PGP and GPG are two programs for developing communication through electronic mode in a computer. Today almost everyone uses email as an essential source for communicating with others.
But it wasn’t safe before as anyone could easily forge anyone’s email details and information sent. To come by this problem, there intention of two programs, PGP and GPG, which solve the security problem.
Key Takeaways
- PGP is a commercial software that provides email encryption, while GPG is an open-source alternative that uses the same encryption technology.
- PGP uses a web of trust model to verify users’ public keys, while GPG uses a decentralized trust model that relies on key servers.
- PGP is available for multiple platforms and is user-friendly, while GPG requires technical expertise and is mainly used by developers and security experts.
PGP vs GPG
The difference between PGP and GPG is that the PGP is used by the software of the RSA and the algorithm of IDEA encryption, and, on the other hand, GPG is used in software having advanced encryption of NIST and AES, which are standardized forms of by nature.
PGP is the short form for Pretty Good Privacy. This software program was first invented and developed by Phil Zimmerman. Initially, it was copyright of freeware that came under Gnu publicly license, but later on, it was upgraded, making it a proper program.
This is freeware that was copyrighted before.
GPG is the short form of Gnu Privacy Guard. This is an upgraded version of the PGP. This software program does not make use of the IDEA algorithm of encryption. This makes it completely free of cost to use. GPG is based on a line of commands.
Other than this, the Windows front end is also available.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of comparison | PGP | GPG |
|---|---|---|
| Full form | The full form of PGP is Pretty Good Privacy. | The full form of GPG is Gnu Privacy Guard. |
| Function | PGP has restrictions when it comes to use for personal and commercial use. | GPG can be used for personal and commercial uses by downloading the free digital signature and encrypted program. |
| Algorithm used | The RSA and IDEA encrypted algorithm is used in the PGP program. | The NIST AED, the advanced standard encryption algorithm, is used in GPG. |
| Uses | PGP is owned by a company called Symantec, which is a proprietary solution. | GPG can be used in both personal and commercial uses by downloading the free digital signature and encrypted program. |
| Owned by | GPG can be used for both personal and commercial uses by downloading the free digital signature and encrypted program. | GPG is a source that is open to all in a standard form. |
What is PGP?
PGP is the short form for Pretty Good Privacy. This software program was first invented and developed by Phil Zimmerman. Initially, it was copyright of freeware that came under Gnu publicly license, but later on, it was upgraded, making it a proper program.
This is freeware that has been copyrighted before.
The reason that PGP had to undergo an upgrade was because of the trouble of loyalty and the cost of defence legally, which were related to the laws of export in the USA. The PGP Corporation is right now the one that holds the PGP Software.
PGP is used by the software of the RSA and the algorithm of IDEA encryption. This software is considered to have a clean and polished interface with Windows.
This software was created long back in the year of 1990s. This is currently owned by a software security company named Symantec. Over the years, PGP has been updated and developed today for better encryption and improved performance, which makes it standardized in nature.
PGP is observed to be using multiple a number of encryption such as hashing and data compression, which help protect the company’s high-end information.
What is GPG?
GPG is the short form of Gnu Privacy Guard. This is an upgraded version of the PGP. This software program does not make use of the IDEA algorithm of encryption. This makes it completely free of cost to use. GPG is based on a line of commands.
Other than this, the Windows front end is also available.
GPG is used in software with advanced encryption of NIST and AES, which are naturally standardised forms. GPG is an updated version of PGP and hence has better compatibility. GPG doesn’t have a patent as such. This makes it royalty-free to use for people.
Usually, this software is said to be restricted for commercial and personal uses. But one can use this for personal stuff by buying the digital signature and email encrypted versions, which are free that can be downloaded from GPG itself.
GPG has a fantastic feature that makes decaying files encrypted by PGP easier. It can work smoothly with many products.
Main Differences Between PGP and GPG
- The complete form of PGP is Pretty Good Privacy, and on the other hand, the complete form of GPG is Gnu Privacy Guard.
- PGP is the original freeware copyrighted for programming; however, GPG is the updated and rewritten version of PGP.
- The RSA and IDEA encrypted algorithm is used in the PGP program, whereas NIST AED, advanced standard encryption, is used in GPG.
- PGP has restrictions when it comes to use for personal and commercial use. On the other hand, GPG can be used in both personal and commercial services by downloading the free digital signature and encrypted program.
- PGP is owned by a company called Symantec, which is a proprietary solution, while, on the other hand, GPG is a source open to all in a standard form.
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=wTx_xj12ZzsC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=pgp+vs+gpg&ots=ukVHwhRrWe&sig=WUNwjJiFQJYhnekhcX1tfdjoOdQ
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6021726/
Last Updated : 11 June, 2023
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
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