Can I connect to multiple OpenVPN servers at the same time?

Yes, you can connect simultaneously to multiple OpenVPN servers using open-source-based Windows, macOS, or Linux clients. You can’t on Android or iOS clients where the API only allows one connection. You can’t on OpenVPN Connect, our VPN client, as we deliberately limited it to one connection.

While OpenVPN Connect only allows one active VPN connection at a time, you can import multiple connection profiles and switch between them. You’re limited to one active server connection at a time. This is done intentionally. Connecting to multiple VPN servers with conflicting routes causes routing conflicts and unintended traffic paths that may cause failures or security issues. We don’t expect the average end-user to have the necessary knowledge to deal with the security and functional implications of running multiple simultaneous VPN connections that can interfere with each other.

If you’re a power user or system administrator managing multiple networks, you may need to connect to multiple VPN servers simultaneously. In that case, use an OpenVPN open-source-based client software that supports this use case. Client apps such as OpenVPN GUI for Windows, Tunnelblick for macOS, or the OpenVPN Linux client, all support connecting to multiple servers simultaneously. You need to know how to avoid or deal with routing conflicts, unintended traffic paths, or possible security implications that can arise from doing this.

If you currently have an OpenVPN deployment where your end-users are expected to connect to multiple VPN servers at the same time, consider implementing one central VPN solution, such as an OpenVPN Access Server or CloudConnexa setup with site-to-site connections to all the various resources they need to access. This way, a single VPN connection gives access to all needed resources.