Best VPN for open-source VPN clients
An open-source VPN client lets you inspect the software on your device, but you still need evidence about the service behind it. This page compares commercial VPNs with open-source apps, weighing security engineering most heavily, followed by logging evidence, ownership and transparency, technical features, and the cost beyond introductory offers.
Proton VPN
Open-source apps have a public security assessment, while Securitum's public no-logs assurance reports cover production VPN infrastructure.
Windscribe
Public desktop and mobile code audits complement Packetlabs' FreshScribe infrastructure assessment, which examined potential subversion of the logging policy.
Private Internet Access
Open-source apps and Deloitte no-logs assurance engagements support scrutiny; owner Kape also owns VPN review sites.
Mullvad VPN
Public app source-code audits, RAM-only servers and account-number login suit readers who want inspectable clients and minimal sign-up details.
IVPN
Open-source apps and daemon have public security audits, while founder ownership and account-number login add transparency and sign-up privacy.
Obscura VPN
Open-source clients accompany a public audit of protocol design and macOS software; that scope does not establish service-wide logging practices.
Mozilla VPN
Public desktop and mobile client audits support its open-source apps; sign-up requires email, and ownership sits with Mozilla Corporation.
AirVPN
Open-source apps, Linux GUI and CLI support, and configuration export suit hands-on users, though we found no published audit.
Providers change prices often, and we regularly verify prices against their own pricing pages, though small differences from current prices are possible. Prices checked 11 Oct 2026.
How we ranked them
Open-source clients are required for inclusion among these commercial VPNs. Security engineering carries the greatest weight, followed by logging evidence, ownership and transparency, technical features, and true price. We distinguish client code reviews from infrastructure assessments and no-logs assurance engagements, considering their scope and whether you can read the reports. Published source code makes inspection possible but does not establish how production servers operate. Technical features matter for practical use, including Linux support, configuration export and connection controls. Price comparisons account for renewal charges and commitment length alongside introductory offers.
FAQ
Does an open-source VPN app make a VPN private?
Published source code lets you inspect how the client works, but it does not establish how the provider operates its servers. Look for relevant security assessments and logging assurance reports alongside the code, paying attention to what each review actually covered.
Can I use my own WireGuard client with a commercial VPN?
Proton VPN, Windscribe, Private Internet Access, Mullvad, IVPN, Obscura and AirVPN support WireGuard configuration export. Before switching clients, check how your chosen app handles the kill switch, DNS and routing, since exporting a configuration does not carry over every feature of the provider's app.
Will a commercial VPN let me connect to my own servers?
A commercial VPN subscription alone does not create a private network between your devices and servers. If reaching your own machines is the main task, compare self-hosted VPN options and check how access will be authenticated.
What should I look for in an open-source VPN audit?
Look for the software or infrastructure examined, the testing scope, reported findings and any follow-up verification. A client audit addresses different questions from a no-logs assurance engagement, and an audit of a sibling product does not assess the VPN.
Ranked with this job's weights over the commercial vpn formula. How we score VPNs.