Give your team encrypted remote access to your private cloud with an OpenVPN server in your own account. The pre-configured image generates a ready-to-use client profile with one command, and there is no per-user fee.
OpenVPN is a widely adopted open-source VPN that builds encrypted tunnels between client devices and your network. Remote team members connect with the OpenVPN Connect app and reach private services in your VPC as if they were on the same network, while the traffic stays on infrastructure you control.
Certificate-based tunnels between each device and your private network.
Every person gets their own certificate and .ovpn profile.
Revoke a certificate on the server and that profile stops working.
Connect from desktop and mobile with the standard OpenVPN Connect app.
OpenVPN sets no client limit; capacity depends on your machine size.
No per-user subscription, and no vendor relaying your traffic.
Setting up OpenVPN by hand means building a PKI, writing server and client configs and opening the right ports. The marketplace image does that and leaves you one script to run.
Subscribe on AWS Marketplace or Google Cloud Marketplace and deploy. On AWS the CloudFormation stack is ready in about 3-5 minutes.
SSH into the server and run sudo bash /opt/openvpn/add-client.sh with a client name. It writes the profile to /home/ubuntu/clients/.
Copy the profile to your computer with an SFTP client such as Cyberduck or FileZilla, or with scp.
Import the profile into OpenVPN Connect and click Connect. Repeat the script for each person who needs access.
An AMI on AWS Marketplace, launched into your own AWS account with a CloudFormation stack or from EC2.
Launch on AWS 
The same VPN server as a Google Cloud Marketplace image, deployed into your own GCP project.
Launch on Google Cloud The image opens exactly these two ports. If OpenVPN Connect cannot connect, check that UDP 1194 is allowed.
| Service | Ports | Protocol |
|---|---|---|
| OpenVPN tunnel | 1194 | UDP |
| SSH (administration) | 22 | TCP |
Server size: t3a.small on AWS or e2-small (2 GB RAM) on Google Cloud handles a small team. Choose a larger machine for more users or heavier throughput.
| OpenVPN by Meetrix | Business VPN (NordLayer, Perimeter81) | AWS Client VPN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Your AWS account or GCP project | Vendor's cloud | AWS-managed service in your VPC |
| Data control | Traffic never leaves your account | Vendor relays and can log connections | Stays in AWS |
| Pricing model | Flat compute cost, no per-user fee | Per-user subscription | Per connection-hour plus per-GB |
| Setup | Minutes, certificates by one script | Instant SaaS signup | Certificate setup through ACM |
Weighing protocols as well? Read OpenVPN vs WireGuard for business remote access →
TCP 22 for SSH management and UDP 1194 for the VPN tunnel. The vendor-recommended security group on AWS and the firewall rule on Google Cloud open exactly these two.
OpenVPN has no built-in cap. Each person gets their own certificate, and the real limit is the bandwidth and CPU of the machine size you choose.
SSH into the server and run sudo bash /opt/openvpn/add-client.sh with a new client name. It creates a fresh certificate and .ovpn file without affecting existing clients.
Revoke the client's certificate on the server with easy-rsa and restart the OpenVPN service. Their profile stops working immediately.
The standard OpenVPN Connect app. Import the .ovpn profile the server generates and connect; there is nothing cloud-specific to install.
AWS Client VPN is billed per connection-hour and per GB, which adds up for a team connected all day. Google Cloud VPN connects networks to each other rather than individual users. This server runs on one instance at a flat cost and gives each person their own client profile.
The image is configured for client-to-site remote access. OpenVPN supports site-to-site setups, and Meetrix can help configure one.
Back up your client .ovpn files and any custom configuration, remove the old deployment and launch the newer version from the marketplace.
User management, performance and firewall behaviour for a team VPN.
Secure remote access to your VPC without the per-seat invoice.
Run your own VPN on Google Cloud and keep remote access traffic in your region.
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