OpenVPN Community Edition or Access Server
Compare the flexibility of CE with the business-ready power of Access Server.
Trusted by 20,000+ organizations for over two decades.
From open source to enterprise control
The OpenVPN protocol began as a community-driven project, and that thriving community still maintains and improves it today.
OpenVPN, Inc. is proud of those roots — and we still contribute to and support the community project. For businesses, though, managing and scaling the free, open-source Community Edition (CE) can be complex.
That’s why we created Access Server and CloudConnexa: commercial solutions that take the proven OpenVPN protocol and add the management tools, security features, and scalability modern organizations require.
OpenVPN, Inc. is proud of those roots — and we still contribute to and support the community project. For businesses, though, managing and scaling the free, open-source Community Edition (CE) can be complex.
That’s why we created Access Server and CloudConnexa: commercial solutions that take the proven OpenVPN protocol and add the management tools, security features, and scalability modern organizations require.
Open-source
Community Edition (CE)
The OpenVPN Community Edition (CE) is a free, open-source project maintained by a global community. OpenVPN CEIt gives you complete control—but also complete responsibility. OpenVPN CE is flexible, transparent, and endlessly customizable. But it’s also command-line driven and requires ongoing technical expertise to manage. It’s a great fit for hobbyists, developers, and small projects.
Self-hosted
Access Server
Access Server is OpenVPN, Inc.’s self-hosted VPN built for business. This tool builds on the same openvpn protocol, adding an intuitive web interface, enterprise integrations, and advanced scalability features—making it the go-to choice for organizations that want to run their own VPN with less manual effort. Deployable on-prem, in VMs, or via cloud marketplaces like AWS and Azure, it includes centralized management, user authentication (RADIUS, LDAP, SAML, MFA), clustering, APIs, and DCO support—all with an easy-to-use web GUI.
Compare OpenVPN Solutions
Compare the features of Access Server and OpenVPN CE to find the best fit for your organization.
Feature / use case
Paid, self-hosted
Free, base protocol
Cost
Paid (includes 2 free connections)
Free
Ownership
Owned and supported by OpenVPN, Inc.
Community-driven, community-supported
Deployment
Self-hosted (on-prem, VM, or cloud)
Manual setup, CLI required
Management
Web GUI, API
None (CLI only)
Auth & access control
LDAP, SAML, username/password with 2FA + Zero Trust policies
Run your own PKI and integrate various authentication modules
Security features
Location context, device ID checks, and many more with scripting
Core VPN encryption
Routing & traffic control
NAT and full routing for site-to-site networking
Manual configuration
Scalability & redundancy
Clustering and failover
Manual scaling
Support
Official 24/7 OpenVPN, Inc. support available
Community forums
Ideal for
Businesses that want self-hosted control
Developers, hobbyists, CLI-savvy users