A self-hosted VPN server panel versus a coordination-layer mesh. If you enjoy running servers, read this first.
| OpenVLAN | Pritunl | |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment model | SaaS coordination + direct peer-to-peer | Self-hosted server(s) you maintain |
| Protocol | AmneziaWG | OpenVPN or AmneziaWG |
| Identity provider integration | Native SSO/SCIM, user-based keys | LDAP/SSO via plugin tiers |
| Traffic path | Direct when possible, relay fallback | All traffic via your server |
| Server capacity planning | None | You size, scale, and back up servers |
| NAT traversal | Built-in, automatic | Requires port-forwarding or public IPs |
| ACL granularity | Per user, device, and port | Server/route-level separation |
| Cost | Per user, published | License + infrastructure + your time |
You want full self-hosting, already run cloud VMs, and have ops staff to patch, monitor, and capacity-plan a VPN fleet.
You'd rather not own uptime. Devices talk directly, keys follow identity, and there is no server to harden or scale.
Teams retire their Pritunl fleet and route the same subnets through OpenVLAN subnet routers — same reachability, no server in the middle.