Softwr

Networking · head to head

OpenVPN vs OPNsense

OpenVPN logo

OpenVPN

Networking

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OPNsense logo

OPNsense

Networking

FreeBSD-based firewall and routing platform with weekly updates and a full configuration API

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: OpenVPN open source OpenVPN, while free, requires real technical skill to configure, secure and maintain without the Access Server admin layer; OPNsense throughput depends entirely on hardware you selected yourself, and intrusion prevention at multi-gigabit rates will saturate a machine that handled plain firewalling fine, with no vendor sizing commitment to fall back on.
  • They diverge on capability: OpenVPN covers Open source core, OPNsense covers Stateful firewall on pf.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenVPN and OPNsense actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenVPN and OPNsense differ
AttributeOpenVPNOPNsense
Pricing modelOpen source core is free; Access Server billed per simultaneous connectionOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsLinux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Androidx86-64 appliances, Virtual machines, Deciso hardware

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

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 OpenVPN

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

Only in OPNsense

  • Stateful firewall on pf
  • VPN suite
  • Suricata IDS and IPS
  • Full configuration API
  • High availability
  • Weekly update cadence

What people use each for

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

OpenVPN

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

OPNsense

  • Replacing a small business firewall appliance whose renewal quote exceeded the cost of the hardwarenot OpenVPN
  • Branch offices where the firewall configuration must be produced by Ansible rather than by handnot OpenVPN
  • Sites that need WireGuard and intrusion prevention on the same box without separate feature licencesnot OpenVPN
  • A homelab or lab network needing VLAN routing, multi-WAN and DNS filtering on one machinenot OpenVPN

Where each one falls short

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

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

OPNsense

  • Throughput depends entirely on hardware you selected yourself, and intrusion prevention at multi-gigabit rates will saturate a machine that handled plain firewalling fine, with no vendor sizing commitment to fall back on.
  • The weekly update cadence is good for security but means more change events than a team used to annual appliance firmware, and occasional regressions reach production installations.
  • FreeBSD underneath limits driver support compared with Linux, so recent network cards and some virtualisation drivers can be unsupported or slow.
  • The plugin ecosystem is uneven in quality; some plugins are maintained by a single contributor and can lag a major release, breaking a function you depended on.
  • Community support is a forum, so an outage at two in the morning on the free edition is your problem alone unless you bought the business subscription in advance.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

OPNsense

Free
  • OPNsense Community EditionFree
    • MIT licence with no feature restrictions
    • All VPN, IDS and HA features included
    • Weekly updates and two major releases a year
  • OPNsense Business Edition$undefined/year
    • Stabilised update track lagging community releases
    • Commercial support from Deciso
    • Additional enterprise plugins and configuration backup

Which should you pick?

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

Choose OPNsense if

  • You need stateful firewall on pf.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on x86-64 appliances, Virtual machines, Deciso hardware.
  • You also want vpn suite.
OPNsense review

Questions people ask

Is OpenVPN or OPNsense better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenVPN starts at Free and OPNsense at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenVPN or OPNsense?
OpenVPN starts at Free and OPNsense at Free.
Does OpenVPN or OPNsense run on more platforms?
OpenVPN runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. OPNsense runs on x86-64 appliances, Virtual machines, Deciso hardware.
Can I use OpenVPN for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is OpenVPN best used for?
OpenVPN is most often used for a technical team wanting a fully free, self-configured vpn server using the open source protocol without any vendor relationship, a small business wanting a supported, easier-to-administer vpn server, willing to pay per concurrent connection rather than per employee, an organisation with more staff than typical concurrent vpn usage, since access server bills only active simultaneous connections, not total accounts, an iot or large-scale deployment needing custom enterprise pricing above 2,000 connections. Of those, a technical team wanting a fully free, self-configured vpn server using the open source protocol without any vendor relationship and a small business wanting a supported, easier-to-administer vpn server, willing to pay per concurrent connection rather than per employee are not what OPNsense is typically brought in for.
What can OpenVPN do that OPNsense cannot?
OpenVPN covers Open source core, Access Server admin UI, Per-connection licensing, Free tier. OPNsense covers Stateful firewall on pf, VPN suite, Suricata IDS and IPS, Full configuration API.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

OPNsense: How is it different from pfSense?

It is a 2015 fork with an MIT licence, a fixed weekly release cadence, a complete configuration API and a different interface. Feature coverage is comparable; the release process and API are the real differences.

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.

OPNsense: Do I need the Business Edition?

Only if you want commercial support or a slower, stabilised update stream. No features are withheld from the community edition.

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.

OPNsense: Can it handle a gigabit internet connection?

Plain firewalling on modest current hardware, comfortably. With Suricata inspection enabled, expect to need a considerably stronger CPU.

Share

Related pages

More on OpenVPN

More on OPNsense

Keep looking

Other head to heads