best vpn for remote teams and small businesses

Remote teams need secure access to internal resources, but traditional VPNs built on OpenVPN or IPsec are clunky, slow, and tend to give users broad network access by default. Modern alternatives—zero-trust access platforms, mesh overlays, and self-hosted control planes—offer faster setup, better security, and lower maintenance for small businesses.3

The core shift is this: traditional VPNs extend your entire network to the user, while zero-trust tools extend access only to specific resources the user is authorized to reach.3 That distinction matters a lot when your team is distributed and you don't want a compromised laptop to have a path to every server in your infrastructure.

Here's how the five best options stack up for small and remote teams.

1. Twingate — managed zero-trust access

Twingate is our top pick for most small remote teams. It's a zero-trust access platform that uses SSO and 2FA for authentication, with split-tunneling to separate personal and business traffic.2 Resources are invisible with no internet-facing gateway, and access is granted on a per-resource basis—meaning you can let a contractor reach one database without exposing the rest of your network.2

PCMag notes that zero-trust services like Twingate could be a better whole-office security solution than a traditional VPN.1 It deploys in minutes with SSO/MFA, which is a dramatic simplification compared to the routing, firewall, and certificate management that OpenVPN requires.3

Pricing: Free for up to 5 users; Teams plan is $5/user/month.2

Best for: Teams that want managed zero-trust security without doing their own network plumbing.

2. ZeroTier — peer-to-peer mesh overlay

ZeroTier takes a different approach: it creates a flat virtual network that spans the globe using peer-to-peer mesh technology. Devices connect as if they're on the same LAN, regardless of physical location.6 This makes it particularly advantageous for businesses with teams in multiple locations or IoT deployments.6

A self-hostable controller option appeals to technical SMBs that want more control over their network infrastructure without relying entirely on a managed service.

Best for: Distributed technical teams that want a lightweight mesh and a flat network model.

3. WireGuard — the modern protocol foundation

WireGuard is the fastest and simplest modern VPN protocol, with a smaller attack surface than OpenVPN.7 It's not a product with a management dashboard—it's a protocol you build on. That makes it ideal as a DIY foundation or as the data plane underneath mesh solutions like Headscale or Tailscale.3

Palo Alto Networks notes that WireGuard could be the preferred choice for performance and modernity, while OpenVPN might be favored for maturity and granular control.7

Best for: Teams that want to build their own VPN infrastructure or use it as the transport layer under a mesh control plane.

4. OpenVPN — the mature, flexible default

OpenVPN remains the default for businesses that need granular control, legacy compatibility, and compliance-driven setups. It's widely documented and lets you move at your own pace—from basic remote access to IP-based access controls to zero-trust-style policies—while keeping costs predictable.4

The trade-off is that OpenVPN requires more network plumbing: routing, firewall rules, and certificate management are all on you.3 It's heavier to maintain than the newer options on this list, but its maturity and flexibility are hard to match if you have specific compliance requirements.

Best for: Organizations with legacy systems, compliance mandates, or a need for fine-grained, traditional VPN control.

5. Headscale — self-hosted mesh without vendor lock-in

Headscale is an open-source, self-hosted alternative to Tailscale's control server.5 It gives teams WireGuard-based mesh networking without depending on a vendor's SaaS control plane or paying recurring per-user fees. The goal is to provide self-hosters and small businesses an open-source option for WireGuard mesh networking.5

If you like the Tailscale model but want to own your infrastructure, Headscale is the path. You get the WireGuard mesh with ACLs and a control server you run yourself.

Best for: Teams that want WireGuard mesh networking with no vendor lock-in and no recurring SaaS costs.

how to choose

For most small and remote teams, Twingate offers the best balance of security, ease of setup, and price. The free tier for up to 5 users makes it easy to try, and the per-resource access model is more secure than a traditional full-tunnel VPN.2

ZeroTier suits technical teams that want a flat mesh and peer-to-peer connectivity across locations.6

WireGuard + Headscale is the open-source path for teams that want to own their infrastructure end to end.5

OpenVPN remains viable for legacy or compliance-driven environments where maturity and granular control matter most.4

Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This doesn't influence our recommendations—we pick what we think fits each use case best.