OpenVPN Access Server vs Azure VPN Gateway

OAOpenVPN Access Server9.2Visit Azure VPN Gateway9.1Visit

Higher score OA OpenVPN Access Server #2 in Business VPN Software 9.2/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 3 of 4 features Visit OpenVPN

vs

Azure VPN Gateway #3 in Business VPN Software 9.1/10 Paid ✓ 4 of 4 features Visit site

• OpenVPN Access Server fits best

  Organizations needing full-featured self-hosted VPN

• Azure VPN Gateway fits best

  Azure-centered organizations needing site-to-site VPN

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Side by side

Feature	OAOpenVPN Access Server 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Azure VPN Gateway 9.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	9.1
Ranking	#2 in Business VPN Software	#3 in Business VPN Software
Best for	Organizations needing full-featured self-hosted VPN	Azure-centered organizations needing site-to-site VPN
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$7/unit/mo	—
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	14 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Cloud
Platforms	Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support	Tickets, Community, Docs · 24/7	Docs, Community
Integrations	17 integrations	6 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features OpenVPN Access Server 3/4 · Azure VPN Gateway 4/4
SSO / SCIM	✓	✓
Device posture	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Site-to-site networking	✓	✓
Audit logs	✓	✓
Specs
Admin control level	Enterprise	Advanced
Access model	Hybrid	Vpn
Supported platforms	Linux server; Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and ChromeOS clients; Docker; VMware ESXi; Microsoft Hyper-V; AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, DigitalOcean, Oracle Cloud, and Vultr	Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, web portal, Azure CLI, REST API
Our review
Pros	Remote-access and site-to-site VPN support Extensive authentication and role-based access controls Self-hosting, cloud deployment, clustering, and REST API support	Supports site-to-site, point-to-site, and VNet-to-VNet VPNs Entra authentication, Conditional Access, and device compliance controls BGP, resiliency, RBAC, monitoring, logs, and Azure integrations
Cons	Free plan supports only 2 simultaneous connections Growth licensing is based on simultaneous connections Enterprise & IoT pricing is custom	No perpetual free plan Usage-based pricing can include extra tunnel or connection charges Bandwidth and tunnel limits vary across gateway SKUs
Our verdict	OpenVPN Access Server is a self-hosted business VPN for organizations that need remote access to private networks and resources. It runs on Linux servers, virtual machines, containers, on-premises infrastructure, or public clouds, with… Read the review →	Azure VPN Gateway is a cloud-managed networking service for encrypted connectivity between Azure virtual networks, on-premises networks, and individual remote devices. It is designed for hybrid connectivity, branch networking, remote… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• OpenVPN Access Server — where it wins

  • Remote-access and site-to-site VPN support
  • Extensive authentication and role-based access controls
  • Self-hosting, cloud deployment, clustering, and REST API support

  Where it doesn't

  • Free plan supports only 2 simultaneous connections
  • Growth licensing is based on simultaneous connections
  • Enterprise & IoT pricing is custom

• Azure VPN Gateway — where it wins

  • Supports site-to-site, point-to-site, and VNet-to-VNet VPNs
  • Entra authentication, Conditional Access, and device compliance controls
  • BGP, resiliency, RBAC, monitoring, logs, and Azure integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • No perpetual free plan
  • Usage-based pricing can include extra tunnel or connection charges
  • Bandwidth and tunnel limits vary across gateway SKUs

• OAOpenVPN Access Server9.2/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

  A flexible self-hosted VPN for organizations needing deep access and authentication controls.

  Visit OpenVPNFull verdict →
• Azure VPN Gateway9.1/10 · Paid

  A strong Azure-centered VPN gateway for hybrid networks, with usage-based pricing and tiered limits.

  Visit siteFull verdict →