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Why does every VPN need to rewrite their own client? (programming.dev)
submitted 1 month ago by to c/programming@programming.dev
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I've been testing VPN services and somehow every one with a client has written their own. Proton, Windscribe, IVPN, Mullvad, AirVPN, NordVPN, and the list goes on.

Don't these services all do the same thing? Connect to a server to get a list of servers, then use WireGuard or OpenVPN to make a connection, and have some fancy stuff like split tunneling or a killswitch. It should just take configuration by adding profiles per service and it should be possible to use the same client.

What am I missing?

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[–] 85 points 1 month ago (2 children)

The client is packaged and sold with the VPN subscription to "add value". People like you and I understand that VPN clients are pretty simple places of software, but most VPN customers, well... you know

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  • [–] 5 points 1 month ago

    I have a custom work VPN that looks like it came from the 90s. Just a simple button, a few options like reconnect.

    My home VPN which I pay a subscription for, the UI looks like how the hacker movie UIs look like. There's a global map with all the servers. There's different modes. It's nuts.

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