OpenVPN vs Tunnelblick (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, OpenVPN grades higher than Tunnelblick: 2.8 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
OpenVPN grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. Tunnelblick grades higher on value for money and the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
OpenVPN
Open-source VPN protocol plus business VPN products built on it
Which one is for you
Pick OpenVPN if
- Fits if you need a few people to reach company apps and networks
- Works for teams who want to host the VPN themselves
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a consumer VPN with a server list, as these are business products
- Tight if you outgrow 2 connections on Access Server Free or 5 seats on Starter
- Pricey if you need SAML, SIEM log streaming and a public API, which start on Essential at $7 a seat
- Watch out: SCIM, longer log retention and the 99.9% uptime SLA are Premium or Enterprise only
- Watch out: Access Server refunds go through sales, and unused funds are credited when you cancel
Pick Tunnelblick if
- Fits if you run a Mac and already have an OpenVPN server or provider
- Works for people who want free, open-source software with no ads
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a VPN service, as it includes no servers
- Not for you if you use Windows, Linux or a phone, as it is Mac only
- Skip it if config files put you off, as you set up each connection yourself
- Watch out: it speaks OpenVPN only, and builds need macOS 13 or later
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAOpenVPNGood | 2.2GPATunnelblickFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$7 a seat a month yearly on Essential and $9.50 on Premium. Those sit between the middle and the dearer quarter of a category that runs $3.99 to $8, and the 10-seat example costs $70 a month. | AFree open-source software, against a category where paid plans start near $4 a month, though you still pay for a VPN service to connect to. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe community edition is free, Access Server is free for 2 connections and CloudConnexa Starter is free for 5 seats. One person or a very small team could live on that. | AFree outright under the GNU GPL, with no ads and no cap. |
| Features | BSelf-hosted or cloud, identity and device policies, content filtering, IDS/IPS and an open-source edition. It covers the whole job of remote access, with some parts on dearer plans. | DIt does one narrow job, an OpenVPN client, and needs a VPN service or your own server to be of any use. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Setup means connecting a server or a cloud account to your identity provider and apps. | DYou add OpenVPN configuration files yourself, so it is a command-line-adjacent job for most people. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android and ChromeOS, plus a public API on Essential and hooks into Azure, Docker, VMware and Hyper-V. | DmacOS only, and the current builds need macOS 13 or later. |
| Best for | remote access for staff, hosted by you or by them | an OpenVPN client for the Mac at no cost |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: OpenVPN and Tunnelblick. How we grade
Price against what you get
OpenVPN starts at $7 a month for each person and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Tunnelblick has no paid plan and scores 1.0.
OpenVPN scores higher, and starts $7 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 2 score higher than OpenVPN for less, and none scores higher than Tunnelblick for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- OpenVPN is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Tunnelblick also covers menu bar app.
At a glance
| OpenVPN | Tunnelblick | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $7 per connection or seat / month, billed annually | Free |
| Free plan | Open-source community edition; Access Server free for 2 connections; CloudConnexa Starter free for 5 seats. | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of paid plans; Access Server's trial needs a credit card, and the free plans do not. | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | OpenVPN Inc. | The Tunnelblick Project |
| Price read from | openvpn.net | tunnelblick.net |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
OpenVPN
- The pages read show the yearly-billed price only; a monthly price for Access Server was not displayed, and CloudConnexa advertises up to 20% off for annual billing.
- Access Server Free stops at 2 simultaneous connections, and Growth at 2,000; larger deployments are Enterprise with custom pricing.
- CloudConnexa's SCIM, longer log retention and 99.9% uptime SLA are on Premium or Enterprise only.
- Refunds on Access Server subscriptions go through sales; unused funds are credited to the account when you cancel.
Tunnelblick
- It is only a client: it does not include servers, so you need a VPN service or your own server.
- Supports OpenVPN only, and runs on macOS only; the current builds need macOS 13 or later.
- The project does not accept donations of money and is maintained by volunteers.
Key features
OpenVPN
- Self-hosted Access Server
- Runs on cloud IaaS, Docker, Linux, Hyper-V or VMware ESXi, with per-user and per-group access and SSO plus MFA.
- Cloud-delivered CloudConnexa
- Connects users to apps across offices and clouds from one console with no VPN servers to run, using OpenVPN or IPsec.
- Identity and device policies
- CloudConnexa sets access policies based on identity, device posture and location, with logs for audits.
- Content filtering
- CloudConnexa includes DNS filtering and IDS/IPS on every plan, and blocks known malicious sites.
- Open-source community edition
- The free OpenVPN community edition has Windows installers and source archives.
Tunnelblick
- OpenVPN client
- Controls OpenVPN connections on macOS and ships with OpenVPN, easy-rsa and the tun/tap drivers, so nothing else needs installing.
- Works with your own configurations
- You add OpenVPN configuration and encryption files from a VPN provider or from a server you run yourself.
- Free software
- Licensed under the GNU GPL version 2. The site states there are no ads, no affiliate marketers and no tracking.
- No logs of IP addresses
- The project says it does not keep logs of your IP address or other usage information, and collects no usage statistics.
- Stable and beta releases
- The downloads page lists a stable and a beta build, both universal for Intel and Apple Silicon Macs on macOS 13 or later.
Plans
OpenVPN
Community edition$0
Open-source OpenVPN that you download and host yourself, with Windows installers and source archives.
Access Server Free$0
Self-hosted, up to 2 simultaneous connections, all features. New sign-ups start with a 14-day trial of up to 100 connections.
Access Server Growth$7
per connection / month, billed annually
Self-hosted, up to 2,000 simultaneous connections, priced per connection with volume discounts; the page's example is 10 connections at $70 a month.
CloudConnexa Starter$0
Cloud-delivered, 5 seats included, with access policies, DNS filtering and IDS/IPS.
CloudConnexa Essential$7
per seat / month, billed annually
Adds LDAP and SAML, IPsec support, log streaming to a SIEM, a public API and 24-7 priority support. The page's example is 10 seats at $70 a month.
CloudConnexa Premium$9.50
per seat / month, billed annually
Adds SCIM, multiple authentication methods, longer log retention, a dedicated account manager and a 99.9% uptime SLA. The page's example is 10 seats at $95 a month.
Tunnelblick
Free$0
Free software under the GNU GPL version 2, with no ads or tracking. You supply the VPN server or service.
Ways to pay less
OpenVPN
- Annual discount
Up to 20% off CloudConnexa with annual billing
The CloudConnexa pricing page offers an annual discount of up to 20%; the prices shown there are the annual ones.
Tunnelblick
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, OpenVPN or Tunnelblick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Tunnelblick is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $7 a month for each person for OpenVPN. OpenVPN starts at $7 per connection or seat / month, billed annually, and Tunnelblick is free.
Which has a free plan, OpenVPN or Tunnelblick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both OpenVPN and Tunnelblick have a free plan.
Which platforms do OpenVPN and Tunnelblick run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only OpenVPN lists Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps. Both list a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.