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We compare published pricing, features, practical trade-offs and suitability for real buyers. Our goal is to make the decision clearer, not to overwhelm you with options. How we research · Affiliate disclosure
In this guide
Business VPNs used to be simple: install a client, connect to a company server, done. That's changed. Most of the products in this space now blend traditional VPN access with zero-trust network access, meaning they check who a person is and what device they're using before granting access - not just whether they have a password. On top of that, most business plans add centralized team administration, so an owner or IT lead can see and control who's connected, along with single sign-on and multi-factor authentication, and increasingly, dedicated IP addresses or gateways so a company's outbound traffic looks consistent to the services it depends on. This guide compares six options built for small teams - roughly 5 to 50 people - on pricing, administration, and how much complexity each one actually adds to a small business's day-to-day.
Our Shortlist
NordLayerA business VPN with SSO and MFA across every plan, straightforward per-user pricing, and dedicated-IP and site-to-site options available on higher tiers.
- Centralized admin console
- SSO via Okta, Entra ID, Google, JumpCloud, OneLogin (all plans)
- MFA on all plans
- Dedicated-IP server required on Core/Premium (+$40/mo)
- Site-to-site connector (Premium+)
- Device posture checks (Premium; available on Core as a paid add-on)
- Cloud firewall / FWaaS (Premium; Core via sales)
- Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux
Cloudflare Zero TrustA zero-trust access and security platform that's genuinely free for up to 50 users, built on Cloudflare's global network, with paid tiers that add DLP, CASB and extended logging as a team grows.
- Zero-trust network access (ZTNA), no traditional VPN gateway
- Secure Web Gateway (DNS and HTTP filtering)
- Free for up to 50 users
- CASB with limited API integrations (free tier)
- DLP with predefined profiles (free tier)
- Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux
TwingateA zero-trust access platform with no exposed VPN gateway, a lightweight agent-based architecture, and pricing that scales cleanly from a free 5-user tier.
- Zero-trust network access, no exposed VPN server
- Free tier for up to 5 users
- SSO via Google Workspace (Teams+), Okta/Entra ID and others (Business+)
- User provisioning & management via IdP (Business+)
- Native device posture checks
- macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, ChromeOS
GoodAccessA straightforward two-tier business VPN with an optional static-IP add-on available on either tier, and Zero Trust Network Access available on Premium.
- Centralized admin console
- MFA on all paid plans
- SSO (Premium)
- SCIM (Premium)
- Device management
- Static IP / dedicated gateway available as a $49/mo add-on (either tier)
- Zero Trust Network Access for multi-site businesses (Premium)
- Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, ChromeOS
Proton VPN for BusinessA business VPN from the Swiss-based, security-focused Proton, with a low 2-user minimum and an admin console plus SSO from its Professional tier.
- Swiss-based provider with an open-source client
- Admin console (all plans)
- MFA (all plans)
- SSO (Professional and above)
- SCIM provisioning (Professional and above)
- Dedicated server/IP required on Professional (+$39.99/server/mo)
- Split tunneling and kill switch
- Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, browser extension
OpenVPN CloudConnexaA cloud VPN built on OpenVPN's long-standing protocol lineage, with a genuinely free 5-seat tier and strong built-in site-to-site networking.
- Free for up to 5 seats
- Unified admin console
- MFA (all tiers)
- SSO via LDAP and SAML (Essential+)
- SCIM (Premium+)
- Site-to-site networking, including overlapping IP ranges
- 30+ global data centers
- OpenVPN and IPsec protocol support
Quick Comparison
| Provider | Best for | Ease | Value | Overall Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordLayer | Best overall for small teams | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.9 |
| Cloudflare Zero Trust | Best value for growing teams | 3.6 | 4.7 | 4.2 |
| Twingate | Best for zero-trust remote access | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| GoodAccess | Best for simple, predictable small-team VPN pricing | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.9 |
| Proton VPN for Business | Best for privacy-focused teams | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4.0 |
| OpenVPN CloudConnexa | Best for site-to-site network access | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
A Closer Look at Each Provider
NordLayer is a balanced option in this guide for a team that wants business-grade access control without a steep learning curve. Every plan — even the entry Lite tier — includes single sign-on and multi-factor authentication, which is unusual; several competitors gate SSO to a higher tier. The catch is pricing transparency: NordLayer's own pricing page lists a 'Server with Dedicated IP +$40/month' line as required, not optional, on both Core and Premium — so the advertised per-user price understates what a team actually pays on either of those two tiers. The 5-user minimum adds further to the effective floor cost for a very small team.
Pros
- SSO and MFA included on every plan, not gated to the top tier
- Predictable per-user base pricing with a 14-day money-back guarantee
- Familiar brand backed by Nord's VPN infrastructure
Cons
- 5-user minimum makes it awkward for very small teams
- Core and Premium both require an additional $40/mo dedicated-IP server cost, not included in the listed per-user price
- Site-to-site access is only available on Premium and above
- Choose this if
- You want SSO and MFA on every plan without having to upgrade to get them, and can budget for the required $40/mo dedicated-IP cost if you pick Core or Premium.
- Consider another option if
- You're a team of 2-4 people (5-user minimum) or want to avoid a mandatory dedicated-IP line item on Core and Premium.
Published per-user pricing runs from $8/mo for Lite up to $14/mo for Premium, with a 5-user minimum. Core and Premium both require an additional dedicated-IP server at +$40/month — NordLayer's own pricing page lists this as 'required' for those two tiers, not an optional upsell; Lite does not include or require it. Enterprise pricing is custom, advertised from $6/user/mo but requiring a 200-user minimum and starting at Lite-level capabilities. Confirm the current tier prices and dedicated-IP terms directly on nordlayer.com, as promotional rates and billing terms can change.
Cloudflare Zero Trust is the clearest value in this guide by a wide margin — the free tier supports up to 50 users with real zero-trust access control, web filtering and basic data-loss prevention, not a crippled trial. The trade-off is complexity: this is a platform built primarily for IT and security teams, and the policy-based configuration model takes longer to learn than the more turnkey business VPNs in this guide. A small team without any in-house technical capacity may find the setup process slower than paying more for a simpler product.
Pros
- Free tier genuinely usable for a small team, not just a trial
- Backed by Cloudflare's large global network
- Pay-as-you-go paid tier has no user cap and simple per-user pricing
Cons
- More configuration and networking knowledge required than most competitors
- Documentation and policy builder are aimed at technical users, not small-business owners
- Advanced DLP/CASB and longer log retention require paid tiers
- Choose this if
- You have some in-house technical capability and want the most access-control value for the lowest cost, especially under 50 users.
- Consider another option if
- Your team has no IT background and you want something that works well out of the box with minimal configuration.
Free for up to 50 users on the standard Zero Trust plan. Beyond that, a pay-as-you-go tier is listed at $7/user/mo with no user cap; a custom Contract tier adds extended log retention and professional services. Confirm current published rates directly on cloudflare.com, as SASE/Zero Trust pricing pages are periodically restructured.
Twingate takes a genuinely different approach from the traditional VPN products in this guide: there's no VPN gateway exposed to the internet at all, and access to each internal resource is granted individually rather than to the whole network at once. For a small team with a handful of specific internal tools — an admin panel, a database, an internal wiki — that's a meaningfully smaller attack surface than a conventional VPN. The free tier covers up to 5 users with real zero-trust features, and the Teams tier at $5/user/month is one of the more affordable ways into a properly zero-trust setup, though full SSO and directory sync require moving up to Business.
Pros
- Free tier is a real 5-user zero-trust deployment, not a stripped demo
- No exposed VPN gateway reduces the attack surface by design
- Clear, low per-user pricing on the Teams tier
Cons
- Full SSO and SCIM support require the higher Business tier
- Smaller company than the VPN-heritage competitors in this guide
- Best suited to teams with at least some technical setup capacity
- Choose this if
- You want a modern zero-trust setup with no exposed VPN server and are comfortable with some initial technical configuration.
- Consider another option if
- You need full SSO and directory sync (SCIM) at the lowest price point — that requires the Business tier here.
Free for up to 5 users (Starter). Teams from $5/user/mo (up to 100 users); Business from $10/user/mo (up to 500 users), both billed monthly or annually with a 15% annual discount. Enterprise is custom-quoted. Confirm current rates on twingate.com, as per-seat pricing can change.
GoodAccess offers one of the more straightforward pricing structures in this guide - two clearly differentiated paid tiers plus a 14-day trial to test before committing. A static IP is available as an add-on on either Essential or Premium, which is more flexible than a provider that only offers one on a single specific tier, but it is a genuine extra cost: $49/month per dedicated gateway on top of the per-user price, not something bundled in for free. Single sign-on and SCIM provisioning remain reserved for the Premium tier.
Pros
- Simple two-tier pricing structure that's easy to compare
- 14-day full-featured trial before committing
- Static IP available as an add-on on either tier, not locked to the top plan only
Cons
- 5-user minimum on every paid plan
- Static IP is a further $49/mo add-on, not included in the base per-user price
- SSO and SCIM are Premium-only, not available on Essential
- Choose this if
- You want a simple two-tier structure and the flexibility to add a static IP to either plan as a genuine optional extra.
- Consider another option if
- You were expecting a static IP included in the base price - budget for the $49/mo gateway add-on, same as most competitors here.
Essential from $7/user/mo billed annually ($9/mo billed monthly); Premium from $11/user/mo billed annually ($14/mo billed monthly). Both require a 5-user minimum. A dedicated gateway/static IP is a further $49/mo add-on on top of the per-user price - it is not included in either tier's base cost. Enterprise (50+ users) is custom-quoted. There is no permanent free tier; GoodAccess offers a full-featured 14-day trial with no credit card required.
Proton VPN for Business is the clearest choice here for a team that weighs privacy and independent security reputation heavily — Proton is Swiss-based, publishes open-source clients, and has built its consumer reputation specifically on privacy commitments that carry over to the business product. The 2-user minimum on Essentials and Professional is also notably friendlier than the 5-user minimums common elsewhere in this guide. The trade-off: VPN Professional, the tier that unlocks SSO, SCIM and dedicated IPs, requires leasing at least one dedicated server as a mandatory add-on — Proton's own documentation puts this at roughly $39.99 per server per month on top of the per-user price, so it isn't optional once a team needs those Professional-tier capabilities.
Pros
- Low 2-user minimum on Essentials and Professional, friendlier to very small teams than 5-user minimums elsewhere
- Strong independent privacy and encryption reputation
- Open-source clients that can be independently audited
Cons
- SSO and SCIM are gated to the Professional tier, which also requires leasing at least one dedicated server at a mandatory extra ~$39.99/mo
- Smaller server network than some larger competitors
- Business-plan pricing is less prominently published than Proton's consumer VPN pricing
- Choose this if
- Privacy and independent security reputation are a priority, your team is small enough that a 2-user minimum matters, and you've budgeted for the mandatory dedicated-server cost if you need Professional-tier features.
- Consider another option if
- You need SSO or SCIM without taking on the mandatory dedicated-server cost that comes with the Professional tier.
VPN Essentials from about $6.99/user/mo (minimum 2 users). VPN Professional from about $9.99/user/mo (minimum 2 users) plus a mandatory dedicated-server requirement at roughly +$39.99/server/mo, per Proton's own support documentation. A separate VPN + Pass Professional bundle is listed around $10.99/user/mo with a minimum of 3 users (per proton.me/business/plans) — a different minimum from the 2-user floor on Essentials/Professional, so don't assume it matches. Monthly and annual billing are available; the per-user rates cited here are annual-billing rates. A 14-day free trial is available for eligible new business accounts, and after the trial converts to a paid subscription, Proton also provides a 30-day money-back guarantee. Proton's main pricing page renders dollar amounts dynamically by region/currency; these figures come from Proton's own support docs and business-plans page — confirm exact current USD pricing directly on proton.me before publishing.
OpenVPN CloudConnexa's biggest advantage for a very small team is that its free tier — up to 5 seats — is permanent, not a trial, which makes it one of the easiest ways to actually try a full product before paying anything. It also has some of the strongest built-in site-to-site networking in this guide, useful if a team needs to connect multiple offices or cloud networks rather than just individual remote workers. Some details that matter for a broader rollout, like exact split-tunneling behavior and a clear supported-OS list, weren't clearly documented on the public pricing page and are worth confirming directly before committing.
Pros
- Permanent free tier for up to 5 seats, not just a time-limited trial
- Strong site-to-site / multi-network support built in
- Built on OpenVPN's long-established open-source protocol lineage
Cons
- SSO requires the Essential tier; full SCIM requires Premium
- Supported operating systems aren't clearly documented on the pricing page
- Split-tunneling details aren't explicitly published
- Choose this if
- You want to fully try a product for free before paying, or need strong site-to-site network connectivity between offices or cloud environments.
- Consider another option if
- You need clearly documented split-tunneling or a definitive supported-OS list before choosing — confirm these directly with OpenVPN first.
Free for up to 5 seats (Starter). Essential from $7/seat/mo; Premium from $9.50/seat/mo; both scale seats as needed, with up to 20% savings on annual billing. Enterprise & IoT tiers are custom-quoted. Confirm current rates on openvpn.net/cloud-vpn/pricing, as per-seat pricing can change.
How we compare
We compared official pricing pages, product pages and documentation for each provider rather than relying on affiliate blog summaries. We focused on features that matter for a small team of roughly 5-50 people: centralized admin control, SSO/MFA support, dedicated IP or gateway options, and how each product handles the shift from traditional VPN toward zero-trust network access. We did not test these products hands-on, and a VPN or secure-access product is one part of a broader security posture, not a complete substitute for device hygiene, patching and staff training.
Business VPN vs. consumer VPN
A consumer VPN is built for one person to hide their browsing from their ISP or unblock streaming libraries. A business VPN is built to control access - deciding which employees can reach which internal systems, from which devices, and logging that access afterward. That difference shows up directly in the products themselves: consumer-first tools like Surfshark's team offering explicitly skip dedicated IPs and detailed activity tracking for its team plan, while business-first products like NordLayer, GoodAccess and Proton VPN for Business build centralized admin consoles, single sign-on and audit logging in from the start. If a product doesn't give an owner or IT lead visibility into who is connected and from where, it is a consumer VPN wearing a business label.
VPN vs. zero-trust network access
Traditional VPNs connect a device to the whole company network, then rely on internal firewalls to limit what that device can actually reach. Zero-trust network access (ZTNA) flips that: nothing is trusted by default, and each request to reach a specific application or resource is checked individually, based on who the user is, what device they're using, and whether that device meets basic security requirements. Twingate and Cloudflare Zero Trust are built ZTNA-first, with no traditional VPN gateway exposed to the internet at all. NordLayer, GoodAccess, Proton VPN for Business and OpenVPN CloudConnexa are VPN-first products that have added zero-trust-style controls - like network segmentation or per-resource access rules - on top of a more familiar VPN foundation. Neither approach is automatically 'more secure' for every team; ZTNA tends to be the better fit once a company has more than a handful of internal applications to protect individually, while a well-configured business VPN is often simpler for a small team with a handful of shared resources.
What a small business should actually look for
For a team of roughly 5 to 50 people, the features that matter most usually aren't server count or top speed - they're the administrative basics: can one person manage everyone else's access from a single dashboard, can that access be revoked instantly when someone leaves, and does the product support single sign-on so employees aren't juggling another password. Multi-factor authentication should be available, ideally required. After that, look at how the pricing actually scales - some products have a 5-user minimum that makes them awkward for a 3-person team, while others start as low as 2 users. Finally, check what happens when someone tries to reach a blocked resource or an unusual login occurs - some form of logging or alerting is what turns a VPN from 'a tunnel' into an actual access-control system.
Dedicated IP vs. shared IP
A dedicated IP address means outbound traffic from your team consistently comes from one static IP, which matters if you rely on services that allowlist known IP addresses - banking portals, internal admin panels, some SaaS security settings, or partner systems that restrict access by IP. A shared IP is fine for most everyday browsing and remote access, but can trigger repeated security challenges or CAPTCHA prompts on services that see it changing or being shared with other customers. None of the providers compared here bundle a dedicated IP into their base per-user price for free: NordLayer requires an additional $40/month server on its Core and Premium tiers, GoodAccess offers one as a $49/month add-on gateway available on either tier, and Proton VPN for Business requires leasing a dedicated server at roughly $39.99/month once a team is on its Professional tier. If nothing in your workflow currently checks or allowlists an IP address, this is a cost you can safely skip.
A VPN alone doesn't make your business secure
None of the products in this guide are a complete security solution on their own, and no vendor claims otherwise. A business VPN or zero-trust access product controls how people connect to company resources - it does nothing for a weak password reused across services, an unpatched laptop, or a staff member who clicks a convincing phishing link. CISA's guidance on securing remote access consistently pairs VPN or zero-trust deployment with baseline device hygiene: keeping software patched, requiring multi-factor authentication everywhere it's available, and applying least-privilege access so people only reach what their role actually requires. Treat the product you choose from this guide as one layer of a small number of layers, not the whole plan.
How we evaluated these providers
We started from a broader list of roughly a dozen VPN and secure-access products and narrowed it to six that make sense specifically for a small team: NordLayer, Cloudflare Zero Trust, Twingate, GoodAccess, Proton VPN for Business and OpenVPN CloudConnexa. We left out products that are either consumer VPNs with a thin business veneer - lacking single sign-on, meaningful activity logging, or genuine admin controls - or enterprise-first platforms priced and positioned well above what a 5-to-50-person team typically needs. For each finalist, we compared official pricing pages, product documentation and security pages rather than third-party review aggregators, and rated Ease of Use, Value for Money and an Overall score based on the documented product, its administration, and its limitations - not customer review averages.
