Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Barracuda SSL VPN[EOL] vs OpenVPN Access Server comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 19, 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

Barracuda SSL VPN[EOL]
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
OpenVPN Access Server
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
53
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN (1st)
 

Featured Reviews

Ikh-Erdene Namsrai - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior System Administrator at Mongolian Mining Corporation
Provides good scalability and has a simple setup process
We use Barracuda SSL VPN for network connection The product is easy to connect. There could be more security features included in the product. We are the latest version of Barracuda SSL VPN. I rate Barracuda SSL VPN's stability an eight or nine out of ten. We have 30-40 Barracuda SSL VPN…
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature would be that you can actually narrow down your session to one application on one server, which is really nice."
"The product is easy to connect."
"The setup is straightforward and hassle-free."
"It's a stand alone system that functions well."
"The stability is very reliable in my experience."
"The initial setup was easy."
"OpenVPN Access Server met that need well."
"It was very easy to set up users."
"There is support for multi-factor authentication."
"The most valuable feature is stability."
"Provides privacy and cryptography for my network communication."
"The compatibility with almost any Linux operating system, and how easy it is to write scripts and generate keys for people to use and log in. I found it easy to deploy quickly."
 

Cons

"There could be more security features included in the product."
"Since it's not going to be getting any more software updates as per the end of this year, we have to move off to a different product.."
"Reporting could be improved."
"Barracuda should find other ways to stir up interest about this product."
"The high availability deployment is not very straightforward. They can make it simpler. OpenVPN does not support some of the additional protocols that Pulse Secure and Cisco AnyConnect support. They can include support for these additional protocols."
"Working on a faster connection might be a good idea for the product's next release."
"I would be more happy with the idea of licensing to have a reduced price with longer, grouped, annual fees. We have a lot of other software that does the same thing. It's a little higher price if you're going with a shorter stint, but there's a reduction in price for three- and five-year contracts."
"OpenVPN could improve in centralized management and enhance the GUI configuration steps."
"There are tasks that require logging onto the server to run commands, which is not intuitive through the UI."
"The stability of the OpenVPN Access Server has room for improvement."
"The upgrade path from older versions was more difficult than we wanted to tackle, so we ran an older version of the software for longer than I wanted. Patching, updating, and migrating to newer versions was a problem for us. That said, we were on a rather old version that I inherited yet it worked rock solid."
"There sometimes is an incompatibility between some VPNs."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is affordable and reasonably priced so it would make a lot of sense for people to use it long-term."
"Barracuda SSL VPN is inexpensive."
"I don't need to pay for its license since it is an open-source tool."
"Begin with the community version and upgrade to paid one if the need arises."
"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 was free for students. I don't know if you have to pay for an advanced version."
"OpenVPN Access Server is free and open source."
"The solution was 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 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."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Enterprise Infrastructure VPN solutions are best for your needs.
883,044 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Educational Organization
12%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Performing Arts
10%
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Wholesaler/Distributor
6%
Financial Services Firm
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business32
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise14
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
Earn 20 points
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...
 

Also Known As

No data available
OpenVPN
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Verizon, Amazon, Disney, HP, Microsoft, IBM, Samsung
Find out what your peers are saying about OpenVPN, Fortinet, Check Point Software Technologies and others in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN. Updated: February 2026.
883,044 professionals have used our research since 2012.