Pritunl is excellent open-source VPN software you install and operate. TunnelFleet is the control plane: we deploy WireGuard and OpenVPN on VPS boxes you still own, with unlimited users and flat per-server pricing.
TL;DR. Keep Pritunl if you want a fully self-hosted stack, you will run MongoDB and upgrades yourself, and a single server (or a paid Pritunl enterprise license) is enough. Choose TunnelFleet if you want a hosted dashboard, DigitalOcean one-click or a one-line VPS install, three protocols on one box, and you refuse to pay per VPN seat.
| Feature | Pritunl | TunnelFleet Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| What you operate | App, database, upgrades, backups | Your VPS only — we host the dashboard |
| Infrastructure ownership | Yes | Yes — you keep root |
| WireGuard | Yes | Yes |
| OpenVPN | Yes | TCP 443 and UDP |
| All three on one server | You configure it | Supported together |
| Pricing model | Free (single server) + paid enterprise | Flat per-server tier, unlimited users |
| Multi-server fleet UI | You run Pritunl at that scale | Built for a fleet of VPS boxes |
| DigitalOcean one-click droplet | Your playbooks | Yes |
| Public customer API | Pritunl API | Not yet — dashboard first |
| Best if you… | Will operate the VPN software | Want the software operated for you |
You still run the control plane
Pritunl on a box is yours to patch, back up, and restore. That is a feature if you want zero SaaS. It is the job if you wanted someone else to own that layer.
Fleet toil returns
A second region, a third client, a failed upgrade — you are back in SSH and docs. Community threads often praise Pritunl for small teams that rejected Tailscale, then stall on operations.
Enterprise is a different product
The free single-server path is real. Paid Pritunl enterprise exists when you outgrow it — budget and procurement change.
TunnelFleet does not replace your VPS with our network. You bring DigitalOcean or any Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 VPS. We install an agent, deploy protocols, and give your org a dashboard with roles.
You keep SSH. Cancellation does not take the box. See Security for what the agent can and cannot do.
No. Pritunl is self-hosted VPN software. TunnelFleet is a hosted dashboard plus an agent on your Ubuntu VPS.
Yes. The VPS stays in your account. You can SSH in any time. The agent is extra automation.
The open-source single-server path does not bill per VPN user. Pritunl enterprise is a paid product with its own terms. TunnelFleet always bills a flat server-tier fee with unlimited VPN users.
Only if you actually need a mesh. Pritunl and TunnelFleet are traditional VPN servers (exit IPs, OpenVPN clients). Tailscale is a different job.
7-day free trial. Unlimited VPN users. Flat per-server pricing.