OpenVPN Connect is a client application that uses the OpenVPN protocol to establish and transport data over an encrypted secure tunnel via the internet to a VPN server. It does not provide a VPN service independently. OpenVPN Connect is the only VPN client created, developed, and maintained by OpenVPN Inc. It is used by customers with their business solutions for secure remote access, enforcing zero trust network access (ZTNA), protecting access to SaaS apps, securing IoT communications, and in many other scenarios.

OpenVPN Connect can be used with OpenVPN Cloud, a cloud-delivered service that integrates virtual networking with essential secure access service edge (SASE) capabilities such as firewall-as-a-service (FWaaS), intrusion detection and prevention system (IDS/IPS), DNS-based content filtering, and zero-trust network access (ZTNA). OpenVPN Access Server is a self-hosted VPN solution for remote access and site-to-site networking that provides granular access control and supports SAML, RADIUS, LDAP, and PAM for user authentication. OpenVPN Connect can also be used to connect to any server or service compatible with OpenVPN protocol or running the open source Community edition.

To use OpenVPN Connect, a “connection profile” file is required, which contains configuration information for the VPN server. The file can be imported into the app using a file with a .ovpn file extension or a website URL. The file or website URL and user credentials are provided by the VPN service administrator.