OpenVPN Access Server vs SonicWall Netextender comparison

OpenVPN and SonicWall are both solutions in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category. OpenVPN is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.8, while SonicWall is ranked #14 with an average rating of 6.0. OpenVPN holds a 15.4% mindshare in EIV, compared to SonicWall’s 3.5% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of OpenVPN users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 70% of SonicWall users who would recommend it.

OpenVPN Access Server

Read 52 OpenVPN Access Server reviews

7,174 Views
6,815 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

SonicWall Netextender

Read 14 SonicWall Netextender reviews

2,606 Views
2,606 Comparison Views

70% willing to recommend

OpenVPN Access Server

SonicWall Netextender

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 31, 2025

OpenVPN Access Server Enterprise and SonicWall Netextender are two popular VPN solutions catering to different user needs. OpenVPN Access Server Enterprise has an advantage due to its flexibility and compatibility with various platforms, while SonicWall Netextender is appreciated for its integration with Microsoft Identity Management and stability.

Features: OpenVPN Access Server Enterprise is known for affordability, ease of setup, and compatibility across multiple platforms such as iOS, Android, OS X, Windows, and Linux. It supports two-factor authentication and is highly configurable, especially for Linux-based setups. SonicWall Netextender is valued for its seamless integration with SAML, high stability, and security features including two-factor authentication and Active Directory integration.

Room for Improvement: OpenVPN Access Server could enhance its graphical user interface and simplify configuration to appeal to non-technical users. Additional protocol support and improved stability during high concurrency are other areas for development. SonicWall Netextender could enhance its cosmetic appeal, connection speed, and responsiveness of technical support. Users also cite issues with credential saving and express a need for more AI-driven functionalities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: OpenVPN Access Server Enterprise offers deployment flexibility across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments, benefiting from community support and thorough documentation, reducing the need for vendor assistance. SonicWall Netextender is primarily suited for on-premises environments but receives mixed feedback regarding its technical support, although its stability is a reassurance for many users.

Pricing and ROI: OpenVPN Access Server Enterprise offers a cost-effective, open-source model attractive to small projects and businesses, with the option to scale to paid versions for added value. SonicWall Netextender incurs license fees linked to the SonicWall firewall but is competitively priced, appealing to enterprises with existing SonicWall infrastructure investments. Both products provide good ROI with secure remote access solutions.

To learn more, read our detailed OpenVPN Access Server vs. SonicWall Netextender Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

OpenVPN Access Server vs. SonicWall Netextender

September 2025

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Helped 872,706 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

2nd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SonicWall Netextender

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

14th

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 2025, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of OpenVPN Access Server is 15.4%, up from 15.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall Netextender is 3.5%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
OpenVPN Access Server	15.4%
SonicWall Netextender	3.5%
Other	81.1%

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Featured Reviews

Girraj Godia

Devops Engineer at Emergent

Has improved internal app access by allowing secure user onboarding and simplified network whitelisting

The plan for OpenVPN Access Server could be improved. When adding new people, better plans for startups would be beneficial. I'm working in a startup and sometimes people think we should take the enterprise plan or not. If there was a dedicated plan for startups, it would be really helpful. For instance, providing store credit for OpenVPN Access Server through a startup program, similar to YC's program which gives credit to new startups. UI-wise, OpenVPN Access Server is easy to manage, but the overall overview dashboard in the admin portal could be improved. Currently, you have to go through dropdowns to find where to add users or whitelist IPs. Creating an onboarding dashboard where an admin person can find these things easily would be beneficial.

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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

"The solution is secure and user-friendly."

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

"I would recommend this solution to other people."

"The setup is easy."

"I have found the stability to be good."

"Provides privacy and cryptography for my network communication."

"It is much easier to scale and troubleshoot compared to regular Windows-based VPN solutions or PPTP daemon."

"OpenVPN Access Server allows us to establish a secure connection to an IP address that would otherwise be inaccessible without using a VPN."

More OpenVPN Access Server pros

"Employees can have access to the network from home."

"The solution provides high availability."

"The initial setup is pretty easy."

"The most valuable feature for the Netextender is the ease with which we can integrate it with SAML."

"The best features of the SonicWall Netextender were its ease of use."

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

"The product has two-factor authentication."

"It allows us to work remotely."

More SonicWall Netextender pros

Cons

"When there are too many concurrent users trying to connect at the same time, there may be a bit of a bottleneck."

"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 interface could be a little bit better in future iterations."

"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."

"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."

"I would like to see a simpler interface, so that we can make the connection between the local network using the LAN IP."

"It should automate our processes."

"The stability had room for improvement."

More OpenVPN Access Server cons

"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."

"The UI could be a little better."

"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."

"In future releases, introductions of AI features would be really helpful."

"The product does not work well."

"The Netextender application itself doesn't really look pretty, however, we can still use it. We don't care what it looks like. That said, if they did a cosmetic update, that would be fine."

"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."

More SonicWall Netextender cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is free of cost."

"The price point is fantastic since it is free."

"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 Access Server is a cheap corporate solution."

"I would say the product's pricing is a good value. I would recommend to other companies to implement it. I've seen other software, in tandem with the service, to be very expensive."

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

"The solution was free of charge."

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

More OpenVPN Access Server pricing and cost advice

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

"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."

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

"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."

"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 has a pretty good price."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Comms Service Provider

11%

University

Educational Organization

Computer Software Company

14%

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	31
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	14

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	2
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...

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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?

The experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for OpenVPN Access Server is really good, not that expensive. I am easily able to add new users from the OpenVPN Access Server official websit...

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What do you like most about SonicWall Netextender?

The solution provides high availability.

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

Comparisons

Fortinet FortiClient vs OpenVPN Access Server

Compared 17% of the time

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway vs OpenVPN Access Server

Compared 8% of the time

Check Point Remote Access VPN vs OpenVPN Access Server

Compared 6% of the time

Ivanti Connect Secure vs OpenVPN Access Server

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs OpenVPN Access Server

Compared 5% of the time

More OpenVPN Access Server Competitors

SonicWall Connect Tunnel vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 17% of the time

SonicWall Mobile Connect vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 12% of the time

Fortinet FortiClient vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 11% of the time

SonicWall SMA vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 7% of the time

More SonicWall Netextender Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

OpenVPN Access Server

October 2025

Download OpenVPN Access Server product report

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall Netextender

October 2025

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 secure remote access, supporting remote work with valuable features like two-factor authentication, low latency, and integration with Microsoft identity management.

SonicWall Netextender facilitates secure client-to-site VPN connections for remote staff, integrating seamlessly with Microsoft identity management and using existing credentials like Active Directory. Its cost-effectiveness and detailed documentation attract enterprises in sectors such as insurance, healthcare, and education. Despite excellent control over routing, the intuitive setup could be improved, with users experiencing performance and licensing flexibility issues, especially with multi-factor authentication. While integration with SAML ensures seamless authentication, high bandwidth consumption and the outdated interface are mentioned for enhancement. Overall, SonicWall Netextender supports remote file transfers and access to Microsoft 365 portals, although additional features like automatic connection on startup and AI integration would address current user demands.

What features does SonicWall Netextender offer?

Remote Work Support: Facilitates secure connections for remote staff
Integration with Microsoft Identity Management: Connects effortlessly using existing credentials
Two-Factor Authentication: Enhances security during remote access
Low Latency and High Stability: Ensures uninterrupted remote connections
Cost-effectiveness: Attracts organizations with budget-friendly options

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Secure Access: Reliable protection for remote file transfers
Ease of Setup: Quick deployment with minimal IT disruption
Flexible Integration: Utilizes existing credentials for seamless user experience
Documentation: Comprehensive guides for efficient setup and use

Enterprises from insurance, healthcare, and education sectors benefit from SonicWall Netextender by enabling secure remote or hybrid work. Companies facilitate efficient management of remote work, providing access to corporate resources from any location. Challenges include the authentication setup, but its support for remote access to Microsoft 365 and secure file transfers offer substantial utility for these industries.

SonicWall

Sample Customers

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

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

OpenVPN Access Server vs. SonicWall Netextender

September 2025

Free Report: OpenVPN Access Server vs. SonicWall Netextender

Find out what your peers are saying about OpenVPN Access Server vs. SonicWall Netextender and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

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