NordLayer vs. OpenVPN Access Server Comparison


NordLayer Nord Security	OpenVPN Access Server OpenVPN	+	+
Learn More Update Features	Learn More Update Features	Add To Compare	Add To Compare


		Related Products Cloudflare Cloudflare is the foundation for your infrastructure, applications, and teams. Cloudflare secures and ensures the reliability of your external-facing resources such as websites, APIs, and applications. It protects your internal resources such as behind-the-firewall applications, teams, and devices. And it is your platform for developing globally scalable applications. Your website, APIs, and applications are your key channels for doing business with your customers and suppliers. As more and more shift online, ensuring these resources are secure, performant and reliable is a business imperative. Cloudflare for Infrastructure is a complete solution to enable this for anything connected to the Internet. Behind-the-firewall applications and devices are foundational to the work of your internal teams. The recent surge in remote work is testing the limits of many organizations’ VPN and other hardware solutions. 2,048 Ratings Visit Website Cloudbrink If you’ve ever dealt with slow VPNs, or clunky ZTNA agents that degrade app performance, you’re not alone. Many IT teams are stuck balancing security with usability—and often end up sacrificing both. Here is a different approach. The high-performance ZTNA service that is part of a personal SASE solution from Cloudbrink can upgrade or replace traditional VPNs while fixing the performance and complexity that come from other vendors in the ZTNA and SASE space. Built as a software-only service, Cloudbrink delivers sub-20ms latency and 1Gbps+ speeds per user using dynamically deployed FAST edges and a proprietary protocol that recovers packet loss before it impacts the app. Security isn’t bolted on—it’s built in. With mutual TLS 1.3, short-lived certs, and no exposed IPs, Cloudbrink provides real zero trust without making users suffer through poor connections or overloaded POPs. If you’ve been burned by “next-gen” solutions that still feel like 2008, it might be time for something new. 28 Ratings Visit Website ThreatLocker ThreatLocker is a Zero Trust Platform that prevents cyber threats by blocking unknown applications, enforcing least privilege, and controlling what can run across your environment. Using Allowlisting, Ringfencing, Network Control, and more, ThreatLocker stops ransomware, zero-day attacks, and unauthorized activity before execution, rather than relying on detection after the fact. Built for modern IT and cybersecurity teams, the platform delivers centralized visibility and policy management across endpoints, users, and applications. ThreatLocker reduces attack surface, limits lateral movement, and supports compliance with detailed audit logs. With fast deployment, a large built-in application library, and streamlined approvals, organizations can strengthen security while minimizing operational overhead and maintaining business continuity. 705 Ratings Visit Website Kitecyber Kitecyber: Gen AI & Data Security, Built on the Endpoint Kitecyber protects your data and secures Gen AI use with a single lightweight agent that runs directly on the endpoint. Because it lives on the device, Kitecyber sees the complete picture—device posture, operating system activity, process activity, data classification, user activity, and network activity—together, in real-time context. That's something network- and cloud-only tools can't match: they watch traffic after it leaves the device, while Kitecyber understands the action at the moment it happens. One agent replaces a stack. Kitecyber unifies data loss prevention, secure web gateway, zero trust private access, SaaS protection, device management, and Gen AI security, no appliances, no separate consoles, and deployment in about a day. Data security that keeps up with your data. Kitecyber classifies sensitive information with LLM-powered, context-aware intelligence across 80+ categories (PII, PHI, PCI, source code, IP) at over 90% accuracy — not brittle keyword matching. It tracks data lineage through transformations like screenshots, encoding, and file conversion that defeat traditional scanners, and enforces policy inline before data ever leaves the device. Gen AI security for the age of AI agents. Kitecyber tracks sensitive data pasted or uploaded into tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini and blocks it before it leaves the endpoint. It discovers shadow AI apps reaching your devices and extends visibility to the AI agents now acting on your users' behalf — a blind spot for identity- and network-based tools. Trusted and proven. Kitecyber secures fast-growing fintech, AI companies, BFSI, Manufacturing, healthcare and SMB organizations in highly regulated environments, and partners with GRC leaders like Vanta and Scrut Automation to simplify security and compliance together. Customers report up to 50% lower total cost of ownership, ~20 hours a week saved, and enterprise-grade protection without enterprise complexity. Kitecyber is SOC 2 Type II compliant, with pre-built templates for GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, and more. The company operates and has customers across USA, Europe, Middle east and APAC. Get enterprise-grade Gen AI and data security in days, from one agent. Learn more at kitecyber.com. 87 Ratings Visit Website Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security Bitdefender Small Business Security delivers enterprise-grade, layered cyber-protection designed specifically for small organizations. It covers Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices with centralized, easy-to-use management, so businesses without a dedicated IT staff can deploy and monitor security from one dashboard. Key features include multi-layered endpoint protection (machine learning, behavioral analytics, real-time monitoring, process termination, and rollback) to prevent known and unknown threats. It offers ransomware prevention and mitigation (detecting abnormal encryption attempts and restoring files from backups), fileless attack protection (memory/back-injection interference, script blocking), phishing & fraud prevention (blocking deceptive sites and warning users), and advanced exploit protection (real-time shield of browsers, Office apps, Adobe Reader) for comprehensive endpoint defense. 5 Ratings Visit Website ManageEngine Endpoint Central ManageEngine Endpoint Central gives IT teams a single platform to manage and secure every device across the organization, eliminating the need to juggle multiple point tools. Patch management is automated across Windows, macOS, Linux, and 1000+ third-party applications. Software deployment, OS imaging, and remote desktop capabilities allow administrators to provision, update, and troubleshoot endpoints without physical presence. Security capabilities include vulnerability assessment, application control, device control, browser security, endpoint privilege management, EDR, NGAV protection against malware and zero-day threats, and private access for secure remote connectivity. BitLocker and FileVault encryption management adds data protection across Windows and macOS fleets. Mobile device management extends control to iOS and Android, supporting corporate-owned and BYOD environments. Available on-premises or in the cloud across five editions: Free, Professional, Enterprise, UEM, and Security. 3,347 Ratings Visit Website Keeper Security Keeper Security is transforming the way people and organizations around the world secure their passwords and passkeys, secrets and confidential information. Keeper’s easy-to-use cybersecurity platform is built on a foundation of zero-trust and zero-knowledge security to protect every user on every device. Keeper’s solution deploys in minutes and seamlessly integrates with any tech stack to prevent breaches, reduce help desk costs and ensure compliance. Trusted by millions of individuals and thousands of organizations globally, Keeper is the leader for best-in-class password and passkey management, secrets management, privileged access, secure remote access and encrypted messaging. 1,812 Ratings Visit Website Control D Control D is a customizable DNS filtering and traffic redirection platform that leverages Secure DNS protocols like DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS and DNS-over-QUIC, with support for Legacy DNS. - Block malicious threats - Block unwanted types of content network wide (ads & trackers, IoT telemetry, adult content, socials, and more) - Deploy in minutes on fleets of devices using RMM - Manage clients using sub-organizations - Gain visibility on network events and usage patterns, with client level granularity - Re-route traffic via proxies (through DNS) for improved privacy and security - Enjoy superior UX and simplicity Think of it as your personal Authoritative DNS resolver for the entire Internet that gives you granular control over what domains get resolved, redirected or blocked. 183 Ratings Visit Website Admin By Request Endpoint Privilege Management Admin By Request EPM gives organizations control over who and what can elevate on their endpoints, without standing up servers, databases, or a dedicated admin team to run it. The model is least privilege: a user or an application receives the specific access its task requires and nothing more. This closes off a common attack route, since permanent local admin rights are what an attacker inherits when malware executes or a credential is stolen. Removing admin rights does not push users back into support queues. When someone needs a longer stretch of elevated work, they run an Admin Session that expires on its own. When they need only one program elevated, Run As Admin handles that alone and leaves the rest of the system unprivileged. Requests can be approved through the portal, the mobile app, or the API. Files receive an OPSWAT MetaDefender reputation check before elevation, and software that has already been vetted can clear automatically through pre-approval or the AI and Machine Learning approval engine. A single agent supports Windows, macOS, and Linux and behaves the same whether the endpoint is online or offline. Auditing and inventory are included as standard. 107 Ratings Visit Website Proton VPN Protect your business against damaging data breaches and easily comply with security frameworks like ISO 27001, GDPR, and HIPAA. Our software-only virtual private network easily integrates with your existing infrastructure to provide a flexible and scalable way to protect your organization. With our VPN Professional plan, you can securely access your LAN and SaaS resources by assigning and segmenting permissions to private dedicated VPN servers, allowing employees to access only what they need. With all plans, your network traffic is secured using strong AES-256 or ChaCha20 encryption. You can further strengthen your organization's security with enforced 2FA and seamless login through single sign-on (SSO) with SCIM support for automated user provisioning. Proton VPN's high-speed server network is one of the largest in the world and is part of a suite of open source end-to-end encrypted products from the makers of Proton Mail that are designed to keep your business secure. 41,009 Ratings Visit Website
About NordLayer is an adaptive network access security solution for modern businesses — from the world’s most trusted cybersecurity brand, Nord Security. We help organizations of all sizes to fulfill scaling and integration challenges when building a modern secure remote access solution within an ever-evolving SASE framework. Quick and easy to integrate with existing infrastructure, hardware-free, and designed with ease of scale in mind, NordLayer meets the varying growth pace and ad-hoc cybersecurity requirements of agile businesses and distributed workforces today	About OpenVPN Access Server is a self-hosted Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and business VPN solution that gives organizations full control over their own secure network. It's software organizations deploy directly into their own environment — on-premises hardware or their own cloud account on AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or others — with tunnel traffic flowing directly between users and the server. With Access Server Link, teams can go from zero to a fully configured deployment in minutes: point-and-click setup across AWS, Azure, and GCP, automatic SSL certificate provisioning and renewal, and a web-based admin portal for managing users, certificates, and access — no SSH or manual DNS work required. Access is granted per application and per identity using domain names rather than broad network-level access, so users only reach what they're explicitly permitted to, and lateral movement is structurally blocked.
Platforms Supported Windows Supported Mac Supported Linux Supported Cloud Not Supported On-Premises Not Supported iPhone Supported iPad Supported Android Supported Chromebook Not Supported	Platforms Supported Windows Supported Mac Supported Linux Supported Cloud Supported On-Premises Supported iPhone Supported iPad Supported Android Supported Chromebook Not Supported
Audience Companies looking for a network access security solution for modern workforces	Audience SMBs and Enterprises looking for a Zero Trust VPN as a foundation of their network security
Support Phone Support Not Supported 24/7 Live Support Not Supported Online Supported	Support Phone Support Not Supported 24/7 Live Support Not Supported Online Supported
API Offers API Not Supported	API Offers API Not Supported
Screenshots and Videos View more images or videos	Screenshots and Videos View more images or videos
Pricing $8 per user per month Free Version Not Supported Free Trial Not Supported	Pricing Free Up to 2 connections Dependent on the number of connections and monthly or annually. If annual, under 100 connections, $7 per connection per month. If monthly, under 100 connections, $9 per connection per month. Over 100 connections will get lower pricing. Free Version Supported Free Trial Supported
Reviews/Ratings Overall 0.0 / 5 ease 0.0 / 5 features 0.0 / 5 design 0.0 / 5 support 0.0 / 5 This software hasn't been reviewed yet. Be the first to provide a review: Review this Software	Reviews/Ratings Overall 5.0 / 5 ease 4.5 / 5 features 5.0 / 5 design 5.0 / 5 support 5.0 / 5 Read all reviews
	Pros & Cons from Real Users Pros Open Source. lots of customization options. Create your own VPN profile using free networks available on sites such as vpnbook. Also available as a service - pay as you go model. Cross Platform. The software made the process of setting up a Virtual Private Network so much easier. It has a lot of configuration options available including the use of DNS servers, user permissions and more. OpenVPN has support that will help with any issues needed. Cons Initial setup is difficult - creating profiles, installing certificate (at least on windows). It still requires a fair bit of work to actually set up the Virtual Private Network.
Training Documentation Supported Webinars Not Supported Live Online Not Supported In Person Not Supported	Training Documentation Supported Webinars Supported Live Online Supported In Person Not Supported
Company Information Nord Security Founded: 2012 nordlayer.com	Company Information OpenVPN Founded: 2001 United States openvpn.net
Alternatives UTunnel VPN and ZTNA Secubytes LLC	Alternatives Cloudbrink
GoodAccess	Private Internet Access (PIA) Private Internet Access
Twingate	NordVPN Nord Security
Zscaler	UTunnel VPN and ZTNA Secubytes LLC
Check Point SASE Check Point Software View All	Check Point SASE Check Point Software View All
Categories Cybersecurity Supported DDoS Protection Supported DNS Filtering Supported Endpoint Protection Supported Network Access Control (NAC) Supported Network Security Supported Remote Work Supported SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) Supported Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Supported Secure Remote Access Supported Shadow AI Detection Supported VPN Supported Zero Trust Security Supported	Categories IT Management Supported IT Security Supported IT admins & managers love Access Server - OpenVPN can help make network security and secure remote access easier — whether you have years of experience as an IT Admin or are just beginning your career. If you’re a Linux person, Access Server is for you. Access Server is an easy to deploy, cost-effective way to bolster your network security in a self-hosted environment. Network Security Supported OpenVPN’s scalable, easy-to-deploy solutions are built on our time-tested, industry standard open source protocol. With the ability to split traffic and only tunnel sensitive data, you won’t sacrifice internet performance or speed for security. With OpenVPN, you can say goodbye to your legacy VPN and traditional hardware and architecture that made it difficult to scale and grow. You’ll be able to harness next-gen VPN technology that grows with you and protects your business no matter where your team is working, whether from a tablet at their kitchen table, a laptop in a coffee shop, or a mobile phone at their desk. Proxy Servers Supported OpenVPN supports connections through an HTTP proxy, with the following authentication modes: no proxy authentication, basic proxy authentication, and NTLM proxy authentication. Secure Remote Access Supported With OpenVPN’s multi-layered solution, you can ensure that your mobile workforce is logging into corporate networks and third-party cloud services safely and securely. Minimize your attack surface & increase internet security levels - only authenticated users and compliant devices get access to authorized applications. VPN Supported OpenVPN business solutions provide secure, scalable, and flexible virtual private networking for organizations of all sizes. Built on the trusted OpenVPN protocol, they enable encrypted remote access, site-to-site connectivity, and seamless cloud integration. With centralized management, granular access controls, and support for modern authentication, businesses can protect sensitive data while ensuring employees and partners connect safely from anywhere. OpenVPN Access Server scales from small teams to enterprise deployments, offering reliability, strong encryption, and easy deployment across on-premises, cloud, or hybrid environments. Trusted worldwide, OpenVPN combines open-source transparency with enterprise-grade features. Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) Supported We make ZTNA a reality for your business. Access Server and CloudConnexa® can be used to implement a zero trust network access solution that secures your network resources while limiting access to only what is necessary. Zero Trust Security Supported Transition to a Zero Trust framework with OpenVPN Access Server. Our self-hosted solution gives businesses of all sizes the ability to enforce zero trust essentials. Transition beyond protecting only what is inside of your corporate perimeter, and reduce your attack surface. With Access Server, you can protect workers using home and public WiFi networks, and SaaS applications, outside your network perimeter. We also provide all the tools and capabilities necessary for building a strong zero trust network to block or significantly mitigate attacks.
Network Security Features Access Control Supported Analytics / Reporting Not Supported Compliance Reporting Not Supported Firewalls Supported Internet Usage Monitoring Supported Intrusion Detection System Not Supported Threat Response Not Supported VPN Supported Vulnerability Scanning Not Supported VPN Features Anonymous Browsing Not Supported DNS Leak Protection Not Supported For Digital Security Not Supported For Financial Security Not Supported For Gaming Not Supported For Streaming Not Supported Kill Switch Not Supported Multi-Language Not Supported Multi-Protocol Supported Peer-to-Peer Not Supported Policy Management Not Supported Remote Access Supported Web Inspection Not Supported White Label Not Supported Show More Features Cybersecurity Features AI / Machine Learning Not Supported Behavioral Analytics Not Supported Endpoint Management Not Supported Incident Management Not Supported IOC Verification Not Supported Tokenization Not Supported Vulnerability Scanning Not Supported Whitelisting / Blacklisting Supported Endpoint Protection Features Activity Log Not Supported Antivirus Not Supported Application Security Not Supported Behavioral Analytics Not Supported Device Management Supported Encryption Not Supported Signature Matching Not Supported Web Threat Management Not Supported Whitelisting / Blacklisting Supported Network Access Control (NAC) Features Authentication Supported Authorization Supported Automated Hotfix / Updates Not Supported Centralized Policy Management Not Supported Dashboard Not Supported Device Auto-Provisioning Supported Device Self-Registration Not Supported Posture Assessment Supported Quarantine / Remediation Not Supported Secure Guest Access Not Supported Remote Work Features Collaboration Not Supported Credential Management Not Supported Electronic Signature Not Supported Employee Monitoring Not Supported Live Chat Not Supported Meeting Management Not Supported Project Management Not Supported Remote Access Supported Remote Support Not Supported Screen Sharing Not Supported Softphone Not Supported Task Management Not Supported Time Zone Tracking Not Supported Video Chat Not Supported Web Conferencing Not Supported	Network Security Features Access Control Supported Analytics / Reporting Supported Compliance Reporting Not Supported Firewalls Not Supported Internet Usage Monitoring Not Supported Intrusion Detection System Not Supported Threat Response Not Supported VPN Supported Vulnerability Scanning Not Supported VPN Features Anonymous Browsing Not Supported DNS Leak Protection Not Supported For Digital Security Supported For Financial Security Supported For Gaming Supported For Streaming Supported Kill Switch Not Supported Multi-Language Not Supported Multi-Protocol Not Supported Peer-to-Peer Not Supported Policy Management Supported Remote Access Supported Web Inspection Not Supported White Label Not Supported Show More Features IT Management Features Capacity Monitoring Not Supported Compliance Management Not Supported Event Logs Not Supported Hardware Inventory Not Supported IT Budgeting Not Supported License Management Not Supported Patch Management Not Supported Remote Access Supported Scheduling Not Supported Software Inventory Not Supported User Activity Monitoring Not Supported
Integrations AWS Client VPN Not Supported Active Directory Not Supported Apono Not Supported Auth0 Not Supported AuthLite Not Supported AuthPoint Not Supported Censornet MFA Not Supported CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager Not Supported Google Workspace Not Supported ICS CUBE Not Supported It'sMe Not Supported JumpCloud Not Supported Kamatera Not Supported Keycloak Not Supported Netdata Not Supported NordVPN Supported Rublon Not Supported SnTHostings Not Supported WLVPN Not Supported Xitoring Not Supported Show More Integrations View All 2 Integrations	Integrations AWS Client VPN Supported Active Directory Supported Apono Supported Auth0 Supported AuthLite Supported AuthPoint Supported Censornet MFA Supported CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager Supported Google Workspace Supported ICS CUBE Supported It'sMe Supported JumpCloud Supported Kamatera Supported Keycloak Supported Netdata Supported NordVPN Not Supported Rublon Supported SnTHostings Supported WLVPN Supported Xitoring Supported Show More Integrations View All 59 Integrations
Claim NordLayer and update features and information Claim NordLayer and update features and information	Claim OpenVPN Access Server and update features and information Claim OpenVPN Access Server and update features and information