Pritunl vs Twingate (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Twingate grades higher than Pritunl: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Twingate grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade 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.
Pritunl
Self-hosted open-source VPN server for OpenVPN and WireGuard
Twingate
Zero trust network access to replace a company VPN
Which one is for you
Pick Pritunl if
- Fits if you can run a Linux server and want your own VPN with no per-user fee
- Works for teams that sign in through Okta, Google Workspace or Duo
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to run a server, as the install page lists Linux distributions only
- Pricey if you need SSO, failover or site-to-site links, which need Enterprise at $70 per host a month
- Watch out: servers coordinate through MongoDB, which you also have to run
- Too light for phones without extra work, as the Pritunl Client covers macOS, Windows and Linux only
Pick Twingate if
- Fits if you are a small team that wants to retire a company VPN
- Works for homelabs, where the Home plan costs $15 a month for up to 7 users
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you grow past 5 users, as the free Starter plan stops there
- Watch out: Teams is capped at 100 users and Business at 500, then it's Enterprise through sales
- Watch out: the Home plan is limited to non-commercial use
- Watch out: only one set of prices is shown, and the monthly-billing prices aren't displayed
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAPritunlFair | 2.6GPATwingateGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree only if you host it yourself, which needs a server, so it sits at C. Premium is $10 per host a month and Enterprise $70. | CTeams is $5 per user a month on the page's yearly view and Business is $10, inside the category's $2.78 to $18 range. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe Community edition is free for one host with unlimited servers, users and devices, and needs no registration or card. | BStarter is free for 5 users and 50 resources, with conditional access and split tunneling. A tiny team can stay on it. |
| Features | COpenVPN and WireGuard clients, a REST API and plugins are listed, but single sign-on, failover and site-to-site links are Enterprise only. | BVPN replacement, least-privilege rules, device and identity checks and privileged access to infrastructure cover the core of the job. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. You install the server on Linux and run MongoDB, which is a command-line job. | CNo store rating on record. You deploy connectors, connect an identity provider and write access rules first. |
| Platforms and integrations | CClient apps for Windows, macOS and Linux, with SSO through Okta, Google Workspace and others. Other devices use OpenVPN profiles. | BWindows, macOS, Linux, iPhone, Android and a browser extension, with Okta, Entra ID, Google Workspace, Kubernetes and SSH. No full web console client is listed. |
| Best for | a self-run VPN server for companies | replacing a company VPN with access rules |
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: Pritunl and Twingate. How we grade
Price against what you get
Pritunl starts at $10 a month for each person and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Twingate starts at $5 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
Twingate scores higher and starts $5 a month lower. Of the other remote desktop apps on the chart, 33 score higher than Pritunl for less, and 2 score higher than Twingate 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
- Pritunl is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Pritunl | Twingate | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $10 per host / month | $5 per user / month (page's yearly view; monthly not shown) |
| Free plan | Community edition: free for a single host, with unlimited servers, users and devices. | Starter plan: free for up to 5 users and 50 resources, with conditional access controls and split tunneling. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day trial on Home, Teams and Business |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Pritunl, Inc. | Twingate |
| Price read from | pritunl.com | twingate.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Pritunl
- You install and run the server yourself; the install page lists Linux distributions only.
- Single sign-on, failover and site-to-site links need Enterprise at $70 per host per month.
- Servers coordinate through MongoDB, which you also need to run.
- The Pritunl Client is available for macOS, Windows and Linux only; other devices use OpenVPN profiles.
Twingate
- The free Starter plan stops at 5 users and 50 resources.
- Teams is capped at 100 users and Business at 500; larger accounts need Enterprise through sales.
- The Home plan is limited to non-commercial use.
- Only one set of prices is shown; the monthly-billing prices behind the yearly view are not displayed.
Key features
Pritunl
- OpenVPN and WireGuard clients
- The server accepts any OpenVPN client, and the Pritunl Client for macOS, Windows and Linux handles both OpenVPN and WireGuard.
- Site-to-site links
- Pritunl Link joins networks over WireGuard or IPsec, with AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Oracle Cloud and Hetzner named on the homepage.
- Single sign-on
- Enterprise supports SAML, Google, Duo Security and RADIUS; the SSO page also lists Okta and OneLogin.
- Failover and replication
- Servers share state through MongoDB and run as equal peers, so clients move to another node if one fails.
- Device authentication
- TPM and Apple Secure Enclave device authentication is offered, along with TOTP and push two-step sign-in.
- REST API and plugins
- A REST API automates user and server management, and a Python plugin system supports custom authentication.
Twingate
- VPN replacement
- Staff reach office networks, cloud VPCs and other private resources through Twingate clients instead of a VPN gateway.
- Least-privilege access rules
- Access is granted per resource and per user or group, and the Teams plan adds automated least-privilege policies.
- Device and identity checks
- Conditional access is on every plan, with native device posture checks and endpoint integrations on higher plans.
- Identity provider sign-in
- Teams supports SSO through Google Workspace; Business adds Okta, Entra ID and automatic user provisioning from the IdP.
- Privileged access to infrastructure
- The Business plan lists privileged access for Kubernetes, SSH, databases and web apps, marked with an asterisk on the pricing page.
- Apps for most platforms
- The download page lists Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and a Chrome client.
Plans
Pritunl
Community$0
Free for a single host with unlimited VPN servers, users and devices. You host it yourself.
Premium$10
per host / month
Single host. Adds port forwarding, gateway links, Chromebook support, configuration sync and email user keys.
Enterprise$70
per host / month
Everything in Premium plus single sign-on, automatic failover, replicated servers and site-to-site links.
Twingate
Starter$0
Up to 5 users and 50 resources, with peer-to-peer connections, split tunneling and conditional access.
Home$15
per month for up to 7 users
For homelabs, adds service accounts, exit networks and device posture checks. Non-commercial use only.
Teams$5
per user / month (page's yearly view; monthly not shown)
Up to 100 users, SSO via Google Workspace, SaaS app gating and automated least-privilege policies.
Business$10
per user / month (page's yearly view; monthly not shown)
Up to 500 users, IdP provisioning, SSO via Okta or Entra ID, endpoint integrations and just-in-time access.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom account sizes, custom MSA and SLAs, invoice payment, geoblocking and static IPs. Sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
Pritunl
No public discounts listed.
Twingate
- Annual discount
15% off with yearly billing
The pricing page labels yearly billing on Teams and Business as 15% off.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Pritunl or Twingate?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Twingate is cheaper to start with: $5 a month for each person, against $10 a month for each person for Pritunl. Pritunl starts at $10 per host / month, and Twingate starts at $5 per user / month (page's yearly view; monthly not shown).
Which has a free plan, Pritunl or Twingate?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Pritunl and Twingate have a free plan.
Which platforms do Pritunl and Twingate run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Twingate lists iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list macOS, Windows and Linux apps. 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.