lightway has gone from just being ExpressVPN’s in-house protocol, to being open-sourced, including post-quantum encryption, and then finally, in more recent times, it was remade in Rust.
This is a programming language that differs to C, the language it was originally built in. Rust is more secure and naturally, through its own design, prevents attackers from exploiting memory vulnerabilities.
Rust also means Lightway is currently running at its best in terms of battery life for the device it's being used on. It also offers stronger protection and faster speeds.
While ExpressVPN isn't one of very the fastest VPNs around, Lightway's improvements over the years has helped it get faster.
Compared to other VPN protocols out there, Lightway’s modernity makes it a more simplified alternative, especially in its code. If you do download the source code, ExpressVPN has managed to condense it right down to a manageable amount.
Benefits of Lightway
What exactly is it that makes Lightway stand out? Well, there are a few things: mixing security, features and ease of use.
Firstly, because it was only created a few years ago, there is a surprisingly small amount of code used to write it. With around 2,000 lines, it can run faster and preserve your device’s battery life while using it. This also means the software is both easier to audit and maintain, and is easier to add new features to.
Equally, Lightway comes with all of ExpressVPN’s standard safety features. This includes a kill switch, which will cut your internet access if the VPN drops, DNS leak protection to stop your details leaking, and dynamic encryption keys.
In terms of software, Lightway uses the WolfSSL cryptography library and SSL/TSL protocols. That's a lot of techy words, but what it amounts to is the same level of security the NSA uses to protect its own databases and of the most secure VPNs around.
Lightway has even gone as far as to promise a 40% increase in reliability in comparison to other protocol types. Plus, its security prowess is backed up by two independent assessments on Lightway to confirm security in 2021 and 2022 by Cure53.
Drawbacks of Lightway
While there are a lot of reasons to choose Lightway, there are equally some points to consider against it. However, these are rather limited.
The most obvious problem is pricing. ExpressVPN is by no means one of the cheapest VPN. In fact, it is actually one of the more expensive VPNs currently available.
Lightway is exclusively found on ExpressVPN whereas many other VPN protocols are used across a variety of providers. Although Lightway is open-source and available for use by other VPN providers, no big names have adopted it, meaning there hasn't been a ton of outside input. This is where a lot of other protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard have seen improvements over the years.
Another noticeable issue with Lightway is its lack of obfuscation features. This is where a VPN disguises your traffic as regular, non-VPN traffic to bypass network blocks. While this isn’t a necessary feature, it is useful and is found in a lot of ExpressVPN’s competitors.
Bottom line
It will come as no surprise that, with ExpressVPN’s stellar reputation, Lightway is a great choice in terms of VPN protocols.
It is fast, efficient and a very secure option. With that being said, though, it is only available by signing up to an ExpressVPN subscription – unless you fancy building your own VPN. If you’re looking for a lightweight VPN protocol that is available with an array of different providers, WireGuard will be a better choice.
While an all-round sold option, the most notable drawback with Lightway is the entry cost. In our ExpressVPN review, pricing is one of the key criticisms. If it seems a little bit too steep, there are some other cheaper alternatives worth checking out.
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