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Not everyone has the resources or inclination to learn how to setup and maintain their own vpn servers. If they are only a single user on that machine, the anonymity of the service is also compromised.

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That being said: Everyone who has the inclination should absolutely give it a try!

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I think you're confused. OpenVPN is both the server and the client. I'm arguing that you can simply download an OpenVPN client, get the .ovpn config from your VPN provider, and you're good to go.

To clarify: VPN Providers are running their own OpenVPN servers, and this is likely what their apps are connecting to in the first place. This is why most of them offer .ovpn configs for you to use in your OpenVPN client.

Ahh OK... well yes, that makes way more sense. I think it's a matter of convenience, its far simpler to download an app and let it "do its stuff" than to find a suitable client and feed it the correct config.

What you describe is also a good setup. Good if you don't trust your VPN provider to deliver a secure app -- a level of trust that cannot always be assumed.

Yeah, that's definitely fair. Figuring out how to import a config file can be enough friction. And you certainly wouldn't be able to easily switch which server the app is connecting to, which a VPN provider's app will have a slick UI for.

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