VPN is one of the strongest open-source categories — WireGuard and OpenVPN are both fully open source and power the majority of business VPN deployments worldwide, including many commercial VPN products that build management layers on top of these open-source protocols.
3 open source tools highlighted below, plus 12 more in this category.
Per-user · Cloud / On-prem · Free trial
OpenVPN Access Server is positioned here as a SD-WAN software option for teams comparing rollout fit, operating model, pricing structure, and how much administrative effort the product is likely to create after implementation.
Per-user · Cloud · Free trial
Proton VPN Business is the privacy-first business VPN — Swiss jurisdiction, no-logs policy verified by audit, and open-source clients — strongest for organizations where privacy is a non-negotiable requirement.
Best for: Privacy-conscious organizations, journalism teams, and businesses operating in jurisdictions with surveillance concerns that need a verified no-logs VPN with Swiss legal protections.
Open source · Cloud / On-prem · Free trial
WireGuard is positioned here as a SD-WAN software option for teams comparing rollout fit, operating model, pricing structure, and how much administrative effort the product is likely to create after implementation.
These tools are part of the vpn tools category but may not match the open source filter above. Worth reviewing if the primary options don't fit.
Usage-based pricing · Cloud · Free trial
AWS Client VPN provides managed OpenVPN-based remote access to AWS VPCs — the natural choice for AWS-native architectures — but per-connection hourly pricing makes it expensive at scale.
Custom quote · Cloud
Cato Networks is positioned here as a SD-WAN software option for teams comparing rollout fit, operating model, pricing structure, and how much administrative effort the product is likely to create after implementation.
Custom quote · Cloud / On-prem
Cisco AnyConnect is positioned here as a SD-WAN software option for teams comparing rollout fit, operating model, pricing structure, and how much administrative effort the product is likely to create after implementation.
Custom quote · Cloud · Free trial
Cisco Meraki is positioned here as a SD-WAN software option for teams comparing rollout fit, operating model, pricing structure, and how much administrative effort the product is likely to create after implementation.
Usage-based pricing · Cloud · Free trial
Cloudflare One is positioned here as a SD-WAN software option for teams comparing rollout fit, operating model, pricing structure, and how much administrative effort the product is likely to create after implementation.
Custom quote · Cloud / On-prem
Fortinet Secure SD-WAN is positioned here as a SD-WAN software option for teams comparing rollout fit, operating model, pricing structure, and how much administrative effort the product is likely to create after implementation.
Per-user · Cloud · Free trial
NordLayer is positioned here as a SD-WAN software option for teams comparing rollout fit, operating model, pricing structure, and how much administrative effort the product is likely to create after implementation.
Per-user · Cloud · Free trial
OpenVPN CloudConnexa is the managed cloud service built on the OpenVPN protocol — simplifies deployment for teams that want OpenVPN reliability without self-hosting — but pricing per connection can exceed alternatives.
Custom quote · Cloud
Palo Alto Prisma SD-WAN is positioned here as a SD-WAN software option for teams comparing rollout fit, operating model, pricing structure, and how much administrative effort the product is likely to create after implementation.
Per-user · Cloud · Free trial
Perimeter 81 is positioned here as a SD-WAN software option for teams comparing rollout fit, operating model, pricing structure, and how much administrative effort the product is likely to create after implementation.
Per-user · Cloud · Free trial
Tailscale is positioned here as a SD-WAN software option for teams comparing rollout fit, operating model, pricing structure, and how much administrative effort the product is likely to create after implementation.
Custom quote · Cloud
Zscaler Private Access is positioned here as a SD-WAN software option for teams comparing rollout fit, operating model, pricing structure, and how much administrative effort the product is likely to create after implementation.
WireGuard for new deployments: faster, simpler, modern cryptography. OpenVPN for legacy compatibility, TCP fallback (firewall traversal), and environments with existing OpenVPN infrastructure. Both are production-grade and widely deployed.
As secure as your implementation — WireGuard and OpenVPN are extensively audited. The risk is in misconfiguration: weak keys, exposed management interfaces, missing OS patches, and inadequate logging. Commercial VPN products reduce this risk with managed configuration.
Headscale (open-source Tailscale control server) for WireGuard mesh management. Pritunl for OpenVPN management with a web UI. Both provide user management, access policies, and logging that raw WireGuard/OpenVPN configurations lack.
