Fortinet Secure SD-WAN vs OpenVPN Access Server

Fortinet Secure SD-WAN9.2Visit OAOpenVPN Access Server8.6Visit

Higher score Fortinet Secure SD-WAN #2 in Connectivity Solutions 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Fortinet

vs

OA OpenVPN Access Server #7 in Connectivity Solutions 8.6/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 1 of 4 features Visit OpenVPN

• Fortinet Secure SD-WAN fits best

  Secure SD-WAN with cloud on-ramps

• OpenVPN Access Server fits best

  Self-hosted VPN with enterprise authentication

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Side by side

Feature	Fortinet Secure SD-WAN 9.2/10 Visit ↗	OAOpenVPN Access Server 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.6
Ranking	#2 in Connectivity Solutions	#7 in Connectivity Solutions
Best for	Secure SD-WAN with cloud on-ramps	Self-hosted VPN with enterprise authentication
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	$7/unit/mo
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	14 days
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Integrations	11 integrations	17 integrations
Features Fortinet Secure SD-WAN 0/4 · OpenVPN Access Server 1/4
SSO support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Private app access	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Split tunneling	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Audit logs	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Connectivity model	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Device limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Gateway regions	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Routes traffic using application policies and application SLAs Includes zero-touch provisioning and centralized FortiManager management Connects to AWS, Azure, Alibaba, Oracle, and Google Cloud	Supports remote-access and site-to-site VPN connections. Offers SAML, LDAP, RADIUS, MFA, and granular access controls. Includes a free tier with all features and up to 2 simultaneous connections.
Cons	Basic SD-WAN is the only included offering; advanced features need paid services Paid services and subscriptions are sold through Fortinet or resellers Management and automation rely on FortiManager, APIs, Ansible, or Terraform	The free plan is limited to 2 simultaneous connections. Growth pricing is per simultaneous connection, not per user. Enterprise & IoT pricing is custom, with volume discounts.
Our verdict	Fortinet Secure SD-WAN combines application-aware traffic steering with FortiGate firewall and security inspection capabilities. It is aimed at enterprises, branch offices, data centers, and cloud environments that need to manage WAN… Read the review →	OpenVPN Access Server is a self-hosted business VPN for organizations that need remote access to private networks or site-to-site connectivity. It can run on Linux servers, virtual machines, containers, on-premises infrastructure, or… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Fortinet Secure SD-WAN — where it wins

  • Routes traffic using application policies and application SLAs
  • Includes zero-touch provisioning and centralized FortiManager management
  • Connects to AWS, Azure, Alibaba, Oracle, and Google Cloud

  Where it doesn't

  • Basic SD-WAN is the only included offering; advanced features need paid services
  • Paid services and subscriptions are sold through Fortinet or resellers
  • Management and automation rely on FortiManager, APIs, Ansible, or Terraform

• OpenVPN Access Server — where it wins

  • Supports remote-access and site-to-site VPN connections.
  • Offers SAML, LDAP, RADIUS, MFA, and granular access controls.
  • Includes a free tier with all features and up to 2 simultaneous connections.

  Where it doesn't

  • The free plan is limited to 2 simultaneous connections.
  • Growth pricing is per simultaneous connection, not per user.
  • Enterprise & IoT pricing is custom, with volume discounts.

• Fortinet Secure SD-WAN9.2/10 · Free plan

  A FortiGate-based SD-WAN option for organizations connecting branches, data centers, and clouds.

  Visit FortinetFull verdict →
• OAOpenVPN Access Server8.6/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

  A self-hosted VPN with broad authentication options and connection-based pricing.

  Visit OpenVPNFull verdict →