OpenVPN

OpenVPN

Secure Access for Every Employee, Everywhere.

#12 dans VPN
2 min read · Updated 10/4/2025
OpenVPN homepage screenshot

At a glance

Quick overview for OpenVPN: rating, pricing summary, key features, and highlights.

Ciroapp review

3.4
Flexible security built for compliance.

We see OpenVPN provides a strong foundation for Zero Trust access, featuring flexible deployment options and robust security controls that meet strict compliance goals like HIPAA and SOC 2. Overall, it is a feature-rich solution economical for businesses, but they must weigh the compliance focus against reported issues related to functional reliability and performance lag.

Pros

  • Pro:Provides flexible security solutions (CloudConnexa or Access Server).
  • Pro:Robust Zero Trust features and access controls are implemented.
  • Pro:Meets strict regulatory compliance standards (HIPAA, SOC 2).
  • Pro:Feature-rich Free plan is available for up to three seats.

Cons

  • Con:External users report serious issues with platform lag and poor UX.
  • Con:Setup and onboarding can be difficult and time-consuming.
  • Con:Customer support responsiveness is reported as inadequate by users.
  • Con:Self-hosted Access Server is considered extremely overpriced by some clients.
Free trial
Yes — 14 days
Range: $11/seat/month (billed annually) - CustomFree plan, Free trial, Monthly subscription, Yearly subscription, Per seat pricing
This section is a summary. Detailed sections about features, use cases, pricing, and reviews follow below.

OpenVPN review, pricing, features, pros & cons

Are you tired of juggling complex remote access for hybrid employees? Remote access vulnerabilities create serious security risks for your business. OpenVPN tackles this challenge head-on.

It helps you control access, supports your compliance needs, and significantly protects your vital company data. ✨

What is OpenVPN?

OpenVPN is a trusted provider of secure networking solutions tailored for small, medium, and enterprise businesses. It's recognized as the #1 Business VPN and is specifically trusted by over 20,000 organizations. This widely used solution provides a protected, encrypted tunnel for sensitive data.

It ensures your devices can securely connect to business assets, even when crossing unsecured public networks. The core product is a high-performance, fast-deploying Zero Trust VPN solution. 💡

OpenVPN Key Features

✨ Flexible Deployment Architectures

Gain the right amount of control over your network security with two distinct deployment options. OpenVPN lets you choose the solution that best fits your infrastructure needs. This flexibility ensures that the security solution integrates smoothly into your current IT environment.

Choose the self-hosted Access Server if you need full architectural control and private tunneling. You can deploy this solution quickly on various platforms, including Docker, Linux, and major virtualization tools like VMware ESXi. Alternatively, choose the cloud-delivered CloudConnexa® service. This option is fully managed and connects your devices, applications, and networks without requiring you to handle complex hardware management.

✨ Zero Trust as a Secure Foundation

You can dramatically reduce your network’s attack surface by enforcing strict access policies. OpenVPN helps you implement a Zero Trust strategy that utilizes a secure VPN as its foundation. This crucial security model ensures users only access the specific resources required to perform their job duties.

This approach enforces the principle of least privilege access organization-wide. By concealing application assets from public view, you significantly reduce potential vulnerabilities. Both our Access Server and CloudConnexa solutions enable you to build and enforce these core Zero Trust network access tenets.

✨ Advanced Identity and Access Controls

Protect your vital company data using detailed, multi-layered verification policies. OpenVPN provides centralized control capabilities essential for any modern business. This helps administrators effectively enforce complex access policies.

To verify users, you can use criteria like their identity, the specific device they are using, and their IP address. The system also includes built-in two-factor authentication (2FA) for users. For those running the Access Server, you also gain the power to enhance protection by routing all outbound internet traffic through the server itself.

✨ Cloud-Delivered Networking Capabilities

CloudConnexa offers enterprise-grade networking features managed through a simplified environment. This service provides enhanced protection that goes far beyond simple encrypted tunneling. It is specifically designed to connect your entire ecosystem, including your remote workforce, private networks, applications, and IoT devices.

Within CloudConnexa, you get a full suite of Zero Trust controls built-in. It allows networks to connect seamlessly using either OpenVPN or IPsec protocols. You can also benefit from advanced features like enhanced protection via content filtering and IDS/IPS.

✨ Universal Client Support for Remote Teams

Ensure every remote and hybrid employee can connect securely, regardless of their device setup. OpenVPN supports the distributed workplace by providing available client software for all major operating systems and mobile devices. Teams find it simple to install the secure client on any hardware.

When employees work off-site, their device establishes a remote access VPN connection. This securely routes all sensitive network traffic through an encrypted tunnel. This mechanism secures their internet connection whether they are traveling or using unsecured public Wi-Fi.

✨ Supporting Key Regulatory Compliance

OpenVPN helps your organization meet challenging industry standards for data security and protection. We maintain enterprise-grade certifications to provide assurance that your infrastructure complies with strict external requirements. This foundation is crucial for businesses in highly regulated sectors.

This security is vital for healthcare organizations needing to meet HIPAA requirements for patient data. It also helps financial service businesses comply with PCI-DSS when handling customer financial information. OpenVPN is also independently certified for SOC 2 Type 2, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, and GDPR.

Use Cases

🌐 Secure Remote Access from Anywhere

Your remote or hybrid employees need secure access to vital network resources, even using public Wi-Fi. OpenVPN creates a protected, encrypted tunnel for their sensitive traffic. This masks their location and shields company data from external breaches. This secure remote access supports your team members who work off-site, whether they are traveling or working from home.

Tip: OpenVPN client software is available for all operating systems and mobile devices, making connectivity seamless for every user.

🔒 Implementing Least Privilege and Zero Trust

Protecting company data requires limiting network visibility. Both Access Server and CloudConnexa help you build solutions that enforce Zero Trust principles. This ensures that employees can only access the specific programs required for their role.

You reduce the application attack surface by hiding assets from discovery and stopping unwanted lateral movement within the network.

⚖️ Meeting Strict Industry Compliance Goals

Organizations in healthcare and financial services face challenging industry requirements like HIPAA and PCI-DSS. OpenVPN provides the necessary security foundation to meet these mandates. Healthcare businesses secure patient health information (PHI) using rigorous end-to-end encryption and detailed controls.

Financial services protect customer data with application-level security and specialized HSM integration for critical financial operations.

💻 Gaining Total Control with Self-Hosted Access Server

If your IT team demands complete control over security architecture, Access Server is the best choice. This self-hosted VPN solution allows you to deploy on existing infrastructure like Docker, Linux, or large IaaS providers effortlessly. You can customize access policies fully and route all internet traffic securely through your private server.

This provides high flexibility while maintaining enterprise-grade security standards.

🔗 Seamlessly Connecting Distributed Networks and IoT

CloudConnexa is a managed, cloud-delivered service designed for modern connectivity needs. It securely connects applications, private networks, workforce devices, and even IoT devices quickly. This solution helps connect networks seamlessly across long distances using OpenVPN or IPsec protocols.

You simplify complex routing and enhance protection with built-in content filtering and intrusion detection systems.

💰 Securing a Small Team Economically

Even tiny teams require robust security without high costs. You can use the free plans to test OpenVPN functionality immediately. The Free CloudConnexa plan offers up to three seats instantly, requiring no credit card to start.

If your business grows, flexible paid plans start economically. You pay only for the concurrent connections or seats you need, letting you scale security effortlessly as your workforce expands.

Pricing Overview for OpenVPN

Pricing range
$11/seat/month (billed annually) - Custom
Pricing types
Free plan, Free trial, Monthly subscription, Yearly subscription, Per seat pricing

OpenVPN CloudConnexa uses a flexible, per-seat subscription model with automatic volume discounts as your needs grow. Paid plans start at $11 per seat per month when billed annually, plus there is a robust Free plan.

Plans & Pricing

Free

YearlyFree
3 Seats maximum
  • Up to 3 seats
  • Use it free forever
  • Instant access to all features
  • No card required

Growth

MonthlyPrice your plan
Yearly$11/seat/month (billed annually)
Not explicitly stated (less than 500 seats)
  • Pay only for the seats you need
  • Automatic volume discounts
  • Includes 14-Day Free Trial
  • Scale seats up or down on demand

Enterprise

MonthlyCustom pricing
YearlyCustom pricing
500+ Seats or IoT
  • Custom pricing & volume discounts
  • Guided onboarding & POC with solution architects
  • Enterprise-grade security & compliance (GDPR, SOC2, ISO 27001, HIPAA)
  • 24/7 priority technical support

OpenVPN CloudConnexa costs between Free and Custom per year with 3 plans: Free (up to 3 seats), Growth ($11/seat/month billed annually), and Enterprise (Custom Pricing).

OpenVPN also offers two solutions—CloudConnexa and Access Server—but the most straightforward pricing structure is provided for the cloud-delivered CloudConnexa plans detailed below.

Free

Price: Free forever Websites Supported: Not explicitly stated Best For: Small teams or testing Refund Policy: Not explicitly stated Other Features:

  • Up to 3 seats
  • Use it free forever
  • Instant access to all features
  • No credit card required

This plan is perfect for individuals or tiny teams who need instant access to strong security features without any financial commitment. Since no credit card is required, it’s also a great way to explore CloudConnexa’s capabilities before upgrading.

Growth

Price: $11/seat/month (billed annually) Websites Supported: Not explicitly stated Best For: Growing businesses with several employees Refund Policy: Unused funds will be credited to your account for future usage (upon cancellation) Other Features:

  • Pay only for the seats you need
  • Automatic volume discounts
  • Scales seats up or down on demand
  • Monthly or yearly billing options

The Growth plan offers excellent flexibility for businesses getting serious about secure access. Choosing the yearly billing cycle, as highlighted by the savings shown, gives you the best per-seat value. You can easily adjust the number of seats anytime, ensuring you only pay for active team members.

Enterprise

Price: Custom pricing Websites Supported: Not explicitly stated Best For: Large organizations and specialized IoT deployments Refund Policy: Not explicitly stated (Contact Sales) Other Features:

  • 500+ Seats or IoT connections
  • Custom pricing and volume discounts
  • Guided onboarding and POC with architects
  • 24/7 priority technical support
  • Enterprise-grade security and compliance (GDPR, SOC2)

If you manage hundreds of users or require specialized security compliance and dedicated guidance, the Enterprise plan is the right fit. It ensures you receive high-touch support and pricing aligned closely with your specific business requirements and volume.

OpenVPN is committed to transparent pricing, offering the Free CloudConnexa plan with up to three seats and Access Server with two free connections. Both the CloudConnexa Growth plan and Access Server paid connections also include a 14-day free trial, allowing you to test out the full platform risk-free. If you need to cancel a subscription, unused funds are happily credited back to your account for any future OpenVPN usage.

User Reviews

User feedback on Trustpilot paints a largely negative picture, although this reflects a small sample size of nine reviews. The recurring themes critically focus on reliability and user experience.

Several users describe the platform as "extremely laggy," noting poor UX, especially with the browser authentication process. Functionality is also strongly challenged; one reviewer claimed the platform is fundamentally broken and fails to block expected threats like viruses or DDoS attacks, contradicting its advertising claims.

Setup and integration are difficult; installation on platforms like AWS is cited as requiring "a lot of work" and being complex to get running. Furthermore, customer support is criticized as being a "joke," and the pricing for the self-hosted Access Server is flagged as "extremely overpriced" for small client counts.

When we look at recurring user concerns, nearly all relate to performance and functional accuracy, contrasting sharply with the high-level security features emphasized by the company. 😔

What users say elsewhere

Emily S.
· Trustpilot
1.0 / 5

The user experience for the browser authentication is very poor and complex. It is constantly extremely laggy, which makes daily operations unnecessarily frustrating for mandated users.

Liam P.
· Trustpilot
2.0 / 5

I find the Access Server version ridiculously expensive for what we receive. Paying $720 a year just for ten clients is far too much money for this basic level of software licensing.

No reviews yet.

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Why use OpenVPN?

Choosing the right VPN is crucial for adapting to the highly distributed modern workplace. OpenVPN gives you remarkable flexibility without compromising the critical aspects of enterprise-grade security. It shields your network by generating impenetrable tunnels designed specifically for remote access.

  • Flexible Deployment Options: You can choose the self-hosted Access Server for complete architectural control or the managed, cloud-delivered CloudConnexa® service. ✅
  • Implement Zero Trust Simply: Both solutions help you enforce the key tenets of Zero Trust network access. This ensures system visibility is reduced and access is strictly limited to only what is necessary for the user's role.
  • Meet Strict Compliance Goals: OpenVPN addresses challenging industry requirements. It helps organizations meet HIPAA requirements for healthcare and PCI-DSS needs for customer financial data.
  • Simple Management and Access Controls: You can enforce powerful access policies using criteria like identity, device, and IP verification. Users appreciate the easy configuration and built-in two-factor authentication.
  • Budget Friendly and Accessible: You can start quickly with a generous free trial offering up to three free connections. Paid plans are flexible, starting economically at just $7 per concurrent connection monthly.

This robust security foundation is especially valuable for organizations in technology, healthcare, and financial services that require reliable network protection. With technical support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, OpenVPN ensures reliable help whenever you need it. Ready to secure your distributed teams? Start your free trial today.

Ready to transform your workflow with OpenVPN?

Frequently Asked Questions

Does OpenVPN require a credit card to start the 14-day free trial?

Yes, their official site states that the 14-day free trial for the Growth plan requires a credit card to begin. However, the Free plan with limited connections does not require a card.

What happens if I need to cancel my paid subscription early?

You can cancel your subscription at any time without penalty. OpenVPN credits any unused funds back to your account, which you can use for future services.

What specific security compliance standards does OpenVPN support?

OpenVPN helps you meet stringent requirements like SOC 2 Type 2, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, and GDPR. It is also HIPAA compliant, which is essential for healthcare organizations.

What level of technical support is included with the standard paid (Growth) plans?

Technical support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through their support portal. Enterprise customers, however, receive dedicated 24/7 priority support.

How is the pricing structured differently between CloudConnexa and Access Server?

CloudConnexa uses a per-seat subscription model with volume discounts. Access Server uses a pricing model based on the number of concurrent connections required.

Where can I deploy the self-hosted OpenVPN Access Server solution?

Access Server offers maximum flexibility for deployment. You can deploy it using IaaS providers, Docker, Linux, Hyper-V, and VMware ESXi environments.

Does the Free plan offer the same performance and speed as the paid plans?

Yes, there is no difference in data speeds or performance based on the specific billing plan in use. This applies to both Access Server and CloudConnexa solutions.

Can I easily increase or decrease the number of seats I need dynamically?

Yes, the billing system is built for flexibility. You can scale the number of seats up or down on demand, and these changes take effect immediately.

How do the free options for CloudConnexa and Access Server compare?

The CloudConnexa Free plan offers up to three seats forever. Access Server offers two free concurrent connections, plus a 14-day trial for more connections.

Are there limits on how many devices I can connect per seat?

You can add as many devices as you need to your account. However, only the subscribed number of seats or connections can be in active use at any single time.

What advanced security features does CloudConnexa include beyond basic VPN encryption?

CloudConnexa enhances protection with security features. These include content filtering, a Secure Web Gateway, and an Intrusion Detection and Prevention System (IDS/IPS).

What can I expect in terms of professional support when purchasing the Enterprise plan?

The Enterprise plan includes high-touch support services. This consists of guided onboarding, a Proof of Concept (POC) phase with solution architects, and 24/7 priority technical support.

What industries is OpenVPN best suited for due to its compliance features?

It is valuable for industries requiring strict security protocols. This includes Healthcare (HIPAA), Financial Services (PCI-DSS), and general Technology businesses.

How does OpenVPN help implement a Zero Trust security framework?

Both solutions help implement ZTNA by enforcing least privilege access. This means access is strictly limited based on user identity, device context, and policy rules.

If I need a direct monetary refund, how should I proceed?

If you wish for a monetary refund instead of a credit toward future usage, you must directly contact their sales department via email at sales@openvpn.net for assistance.

Does the official site specify the covered languages or geographic regions for support?

The availability of services in specific languages or coverage across global regions is not explicitly stated on the official site. You may check the CloudConnexa PoPs list for geographic coverage.

Ready to try OpenVPN? Check out the official site or pricing.