OpenVPN Access Server vs. NetBird: Key Differences

The short answer: Access Server is a self-hosted VPN concentrator: all client traffic terminates on a server you run, which enforces access rules and routes traffic. NetBird is a self-hosted-or-cloud WireGuard mesh: peers build direct encrypted tunnels to each other, and the server only coordinates. Choose Access Server for SAML/LDAP/RADIUS-based identity, TCP tunnel mode, offline or airgapped deployment, and flat per-connection pricing with no feature gating.