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VPN Manager for Linux

Enterprise-grade security. Community-first freedom.

Simple VPN client with GUI — OpenVPN| in one beautiful app.

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VPN Manager OpenVPN connection view VPN Manager WireGuard connection view VPN Manager Statistics Dashboard VPN Manager Tailscale integration

Traffic Statistics

Real-time bandwidth graphs, session history, and weekly traffic charts. Unique to VPN Manager.

Kill Switch

Boot-persistent protection with crash recovery. LAN access toggle and captive portal pause mode.

Native GNOME UI

GTK4 + libadwaita for a beautiful, responsive experience. Follows GNOME HIG guidelines.

Multi-Protocol

OpenVPN, WireGuard, and Tailscale in one beautiful app.

Features

Everything you need for secure connections

Enterprise features without the enterprise complexity. Built for Linux users who value both security and simplicity.

Security

Kill Switch

Configure from UI with 3 modes (Off, Auto, Always). LAN access control and captive portal pause mode. No config file editing needed.

DNS Leak Protection

Choose DNS provider from UI (Cloudflare, Google, Custom). Blocks DoH/DoT on non-VPN interfaces.

IPv6 Leak Protection

4 protection modes (Allow, Block, Disable, Auto) with optional WebRTC blocking. Configure from Preferences → Security.

Evil Twin Detection

Warns if a known network appears with a different access point. Protects against spoofing attacks.

User Experience

Network Trust Rules

Auto-manage VPN based on network trust. Connect on untrusted WiFi, disconnect at home.

Auto-Reconnect

Automatic connection restoration when network drops. Never lose your VPN protection.

System Tray

Quick access without opening the app. Right-click for instant trust/untrust actions.

Split Tunneling

Choose what traffic goes through VPN. Run specific apps outside the tunnel.

LAN Gateway

Share your Tailscale exit node with other devices on your local network. One-click setup.

Taildrop File Transfer

Send files to any Tailscale device with one click. Auto-receive to Downloads with desktop notifications.

Tailscale Power Features

Advertise Exit Node

Share your machine as VPN exit for other Tailscale devices. Configure in Preferences → VPN Providers.

Shields Up & SSH

Block incoming connections or enable Tailscale SSH. Advanced options accessible without CLI.

Security Preferences

Configure Kill Switch, DNS protection, and IPv6 settings from the UI. No config file editing needed.

Comparison

Why VPN Manager?

See how VPN Manager compares to other solutions.

Feature
VPN Manager
NetworkManager
CLI Only
Graphical Interface ~
Traffic Statistics
Kill Switch ~
Network Trust Rules
Tailscale Integration
Multi-Protocol ~
GNOME Native UI ~
Full support
~ Partial / Limited
Not available
Quick Start

Up and running in 3 steps

From download to connected in under 2 minutes.

1

Install

Download the .deb/.rpm package or use our APT repository for automatic updates.

sudo apt install vpn-manager
2

Import Profile

Drag & drop your .ovpn file or paste a WireGuard config. Credentials stored in system keyring.

Secure credential storage
3

Connect & Go

One click to connect. Kill switch, DNS protection, and traffic stats enabled by default.

You're protected!
Installation

Get started in minutes

Choose your distribution and follow the simple installation steps.

APT Repository — Auto Updates via apt upgrade 
# Add VPN Manager APT repository (one-time setup)
curl -fsSL https://yllada.github.io/vpn-manager/apt/gpg.key | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/vpn-manager.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/vpn-manager.gpg] https://yllada.github.io/vpn-manager/apt stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vpn-manager.list

# Install VPN Manager
sudo apt update && sudo apt install vpn-manager

# Future updates: just run apt upgrade!
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Automatic updates with apt upgrade — Ubuntu 24.04+, Debian 12+

Ubuntu / Debian — .deb Package 
# Loading install command...

Supported: Ubuntu 24.04+, Debian 12+

Fedora / RHEL — .rpm Package 
# Loading install command...

Supported: Fedora 40+, RHEL 9+

Arch Linux — Tarball Install 
# Loading install command...

Requires: sudo pacman -S gtk4 libadwaita

Build from Source (Any distro) 
# Requirements: Go 1.21+, GTK4 4.14+, libadwaita 1.5+

# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/yllada/vpn-manager.git
cd vpn-manager
go build -o vpn-manager .

# Install daemon (REQUIRED)
cd build && sudo ./install-daemon.sh && cd ..

# Install system-wide (optional)
sudo cp vpn-manager /usr/local/bin/
sudo cp assets/vpn-manager.desktop /usr/share/applications/

# Run
./vpn-manager

⚠️ Important: The daemon is required for VPN Manager to function.

Requirements

  • GTK4 4.14+ and libadwaita 1.5+
  • Go 1.21+ (for building from source)
  • OpenVPN, WireGuard, or Tailscale installed
  • Linux: Ubuntu 24.04+, Fedora 40+, or Arch
  • vpn-managerd daemon (included in packages, required for operation)
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know before getting started.

What VPN protocols are supported?

VPN Manager supports three protocols:

  • OpenVPN — Import any .ovpn configuration file via drag & drop
  • WireGuard — Modern, fast protocol with native support
  • Tailscale — Zero-config mesh VPN with MagicDNS, exit nodes (with Mullvad filter), Taildrop file transfer, advanced options (Advertise Exit Node, Shields Up, SSH), and LAN Gateway to share your connection with local devices

Does it work with my VPN provider?

Yes! VPN Manager works with any provider that offers OpenVPN (.ovpn) or WireGuard configuration files. This includes:

ProtonVPN Mullvad NordVPN ExpressVPN Surfshark Private Internet Access IVPN + any other

Just download your provider's config file and import it into VPN Manager.

Which Linux distributions are supported?

VPN Manager requires GTK4 4.14+ and libadwaita 1.5+. Officially supported:

  • Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or newer
  • Fedora 40 or newer
  • Arch Linux (rolling release)
  • Debian 12 (Bookworm) or newer

Any distro with the required GTK4/libadwaita versions should work when building from source.

Does it need root or sudo access?

VPN Manager runs as a normal user application. Privileged operations (like configuring network interfaces or the kill switch) are handled by a separate daemon (vpn-managerd) that runs as a systemd service.

This means:

  • No need to run the app with sudo
  • No password prompts during normal use
  • Secure privilege separation (daemon-client architecture)
  • Follows Linux security best practices

The daemon is installed automatically with the .deb/.rpm packages and handles all VPN connections, kill switch, DNS protection, and more.

Does the Kill Switch work if the app crashes?

Yes! The kill switch is enterprise-grade with multiple safety layers:

  • State persistence — Kill switch state is saved to disk
  • Crash recovery — Firewall rules persist even if the app crashes
  • Boot-persistent — Optional systemd service keeps you protected across reboots
  • Easy recovery — Right-click the tray icon → "Disable Kill Switch"

Are my credentials stored securely?

Absolutely. VPN Manager uses your system's native keyring (GNOME Keyring, KWallet, or macOS Keychain) to store credentials securely.

  • Integrated with system keyring (encrypted at rest)
  • Fallback uses AES-256 encryption with Argon2id key derivation
  • Credentials never stored in plain text

Does it work on other desktops besides GNOME?

Yes! While VPN Manager is designed for GNOME, it works on any Linux desktop with GTK4 support (KDE Plasma, XFCE, Cinnamon, etc.). The interface will adapt to your system theme.

Is it really free? Any telemetry?

100% free and open source under the MIT license. And no, there's absolutely zero telemetry.

  • No analytics or tracking code
  • No data collection of any kind
  • No premium tier or paid features
  • Full source code available for audit

VPN Manager is built by and for the Linux community. Privacy is a feature, not a selling point.

Live Stats

Growing with the community

Real-time metrics from our open source project. Join thousands of Linux users who trust VPN Manager.

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MIT
Open Source

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Community

Open source, community driven

VPN Manager is free, open source, and built with love for the Linux community. Join us!

Contributors

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to VPN Manager

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