Best Top 20 OpenVPN Alternatives (Pros and Cons)

OpenVPN is a virtual private network system used to create trusted end-to-end connection configuration and remote access services. As with any other VPN service, OpenVPN also has its own drawbacks. For instance, its inability to bypass particular proxy servers and complexities in user journeys lead to less user-friendliness. Therefore, we will be discussing a few alternatives for OpenVPN in this article, considering their advantages and disadvantages.

1. NordVPN

NordVPN is one of the famous VPN alternatives by now. It is secured as it does not keep logs of user activities. Moreover, it has double VPNs adding one more security layer for the users. 

Pros of NordVPN​

• Support multi-platform
• Fast connection
• Reliable VPN alternative. 

Cons of NordVPN​

• Servers and the app are slower than expected,
• VPN configuration is not user-friendly.

2. ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is a swiss based VPN alternative that is well known for its security.

Pros of ProtonVPN​

• It offers several protocols and levels of encryptions. 
• Has DNS and WebRTC leak tests.
• Helps in generating a transparency report. 
• Has a presence over the world in 41 countries. 

Cons of ProtonVPN​

• A limited number of Asia-based servers, 
• Limited P2P availability.
• Difficult to configure.

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3. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is one of the leading VPN providers in the world. The kill switch or the Network Lock in ExpressVPN ensures there’s no data or IP leak when the VPN tunnel is compromised. Furthermore, this software is carefully engineered to secure user privacy.

Pros of ExpressVPN

• It doesn’t keep user session activities and sensitive data such as browsing history, IP addresses, Traffic destination, and DNS queries.
• It further provides split tunnelling capability to use the internet while using another device on the network.
• Fast and easy to configure.
• Has more server locations.

Cons of ExpressVPN

• May not be cost-friendly as it is a pricey tool.

4. Libreswan

Libreswan is another popular and open-source VPN alternative. This tool is designed based on standard protocols like IPsec and IKE. It has been developed by the community for over 15 years.

Pros of Libreswan

• Provide fast and high-performance
• Compatible with multiple devices.
• Supports public or pres-shared key-based authentication
• Easy to adopt.

Cons of Libreswan

• Security algorithms can be easily be cracked.

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5. Cisco AnyConnect

Cisco AnyConnect is an ideal solution for businesses or business employees who want to secure their sensitive information. It enables companies to ensure that only the registered devices are eligible to access the company information.

Pros of Cisco AnyConnect

• Security over information
• Supports all the devices despite the operating system, even supporting Android and ioS.
• Provides a 360-degree view of the behaviour of users and endpoints, which helps improve the quality of network operations.

Cons of Cisco AnyConnect

• It can be tricky in troubleshooting
• There can be compatibility issues in early versions.

6. CyberGhost

CyberGhost VPN enables users to hide their IP addresses when accessing public Wi-Fis to ensure security, process online transactions, and effectively route the traffic via VPN tunnels.

Pros of CyberGhost

• It is fast and easy to use
• Highly user-friendly user interface.
• No logging and no tracking policy.
• Prevents the user from various malicious attacks

Cons of CyberGhost

• Some of the servers work slower than others.

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7. SocialVPN

SocialVPN is an open-source and user-centric VPN alternative used to easily define and implement virtual private networks of end-users.

Pros of SocialVPN

• It provides point-to-point IP and Ethernet tunnelling, which are managed through control APIs.
• It is easy to configure, as it runs on the existing Internet architecture without using any added hardware/software.
• Remote access feature for Linux/Windows
• Remote shell access
• Windows file sharing.

Cons of SocialVPN

• It may need a special framework for working with Linux and Windows.

8. SoftEther

SoftEther is an open source VPN alternative that supports multiple platforms and security protocols, including SSL, L2TP/IPsec, and Microsoft Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol. This VPN was developed by volunteers.  Check out our solution on deploying Cloud SoftEther VPN 

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Pros of SoftEther

• Can penetrate firewalls easily with its original strong SSL-VPN protocol.
• Has higher throughput.
• High resistance for the firewalls
• Low memory consumption and CPU usage.

Cons of SoftEther

• Not multi-platform supported. Hence it requires installing third-party software to bridge the gap.

9. StrongSwan

StrongSwan is a simple product of  Libreswan and OpenSwan. It has excellent encryption standards as a VPN alternative, which helps create even large-scale and complex VPN networks easier.

Pros of StrongSwan

• Free and open-source software.
• Supports macOS and Windows VPN clients.
• Working with strongSwan is easier due to its rich documentation and examples.

Cons of StrongSwan

• It natively supports only Windows.

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10. UTunnel VPN

UTunnel is a paid VPN solution that enables you to have your own VPN within the premises or with a cloud service provider.

Pros of UTunnel

• It can be used by anyone to host a private VPN.
• Has a user-friendly management console.
• Ability to obtain a centralized management system.
• An ideal choice for businesses that require remote access.
• Compatible with many devices running on operating systems such as Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.
• Uses military-grade encryption to secure data and use standard protocols such as IPSec IKev 2.

Cons of UTunnel

• It is not free or open-source software.

11. Tinc VPN

Tinc VPN is another free and useful open-source OpenVPN alternative. 

Pros of Tinc

• This VPN is built using SMTPS protocol which is used to encrypt and protect data.
• Force encryption.
• Vulnerability search.
• Open-port checking configuration.

Cons of Tinc

• It is based on the command line and does not include a GUI interface.
• It will not be suitable if you are not familiar or comfortable with complex coding.
• Can only be used by programmers and ace coders. 

12. Pritunl

Pritunl is another open-source software that is used to create VPN networks. It integrates with third-party services such as Amazon AWS VPC and SSO (Single Sign-On) authentication.

Pros of Pritunl

• Pritunl has stable connectivity.
• Lightweight.
• Easy to use.
• Reliable.
• Easy to import profile.
• Secured connection

Cons of Pritunl

• It will not support static IPs in some scenarios.

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13. Psiphon

Psiphon is free and open-source software that is compatible with Windows, iOS, and Android devices.

Pros of Psiphon

• It is a hassle-free software as it does not require an email address to start using it.
• Since it is an open-source tool, there is transparency, and you can view the code base anytime.

Cons of Psiphon

• Small-sized server network
• Comparatively Slow
• Incompatibility with macOS, Linux, or any routers
• Lack of support in torrenting
• No Kill switch included
• No DNS leak-proof 

14. Windscribe

Windscribe is a Canadian-based VPN alternative that comes with a paid version and a free tier with 10GB bandwidth per month. This software cannot assure the fast performance of NordVPN and others,but has many advantages too.

Pros of Windscribe

• Offers an OpenVPN tunnelling protocol.
• Information shared is encrypted with 256-bit AES encryption, assuring the information security.
• Eliminates DNS leaks or virus attacks.
• The torrenting facility is included
• Supports multiple operating systems.

Cons of Windscribe

• Cost of the software
• Low speed
• Inaccessibility of some servers.

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15. PureVPN

PureVPN is a VPN alternative that has more positive reviews from users.

Pros of PureVPN

• This tool offers strong data encryption
• Support for many secure protocols
• Seamless streaming.
• It doesn’t make DNS leaks
• Supports split-tunnelling
• Port forwarding.

Cons of PureVPN

• Lack of support for WireGuard
• Issues that occur with the Kill switch in some scenarios
• Not a free version.

16. TunnelBear

TunnelBear VPN is an excellent VPN service that provides various features at a reasonable and affordable price.

Pros of TunnelBear

• High performance
• High speed
• No login policy
• Kill switch
• Security in using public Wi-Fi services
• Has AES-265 encryption, which will assure higher security for your information.
• Can be used in any operating system and allows you to access multiple devices.

Cons of TunnelBear

• Lack of stability in speed
• Leakage of unprotected traffic.
• Lack of support for modern platforms.

17. Azure VPN Gateway

Azure VPN Gateway helps in connecting user networks to Azure via Site-to-Site VPNs.

Pros of Azure VPN Gateway

• It offers secured connectivity using industry-standard protocols such as Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) and Internet Key Exchange (IKE).
• Fast and easy setup
• User-friendly user interface.
• Descriptive tutorials
• Ability to create multiple connections within the same VPN gateway.

Cons of Azure VPN Gateway

• High certificate creation time
• Less informative documentation
• High response time of the support teams.

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18. Wireguard

Wireguard is a VPN alternative that is under development. Yet it is faster and carefully designed when compared to other similar products.

Pros of Wireguard

• It is famous among users due to its speed and performance.
• It is easy to configure as it does not require a certificate infrastructure
• Uses only the Public keys.
• It supports many platforms such as  Android, iOS, Mac OS, Windows, and Linux.

Cons of Wireguard

• Has limited privacy
• Tends to get blocked in some networks as it does not support some standard protocols.
• Lack of stability
• Need to have dedicated infrastructures.

19. GlobalProtect

GlobalProtect offers protection over targeted cyberattacks, phishing, evasive application traffic, malicious websites, and other unknown threats.

Pros of GlobalProtect

• It is free software that is famous among the community
• Ease of configuring.
• It provides a clear user journey for the end-users supporting multiple authentication configurations.

Cons of GlobalProtect

• Lack of new features
• Can gain optimized performance only in the Palo Alto environment.

20. Aloha VPN

Aloha VPN is a secured VPN client which operates on turbo speeds.

Pros of AlohaVPN

• It has various servers located in many locations offering users more choices.
• Strict no-logs policy; hence it will not keep any records of your activities.
• All the connections are encrypted with a military-grade AES256 algorithm.
• Ensures a fast connection 
• The high performance is offered based on a paid plan.

Cons of AlohaVPN

• Few reliability issues and malfunctioning of this software are reported,
• Being a paid software based on a subscription.

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OpenVPN Alternatives - Conclusion

 In this article, we have described 20 alternatives for OpenVPN. If you go through them thoroughly, you can find that different software provides different services. Therefore, you should question your understanding on a few areas when selecting a better alternative; if it supports the platform we need , does it align with our requirements , is it affordable , what are the additional features and if the package suits us more.