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Ivanti Connect Secure vs OpenVPN Access Server Enterprise comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 31, 2025

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

Ivanti Connect Secure
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
14th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
28
Ranking in other categories
SSL VPN (4th)
OpenVPN Access Server Enter...
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
49
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Ivanti Connect Secure is 6.5%, up from 4.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OpenVPN Access Server Enterprise is 12.7%, down from 15.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
 

Featured Reviews

Johan Derycke - PeerSpot reviewer
Reliable remote access and tunneling enhance work efficiency, but upgrade processes need improvement
Ivanti needs improvement in its seamless upgrade and migration procedures, particularly with the browser components, which are fragile and sometimes cause issues depending on the Windows version, the browser version, and the different modules being used. On the client side, browser-initiated sessions are complex and require a more robust approach for non-admin users.
Bertrand Moutault - PeerSpot reviewer
An easy-to-use tool with which its users can access networks from home or external locations
Sometimes OpenVPN Access Server is difficult to connect to, and in our company, we don't know why it is difficult. The product may not connect if we lose connection at times. There are certain shortcomings in the product's stability that need improvement. In general, I want to improve the connect connectivity of the solution since I sometimes face stability issues.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"What I like the most about Pulse Connect Secure is that it's user-friendly. It's easy to use. You just need to connect, and that's it."
"It's quite stable."
"Ivanti Connect Secure provides the feature to check and ensure that employee devices are compliant before allowing them to access the VPN."
"I like the host checker, which thoroughly checks the security posture of the machine before allowing access. I also like application-based access and its seamless operations."
"This solution enables secure connections for our engineers to work from home or other locations."
"VPN tunneling is a very valuable feature of Pulse Connect Secure. I also like that it is straightforward to use, and you can see traffic logs on it."
"The most valuable feature is being able to securely connect and use virtual desktops."
"The most valuable features of Pulse Connect Secure are multi-factor authentications, and VPNs and SSL VPNs we are using."
"The product’s adaptability is valuable."
"Two-factor authentication allows us to not force frequent password changes."
"You can do local subnet blocking."
"I would recommend this solution to other people."
"The product provides secure internet connections and helps with faster downloads."
"OpenVPN Access Server allows us to establish a secure connection to an IP address that would otherwise be inaccessible without using a VPN."
"The initial setup was easy."
"The setup is easy."
 

Cons

"User experience and after-sales support could be better. For example, over the last couple of years, when this COVID scenario was going on, there were multiple attacks on these types of solutions. SQL has been attacked numerous times, and there were a lot of vulnerabilities, and our customers had to update and upgrade the devices every two weeks or every month. This was a headache. It could also be more scalable."
"Setup is complex. A few users had some issues with it."
"Connection-wise, Pulse Connect Secure could be faster, and this is its area for improvement."
"The solution can be improved by addressing the failure to connect on public 2-step networks."
"The product could use additional dashboards."
"From our side, there is an issue when Windows updates. The security mechanisms of Ivanti Connect Secure are very slow to update."
"The user experience has room for improvement."
"This solution normally works but at times, we have had trouble with connectivity."
"One improvement I would like to see in OpenVPN is better adaptability in certain geographical areas."
"I'd like the solution to have more access points and more speed."
"The high availability deployment is not very straightforward. They can make it simpler. OpenVPN does not support some of the additional protocols that Pulse Secure and Cisco AnyConnect support. They can include support for these additional protocols."
"The server configuration file needs to be improved, it's the biggest problem in the configuration process."
"There could be an easier way to set up the solution. However, if you use the provided information that comes with the solution there should not be a problem."
"Open VPN Access Server could be more user-friendly."
"I think right now the GUI part of it is locked out behind the pay wall. It could use something that gives it a very basic, minimal, graphic interface for logging in, for the community version. That would probably be a good step forward."
"It is not scalable."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"A license is required for you to use Pulse Connect Secure, but I'm not aware of how much it costs."
"The pricing for Pulse Connect Secure is not low and not high, so it's good. It's a six out of ten for me, price-wise."
"Pulse Connect Secure is relatively cost-effective."
"I rate the product price a six to seven on a scale of one to ten, where one is a low price, and ten is a high price."
"The price of Pulse Connect Secure is expensive."
"The cost of the product is high, but worth it because of the utility and great product support."
"The pricing is quite nominal. We pay on a yearly basis."
"The solution was free of charge."
"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."
"With regard to setup cost, pricing and/or licensing, the simple answer is that you'll need to set aside some time to learn it and experiment with it."
"The licensing has a fixed pricing."
"OpenVPN Access Server was free for students. I don't know if you have to pay for an advanced version."
"The Pro Edition has a reasonable price per user."
"OpenVPN Access Server is a cheap corporate solution."
"The price point is fantastic since it is free."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
18%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Educational Organization
8%
University
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Pulse Connect Secure?
From an end-user perspective, the setup phase is easy.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Pulse Connect Secure?
Ivanti has always been known to be pricey, making it a rather high-cost solution.
What needs improvement with Pulse Connect Secure?
Ivanti needs improvement in its seamless upgrade and migration procedures, particularly with the browser components, which are fragile and sometimes cause issues depending on the Windows version, t...
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...
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.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for OpenVPN Access Server?
My experience with pricing is excellent as the pricing is free.
 

Also Known As

Pulse Connect Secure
OpenVPN
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Axcient, Baloise Group, Cygate, Catholic University of America, Datec Inc, Revlon, Santa Monica Networks, 7-Eleven
Verizon, Amazon, Disney, HP, Microsoft, IBM, Samsung
Find out what your peers are saying about Ivanti Connect Secure vs. OpenVPN Access Server Enterprise and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
864,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.