OpenVPN Access Server (Hourly) / Self-Hosted VPN & ZTNA is available on Azure through the Microsoft Marketplace. You deploy it into your own Azure subscription, choose a fixed connection tier, and pay an hourly software rate through Microsoft Azure. It’s a good fit for short-term or variable needs, like development and test environments, projects and migrations, contractor access, disaster recovery standby, and CI/CD pipelines.
This article covers common billing questions and explains how Azure Hourly compares to our monthly or annual contract (PAYG) and bring your own license (BYOL) listings.
How am I billed?
Your Azure invoice includes two types of charges:
Access Server software: A flat hourly rate based on your selected connection tier.
Azure infrastructure: Standard Azure charges for compute, storage, and networking, based on the resources you deploy.
Microsoft bills you for both, so there’s no separate invoice or license from OpenVPN. View the hourly rate for each plan on the Plans + Pricing tab of the Microsoft Marketplace listing. Track charges in Cost Management + Billing in the Azure portal.
When do charges start and stop?
Software charges start when your Access Server virtual machine (VM) starts running and stop when the VM is deallocated.
To manage billing:
Stop software and compute charges: Stop the VM from the Azure portal and verify that is status is Stopped (deallocated). Shutting down the operating system doesn't necessarily deallocate the VM, so compute charges may continue.
Understand continuing charges: Azure may continue to charge for resources like managed disks and static public IP addresses while the VM is deallocated.
Stop all charges: Delete the VM and any associated Azure resources you no longer need. There’s no separate OpenVPN subscription to cancel.
How many connections do I get?
Azure Hourly offers 23 connection tiers, ranging from 5 to 750 concurrent connections.
Each tier applies to one VM. Access Server automatically applies the selected tier when it starts, so you don’t need to enter an activation key or manually configure the connection plan.
Can I change my plan later?
You can't change the connection tier of an existing Azure Hourly deployment.
To change your connection count, deploy a new Access Server instance with the connection limit you need. To keep your existing configuration, back up your current instance and restore the backup on the new instance.
For ongoing, long-term access, use a monthly or annual contract (PAYG) or BYOL. For migration steps, refer to Migrate from Access Server (Hourly) to a monthly or annual contract (PAYG) or BYOL.
Do I need an activation key?
No. Your license comes from the Microsoft Marketplace plan.
Is there a free trial?
No. Azure hourly doesn't include a free trial.
To evaluate Access Server for free, use BYOL, which supports two free concurrent connections. Azure infrastructure charges still apply.
Which Access Server listing is right for me?
Listing |
How you pay |
Who bills you |
Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
Azure Hourly |
A flat hourly software rate for a fixed connection plan, with no commitment |
Microsoft, on your Azure invoice |
Short-term or variable needs: development and test environments, projects and migrations, contractor access, disaster recovery standby, and CI/CD pipelines |
PAYG |
A set number of connections for a monthly or annual term |
Microsoft, on your Azure invoice |
Ongoing, everyday access for your team, purchased through Microsoft Marketplace |
BYOL |
An Access Server subscription bought from OpenVPN Inc., or 2 free connections when you sign up |
OpenVPN Inc. for the subscription, and Microsoft for Azure infrastructure |
Teams that buy their Access Server subscription directly from OpenVPN or want to evaluate Access Server for free |
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