OpenVPN Access Server review

OpenVPN Access Server is the self-hosted option in this list and the right call when policy says traffic must stay on your own infrastructure. You deploy it from AWS, Azure, GCP and other marketplaces, as a Docker or VMware image, or on Red Hat, Debian or Ubuntu, and it handles remote access and site-to-site VPN. Authentication is broad, covering local accounts, PAM, LDAP, RADIUS, SAML SSO and TOTP MFA, and access controls work at user, group, protocol, port, IP and domain level. Pricing is based on simultaneous active connections rather than users: the free plan allows 2, and Growth costs $7 per connection per month billed yearly for up to 2,000. That suits shift workers or contractors who connect occasionally. The tradeoff is operations work. You patch and scale the server, and the model grants network-level access rather than per-app access, so segmentation depends on careful rules. OpenVPN says more than 20,000 businesses use it.

Who it is for

Companies that want to host their VPN themselves, keep traffic on their own infrastructure and pay per simultaneous connection.

Price

Free for 2 connections; Growth $7 per connection per month billed yearly; Enterprise custom.

Cost per connection $ 7 /month Total of $ 70 per month billed yearly
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 9, 2026.

Key features

• Self-hosted deployment on cloud marketplaces, Docker, Hyper-V, VMware or Linux
• Remote access and site-to-site VPN with IPv4 and IPv6
• LDAP, RADIUS, SAML SSO and TOTP MFA authentication
• User, group, protocol and port-level access controls
• REST API, Terraform templates and active-active clustering

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free forever for 2 simultaneous connections
• Strength: Priced on active connections, so you can add unlimited users and devices
• Strength: Air-gapped and offline operation for restricted environments
• Weakness: You run, patch and scale the server yourself
• Weakness: Classic network-level VPN rather than per-app access
• Weakness: Growth plan tops out at 2,000 connections

Key facts

• Free plan: 2 simultaneous connections
• Growth plan: Up to 2,000 connections
• Businesses: 20,000+, per OpenVPN
• Free trial: 14 days

Where it ranks

OpenVPN Access Server is No. 7 in our Best Business VPN verdict.