OpenVPN Access Server vs Cloudflare Access

OAOpenVPN Access Server9.2Visit Cloudflare Access8.6Visit

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

Cloudflare Access #7 in Business VPN Software 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Cloudflare

• OpenVPN Access Server fits best

  Organizations needing full-featured self-hosted VPN

• Cloudflare Access fits best

  Cloud-first teams securing private applications

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Side by side

Feature	OAOpenVPN Access Server 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Cloudflare Access 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.6
Ranking	#2 in Business VPN Software	#7 in Business VPN Software
Best for	Organizations needing full-featured self-hosted VPN	Cloud-first teams securing private applications
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	$7/unit/mo	—
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	14 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile, Browser extension
Platforms	Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support	Tickets, Community, Docs · 24/7	Live chat, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs
Compliance	SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA	SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI DSS, 2FA
Integrations	17 integrations	11 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features OpenVPN Access Server 3/4 · Cloudflare Access 0/4
SSO / SCIM	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Device posture	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Site-to-site networking	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Audit logs	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Admin control level	Enterprise	Not checked yet
Access model	Hybrid	Not checked yet
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	Not checked yet
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	Free plan and $7/user/month annual pay-as-you-go tier Supports identity, device posture, and protocol-aware access policies Exports Zero Trust logs to SIEM or storage destinations
Cons	Free plan supports only 2 simultaneous connections Growth licensing is based on simultaneous connections Enterprise & IoT pricing is custom	Clientless browser access has protocol and hostname limitations Session recording is not included Contract-plan pricing is custom rather than published
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 →	Cloudflare Access is a cloud-delivered zero trust network access service for employees, contractors, and other users. It applies identity, device posture, and contextual policies to self-hosted, SaaS, private-network, and infrastructure… 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

• Cloudflare Access — where it wins

  • Free plan and $7/user/month annual pay-as-you-go tier
  • Supports identity, device posture, and protocol-aware access policies
  • Exports Zero Trust logs to SIEM or storage destinations

  Where it doesn't

  • Clientless browser access has protocol and hostname limitations
  • Session recording is not included
  • Contract-plan pricing is custom rather than published

• 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 →
• Cloudflare Access8.6/10 · Free plan

  A cloud-delivered VPN alternative with identity, device, and application-aware controls.

  Visit CloudflareFull verdict →