- You don't have to leave all at once
- A lean tunnel protocol
- Zero trust, team VPNs and software-defined networks
- IPsec and hardware replacement
- Certificates or identity: the real choice
- Which group fits your network
- Open source and hosted editions, tool by tool
- Site links and remote access are different jobs
- What to tell your users
- How to move without locking anyone out
- Frequently asked questions
OpenVPN users usually switch when they want simpler configuration, identity-based access instead of hand-managed certificates, or a way to retire ageing hardware. Lightweight tunnel protocols suit links between sites, zero-trust and team platforms suit remote staff, and IPsec suits standards-based gateways. If your clients, routing and certificate setup already work and nobody's complaining, you don't need to move.
People who search for this usually run OpenVPN for remote access or for links between offices, and they've hit one of three walls: configuration that's hard to maintain, a team that's grown beyond a handful of laptops, or a wish for access based on who someone is rather than which certificate they hold.
OpenVPN's Windows installers include a graphical client and a system service, so every Windows user you support today has something installed that the move will need to replace or remove. Counting those machines early tells you how much there is to do.
You don't have to leave all at once
Pritunl's own page describes an open source enterprise VPN server that supports OpenVPN, WireGuard and IPsec. That means a migration doesn't have to be one weekend where every user switches together.
You can keep the old protocol for the people who need it while you bring others onto something newer, then retire the old clients when nobody's left on them. For any team that can't afford a weekend outage, that staged path is often the safest one available.
A lean tunnel protocol
WireGuard
It calls itself extremely simple, fast and modern, with state-of-the-art cryptography, and its own page says it intends to be considerably more performant than OpenVPN. Clients exist for Windows, macOS, BSD, iOS and Android.
Bear in mind that a lean protocol is a building block rather than a finished product. You still have to decide how keys are handed out and revoked, and how each person gets the right settings onto their device. For a few site links that's easy. For a hundred remote staff, it's where the identity-based tools further down earn their keep.
Zero trust, team VPNs and software-defined networks
Each of these three describes itself differently, so match the description to the problem you're trying to solve.
NetBird
Pitches a single access system tied to identity as the way to retire traditional VPNs, and lets you test its cloud service or run the open source version.
Tailscale
Lists Business VPN and Homelab among its uses, and suggests starting with your own devices before bringing the same simplicity to your team.
ZeroTier
Describes itself as software-defined and post-quantum networking.
IPsec and hardware replacement
For gateways, ageing appliances and standards-based links.
SoftEther VPN
Aimed partly at retiring Cisco and similar hardware boxes, and able to get through firewalls over SSL-VPN.
strongSwan
A modular, portable IPsec solution, offered under GPLv2 with commercial licensing on the side.
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Certificates or identity: the real choice
Under the hood, most of the decision comes down to how you decide who gets in. The traditional model hands each device a certificate or key and trusts whoever holds it. Identity-based platforms tie access to a person's account instead, so removing a leaver means disabling one login rather than hunting down keys on old laptops.
If your team is small and stable, keys are manageable and a lean tunnel may be all you need. If people join and leave every month, or contractors need access to just one system, the identity approach usually saves more time than it takes to set up.
Which group fits your network
- Two or three offices joined by permanent links: a lean tunnel protocol or IPsec.
- Staff working from laptops and phones wherever they are: the zero-trust and team group.
- Old VPN appliances you'd like to retire: SoftEther, or strongSwan if you want IPsec.
- A mixed estate you can't move in one go: Pritunl's multi-protocol server.
- A home lab: Tailscale names Homelab among its solutions.
Open source and hosted editions, tool by tool
| Option | How it describes itself | Open source edition | Hosted or cloud edition named |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pritunl | Multi-protocol server | Yes | Not stated |
| WireGuard | Lean tunnel | Yes | Not stated |
| NetBird | Identity-based zero trust | Yes | Yes, with a free trial |
| Tailscale | Business VPN and homelab | Not stated | Not stated |
| ZeroTier | Software-defined networking | Not stated | Not stated |
| SoftEther VPN | Hardware VPN replacement | Yes | Not stated |
| strongSwan | IPsec | Yes | Not stated |
If speed and simplicity are the main draw, read WireGuard vs OpenVPN compared before you plan anything.
Site links and remote access are different jobs
A permanent link between two offices needs to stay up quietly for months. Remote access for staff needs to cope with hotel networks, phone hotspots and people who never read instructions. One tool can do both, but test them separately, because a setup that's perfect for one can be painful for the other.
What to tell your users
A VPN change touches every remote worker, so plan the message as carefully as the network. People need to know which app to install, when the old one stops working, and who to call if they're stuck in a hotel at nine at night. A short guide with screenshots for each device type will save your help desk a lot of tickets.
Also decide what happens to people who ignore the first email. A firm cut-off date, with a reminder a few days before, works better than leaving the old server running forever.
How to move without locking anyone out
- List every user, device and site link on the current setup, and which client each one runs.
- Pick one candidate from the group that fits and set it up beside the existing server.
- Move your own devices first, then two or three willing colleagues.
- Connect from a hotel network or a phone hotspot, not just the office, since that's where VPNs usually fail.
- Check access rules: can each person reach only what they should?
- Move the rest in small batches, keeping the old server live for anyone who hits trouble.
- Revoke old certificates and close old ports once the last user has moved.
Write the rollback steps down before you start. If something breaks on a Monday morning, you'll want them on paper.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly should a leaver lose access?
The same day they leave. Write the steps for whichever tool you pick into your offboarding checklist, and test them once before you need them for real.
Should all traffic go through the VPN, or only work traffic?
That choice is called split tunnelling, and the right answer depends on your security rules. Check how each candidate handles it in its documentation, and decide before rollout so every device is set up the same way.
Is an open source edition enough for a business?
It can be, but compare what the commercial side adds first. OpenVPN points businesses to Access Server or CloudConnexa, NetBird pairs its open source version with a cloud trial, and strongSwan offers commercial licensing next to GPLv2.
Will people need new apps on their devices?
Plan as if they will. Check each candidate's client list against the phones and laptops your people use, and have an install guide ready for each one.
How do I check the new tunnel is faster?
Measure it from the same location: time a large file copy and a video call over the old tunnel and the new one. Vendor claims are a starting point, and your own network has the final say.
