OpenVPN Connect is the “official” app from the OpenVPN Inc. and is intended to be more user-friendly VPN users with little technical experience. It’s not as feature-rich openvpn for Android, which is geared towards more advanced OpenVPN users.
Openvpn for Android is a no-cost open-source client created by Arne Schwarzbe, enables you to connect with any VPN service that supports OpenVPN protocol. It’s a great option in the event that your device isn’t compatible with pre-configured “off the shelf” VPN apps that are available in the Google Play Store. The setup is pretty straightforward. It is as simple as importing your VPN profile files (the configuration files have an extension of.ovpn) which you can find on your provider’s website or by calling their live chat support team.
After you’ve transferred your profile to the app, tap on the server to connect. Once connected, all Internet traffic is sent through a secure tunnel and directed to the server selected by the application. You can check your connection’s status and details in the Status tab. The kill switch is activated by default. It will shut down your internet connection if the VPN tunnel is lost.
The app offers a per-app VPN as also an option that is always on that automatically creates the VPN connection whenever the app is launched and continues running even after your device has shut down or switched networks. However, this requires Android 7.0 or higher and could cause more battery drain than normal.