LibreSwan

Spec sheet

Purpose

LibreSwan is free software that implements the standardized IPsec VPN protocol using Internet Key Exchange (IKE).Read 11 Oct 2026 · libreswan.org

Deployment

LibreSwan runs on Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD; the project says OpenBSD users need to build it from source.Read 11 Oct 2026 · libreswan.github.io

Free plan

YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · libreswan.org

License

The project says the bulk of LibreSwan is licensed under GNU General Public License version 2, with some smaller parts under different licenses.Read 11 Oct 2026 · libreswan.github.io

Founded

1997Read 28 Sep 2026 · libreswan.org

Access model

vpnRead 22 Sep 2026 · libreswan.org

Authentication and crypto

LibreSwan uses NSS for cryptographic storage and supports X.509 certificates, raw private keys, and preshared secrets.Read 11 Oct 2026 · libreswan.org

Cloud and interoperability

Project configuration guides cover AWS, Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud, OpenStack, and Cisco ASA or VPN3000 connections.Read 11 Oct 2026 · libreswan.org

Commercial support

The project lists commercial support from core developers and notes that users of commercial Linux vendors may already have support coverage.Read 11 Oct 2026 · github.com

Community support

Free volunteer support is available through mailing lists, the Libera.Chat #libreswan channel, and the GitHub bug database, and response times may vary.Read 11 Oct 2026 · github.com

Core features

The project documentation lists support for X.509 certificates and NAT traversal among its IPsec extensions.Read 11 Oct 2026 · libreswan.github.io

Distribution packages

The documentation lists prebuilt packages for Alpine, Arch, CentOS, Debian, Fedora, FreeBSD, Mint, Oracle Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and Ubuntu.Read 11 Oct 2026 · libreswan.github.io

Linux integration

On Linux, LibreSwan uses the built-in XFRM IPsec stack and integrates with the operating system's init system.Read 11 Oct 2026 · libreswan.org

Project history

The project says it has been under active development for over 20 years and traces its history to The FreeS/WAN Project, founded in 1997.Read 11 Oct 2026 · libreswan.org

Protocols

It supports IKE versions 1 and 2, with IKEv1 described in its manual as deprecated and migration to IKEv2 strongly recommended.Read 11 Oct 2026 · libreswan.org

Security reporting

Security issues can be reported to the project by email, including encrypted email using its OpenPGP key, and the team typically responds within a few days.Read 11 Oct 2026 · libreswan.org

Site-to-site networking

YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · libreswan.org

Supported platforms

Linux,FreeBSD,NetBSD,OpenBSDRead 22 Sep 2026 · libreswan.org

Plans and prices

Every LibreSwan plan and price →

Where Specifiction places it

• Virtual Private Network Software#26 of 548.0
• Business VPN Software#69 of 947.7