Best business VPN: network access security tools that I compared

VPN
1

I’ve been searching for the best business VPN solution to boost our network security within the team a bit. Not gonna lie - with so many services out there, it’s becoming overwhelming, as everyone advertises themselves as “the best”.

So to simplify things, I put together my own comparison document to help other IT administrators who might be going through the same process of finding the best network access security service tool. You can find my table here.

Here’s what I looked at:

  • General Features: Ease of deployment, minimum user count, trial periods, activity monitoring, MFA option, Service-Level Agreements (SLAs), and MSP programs.
  • VPN-Related Features: Auto-connect, always-on VPN, shared gateways, static IP, encryption, IP masking, split tunneling, and Wireguard support.
  • Threat Prevention Features: DNS filtering, custom DNS, Deep Packet Inspection (DPI), and ThreatBlock.
  • Additional Features: Customer support options and availability, plus usage analytics.

Hopefully, this helps anyone who is weighing their options for the best business VPN. Let me know if you have other features or providers that you think should be considered.

I’m open to any suggestions on how to make this a useful source for many.

2

I kinda expected to see some ZTNA on this list.

3

OG - Nice work… A better matrix would be a listing of SASE solutions (which would address the ZTNA points stated). VPNs are dinosaurs… SASE is the future for protecting remote workers, and can do a whole lot more (policy enforcement, application control, etc.) than any VPN.

4

Timus would be a great SASE solution to look at as well.

5

What purpose is the third party VPN service providing here that a proper firewall wouldn’t?

There seems to be a glut of people confusing VPN’s with “security” lately. My bet is because of TV ads. lol

6

Bummer. I don’t see “military grade encryption” anywhere on this list.

7

Can add Todyl to that list. Been deploying for a few years with success and pricing has allowed decent margin, especially going with their full stack offerings. It’s been getting better features over time too especially around web filtering. Definitely worth adding to your comparison sheet!

8

Is the discount applicable for small or big business?

9

You left off Todyl, which shits on P81.

10

Why no M365 private access?

11

The best is the one that works with your firewall or comes with it

12

bro VPNs are for boomers, now you need to use SASE to be a cool kid

13

Too bad P81 has that 10 user minimum.

Also too bad that Cloudflare’s doesn’t support a static IP.

14

Looks like a good list. Which open VPN product is that? I’d say my concern is the nuance to some of the specific features. For example, I was told that OpenVPN Cloudconnexa supported AlwaysOn VPN. In the end you can run OpenVPN as a service but it’s not implemented like you’d expect.

15

When I did my research, I saw quite a few NordLayer shoutouts. Any opinions about that one?

16

ZTNA is the way imo. Proper security focussed zero trust networking rather than a privacy-focused VPN solution.

17

I’ll consider adding it in an update. Thanks for the feedback!

18

Thanks for the comment! You’re right, SASE solutions offer significant advantages over VPNs, especially for remote work, with features like ZTNA, policy enforcement, and application control.

My post focused on foundational aspects, but a matrix including SASE solutions would definitely add value. Are there any specific providers or features you’d recommend highlighting?

19

Is it lazy admins, aggressive sales tactics or both?

20

It’s more old hats not understanding new tech. It should not be called VPN, but SASE, and the OP is confusing VPN services with SASE.