OpenVPN Access Server vs Pulse Secure (Ivanti): Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)

OpenVPN Access Server: Self-hosted business VPN with zero-trust controls and flexible auth. built by OpenVPN. Core capabilities include Zero-trust access controls with identity, device, and location verification, Flexible authentication: PAM, RADIUS, LDAP, SAML, local, and custom methods, MFA support via TOTP..

Pulse Secure (Ivanti): Enterprise secure access platform offering VPN, NAC, and zero trust solutions. built by Pulse Secure. Core capabilities include Secure Access VPN (Connect Secure VPN), Zero Trust Network Access, Network Access Control (NAC)..

Both serve the VPN market but differ in approach, feature depth, and target audience.

OpenVPN Access Server differentiates with Zero-trust access controls with identity, device, and location verification, Flexible authentication: PAM, RADIUS, LDAP, SAML, local, and custom methods, MFA support via TOTP. Pulse Secure (Ivanti) differentiates with Secure Access VPN (Connect Secure VPN), Zero Trust Network Access, Network Access Control (NAC).

OpenVPN Access Server is developed by OpenVPN. Pulse Secure (Ivanti) is developed by Pulse Secure. Vendor maturity, funding stage, and team size can be important factors when evaluating long-term viability and support quality.

OpenVPN Access Server and Pulse Secure (Ivanti) serve similar VPN use cases: both are VPN tools, both cover Remote Access, ZTNA. Review the feature comparison above to determine which fits your requirements.