Softwr

Cloud · head to head

Nomad vs OpenVPN

Nomad logo

Nomad

Cloud

Flexible workload orchestration

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenVPN logo

OpenVPN

Networking

Open source VPN protocol with a commercial Access Server product priced per simultaneous connection

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Nomad nomad 1.7.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with IBM Corporation as licensor, not an OSI open source licence; OpenVPN open source OpenVPN, while free, requires real technical skill to configure, secure and maintain without the Access Server admin layer
  • They diverge on capability: Nomad covers Container orchestration, OpenVPN covers Open source core.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Nomad and OpenVPN actually diverge.

Attributes where Nomad and OpenVPN differ
AttributeNomadOpenVPN
Pricing modelopen-sourceOpen source core is free; Access Server billed per simultaneous connection
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, CloudLinux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
CategoryCloudNetworking
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Nomad

  • Container orchestration
  • Job scheduling
  • Multi-cloud support
  • Auto-scaling
  • Service discovery
  • Rolling deployments
  • Monitoring integration
  • High availability

Only in OpenVPN

  • Open source core
  • Access Server admin UI
  • Per-connection licensing
  • Free tier
  • Cross-platform clients

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Nomad

  • Container and workload orchestration across infrastructurenot OpenVPN
  • Multi-region application deploymentnot OpenVPN
  • Flexible scheduling for batch jobs and servicesnot OpenVPN

OpenVPN

  • A technical team wanting a fully free, self-configured VPN server using the open source protocol without any vendor relationshipnot Nomad
  • A small business wanting a supported, easier-to-administer VPN server, willing to pay per concurrent connection rather than per employeenot Nomad
  • An organisation with more staff than typical concurrent VPN usage, since Access Server bills only active simultaneous connections, not total accountsnot Nomad
  • An IoT or large-scale deployment needing custom Enterprise pricing above 2,000 connectionsnot Nomad

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Nomad

  • Nomad 1.7.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with IBM Corporation as licensor, not an OSI open source licence
  • The Additional Use Grant forbids offering Nomad to third parties on a hosted or embedded basis in a paid product that competes with IBM's paid versions
  • Each version converts to MPL 2.0 only four years after that version is published
  • Resource quotas, Sentinel policies and audit logging sit in a Governance and Policy add-on module that is separate from the Enterprise base platform package
  • Multi-region deployments, multiple Vault namespaces and Nomad Autopilot advanced server management require Nomad Enterprise

OpenVPN

  • Open source OpenVPN, while free, requires real technical skill to configure, secure and maintain without the Access Server admin layer
  • Per-connection billing on Access Server means usage spikes, such as an all-hands remote day, can push simultaneous connections over a licensed limit and block new connections until usage drops or the plan is upgraded
  • OpenVPN's traditional hub-and-spoke architecture routes traffic through a central server, unlike mesh VPN tools like Tailscale or NetBird that establish direct peer-to-peer connections where possible, which can add latency
  • Client configuration and certificate management for the open source version is more manual and error-prone than newer VPN tools with zero-config onboarding
  • Access Server pricing above the Growth tier reverts to custom Enterprise quoting, so very large deployments lose the pricing transparency of the lower tiers
  • The protocol's throughput is generally lower than newer kernel-integrated protocols like WireGuard under equivalent conditions, which matters for high-bandwidth use cases

Pricing, plan by plan

Nomad

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Workload orchestration
    • Multi-cloud
    • Flexible scheduling

OpenVPN

Free
  • Access Server FreeFree
    • Up to 2 simultaneous connections
    • All features included
  • Access Server Growth$7/month
    • Per simultaneous connection beyond the free tier
    • Annual billing
  • Access Server Enterprise/IoT$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing for 2,000+ connections

Which should you pick?

Choose Nomad if

  • You need container orchestration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud.
  • You also want job scheduling.
Nomad review

Choose OpenVPN if

  • You need open source core.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want access server admin ui.
OpenVPN review

Questions people ask

Is Nomad or OpenVPN better?
Neither clearly leads. Nomad starts at Free and OpenVPN at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Nomad or OpenVPN?
Nomad starts at Free and OpenVPN at Free.
Does Nomad or OpenVPN run on more platforms?
Nomad runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud. OpenVPN runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
Can I use Nomad for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Nomad best used for?
Nomad is most often used for container and workload orchestration across infrastructure, multi-region application deployment, flexible scheduling for batch jobs and services. Of those, container and workload orchestration across infrastructure and multi-region application deployment are not what OpenVPN is typically brought in for.
What can Nomad do that OpenVPN cannot?
Nomad covers Container orchestration, Job scheduling, Multi-cloud support, Auto-scaling. OpenVPN covers Open source core, Access Server admin UI, Per-connection licensing, Free tier.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Nomad: Is HashiCorp Nomad free?

HashiCorp Nomad is open source and free to use. Commercial enterprise support and hosting options may be available through HashiCorp, but the core product is free.

Source
OpenVPN: Is OpenVPN free?

The open source protocol and software are free under the GPL; Access Server, the commercial packaged product, charges per simultaneous connection beyond a free 2-connection tier.

Nomad: Does HashiCorp Nomad have a pricing model?

Nomad is open source software with no published pricing tiers. HashiCorp offers commercial hosting and support for their products on a usage-based or custom pricing model, but Nomad itself is free to download and deploy.

Source
OpenVPN: What counts as a connection for billing purposes?

A simultaneously active connected device, not a registered user account or total device count; unlimited accounts and devices can be created but only the licensed number can be connected at once.

Nomad: What is HashiCorp's pricing model for enterprise Nomad?

HashiCorp offers flexible pricing for enterprise Nomad support including pay-as-you-go (PAYG) billing with no long-term commitment, flex plans with preferred pricing, and enterprise self-managed plans. Contact HashiCorp sales for custom quotes.

Source
OpenVPN: How does OpenVPN compare with WireGuard-based tools like Tailscale?

OpenVPN uses a traditional hub-and-spoke VPN architecture rather than the mesh, peer-to-peer approach used by newer tools like Tailscale or NetBird.

Share

Related pages

More on Nomad

More on OpenVPN

Keep looking

Other head to heads