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OpenVPN Access Server vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
3.0
OpenVPN Access Server enhances remote work efficiency, reduces errors, and offers substantial long-term benefits despite initial costs.
Sentiment score
6.9
Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange boosts ROI, enhances security operations, and reduces costs with its cloud-based simplicity and efficiency.
We don't have to purchase many components such as load balancers and proxy servers that were necessary in traditional setups.
Lead Engineer at FIS Global
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
3.2
OpenVPN Access Server's support is underutilized due to comprehensive online resources and strong community assistance with highly rated technical support.
Sentiment score
4.8
Zscaler's support is generally praised for expertise but criticized for inconsistent response times and escalation processes.
It was very good, and I would rate it an eight.
Chief Cloud Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
I have not dealt with support or customer service, however, the documentation is good, and I would rate it a seven out of ten.
Service Delivery Manager at CasCom
Sometimes, support takes time since the solution has some bugs that need fixing.
architect at Tata Consultancy
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
5.8
OpenVPN Access Server scales well, but some users face challenges with hardware limits, OS issues, and network conditions.
Sentiment score
7.7
Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform offers scalable, cloud-based solutions, effectively supporting various organizations, despite occasional reliability concerns.
It's not very easy to expand, and it would be beneficial if the process were simpler.
Chief Cloud Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
It does not utilize much memory or CPU on the VM.
Devops Engineer at Emergent
I would give OpenVPN a six out of ten for scalability, as it's usually a single user or single device.
Service Delivery Manager at CasCom
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
4.9
OpenVPN Access Server is stable and reliable, with minimal issues, though some challenges arise during updates or poor configuration.
Sentiment score
7.8
Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange offers stable, reliable performance with occasional latency, resolved quickly, and minor slowdowns during heavy data transfers.
 

Room For Improvement

Users want a more intuitive OpenVPN Access Server with improved security, scalability, and simpler management and configuration processes.
Zscaler platform requires speed, interface, and documentation improvements, better support, scalability, application integration, security, and reduced licensing costs.
Providing store credit for OpenVPN Access Server through a startup program, similar to YC's program which gives credit to new startups.
Devops Engineer at Emergent
It doesn't matter if it's Windows, Apple, Mac, or Linux - they're all very easy.
Chief Cloud Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
OpenVPN could improve in centralized management.
Service Delivery Manager at CasCom
They might be able to identify if something is missing with Zscaler.
architect at Tata Consultancy
 

Setup Cost

OpenVPN Access Server provides a cost-effective, flexible VPN solution with free community access and reasonable enterprise pricing.
Zscaler pricing varies widely with user count and features, seen as high, but flexible for larger user bases.
The experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for OpenVPN Access Server is really good, not that expensive.
Devops Engineer at Emergent
My experience with pricing is excellent as the pricing is free.
Service Delivery Manager at CasCom
 

Valuable Features

OpenVPN Access Server offers user-friendly setup, strong security, compatibility, scalability, and efficient remote access across multiple operating systems.
Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange offers seamless connectivity, robust security features, and scalability, making it ideal for streamlined access and enhanced security.
The most valuable features of OpenVPN are its ease of use, client familiarity, end-user familiarity, operating system integration, and price points.
Service Delivery Manager at CasCom
Before using OpenVPN Access Server, only developers mainly had access to databases. We can create read-only users for databases and internally give them access using OpenVPN Access Server.
Devops Engineer at Emergent
What I appreciate the most about OpenVPN Access Server is that it's very easy to set up.
Chief Cloud Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
From an efficiency perspective, I notice a very good user experience, which is easy to use with Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform.
Manager, Software Development at a outsourcing company with 201-500 employees
The solution is cloud-based with the latest inspection engines, which I find to be amazing.
architect at Tata Consultancy
 

Categories and Ranking

OpenVPN Access Server
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.1
Number of Reviews
52
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN (2nd)
Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange...
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
65
Ranking in other categories
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) (6th), Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) (9th), Application Control (6th), ZTNA as a Service (1st), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (4th), Remote Browser Isolation (RBI) (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Network Security Systems solutions, they serve different purposes. OpenVPN Access Server is designed for Enterprise Infrastructure VPN and holds a mindshare of 13.9%, down 14.6% compared to last year.
Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform, on the other hand, focuses on Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), holds 10.3% mindshare, down 12.4% since last year.
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
OpenVPN Access Server13.9%
Fortinet FortiClient7.8%
Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)6.3%
Other72.0%
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform10.3%
Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks13.4%
Netskope10.8%
Other65.5%
Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)
 

Featured Reviews

Girraj Godia - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Sumit Bhanwala - PeerSpot reviewer
architect at Tata Consultancy
Cloud-based platform simplifies device and data center management
I find it to be good. The solution is cloud-based with the latest inspection engines, which I find to be amazing. We are less dependent on data centers and device management, which reduces our efforts significantly. It improves our device management, data center management, and updating devices. We need fewer engineers for this management, and it reduces time and efforts for data center management, device upgrades, and IT support.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Insurance Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business31
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise14
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business16
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise41
 

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 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...
What is the better solution - Prisma Access or Zscaler Private Access?
We looked into Prisma Access before choosing Zscaler Private Access (ZPA). Palo Alto’s Prisma Access is a secure access service edge (SASE) designed to deliver network security in a cloud-deliver...
What do you like most about Zscaler SASE?
The most valuable features of Zscaler Private Access are reliability, scalability, and availability.
What needs improvement with Zscaler SASE?
The solution needs to improve a lot of aspects.
 

Also Known As

OpenVPN
Zscaler SASE, Zscaler DLP, Zscaler CASB, Zscaler CSPM, Zscaler Browser Isolation, Zscaler Posture Control
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Verizon, Amazon, Disney, HP, Microsoft, IBM, Samsung
Siemens, AutoNation, GE, NOV
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet, OpenVPN, Check Point Software Technologies and others in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN. Updated: January 2026.
880,901 professionals have used our research since 2012.