--- title: "Defguard Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra" description: "With the help of Capterra, learn about Defguard Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other VPN products and more." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/10034288/Defguard/" page_type: "product" language: "en" --- # Defguard Software Review 2026: Features, Reviews, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on July 21, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[FAQs](#faqs)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Integrations](#integrations)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) Defguard ## What is Defguard? Defguard is an enterprise VPN solution built on the WireGuard protocol, offering secure remote access with integrated identity management. It enforces multi-factor authentication at the protocol level, ensuring connection-level security and compliance with regulatory standards while mitigating MFA bypass risks. The platform streamlines secure access through user and device management, live configuration updates, audit logs, and restricted access to official clients. As an OpenID Connect identity provider, Defguard integrates with SSO platforms like Microsoft Azure AD, Google Workspace, and others. Fully self-hostable and privacy-focused, Defguard provides organizations with complete control and transparency over their infrastructure. Built in Rust, this open-source solution delivers modern, auditable security for remote access without relying on third-party dependencies. ## What is Defguard used for? [VPN](https://www.capterra.com/vpn-software/) Overall rating Based on 3 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive \- Neutral \- Negative \- Starting price €59 Flat Rate, Per Month Free trial available Includes Free Version Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for Defguard?[Manage this product listing](https://digitalmarkets.gartner.com/get-listed/claim-bx?url=https://defguard.net&name=Defguard) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### Defguard 5.0 (3) VS. [### FortiClient](https://www.capterra.com/p/151916/FortiClient/) [4.4 (294)](https://www.capterra.com/p/151916/FortiClient/reviews/) Starting Price €59 Flat Rate, Per Year Starting Price Contact vendor Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 5.0 (3) Ease Of Use 4.4 (294) Value For Money 5.0 (3) Value For Money 4.4 (199) Customer Service 4.7 (3) Customer Service 4.2 (194) ## Defguard alternatives Highest Rated [UTunnel VPN](https://www.capterra.com/p/199683/Utunnel-VPN/) [5.0 (69)](https://www.capterra.com/p/199683/Utunnel-VPN/reviews/) Starting price $6.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 100% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/199683/Utunnel-VPN/) [Cisco AnyConnect](https://www.capterra.com/p/169495/VPN-and-Endpoint-Security-Clients/) [4.6 (978)](https://www.capterra.com/p/169495/VPN-and-Endpoint-Security-Clients/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 94% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/169495/VPN-and-Endpoint-Security-Clients/) [ExpressVPN](https://www.capterra.com/p/170765/ExpressVPN/) [4.6 (287)](https://www.capterra.com/p/170765/ExpressVPN/reviews/) Starting price $12.95 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 93% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/170765/ExpressVPN/) [OpenVPN Access Server](https://www.capterra.com/p/159435/access-server/) [4.5 (200)](https://www.capterra.com/p/159435/access-server/reviews/) Starting price $5.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 96% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/159435/access-server/) ## FAQs about Defguard Overview ### What company size and specific industries is Defguard built for? Defguard is designed for organizations in critical infrastructure and regulated sectors that need data sovereignty, full auditability, and an on-premise deployment model. It is a fit for enterprises and other larger organizations in industries where security, compliance, and local control over data are essential. Features and Usability ### What are the key features of Defguard? Defguard offers authentication, single sign-on, and two-factor authentication for access control, along with user management and policy management. Its security features include encryption, VPN tunneling, firewalls, IP masking, secure browsing, and security auditing. Defguard also includes real-time monitoring, event logs, reporting and statistics, mobile access, and third-party integrations. Pricing ### How much does it cost and what fees or limitations are included? Defguard offers a free Open Source version for up to 5 users and 1 VPN location, plus a free trial. Paid plans include the €59 Team plan for up to 85 users and 3 VPN locations, and the €129 Business plan for up to 250 users and 5 VPN locations. Integrations ### Which third-party tools and platforms does Defguard integrate with? Defguard integrates with JumpCloud, Microsoft Azure, and Okta for identity and access management. These catalog integrations connect Defguard to common directory and authentication platforms used to manage user access and sign-in policies. Getting Started and Support ### What training and onboarding options does Defguard offer? Defguard provides documentation and videos to help teams get started. Documentation supports self-paced reference for setup and feature details, while videos offer guided visual walkthroughs of key functions and configuration steps. Getting Started and Support ### What customer support options does Defguard offer? Defguard provides email/help desk, FAQ/forum, knowledge base, and phone support. Support information is presented through self-service resources and direct contact options, giving users several ways to get help. No reviewer feedback about support experience is available in the catalog data. ## Features AI summary Based on 688 VPN reviews Capterra reviewers highlight these as the features buyers value most when choosing a VPN: - **Authentication** (**66%** of reviewers rated this feature as critical) - **Encryption** (**64%**) - **SSL Security** (**65%**) Defguard supports **Authentication** and **Encryption**, covering two of the top capabilities buyers look for in a VPN. These features help verify user access and protect data in transit. However, it does not offer **SSL Security**. Instead, Defguard provides **Remote Access/Control** (**47%**), which gives teams another way to securely connect to systems and manage access from different locations, helping businesses maintain secure connectivity and protect sensitive resources. Authentication 5.0 (2) 100.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Verify the identity of users/devices to enable secure access Encryption 5.0 (3) 100.00% of 3 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Convert data into a code for security Activity Dashboard 4.7 (3) 33.33% of 3 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Dashboard to view the status of ongoing processes, identify current incidents and track past activities Two-Factor Authentication 4.7 (3) 66.67% of 3 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Extra layer of security that requires not only a password and username but also something specific to that user User Management 5.0 (3) 100.00% of 3 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Manage user accounts, profiles, roles, permissions, and other details across applications, devices or networks Mobile Access 5.0 (2) 50.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Access software remotely via mobile devices Defguard 19 features Dashboard to view the status of ongoing processes, identify current incidents and track past activities Application programming interface that allows for integration with other systems/databases Verify the identity of users/devices to enable secure access Convert data into a code for security A chronological record of actions or occurrences within a network, software, or process Monitor and control network/web traffic based on predetermined rules, protecting against unauthorized access and threats Hiding the end user's IP address and replacing it with a different address Access software remotely via mobile devices Create, manage, and track policies and procedures within an organization Active monitoring of systems, applications, or networks Access work applications remotely, for when working away from the office and/or traveling Collection, analysis, and representation of numerical data and generation of reports to understand various patterns Allow or block access to specific domains and individual pages Systematic evaluation of the security of a company's overall security system and situation Allow users to access multiple services after entering their login credentials once Set up connections to third-party platforms to improve business processes Extra layer of security that requires not only a password and username but also something specific to that user Manage user accounts, profiles, roles, permissions, and other details across applications, devices or networks Creating an encrypted connection between users' devices and a VPN server Features 5.0 (3) 5.0 Based on 3 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 5.0 (3) Free Trial Free Version Team €59.00 Flat Rate,Per Month It includes: - Activity & Audit logs - External OIDC (Google, Microsoft, Okta, JumpCloud) - Multi-Factor Authentication on VPN (desktop & mobile) with external OIDC - Two-way LDAP & AD sync Business €129.00 Flat Rate,Per Year It includes: - Real-time clients configuration updates - ACLs - Activity & Audit log streaming to SIEM - Secure remote enrollment via OIDC Enterprise Contact us It includes: - Admin-only device & client management options - Restrict “All traffic” mode, enforce predefined routes - REST API integration with external tools - Guaranteed response within 1 business day - Dedicated representative - Pre-arranged calls for issue resolution - Deployment / Roll-out assistance - Offline license on request - Roadmap Privileges Value for money 5.0 (3) 5.0 Based on 3 reviews ## Integrations [ Microsoft Azure](https://www.capterra.com/p/16365/Azure/)[ Okta](https://www.capterra.com/p/119653/Okta/)[ JumpCloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/175092/JumpCloud-DaaS/) ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 4.7 (3) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 4.7 (3) 4.7 Based on 3 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 5.0 Based on 3 reviews Filter by rating 5(3) 4(0) 3(0) 2(0) 1(0) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent Steven S. Team Lead Technical Infrastructure and Operations Logistics and Supply Chain ### "Modern, Fast and Easy-to-Manage VPN Solution" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 July 15, 2026 Our overall experience has been extremely positive. We initially evaluated Defguard as a replacement for our existing VPN infrastructure and were impressed by both the technical capabilities and the ease of use. The platform combines strong security with a modern user experience, something that is often missing in VPN products. The rollout across our organization was smooth, the setup process was straightforward, and user feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Many colleagues specifically highlighted the modern interface, strong performance, and simplicity of the solution. Defguard has become a highly appreciated part of our daily IT operations, and we would confidently recommend it to other organizations looking for a modern and reliable VPN platform. Pros Defguard impressed us with its modern and intuitive user interface, excellent performance, and straightforward deployment process. We successfully rolled it out to more than 230 users with very little effort. The onboarding experience is simple and user-friendly, allowing employees to get connected within minutes. Compared to our previous VPN solution, users immediately noticed the improved speed and responsiveness. From an IT administration perspective, management is efficient and the overall user acceptance has been exceptionally high. Cons During the initial rollout, we encountered a few edge cases that required additional troubleshooting, which is normal in larger enterprise environments. However, the issues were minor and did not impact the overall success of the deployment. At this point, there is very little we would criticize, and we are looking forward to seeing the platform continue to evolve with new features and integrations. Switched from [WatchGuard Firebox](https://www.capterra.com/p/154706/Unified-Threat-Management/) We went away from Watchguard integrated VM due to SSL being slow and IKEv2 not supporting Entra ID MFA Alternatives considered [NetBird](https://www.capterra.com/p/10031384/NetBird/) Reasons for choosing Defguard Price and Featureset. Netbird was too much, we just needed a really good Client-to-Site VPN Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. AK Alexander K. IT-Netzwerk Administrator Logistics and Supply Chain ### "Modern, Rust-built zero-trust VPN that's already ahead of the incumbents" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 May 25, 2026 As a privacy-focused German company we wanted a VPN on modern, auditable foundations, Defguard delivers exactly that. The server side is technically excellent: a WireGuard data plane, a clean Rust codebase, and standout firewall handling, per-user/group ACLs are configured right in the web UI and pushed straight to nftables on the gateway. SSO-driven self-enrollment is smooth and takes the manual config work off your plate. The desktop client is functionally flawless, and because the privileged tunneling runs in a background service that's installed once, everyday users connect without local admin rights, no registry tweaks, no adding people to Windows' "Network Configuration Operators" group like the official WireGuard client requires. Its only real weakness is cosmetic: the GUI is oversized and feels more like a browser than a lightweight connect-app, a minimal tray-style UI is still missing. A few server features are still maturing, but the team ships fast. Open source, EU-based, self-hostable and still keenly priced, it's already miles ahead of Ivanti/Sophos-class products, and unlike raw WireGuard, there are no hand-built configs to babysit. Pros \- Open source on modern foundations (WireGuard + Rust) - Per-user/group ACLs managed in the web UI, enforced via nftables on the gateway - One-click SSO/OIDC self-enrollment, clients are auto-provisioned - No end-user admin rights needed (privileged work lives in a background service), no registry hacks or AD workaround the official WireGuard client requires - EU-based, self-hostable, privacy-respecting; competitive pricing - Rapid release cadence, team very responsive to feedback - The overall foundation of the backend is technically absolutely amazing. Cons \- Desktop client UI is oversized with no compact/tray mode yet, purely cosmetic, functionality is perfect - A handful of server features are still maturing (actively being worked on) Switched from [pfSense Plus](https://www.capterra.com/p/230104/pfSense-Plus/) Switching from Opnsense and Ivanti. Ever since I first saw Defguard's foundation, I wanted to switch, it's simply an entirely different class of solution. Far ahead of anything else. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Dimitar D. Director of Infrastructure Information Technology and Services ### "Great value for money and great UX from an EU-based company" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 January 13, 2026 Defguard is a relatively young product that has already surpassed most other commercial VPN solutions. The team behind the product is highly motivated, competent and energetic and are making progress very fast, quickly turning this into a strong contender on the zero-trust scene. They're also very friendly and responsive to user feedback. We were using FortiGate products previously and were looking for something built on modern technologies and potentially open-source to avoid the pitfall of proprietary, closed-source zero-days that most commercial platforms suffer from. We successfully migrated our org (about 300-400 people, predominantly macOS, some Linux and Windows) from FortiGate to DefGuard. Speed, security and UX improved, costs were even lower. When we adopted it, the product had some rough UX edges, mostly around initial enrollment/onboarding. However, the team quickly responded to our feedback and has since released a few new versions that address all of this making DefGuard a very easy to adopt product that offers native OS integrations where possible. Pros \- Open-source product built on solid and modern foundation (WireGuard VPN, Rust) - SSO integration with our IdP (Google Workspace) - Multi-arch and OS support (macOS, Linux, Windows, even iOS and Android) - Fully-functional free tier (including paid features) for small teams (up to 5 people) allowing rapid and low-risk testing - Very price-competitive - EU-based company - Fast (faster than OpenVPN due to the underlying WireGuard tunnels) - Secure (by nature of being open-source and using memory-safe languages like Rust) - One-click user enrollment via our SSO - basically, the user clicks a link in a web page (where they're authenticated with their Google account) and the VPN connects - Native OS VPN integration - Team which is very responsive to user feedback - Fast evolution of the product - Can self-host on our own infrastructure Cons \- The aesthetics and UX of the client and admin UIs still leave something to be desired. This is a minor issue, though, one rarely interacts with these clients. Switched from [FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall](https://www.capterra.com/p/231835/FortiGate-Next-Generation-Firewalls/) FortiGate is closed-source. It felt outdated, clunky to operate, complicated to setup and configure, slow (we were using the HTTPS-VPN) and regularly had vulnerabilities disclosed, potentially with exploitable zero-days. The proprietary and closed nature of the product reduced our trust in it. We also evaluated Firezone but chose DefGuard as it offered better maintenance guarantees, showed more maturity of the product, and had alignment with our understanding of how such a product should be architected. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. 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