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The OpenVPN Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about OpenVPN in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPANovember 2026

OpenVPN

The Insider’s Guide

Open-source VPN protocol plus business VPN products built on it

OpenVPN, as pictured on openvpn.net

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among VPNs, read from OpenVPN’s own pages.

Made by OpenVPN Inc. · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.8GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from OpenVPN’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on OpenVPN’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.8

GPA, above 36 of the 50 other VPNs we grade

OpenVPN is a VPN protocol with a free open-source community edition, and OpenVPN Inc. also sells two business products built on it: Access Server, which you host yourself, and CloudConnexa, which is cloud-delivered. Both are aimed at giving employees and contractors access to company apps and networks. Client apps cover Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and ChromeOS.

To get you started, here are 9 things to know about OpenVPN, taken from its own pages and our grades.

Setup means connecting a server or a cloud account to your identity provider and apps.
From our grade for ease of use
  1. 1

    Best for remote access for staff, hosted by you or by them

    OpenVPN has a free community edition and two business products, Access Server and CloudConnexa, for giving staff access to company networks.

  2. 2

    Paid plans start at $7 a month for each person

    As its pricing page puts it: $7 per connection or seat / month, billed annually.

  3. 3

    There is a free plan

    Open-source community edition; Access Server free for 2 connections; CloudConnexa Starter free for 5 seats.

  4. 4

    It runs on 5 platforms

    Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.

  5. 5

    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.

  6. 6

    Cloud-delivered CloudConnexa

    Connects users to apps across offices and clouds from one console with no VPN servers to run, using OpenVPN or IPsec.

  7. 7

    Identity and device policies

    CloudConnexa sets access policies based on identity, device posture and location, with logs for audits.

  8. 8

    A 2.8 GPA, above 36 of 50

    That is against the other VPNs we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  9. 9

    Keep it

    To replace OpenVPN you would be making servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

OpenVPN at a glance

Pricing
Free plan, from $7 per connection or seat / month, billed annually
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
14-day free trial of paid plans; Access Server's trial needs a credit card, and the free plans do not.
Runs on
macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
Made by
OpenVPN Inc., since 2002
Category
VPNs
Our grade
2.8 GPA, good

The report card

Best for remote access for staff, hosted by you or by them

OpenVPN has a free community edition and two business products, Access Server and CloudConnexa, for giving staff access to company networks. The free tiers stop at 2 connections and 5 seats, and the extras your IT team may need sit on dearer plans.

ToolGPA report cardOpenVPNGraded Nov 13, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyC$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.
Free plan and trialBThe 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.
FeaturesBSelf-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.
Ease of useCNo store rating on record. Setup means connecting a server or a cloud account to your identity provider and apps.
Platforms and integrationsAWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android and ChromeOS, plus a public API on Essential and hooks into Azure, Docker, VMware and Hyper-V.
Grade point averageGood, out of 4.02.8

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who OpenVPN is for

  • Fits if you need a few people to reach company apps and networks
  • Works for teams who want to host the VPN themselves

Who it is not for

  • 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

Good to know

Good for

  • IT teams giving employees and contractors remote access to company apps
  • Organizations that want to self-host their VPN server
  • Small groups using the free 2-connection Access Server or the 5-seat CloudConnexa plan

Worth knowing

  • 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.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$7

A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too

OpenVPN has a free plan. Paid plans start at $7 per connection or seat / month, billed annually.

One person or a very small team could live on that.
From our grade for free plan and trial

  • 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.

The free plan

Open-source community edition; Access Server free for 2 connections; CloudConnexa Starter free for 5 seats.

Trying it first

14-day free trial of paid plans; Access Server's trial needs a credit card, and the free plans do not.

Read from openvpn.net on Nov 13, 2026.

Ways to pay less

  • 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.

    Stated on openvpn.net

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

5

Places it runs: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android

Open-source VPN protocol plus business VPN products built on it. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, vPN.

Self-hosted or cloud, identity and device policies, content filtering, IDS/IPS and an open-source edition.
From our grade for features
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.

Where it runs

  • macOS
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • iOS
  • Android

What it works with

  • Azure
  • Docker
  • VMware ESXi
  • Hyper-V

OpenVPN is made by OpenVPN Inc., and has been around since 2002.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

36/50

Other VPNs it is graded above

OpenVPN's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 36 of the 50 other VPNs we grade, and level with 7.

It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 46 of 50) and worst on value for money (C, above 3).

Its paid plans start at $7 a month for each person, against a middle price of $4.99 for the category: 31 of the 40 others that charge start lower.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 51 VPNs we grade, cut by the letter each got. OpenVPN’s own letter is outlined.

  • CValue for moneyAbove 3 of 50
  • BFree plan and trialAbove 35 of 50
  • BFeaturesAbove 33 of 50
  • CEase of useAbove 6 of 50
  • APlatforms and integrationsAbove 46 of 50

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 46 VPNs. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. OpenVPN is the marked dot.

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$1$2$5$10$20More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessOpenVPNSpeedifyhide.meSoftEther VPNProton VPNSurfshark

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

To replace OpenVPN you would be making servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 36 of the 50 other VPNs we grade. It costs $84 a year. OpenVPN is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.

What you could not

  • Servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private.
  • Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
  • It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
  • It plugs into other products, Azure, Docker and VMware ESXi among them, and has an API.
  • What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on.
  • The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

What this rests on. OpenVPN’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

WireGuard, SoftEther VPN, Firezone, NordLayer and Outline VPN

The 5 tools OpenVPN is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

13

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is OpenVPN free?

OpenVPN has a free plan. Open-source community edition; Access Server free for 2 connections; CloudConnexa Starter free for 5 seats.

How much does OpenVPN cost?

OpenVPN lists 6 plans. Community edition: $0.

What platforms does OpenVPN work on?

OpenVPN is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.

Does OpenVPN offer any discounts?

OpenVPN publicly lists the following: Up to 20% off CloudConnexa with annual billing.

Is OpenVPN open source?

Yes. OpenVPN is open source, according to its own site.

Does OpenVPN have an API?

Yes. OpenVPN offers a public API, according to its own site.

What does OpenVPN integrate with?

OpenVPN's listing names Azure, Docker, VMware ESXi and Hyper-V. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.

Does OpenVPN have a free trial?

Yes. 14-day free trial of paid plans; Access Server's trial needs a credit card, and the free plans do not.

Who makes OpenVPN?

OpenVPN is made by OpenVPN Inc. It dates from 2002.

What are the alternatives to OpenVPN?

The closest alternatives to OpenVPN in our directory are WireGuard, SoftEther VPN, Firezone, NordLayer and Outline VPN.

How does OpenVPN compare with other VPNs?

OpenVPN's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 36 of the 50 other VPNs we grade, and level with 7.

Is OpenVPN good value for money?

ToolGPA grades OpenVPN C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $7 a month for each person, against a middle price of $4.99 for the category: 31 of the 40 others that charge start lower.

Could I make my own version of OpenVPN?

To replace OpenVPN you would be making servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from OpenVPN’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from OpenVPN's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by OpenVPN Inc. Prices change, so check openvpn.net before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

7,721

Tools graded, in 95 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

  • 7,721

    tools graded

  • 95

    categories

  • 739

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "OpenVPN: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/openvpn

Know someone choosing between VPNs?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/openvpn/guide

ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa

See our other guides

The best-graded VPNs after OpenVPN, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

ToolGPA

Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what OpenVPN’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. OpenVPN is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by OpenVPN Inc. Prices and plans change: check openvpn.net before you buy.