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strongSwan vs SoftEther VPN: catalog facts
strongSwanSoftEther VPN
Free

Free under GPLv2, with commercial licensing available as an option.

Free

Free and open source under the Apache license.

Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Self-hosted, Command line Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted
  • Thorough IKEv2 implementation with many IETF extensions
  • Runs on Linux, Android, FreeBSD, macOS and Windows
  • Multi-protocol server covering many VPN setups
  • SSL-VPN that passes through restrictive firewalls
  • Configuration requires solid IPsec knowledge
  • Mainly configured through files and the command line
  • Configuration has many options and a learning curve
  • Documentation site looks dated
Downloadable app, Self-hosted Downloadable app, Self-hosted
Open source Open source
License: GPL-2.0 License: Apache-2.0
No account needed No account needed
Not stated if it works offline Not stated if it works offline

Checked September 23, 2026

Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.