Hypothetical but realistic scenario: A regional ISP wanted to offer "Secure Home WiFi" as a value-add. They built a router that tunnels all traffic back to a central OpenVPN AS for content filtering.
You cannot click a button on a public cloud marketplace for an unlimited license (usually). These are enterprise sales.
Step 1: Contact Sales Go to OpenVPN.net and request a quote. Specify "Unlimited Concurrent Connections." They will likely assign a solutions architect.
Step 2: Proof of Concept (PoC)
Before buying, they usually grant a 30-day trial of the unlimited license. Stress test it. Use openvpn-as-cli to simulate connections.
Step 3: Choose Subscription vs. Perpetual openvpn access server license unlimited
Step 4: Deployment
Once purchased, you enter the license key via the Admin Web UI (Admin > Activation). The system will immediately remove the connection limit.
Retail, tax preparation, and event management companies experience massive traffic swings. Buying a 1,000-user license for a peak season of 3 weeks is wasteful. An unlimited license lets you scale from 100 users to 3,000 users within the same hour without financial penalty.
Date: October 26, 2023 Subject: Analysis of OpenVPN Access Server Licensing Models, "Unlimited" Claims, and Compliance
While the license has no software cap, your server hardware determines real-world limits. Hypothetical but realistic scenario: A regional ISP wanted
| Server Specs | Approx. Max Concurrent Users | |--------------|-------------------------------| | 1 vCPU, 1GB RAM | ~100-200 (light web/app traffic) | | 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM | ~500-1,000 | | 4 vCPU, 8GB RAM | ~2,000-3,000 | | 8+ vCPU, 16GB+ RAM | 5,000+ (with tuning) |
Network note: For 1,000+ users, use a gigabit+ uplink and consider DCO (Data Channel Offload).
| Scenario | Recommendation | | :--- | :--- | | You have <250 concurrent users | No. Buy a 250-pack. It’s cheaper and simpler. | | You have 500–5,000 users | Yes (official). The per-user cost becomes absurd beyond 500. | | You are a startup with 20 employees | No. Use 2 free + 10-pack. | | You saw a cracked unlimited license online | Never. That is a business-ending risk. | | You want truly free, unlimited | Use community OpenVPN (but manage configs manually). |
When you remove the user limit, you remove a safety valve. If a DDoS attack or a botnet attempts to connect to your VPN, a limited license would reject them after the cap (failing closed). Unlimited will try to accept them. Step 4: Deployment Once purchased, you enter the
Mitigations:
Many users searching for an "unlimited" license are actually searching for a "Lifetime License."
Historically, OpenVPN Access Server was sold as a one-time purchase. You paid a higher upfront fee, and you owned that license forever.