# Tunnelblick review (2026): is it any good? > Free open-source OpenVPN client for macOS Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. Tunnelblick is a free, open-source macOS application for connecting to OpenVPN servers. It does not sell VPN service of its own: you add the configuration files from your own server or from a VPN provider. The app bundles OpenVPN and the drivers it needs. - **Category:** VPNs - **Made by:** The Tunnelblick Project - **Website:** https://tunnelblick.net - **Runs on:** macOS - **Who should skip it:** Not for you if you want a VPN service, as it includes no servers. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Tunnelblick is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** None. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | Free software under the GNU GPL version 2, with no ads or tracking. You supply the VPN server or service. | Read from https://tunnelblick.net/ on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Tunnelblick before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - Mac users whose employer or VPN provider supplies OpenVPN files - People running their own OpenVPN server - Those who want open-source software with no account ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.2 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. Tunnelblick is a free, open-source Mac app for connecting to OpenVPN servers, with no ads or tracking. It is only a client, so you must bring your own server or provider's config files, and it speaks OpenVPN on macOS and nothing else. - **Value for money: A.** Free 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: A.** Free outright under the GNU GPL, with no ads and no cap. - **Features: D.** It does one narrow job, an OpenVPN client, and needs a VPN service or your own server to be of any use. - **Ease of use: D.** You add OpenVPN configuration files yourself, so it is a command-line-adjacent job for most people. - **Platforms and integrations: D.** macOS only, and the current builds need macOS 13 or later. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from The Tunnelblick Project's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among VPNs - Tunnelblick's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 15 of the 50 other VPNs we grade, and level with 6. - It stands best on value for money (A, above 43 of 50) and worst on features (D, above 0). - Tunnelblick has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/vpn ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** Tunnelblick is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 29 of the 50 other VPNs grade higher. - You could not: Servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private. - You could not: A native app living in the menu bar. - You could not: A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with OpenVPN **Tags:** VPN, Open source, Menu bar app ## Alternatives - [OpenVPN](https://toolgpa.com/tools/openvpn): Open-source VPN protocol plus business VPN products built on it. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/openvpn-vs-tunnelblick) - [Viscosity](https://toolgpa.com/tools/viscosity): OpenVPN client for Mac and Windows, bought once. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/tunnelblick-vs-viscosity) - [WireGuard](https://toolgpa.com/tools/wireguard): Free, open-source VPN protocol and tunnel software. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/tunnelblick-vs-wireguard) - [SoftEther VPN](https://toolgpa.com/tools/softether-vpn): Free multi-protocol VPN server and client from a Japanese university. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/softether-vpn-vs-tunnelblick) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://tunnelblick.net/ - https://tunnelblick.net/downloads.html - https://tunnelblick.net/contribute.html Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/tunnelblick Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).