Almost all of you would have heard about virtual private networks, commonly known as VPNs. Several businesses make use of the services of a VPN to establish secure links between facilities, or to allow their employees to remotely connect to the office server. It is also used by businesses to transmit valuable business data across the internet. When it comes to individual consumers, VPNs are generally used to obtain a secure internet connection and protect their sensitive information when accessing through public networks or Wi-Fi hotspots. Individuals also use a VPN service to bypass the internet censorship act being practiced across several countries, to access those websites or web services that are restricted in their country and to bypass the regional restrictions imposed by online video streaming websites like Hulu, Netflix, Vudu, etc. and enjoy their contents from anywhere around the world.
The Different VPN Protocols
A VPN offers several different protocols, which include PPTP, SSTP, L2TP, OpenVPN, etc. However, PPTP and SSTP are the most widely used protocol types. Therefore, we have discussed the differences between these two protocols in the form of SSTP vs. PPTP VPN in the following sections of the article.
SSTP vs. PPTP VPN
|
SSTP |
PPTP |
|
|
Encryption
|
SSL VPN protocol with AES 2048 bit key certificate and uses 256 bit key for encryption, hence highly secure. |
Supports 40 bit, 56 bit and 128 bit encryption. |
|
Platforms |
Windows 7, 8 and higher versions only. |
Windows Vista, XP, 7, 8, Mac OS X, Linux, iOS, Symbian, Android, DDWRT. |
|
Ports |
443 TCP. |
1723 TCP. |
|
Speed |
Stable and fast protocol when used on systems with Windows OS. |
Less encryption typically means less use of CPU and faster connections. |
|
Ease of use |
Can be setup easily on Windows 7, 8 and higher versions. |
Easiest manual setup on all platforms. |
|
Flexibility |
No flexibility. |
No flexibility. |
|
Blockade |
Very difficult to block when SSL is used. |
Can be easily blocked due to the usage of fixed ports and protocols. |
|
Summary |
Developed and endorsed by Microsoft. Military grade encryption. The generic port used gets around all types of firewalls. More private and secure. However, works only with Windows 7 and above. |
Created by Microsoft. Most widely used and has low overhead. However, least secure than other protocols. Not recommended if your top priority is online privacy and security. Can be easily set up and used. |
Having seen the differences and features of the two VPN protocols, it is now up to you to choose the one that will best suit your online habits and usage. Though PPTP is the most commonly used protocol, if your major concern is about maintaining your privacy and security throughout your online activities, then you should probably consider using SSTP protocol.
Top VPN Providers
Following are the top five VPN providers that can provide you the option to choose between SSTP and PPTP protocols.
| Rank | Provider |
Starting Price | MoneyBack |
Visit Website |
 |
ExpressVPN | $6.67/month | 30 Days |  |
| 2 | VyprVPN | $14.95/month | 7 Days | |
| 3 | IPVanish | $10.00/month | 7 Days | |
| 4 | Hidemyass | $6.55/month | 30 Days | |
| 5 | StrongVPN | $21/ 3 Months | 7 Days | |