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OpenVPN Access Server vs SonicWall Netextender 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

OpenVPN Access Server
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
5.9
Number of Reviews
50
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
SonicWall Netextender
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
16th
Average Rating
6.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of OpenVPN Access Server is 15.3%, up from 15.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall Netextender is 3.5%, up from 3.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
OpenVPN Access Server Enterprise15.3%
SonicWall Netextender3.5%
Other81.2%
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
 

Featured Reviews

LAWAL YUSUF - PeerSpot reviewer
Has robust features for encryption and stability
We use the product for secure remote access, including WiFi and IoT device security The product has strong encryption and scalability features. It provides security for private network connections. The product’s connectivity is very slow. It could be faster. We have been using OpenVPN Access…
JayPrajapati - PeerSpot reviewer
Allows using a custom port for the VPN connection and provides very satisfactory customer support
In the past, customers wanted an application that could run directly upon starting the PC, automatically connecting to the firewall. We were not able to do it in NetExtender. This was something customers wanted, but we couldn't provide due to NetExtender's limitations. I feel NetExtender might have rolled out this feature. In future releases, introductions of AI features would be really helpful. For example, we faced a situation where a customer wanted to allow Office 365 access without any kind of internet, just through the local internet. Office 365 has multiple dynamic IPs and URLs that can be updated daily, making it difficult to allow. If there were an AI-based solution that could bring those URLs and new IP addresses to the firewall and add them to the rule, that would be very helpful. That is just one scenario; there are multiple things AI could help with.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The features I have found to be most valuable are the levels of encryption I can enact and the compression I can apply to improve throughput."
"The compatibility with almost any Linux operating system, and how easy it is to write scripts and generate keys for people to use and log in. I found it easy to deploy quickly."
"It is very easy to look at the quality of the connection and the bandwidth and do an investigation if there are problems on the network."
"There is support for multi-factor authentication."
"The initial setup phase of OpenVPN Access Server was fine, and it was easy."
"I would recommend this solution to other people."
"OpenVPN Access Server allows us to establish a secure connection to an IP address that would otherwise be inaccessible without using a VPN."
"OpenVPN Access Server is cheap, and we get to use it ourselves. It is also a stable solution."
"I found nothing of value in this solution."
"The initial setup is pretty easy."
"The initial setup is pretty straightforward."
"The solution provides high availability."
"It can support multifactor authentication. Also, it is a very basic application."
"The product has two-factor authentication."
"The best features of the SonicWall Netextender were its ease of use."
"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."
 

Cons

"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."
"There is always room for more security features."
"If someone's key is not working, or if we had to remove someone's permission from it, or maybe an employee left the company and we had to take their key out, that seemed a little bit more complicated than it had to be."
"It could be faster. It could also be more stable."
"You do need expertise in implementation if you do the initial setup yourself."
"There are tasks that require logging onto the server to run commands, which is not intuitive through the UI."
"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."
"It should automate our processes."
"SonicWall can be difficult for some people, but I don't find it difficult. Some companies provide a VPN client for free, but you have to pay for NetExtender."
"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."
"The UI could be a little better."
"The solution takes up a lot of bandwidth."
"Sometimes you can get bounced around through the departments until you find the right one. Sometimes if you don't have the most current support contract or your license is out of date, they won't even talk to you."
"The product does not work well."
"In future releases, introductions of AI features would be really helpful."
"The only concern I do have is with the zero trust, and the solution is not coping with the newer technologies as much as it needs to do on that particular factor."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"OpenVPN Access Server is a cheap corporate solution."
"OpenVPN Access Server was free for students. I don't know if you have to pay for an advanced version."
"The licensing has a fixed pricing."
"I don't need to pay for its license since it is an open-source tool."
"OpenVPN is a free and open-source solution."
"The Pro Edition has a reasonable price per user."
"The solution was free of charge."
"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."
"The solution has a pretty good price."
"After a certain number of users, you require extra licensing."
"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."
"Compared to others, it is cheaper. When we compare it with Palo Alto, Check Point, or Fortinet, it is a little cheaper."
"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."
"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 solution is cheap itself, not too costly."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
18%
Comms Service Provider
11%
University
7%
Educational Organization
6%
Computer Software Company
14%
Educational Organization
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Construction Company
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business30
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise14
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise2
 

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...
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 SonicWall Netextender?
Pricing is a simple thing. We have the key, and we need to enter it in the SonicWall official portal. That's all. Compared to others, it is cheaper. When we compare it with Palo Alto, Check Point, ...
What needs improvement with SonicWall Netextender?
I cannot think of specific areas that could be improved with the SonicWall Netextender. The main focus should be on continuous improvements to address any CVEs or vulnerabilities to ensure they're ...
 

Also Known As

OpenVPN
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Verizon, Amazon, Disney, HP, Microsoft, IBM, Samsung
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about OpenVPN Access Server vs. SonicWall Netextender and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
867,349 professionals have used our research since 2012.