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Hillstone E-Series vs OpenVPN Access Server comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

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

Hillstone E-Series
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
28th
Average Rating
9.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
Firewalls (36th), SSL VPN (11th)
OpenVPN Access Server
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
47
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Hillstone E-Series is 0.5%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OpenVPN Access Server is 13.6%, down from 15.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
 

Featured Reviews

TahirMahmood - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers good features like URL filtering, IPS, and IDS to users
We received an update for the tool in July. The update was provided for the tool as there was a problem with the firewall, where too much memory was consumed, and the firewall was hanging a lot. When we updated the tool's features, everything became okay. The tool only had some memory-related problems. It took the tool a month to fix the issues.
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

"Very reliable solution with good scalability and straightforward implementation."
"The most valuable feature of the Hillstone E-Series is its user-friendliness."
"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"I am impressed with the application filtering feature."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is the ransomware protection that the tool offers."
"The most valuable features of the Hillstone E-Series are its hardware capacity, innovation, and the throughput that the hardware can take."
"Five out of five ROI."
"The installation is easy, we have not had any complaints from our customers."
"The best thing is that it is open source and free of cost."
"The most valuable feature is stability."
"The initial setup was easy."
"It is much easier to scale and troubleshoot compared to regular Windows-based VPN solutions or PPTP daemon."
"The product’s adaptability is valuable."
"Security is the most valuable feature."
"The stability is very reliable in my experience."
"It is open-source and free to use."
 

Cons

"The current usage reporting is very basic."
"Having frequent live webinars on a monthly basis would really help."
"The tool provides just a general report. It does not provide a granular report. Hence, the tool should work on its reporting feature."
"I am not sure if this solution offers active directory integration. Adding that feature will definitely be an advantage."
"The solution doesn't have a web proxy built into the system like Sophos. This is something they should work to change."
"SSL VPN license cost is not cheap."
"Support from Hillstone E-Series has a shortcoming that needs improvement."
"The tool needs to improve its price."
"The stability had room for improvement."
"Working on a faster connection might be a good idea for the product's next release."
"If we had to create something for someone who was not necessarily tech savvy, I had to set that up on their computer, I had to write "read me's" and other things so that they could install their client and then connect to the VPN by themselves. So it was hard to set up for people who are not tech savvy."
"They should make the solution more secure by adding some firewall functionalities."
"It could include a configuration wizard so that users who do not follow instructions well can configure a connection."
"I would like to see a simpler interface, so that we can make the connection between the local network using the LAN IP."
"The interface could be a little bit better in future iterations."
"When there are too many concurrent users trying to connect at the same time, there may be a bit of a bottleneck."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Hillstone's pricing is economical and neither very high nor very low."
"The tool's pricing is reasonable. It depends on the model. The product's pricing is around 600 USD. You need to buy a software license to activate the features. You need to pay around 150 USD for that."
"The licensing model is very complex with many subcategories of licenses you can purchase. They could make it more simplified for customers to understand."
"The cost per year for licensing, and hardware, is approximately $850 for the basic plan."
"Open VPN Access Server is open-source and free of charge."
"The solution was free of charge."
"Begin with the community version and upgrade to paid one if the need arises."
"The price point is fantastic since it is free."
"The product offers yearly as well as monthly subscription plans. It has moderate pricing."
"It is an open-source solution, so we don't pay for anything."
"OpenVPN Access Server is free and open source."
"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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
13%
Real Estate/Law Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
17%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Educational Organization
8%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Hillstone E-Series?
The most valuable feature of the Hillstone E-Series is its user-friendliness.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Hillstone E-Series?
Hillstone's pricing is economical and neither very high nor very low.
What needs improvement with Hillstone E-Series?
We received an update for the tool in July. The update was provided for the tool as there was a problem with the firewall, where too much memory was consumed, and the firewall was hanging a lot. Wh...
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

No data available
OpenVPN
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Bank of China Macao, Instituto Tecnológico Bolivariano, Ministry of Labor in San Salvador, FEDCO
Verizon, Amazon, Disney, HP, Microsoft, IBM, Samsung
Find out what your peers are saying about Hillstone E-Series vs. OpenVPN Access Server and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
851,604 professionals have used our research since 2012.