Hillstone E-Series vs OpenVPN Access Server comparison

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Hillstone E-Series and OpenVPN Access Server based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Enterprise Infrastructure VPN solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Hillstone E-Series vs. OpenVPN Access Server Report (Updated: May 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Hillstone E-Series vs. OpenVPN Access Server

May 2024

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Categories and Ranking

Netgate TNSR

Market share comparison

As of June 2024, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the market share of Netgate TNSR is 0.1% and it increased by Infinity% compared to the previous year. The market share of Hillstone E-Series is 0.3% and it increased by 86.9% compared to the previous year. The market share of OpenVPN Access Server is 17.2% and it decreased by 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Unique Categories:

Routers

2.4%

Firewalls

0.4%

SSL VPN

6.5%

No other categories found

Featured Reviews

Harish (Kumar)

Cyber Security and IT Head at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees

Apr 3, 2023

Good gateway with helpful traffic shaping and load balancing

There must be a wizard section as per the use case. For example, if we need a simple firewall there must be an auto-install of most required packages. In the same way, if we need a more strict firewall, then different configuration settings. There must be a more easy-to-use GUI. More documentation should be available within the package manager. A visible ON/OFF button must be there and can be easily configured as required. An additional non-us electrical plug must be inside the box. There should be an option to upgrade RAM (i.e. 8GB to 16GB). It can enhance the capacity of the proxy server.

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Wajid Khattak

Procurement Officer at Emerging Systems

Jul 7, 2023

A firewall with strong security features that are easy to use and manage

Support from Hillstone E-Series has a shortcoming that needs improvement. Our company would recommend that it would be good if Hillstone could dedicate an area-wise support team for the firewall provided by Hillstone. Hillstone can give a single email address to its customers for raising tickets and make it an easier process to manage. In the current scenario, while considering the global level, when an email drops in, Hillstone assigns an engineer, which takes time. It should be easier to manage the ticketing process of the support team. I would want Hillstone E-Series to have a built-in switching capacity similar to Fortinet.

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Bertrand Moutault

Owner at La Poste

Jul 20, 2023

An easy-to-use tool with which its users can access networks from home or external locations

I use OpenVPN Access Server to access certain networks from home or external locations The most valuable features of the solution are that it is easy to use and quick overall. Sometimes OpenVPN Access Server is difficult to connect to, and in our company, we don't know why it is difficult. The…

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It's an ideal gateway solution for small and medium businesses, i.e., around 300 devices can be easily handled."

"The solution has good performance."

"The installation is easy, we have not had any complaints from our customers."

"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

"Working with the Hillstone E-Series has, from a remote perspective, allowed me to give my clients a secure connectivity."

"This solution has two main features that we find very valuable; a threat-intelligence option, and a web/application filtering option. The technical support team are very good and very quick."

"I am impressed with the application filtering feature."

"The most valuable features of the Hillstone E-Series are its hardware capacity, innovation, and the throughput that the hardware can take."

"Very reliable solution with good scalability and straightforward implementation."

"The most valuable feature of the Hillstone E-Series is its user-friendliness."

More Hillstone E-Series pros

"Provides privacy and cryptography for my network communication."

"I like that it's free."

"The setup is easy."

"I have found the stability to be good."

"The initial setup was easy."

"The best thing is that it is open source and free of cost."

"The stability is very reliable in my experience."

"It was very easy to set up users."

More OpenVPN Access Server pros

Cons

"There must be a more easy-to-use GUI."

"Having frequent live webinars on a monthly basis would really help."

"SSL VPN license cost is not cheap."

"The solution doesn't have a web proxy built into the system like Sophos. This is something they should work to change."

"The tool needs to improve its price."

"I am not sure if this solution offers active directory integration. Adding that feature will definitely be an advantage."

"The tool provides just a general report. It does not provide a granular report. Hence, the tool should work on its reporting feature."

"The current usage reporting is very basic."

"Support from Hillstone E-Series has a shortcoming that needs improvement."

"They may have this already, but it would be nice to be able to get more notifications if a site drops unexpectedly."

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

"I would like to see a GUI or Web UI to manage users. Today these features are in the Pro Edition or are done by scripts."

"The logs should be made easier to read."

"It would be nice with all these features, if they could send some examples of each one; just small sample scripts to look at and say, "Oh okay, I could expand on this." That would help us a lot."

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

"The stability had room for improvement."

"It requires some experience of Linux server configuration to set it up."

More OpenVPN Access Server cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is not a license required for this solution but the price should be less expensive."

"The tool's pricing is reasonable. It depends on the model. The product's pricing is around 600 USD. You need to buy a software license to activate the features. You need to pay around 150 USD for that."

"The licensing model is very complex with many subcategories of licenses you can purchase. They could make it more simplified for customers to understand."

"The cost per year for licensing, and hardware, is approximately $850 for the basic plan."

"Hillstone's pricing is economical and neither very high nor very low."

"The Pro Edition has a reasonable price per user."

"It is an open-source solution, so we don't pay for anything."

"OpenVPN Access Server is a cheap corporate solution."

"The solution was free of charge."

"The licensing has a fixed pricing."

"The solution is free of cost."

"OpenVPN is an open-source solution. If the solution is used for personal use it is free. For non-personal use, the solution can be expensive."

"At one point I had to purchase addition connection licenses. I was very pleased with the pricing and licensing; so much easier than navigating the confusing jungle of Microsoft and Cisco licensing and pricing. That alone made the product a delight to manage."

More OpenVPN Access Server pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Government

Comms Service Provider

18%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

14%

Real Estate/Law Firm

Computer Software Company

17%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Educational Organization

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Netgate TNSR?

It's an ideal gateway solution for small and medium businesses, i.e., around 300 devices can be easily handled.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Netgate TNSR?

The product is very cost-effective and has no requirement for additional licenses. The setup is not easy. Users need ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Netgate TNSR?

THe solution is used as a primary gateway with two lease lines of 450 Mbps total. Around 200 users are under it. Ther...

See all answers

What do you like most about Hillstone E-Series?

The most valuable feature of the Hillstone E-Series is its user-friendliness.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Hillstone E-Series?

Hillstone's pricing is economical and neither very high nor very low.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Hillstone E-Series?

The tool needs to improve its price.

See all answers

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 securit...

See all answers

What do you like most about OpenVPN Access Server?

OpenVPN Access Server is a simple and easy-to-use solution that I can use myself without anybody's help.

See all answers

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

Licensing for OpenVPN is generally hassle-free. Server-side access is usually included, and there is flexibility with...

See all answers

Comparisons

MikroTik Cloud Router Switch vs Netgate TNSR

Compared 39% of the time

Cisco Enterprise Routers vs Netgate TNSR

Compared 32% of the time

MikroTik Routers and Switches vs Netgate TNSR

Compared 16% of the time

Juniper MX Series Routers vs Netgate TNSR

Compared 14% of the time

More Netgate TNSR Competitors

Fortinet FortiGate vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 50% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 12% of the time

Sophos XG vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 8% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 6% of the time

Sangfor SSL VPN vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 4% of the time

More Hillstone E-Series Competitors

Fortinet FortiClient vs OpenVPN Access Server

Compared 36% of the time

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client vs OpenVPN Access Server

Compared 14% of the time

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway vs OpenVPN Access Server

Compared 10% of the time

Check Point Remote Access VPN vs OpenVPN Access Server

Compared 8% of the time

SonicWall Netextender vs OpenVPN Access Server

Compared 5% of the time

More OpenVPN Access Server Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

June 2024

Download Netgate TNSR product report

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

June 2024

Download Hillstone E-Series product report

Buyer's Guide

OpenVPN Access Server

May 2024

Download OpenVPN Access Server product report

Also Known As

TNSR

No data available

OpenVPN

Learn More

Netgate

Hillstone Networks

OpenVPN

Overview

TNSR is an advanced open source-based secure networking software platform with highly-scalable packet processing, manageability, and service expansion capabilities. This video provides a high-level introduction. that address a number of commonly asked new product questions - in just a couple of minutes.

Hillstone E-Series is a comprehensive network security solution designed to protect organizations from advanced threats. It offers a range of features including a firewall, intrusion prevention system (IPS), virtual private network (VPN), and application control.

With its advanced threat intelligence capabilities, E-Series can detect and prevent sophisticated attacks, ensuring the security of critical data and systems. It also provides granular control over applications, allowing organizations to enforce policies and optimize network performance.

E-Series is easy to deploy and manage, with a user-friendly interface and centralized management console. It offers high-performance throughput and scalability, making it suitable for small businesses to large enterprises. With its robust security features and ease of use, Hillstone E-Series is an ideal choice for organizations looking to enhance their network security posture.

OpenVPN Access Server is a comprehensive VPN solution that enables secure remote access and site-to-site connectivity. It uses the open-source OpenVPN protocol with added encryption and authentication for robust security. The web-based admin interface simplifies setup and centralized management of users, devices, and access controls.

OpenVPN Access Server's ease of setup, comprehensive security features, and professional support make it a viable option for businesses looking to facilitate secure remote access and inter-office connectivity. However, potential users should be mindful of the technical requirements for setup and the possibility of network performance issues in specific scenarios.

Based on over 30 independent peer reviews, OpenVPN garners consistently positive feedback for its stability, security, and free open-source licensing. The most common complaints relate to initial setup complexity and occasional connection drops. Despite these drawbacks, most reviewers highly recommend OpenVPN Access Server due to its robust encryption standards, flexible access options, and scalability across organization sizes.

Versatile Installation and Client Support:

OpenVPN Access Server can be installed on various Linux OS platforms, offering flexibility to adapt to different network environments. This includes popular distributions like Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
OpenVPN Access Server supports a comprehensive range of VPN clients, ensuring broad compatibility and user accessibility. This includes clients for Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux, enabling users to connect securely from various devices.

User Authentication and Security:

OpenVPN Access Server incorporates a built-in user authentication system, which can be managed via a web-based interface. This allows administrators to manage user accounts, passwords, and access permissions easily.
For enhanced security, OpenVPN Access Server supports integration with external authentication systems like PAM, LDAP, RADIUS, and SAML. This allows you to leverage your existing authentication infrastructure for VPN access.
The solution provides the flexibility to implement custom Python programming for advanced authentication methods, catering to specific security requirements.
OpenVPN Access Server utilizes the OpenVPN protocol, renowned for its robust encryption and security. VPN tunnels are secured with TLS authentication, credentials, certificates, and optional MAC address lock, ensuring a high level of protection for data transmission.

Flexible Access Control and Tunneling Options:

OpenVPN Access Server provides comprehensive access control rules, allowing administrators to specify user or group access to IP addresses and subnets. This enables granular control over network access and resource utilization.
OpenVPN Access Server supports both full-tunnel and split-tunnel redirection. Full-tunnel mode routes all VPN client internet traffic through the VPN tunnel, while split-tunnel mode allows selective routing of specific traffic.

OpenVPN offers professional support for Access Server, with a global team of experts available through an online ticket system. This ensures that users have timely access to assistance when needed.

Sample Customers

UCLA, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, shopify

Bank of China Macao, Instituto Tecnológico Bolivariano, Ministry of Labor in San Salvador, FEDCO

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

Buyer's Guide

Hillstone E-Series vs. OpenVPN Access Server

May 2024

Free Report: Hillstone E-Series vs. OpenVPN Access Server

Find out what your peers are saying about Hillstone E-Series vs. OpenVPN Access Server and other solutions. Updated: May 2024.

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