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 9.1% 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

13,537 Views
12,860 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

SonicWall Netextender

Read 14 SonicWall Netextender reviews

3,078 Views
3,047 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 920,769 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 November 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of OpenVPN Access Server is 9.1%, down from 14.9% 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	9.1%
SonicWall Netextender	2.2%
Other	88.7%

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

"The best features OpenVPN Access Server offers are ease of setup, and it is just easy."

"It can securely do remote product updates, push out product updates; just like on our LAN, it's a virtual private network and we just push across our updates."

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

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

"The best features OpenVPN Access Server offers are ease of setup, and it is just easy."

"The stability is very reliable in my experience."

"We were surprised how straightforward it was to integrate with AWS."

"OpenVPN Access Server has positively impacted my organization by helping us design a reliable infrastructure and even providing definite SLA metrics to our clients."

More OpenVPN Access Server pros

"The SSL-VPN encryption has been fantastic for my organization's data confidentiality and integrity; we've done extensive testing with third-party cybersecurity testing while connected and it has passed with flying colors."

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

"The initial setup is pretty easy."

"NetExtender works very well. I never had an issue with it, and it has been working well for me. In terms of management, you have good control over the destination. You can use NetExtender to set the policy and the static route for a client. You can modify it based on what your client needs or can access. You have good control over routing."

"It's a stable tool that does what it is supposed to do."

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

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

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

More SonicWall Netextender pros

Cons

"The plan for OpenVPN Access Server could be improved. When adding new people, better plans for startups would be beneficial."

"The main area for OpenVPN Access Server improvement is its pricing model, as the concurrent user license gets expensive quickly as the organization grows, so more flexible pricing options would be a huge plus for AVIARC."

"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."

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

"The lack of an official Linux client is a clear gap."

"I think OpenVPN Access Server's setup can be just one click; currently, it takes multiple steps, and when you forget the admin password, you are locked in."

"The product is fully customized through configuration files, which is all achieved through manual data entry."

"I find that connection speed with OpenVPN Access Server loses in comparison to WireGuard, which is very fast."

More OpenVPN Access Server cons

"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."

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

"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."

"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. 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 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."

"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."

"NetExtender did nothing to improve my organization - in fact, it was quite the opposite. Users constantly complained of lag and unbearable sluggishness (with a max speed of 10-30kbps) through the VPN, even though we have relatively high bandwidth for a small office (400mbps)."

More SonicWall Netextender cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

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

"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."

"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."

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

"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."

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

More OpenVPN Access Server pricing and cost advice

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

"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."

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

"The solution has a pretty good price."

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

"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."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

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...

See all answers

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

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs OpenVPN Access Server

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) 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 9% of the time

Fortinet FortiClient vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 8% of the time

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 6% of the time

SonicWall Mobile Connect vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 6% of the time

SonicWall SMA 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

October 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

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