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Awacino vs VPN gateway: an exposed gateway vs nothing exposed

In short

A company VPN gateway (OpenVPN or IPsec on a firewall or appliance) lets staff into the office network through one server that faces the internet. Awacino connects devices directly and end-to-end encrypted without any gateway or open port. Choose a VPN gateway if you need its central policies and already run the firewall; choose Awacino to remove the exposed gateway, its patching and its user accounts, and to give contractors one revocable code.

Last checked: Nov 8, 2026

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Side by side

	VPN gateway	Awacino
How it connects	Through the gateway that faces the internet	Direct device to device, end-to-end encrypted; Awacino's servers only introduce the devices
What you install	A VPN client on every laptop; the gateway in the office	Awacino on your device and on one device in the network you want to reach
Router changes	An open port on the firewall for the gateway	None: no port forwarding, no public IP address, no DynDNS
Behind CGNAT / DS-Lite	The office line needs a public IP address	Works
Devices without an app (NAS, printer, PLC)	Yes, through routes set by the admin	Reachable at their usual address through your SituIP
Your own tools (RDP, VNC, SSH)	Yes	Yes, any tool, unchanged
Guest access	Create VPN accounts for contractors	A Beam-in code, switched off with one tap
Licence model	Appliance plus licences, often per user or concurrent connection	Slots: devices and active Beam-in codes, never people; free for 2 devices for private use
Open source	Varies (OpenVPN Community is open source)	No
Platforms	Clients for most systems	iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows, Linux; Raspberry Pi, NAS and servers with the Unattended Client

Typical setups; details vary by plan and version.

When VPN gateway is the better choice

You need central policies, logging and integration with an existing firewall.
Your team already runs and patches the gateway reliably.
You must connect whole sites with fixed tunnels.

When Awacino is the better choice

You want no port on the office firewall facing the internet.
You want to stop emergency patching of a VPN appliance.
Contractors should get access with one code, switched off when the job ends.

Questions people ask

Can Awacino replace our VPN gateway?

For remote access of staff and contractors, often yes: devices connect directly, nothing in the office faces the internet. Check what else the gateway does (site-to-site tunnels, policies) before you switch it off.

Is a VPN gateway a security risk?

Any server that faces the internet can be found and attacked; VPN appliances have had critical vulnerabilities that needed urgent patches. Awacino opens no inbound port.

Does Awacino work behind CGNAT?

Yes. Both devices connect outwards and then talk to each other directly, so you need no public IP address and no port forwarding - also behind CGNAT, DS-Lite and on mobile networks.

Can I use RDP, VNC or SSH with Awacino?

Yes. Your device gets a SituIP, a real address in the remote network, so the Remote Desktop, VNC and SSH tools built into Windows, macOS and Linux work unchanged.

Is Awacino free?

Private use is free for 2 devices. Commercial use is licensed by slots - devices and active Beam-in codes, never people - from a few devices to large fleets and MSPs with many customer networks.

Is Awacino open source?

No. Awacino is closed-source software by ImageNotion UG, Germany. Connections are direct and end-to-end encrypted; Awacino's servers never carry your data.