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OpenVPN Access Server vs SonicWall SMA comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 15, 2026

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
6.5
Number of Reviews
55
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
SonicWall SMA
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
16th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
5.6
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
Universal Access Gateways (2nd), SSL VPN (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of OpenVPN Access Server is 13.3%, down from 14.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall SMA is 2.6%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
OpenVPN Access Server13.3%
SonicWall SMA2.6%
Other84.1%
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
 

Featured Reviews

Emmanuel Chebukati - PeerSpot reviewer
DevSecOps Engineer at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Secure remote access has protected diverse users while access controls provide precise permissions
The user interface of OpenVPN Access Server is good but can be improved. I would prefer to see it become more intuitive. I use Twingate as an alternative, and in Twingate, you see resources, while in OpenVPN Access Server, those would be IP addresses. You get to see dashboards and access views of who can access a particular resource or subnet. You can see who can access what resources from the user view, but you can also see the reverse, which is which resource can be accessed by what users. That reverse view would be a nice addition to have in a dashboard. Additionally, access logs associated with that resource would be helpful, so it would be beneficial to have different views for the same content. Beyond the positive aspects, I would like to see improvements in OpenVPN Access Server. Twingate offers a different approach to the same problem by moving more towards resource-specific resources and fine-grained zero-trust access, as opposed to entire subnets and entire networks. I would prefer to see views on resources. In the same way that we can define subnets, perhaps we could have views that describe what this particular subnet does and what this particular resource does. Then we can assign those resources and subnets to individual users and groups. It is more about granularizing the resources that can be accessed rather than simply bundling them under subnets or a list of subnets, which is the current approach. Apart from that, I would like to see UI enhancements in OpenVPN Access Server in the future. Making it more modern would be beneficial.
BA
Owner at ThinkEzIT
Security enhances through autonomous protection and strong support while multi-factor authentication secures access
I haven't utilized the high availability and scalability features of SonicWall SMA yet because I've never had a need to. I don't know where they can focus their energy on continuous improvements, as I haven't been looking at what they're releasing. We're a small shop, so we drop stuff in and manage it and do what we need to do to maintain it. If we run into an issue, we contact support. There's a learning curve, but it comes down to getting support to train you on the product, and then once you have the training you need, you're able to make the changes and updates that you need to.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Provides privacy and cryptography for my network communication."
"The setup is easy."
"The most valuable thing about OpenVPN Access Server is its ease of use."
"The stability is very reliable in my experience."
"The product’s adaptability is valuable."
"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."
"I like that it's easy to use, easy to download, and not hard to manage."
"Highly configurable. You can create your own custom client installer and can rebrand the server-side program."
"It is faster than other security options when using remote connections."
"Blocklisting and allowlisting are the most beneficial features for network security."
"What I like best about SonicWall SMA is the relationship between its features and its price, because the solution is both affordable and functional."
"The advanced threat protection and the endpoint control features of SonicWall SMA have helped improve security measures tremendously."
"SonicWall SMA allows us to provide CML-based access to any user."
"I think they ask for a fair price."
"The management and the dashboard are the solution's most valuable features."
"I am very satisfied with the technical support."
 

Cons

"They may have this already, but it would be nice to be able to get more notifications if a site drops unexpectedly."
"The stability of the solution could improve."
"One improvement I would like to see in OpenVPN is better adaptability in certain geographical areas."
"Needs a better GUI."
"I would like to see continued advanced security implementation."
"The logs should be made easier to read."
"It requires some experience of Linux server configuration to set it up."
"Open VPN Access Server could be more user-friendly."
"The overall menu is not very user-friendly and it could be easier."
"The timed synchronization between the network appliance needs improvement."
"This is an expensive solution and I think that the price could be improved."
"The solution could integrate better with other platforms."
"The only thing that they could try to improve is the support for enterprise customers. Normally enterprises and SMBs can create a ticket, but for enterprises, SonicWall SMA needs to provide a global view, and this is what's currently missing. It's not even a question of timing. It's a question of the global vision because currently, it's lacking. They concentrate on the topic, but not on the means and not on the global picture. In most cases, there's something wrong with the integration of SonicWall SMA with other products, so that could also be improved."
"The problem is that when combined with what the client already has, there are two different logins and two different management systems, and these should be consolidated into a single interface."
"I'd like to see the product maybe polish keyboards in Bookmark."
"The product itself is very good, but Dell needs to work on product visibility in their advertising."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is an open-source solution, so we don't pay for anything."
"OpenVPN Access Server is free and open source."
"OpenVPN Access Server is a cheap corporate solution."
"I don't need to pay for its license since it is an open-source tool."
"The price point is fantastic since it is free."
"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."
"The solution was free of charge."
"The product offers yearly as well as monthly subscription plans. It has moderate pricing."
"All the costs are included in a bundled license."
"The cost of the licensing is based on the maximum number of concurrent users, and it costs a lot to add them."
"I don't know about the pricing of the SSL-VPN box. I know the SSL-VPN software is free. Global VPN client, by comparison, is licensed for around $150 or something like that. But the SSL-VPN software is free. It is already built-in with the box."
"The platform has medium pricing."
"This solution is priced well and we currently have the maximum number of licenses allowed."
"Our licenses are stackable and can be anywhere from five users to a million users."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
12%
University
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Real Estate/Law Firm
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business34
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise15
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise3
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 OpenVPN Access Server?
I find it not cost-effective. It is not worth the money from a pricing perspective. However, it is a good investment for security and company information security. It is a good investment overall.
What do you like most about SonicWall SMA?
Blocklisting and allowlisting are the most beneficial features for network security.
What needs improvement with SonicWall SMA?
I haven't utilized the high availability and scalability features of SonicWall SMA yet because I've never had a need to. I don't know where they can focus their energy on continuous improvements, a...
 

Also Known As

OpenVPN
SonicWall Aventail, SonicWall SMA SSL-VPN, SonicWall Secure Mobile Access
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Verizon, Amazon, Disney, HP, Microsoft, IBM, Samsung
UnitedStack, Newport City Homes, Faith Lutheran College Redlands, PRIME aerostructures GmbH, Celtic Manor Resort
Find out what your peers are saying about OpenVPN Access Server vs. SonicWall SMA and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
884,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.