OpenVPN Access Server vs SonicWall Netextender comparison

Why PeerSpot?

OpenVPN and SonicWall are both solutions in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category. OpenVPN is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.1, while SonicWall is ranked #12 with an average rating of 9.5. OpenVPN holds a 9.6% mindshare in EIV, compared to SonicWall’s 2.2% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of OpenVPN users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 70% of SonicWall users who would recommend it.

OpenVPN Access Server

Read 71 OpenVPN Access Server reviews

13,034 Views
12,382 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

SonicWall Netextender

Read 14 SonicWall Netextender reviews

3,008 Views
2,978 Comparison Views

70% willing to recommend

OpenVPN Access Server

SonicWall Netextender

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 15, 2026

OpenVPN Access Server and SonicWall NetExtender compete in the VPN category. OpenVPN seems to have the upper hand due to its open-source nature and extensive configurability, providing better flexibility and cost-efficiency.

Features: OpenVPN Access Server is known for its ease of use, multi-platform support, and open-source advantages, offering robust encryption, scripting support, and scalability. SonicWall NetExtender is appreciated for its SSL encryption, ease of use, and the ability to integrate VPN accounts with Microsoft Identity Management, providing detailed client features.

Room for Improvement: OpenVPN Access Server could improve its user interface simplicity and scalability, with calls for a better GUI and more stable performance under heavy loads. Enhancements in the management approach, moving from CLI to a graphical interface, are also suggested. SonicWall NetExtender users have reported issues with credential management and occasional connection lags, suggesting UI and setup improvements, possibly through AI-driven enhancements.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: OpenVPN Access Server offers versatile deployment options across on-premises, public, private, and hybrid cloud environments, heavily relying on community support and documentation. SonicWall NetExtender is mostly deployed on-premises, boasting a straightforward licensing model and benefiting from strong community knowledge. Both solutions provide stable deployment, yet OpenVPN's broader cloud reach can offer more diverse options.

Pricing and ROI: OpenVPN Access Server is favored for being open-source with free and optional paid licensing, providing high ROI and appealing cost-effectiveness for small businesses and startups. SonicWall NetExtender, though moderately priced, requires additional SSL licensing for concurrent connections, leading to higher upfront costs, yet still considered reasonable among proprietary options. Both deliver solid ROI, with OpenVPN's open-source model offering a more economical path.

To learn more, read our detailed OpenVPN Access Server vs. SonicWall Netextender Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

OpenVPN Access Server vs. SonicWall Netextender

September 2026

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Helped 917,433 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

OpenVPN Access Server

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

1st

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

ZTNA (9th)

SonicWall Netextender

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

12th

Average Rating

7.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of OpenVPN Access Server is 9.6%, down from 15.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall Netextender is 2.2%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
OpenVPN Access Server	9.6%
SonicWall Netextender	2.2%
Other	88.2%

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Featured Reviews

AithaShashikanth

Network operation center engineer at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees

Secure remote access has protected critical data and now simplifies role-based user management

An area for improvement is the pricing model. The concurrent user licenses get expensive pretty quickly as your organization grows, so more flexible pricing options would be a huge plus. Another area is configurational disconnect. While the admin web UI handles about 90% of what you need, the moment you have to do deep, advanced routing customization, you still have to drop back to the command line interface to make those changes. It would be great to see those deeper configurations completely integrated into the web portal. Lastly, it would be awesome to see native support for newer, lighter protocols through WireGuard built straight into the platform alongside standard OpenVPN for better performance efficiency.

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Rich Darress

Chief Operating Officer at Darress Tech

Has provided secure remote access to multiple client networks with consistent performance

When buying the appliance itself, there is one downside that isn't exclusive to SonicWall. When you apply all the security settings, many people have one gig connections for internet ISP. If you're bringing in a one gig connection, you have to have a more robust SonicWall to handle that throughput with all your security settings turned on. It gets pretty pricey upfront if you're bringing in a one gig connection. If the customer starts with a two, three, four, or 500 meg connection and has a small unit, they have to replace the whole box when upgrading to a gig, so scalability there is atrocious. However, this issue exists with pretty much any appliance.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"I like that it's free."

"The most valuable thing about OpenVPN Access Server is its ease of use."

"OpenVPN Access Server has positively impacted my organization by allowing access to our private services, enhancing security, and enabling remote work from anywhere, as I just need to connect to the VPN to have encrypted traffic to our private resources."

"It can scale well."

"It allowed people to remotely access files from their mobile devices and was so easy for end-users to use that they were able to work more efficiently no matter where they were, whether at a client’s campus, home, traveling – wherever they had a device and internet access."

"OpenVPN is a good option for kick-starting any kind of interoperability between offices."

"Highly configurable. You can create your own custom client installer and can rebrand the server-side program."

"OpenVPN Access Server has positively impacted our organization by giving us a highly reliable, stable environment for remote work."

More OpenVPN Access Server pros

"The initial setup is pretty easy."

"One of the most valuable features of SonicWall Netextender is the integration of VPN accounts with Microsoft Identity Management, which enables us to enforce secure access through Microsoft Intune and conditional access policies. This helps ensure that only authorized individuals are able to access the VPN, rather than anyone with knowledge of a password."

"It can support multifactor authentication. Also, it is a very basic application."

"The solution provides high availability."

"Overall, it's a really good product."

"When we started to change from IPsec-type clients that were predominantly built right into the firewalls to this approach or deployment style for SSL VPN, the amount of time that our techs spent helping people with VPN issues was probably cut by more than half."

"My company opted for this solution because it can individually perform. Basically, we don't require load balancers and all those additional feature sets or additional devices that might be required. The solution can handle the certificate, DNS queries, and all that stuff individually."

"The best feature is that employees can connect to our LAN, and have access to our network from home."

More SonicWall Netextender pros

Cons

"The connections could be faster and more stable."

"The solution should provide a faster connection, and its security could be improved."

"The stability of the solution could improve."

"Open VPN Access Server could be more user-friendly."

"There was one annoying feature where we had to disable and enable the user."

"There are certain shortcomings in the product's stability that need improvement."

"Needs a better GUI."

"If there was a Graphical User Interface to help streamline the configuration, I believe OpenVPN would probably venture more into the non-geek realm as it were."

More OpenVPN Access Server cons

"The solution takes more bandwidth these days and it would be helpful if that was reduced."

"From my experience with using it, we do have problems sometimes with the credentialing-saving parts of it."

"The initial setup of SonicWall Netextender is straightforward. The only issue we encountered was with relocating the VPN appliance. If we needed to move it from an on-premise to an on-cloud architecture, we had to start over and redeploy it from scratch. Unfortunately, it is not portable and any changes to its physical location often result in the need for a fresh deployment to ensure everything functions properly."

"Right now, you have to load each license on to an appliance. You can't pool across multiple appliances. So, you end up having to do a lot of administrative work to recover if an internet provider goes down, and you cannot leverage it as easily into a DR solution."

"I am rolling out the new Netextender because I am having some issues with the older version."

"They need to rewrite the software to make it a usable product."

"There must be a multi-factor authentication enabled or integrated by default with it in order to be integrated with NetExtender."

"Right now, you have to load each license on to an appliance. You can't pool across multiple appliances."

More SonicWall Netextender cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I don't need to pay for its license since it is an open-source tool."

"The licensing has a fixed pricing."

"The solution is free of cost."

"OpenVPN Access Server is a cheap corporate solution."

"The product's pricing is good value, definitely. It is one of the best features, I would say. Evaluate the product before seeing which type of licensing is good for you. I think there is a good evaluation method available for OpenVPN, so you can just evaluate if it meets your needs. Then go forward with the right licensing policy."

"OpenVPN is a free and open-source solution."

"Open VPN Access Server is open-source and free of charge."

"It is free, you buy support."

More OpenVPN Access Server pricing and cost advice

"Cost wise, it would be a few hundred dollars for the base appliance with the first five clients. Then from there, your cost per seat depends on how many you're getting. It's a one-time cost, and then you have a few hundred dollars a year for the maintenance contract once you get the one-time seat costs out of the way."

"The solution is cheap itself, not too costly."

"Compared to others, it is cheaper. When we compare it with Palo Alto, Check Point, or Fortinet, it is a little cheaper."

"You have to pay for its license. There are some other companies that provide a VPN client for free. When you buy NetExtender, its license is available for one, three, or five years."

"The price of SonicWall Netextender is reasonable. Whether it's a small shop with only five users or a larger operation with 130 users, we have received no complaints or objections regarding cost from any of the clients we are looking to deploy it with."

"The solution has a pretty good price."

"After a certain number of users, you require extra licensing."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

11%

Outsourcing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

10%

Outsourcing Company

Comms Service Provider

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	45
Midsize Enterprise	14
Large Enterprise	25

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	2

Questions from the Community

How does Fortinet FortiClient compare with Open VPN Access Server?

Fortinet FortiClient is a feature-rich solution that is easy to use and deploy without sacrificing safety and security. It has a very fast connection rate and has a built-in VPN. With this solution...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for OpenVPN Access Server?

The pricing and setup costs for OpenVPN Access Server are on the high side since licenses are not user-dependent but based on the number of connections established. With two free simultaneous conne...

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What needs improvement with OpenVPN Access Server?

There are definitely areas for improvement. A broader network level access faces challenges, and the clustering configuration seems insufficient, posing a single point of failure. Moreover, patch m...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SonicWall Netextender?

The pricing for my experience with the setup cost and licensing of SonicWall Netextender is fair. The Netextender itself has no cost. It's the SSL licensing that is attached to the SonicWall. It us...

See all answers

What needs improvement with SonicWall Netextender?

SonicWall Netextender has not helped with compliance, as it is not applicable for what I'm doing. I've put several feature requests in over the years and they've implemented them all, so it current...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for SonicWall Netextender?

Getting to local resources on a customer's network is my main use case with SonicWall Netextender or SonicWall SSL-VPN. As a managed service provider, all my customers have SonicWalls and I get int...

See all answers

Comparisons

Fortinet FortiClient vs OpenVPN Access Server

Compared 10% of the time

Tailscale vs OpenVPN Access Server

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs OpenVPN Access Server

Compared 6% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs OpenVPN Access Server

Compared 6% of the time

Sangfor SSL VPN vs OpenVPN Access Server

Compared 3% of the time

More OpenVPN Access Server Competitors

SonicWall Connect Tunnel vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 10% of the time

Fortinet FortiClient vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 8% of the time

SonicWall Mobile Connect vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 7% of the time

SonicWall SMA vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 6% of the time

Absolute Secure Access vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 6% of the time

More SonicWall Netextender Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

OpenVPN Access Server

October 2026

Download OpenVPN Access Server product report

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall Netextender

September 2026

Download SonicWall Netextender product report

Also Known As

OpenVPN

No data available

Overview

OpenVPN Access Server Enterprise provides secure, scalable remote access with strong encryption and cross-platform compatibility, leveraging open-source flexibility for cost-effectiveness. It's ideal for connecting remote workers, maintaining privacy, and securing network communications.

OpenVPN Access Server Enterprise is renowned for its ease of setup and adaptability, supporting Linux and different operating systems, which ensures robust security and seamless integration across network scenarios. With features like two-factor authentication and customizable installers, it emphasizes privacy and remote connectivity. While it offers robust documentation and community support, there are challenges with user management due to the lack of a simple GUI. Users note stability issues under heavy traffic, and improvements in security features and configuration automation are desired. Despite these areas for enhancement, it remains a reliable choice for secure remote access.

What are the key features?

Easy Setup: Hassle-free installation process facilitates quick deployment
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Supports Linux and different operating systems for widespread utility
Strong Encryption: Secures data with advanced encryption technologies
Two-Factor Authentication: Enhances security through additional authentication layer
Customizable Installers: Allows personalized installation process to suit organizational preferences

What benefits and ROI should users seek?

Cost-Effectiveness: Open-source nature reduces licensing costs
User-Friendliness: Comprehensive documentation and community support ease the implementation
Scalability: Adapts to growing connectivity and bandwidth needs
Enhanced Security: Provides secure access to network resources and data

In industries such as finance and healthcare, OpenVPN Access Server Enterprise secures sensitive data while enabling remote access across LANs and VPCs. It's utilized for encrypted traffic protection, facilitating site-to-site VPNs, and connecting mobile workers securely, thus maintaining data integrity in interoffice communications and IoT platforms.

OpenVPN

SonicWall Netextender provides affordable and stable VPN connections with a focus on secure access through features like multifactor authentication and integration with Microsoft services, ensuring reliable remote connectivity.

SonicWall Netextender is a robust tool for managing VPN accounts securely while offering remote access integration with Microsoft solutions like Intune. It supports industries such as healthcare, education, and insurance, catering to remote work and hybrid arrangements. Its comprehensive documentation aids in efficient configuring and minimal latency, although it faces challenges with Mac OS support, outdated interfaces, and high bandwidth usage. Enhanced SaaS functionalities and improved support for AI features are sought after improvements.

What are SonicWall Netextender's key features?

Cost-effectiveness: Provides a budget-friendly solution for enterprise VPN connections.
Scalability: Easily adapts to growing organizational needs.
SSL-VPN Encryption: Utilizes advanced encryption for data security.
Microsoft Integration: Seamlessly connects with Microsoft Intune and Identity Management.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Remote Access Security: Maintains security with multifactor authentication.
Ease of Use: Detailed documentation facilitates easy setup and management.
High Availability: Supports stable connections with minimal downtime.
Efficiency: Helpful in managing VPN accounts and access control.

SonicWall Netextender is utilized in industries such as healthcare, education, and insurance to enable remote work and access to office resources. Its integration with Microsoft 365 supports file transfers and remote management of hybrid work environments, although some find it costly compared to free options.

SonicWall

Sample Customers

Verizon, Amazon, Disney, HP, Microsoft, IBM, Samsung

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

OpenVPN Access Server vs. SonicWall Netextender

September 2026

Free Report: OpenVPN Access Server vs. SonicWall Netextender

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