OpenConnect Server vs strongSwan
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
OpenConnect Server
SSL VPN server compatible with AnyConnect clients
VS
strongSwan
Modern IPsec-based VPN implementation
| Feature | OpenConnect Server | strongSwan |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C | C |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 600 | ★ 2,934 |
| First released | 2013 | 2005 |
| Replaces | Cisco AnyConnect | Cisco AnyConnect |
Why pick each one
Choose OpenConnect Server if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose strongSwan if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Active community (2.9k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenConnect Server or strongSwan better?
Neither is universally better. strongSwan has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are OpenConnect Server and strongSwan free and open-source?
Yes. OpenConnect Server is licensed under GPL-2.0 and strongSwan under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenConnect Server and strongSwan with Docker?
OpenConnect Server: yes. strongSwan: check the project docs for container support.