The Best Shimo Alternatives for Secure VPN Connections
Shimo has long been a go-to VPN client for Mac users, offering extensive protocol support including CiscoVPN, OpenVPN, IPSec, PPTP/L2TP, and even Cisco's AnyConnect. It also excels in handling secure shell (SSH) connections with port forwarding. While Shimo is a powerful and flexible tool, users often seek a Shimo alternative for various reasons, whether it's platform compatibility, open-source options, specific feature sets, or cost considerations. This article explores some of the top contenders that can rival Shimo's capabilities and provide robust VPN and secure connection solutions.
Top Shimo Alternatives
Finding the perfect VPN client depends on your specific needs, be it a free and open-source solution, cross-platform compatibility, or a focus on certain security features. Here's a curated list of excellent alternatives to Shimo.
SoftEther VPN
SoftEther VPN stands out as a powerful and user-friendly multi-protocol VPN software, making it a strong Shimo alternative. It's an open-source solution available for Free, Mac, Windows, Linux, and BSD. Key features include AES256 encryption, extensive configurability, L2TP support, multiple language options, compatibility with multiple VPN protocols including OpenVPN, virtual LAN capabilities, and general VPN functionality.
Tunnelblick
For Mac and macOS users, Tunnelblick is an excellent free and open-source graphic user interface for OpenVPN. It simplifies the control of OpenVPN client and server connections, offering an intuitive GUI and strong OpenVPN compatibility, making it a viable Shimo alternative if your primary need is OpenVPN on Mac.
OpenConnect
OpenConnect serves as an open-source VPN client compatible with Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client, providing a direct alternative to Shimo's AnyConnect support. It's available for Free, Linux, Android, and BSD, with a strong focus on security and networking, including SSL and general VPN capabilities.
Viscosity
Viscosity is a commercial VPN client for Mac OS X and Windows, offering a clear and intuitive interface for establishing VPN connections. Its focus on OpenVPN makes it a powerful and user-friendly Shimo alternative, especially for those seeking a robust, paid solution on both desktop platforms.
Cisco AnyConnect
As the official VPN software from Cisco, AnyConnect allows employees to work from anywhere with internet access. While Shimo supports AnyConnect, using the native Cisco AnyConnect client directly is a commercial solution available across a wide range of platforms including Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Phone, iPad, and Kindle Fire, making it a comprehensive Shimo alternative for enterprises.
fruho
fruho is a unique open-source, zero-configuration VPN manager available for Free, Linux. Its key feature is automatic setup and easy switching between VPN providers, offering a streamlined Shimo alternative for users prioritizing simplicity and ease of use on Linux systems.
Sidestep
Sidestep is a free and open-source Mac application that quietly protects your security and privacy while browsing the web. It supports OpenVPN and SSH tunneling, making it a suitable Shimo alternative if you're looking for a simple, background-running solution for your Mac.
tunXten
tunXten is a commercial, lightweight yet powerful OpenVPN GUI client for Windows. It significantly improves OpenVPN usability by providing an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, making it a strong Shimo alternative for Windows users focused on OpenVPN connections.
VPNC Front End
VPNC Front End is a free and open-source GUI for VPNC, a command-line VPN client specifically designed for Cisco VPN hardware. It's known to work on various Windows versions (2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, 7, 8, 10), providing a dedicated networking and tunnel solution as a Shimo alternative for Cisco VPN environments on Windows.
Whether you prioritize open-source flexibility, specific protocol support, or cross-platform availability, this list of Shimo alternatives offers a diverse range of options. Explore each one to find the best fit for your secure connection needs.