Your Azure bill arrives. VPN Gateway charges have jumped again. You’ve added three branch offices, onboarded remote workers, and connected a few IoT devices. Each new tunnel and connection adds hidden fees. You started with what seemed like straightforward pricing, but now you’re paying for complexity you never asked for.
This pattern plays out across European mid-market organizations. Azure VPN Gateway works well for basic scenarios, but as networks grow, costs spiral and security gaps emerge. The service was designed for cloud connectivity, not for the Zero Trust access control that modern hybrid environments demand.
There’s a simpler path. Instead of patching Azure VPN Gateway with workarounds or accepting escalating costs, you can replace it entirely with a unified SASE platform that delivers secure connectivity, granular access control, and predictable pricing from day one.
Summary of this article
- The problem: Azure VPN Gateway pricing starts low but escalates quickly with per-tunnel and per-connection fees. As you scale, costs become unpredictable.
- Common workarounds: Many teams deploy virtual appliances like OPNsense or pfSense to reduce costs, but this adds operational complexity and maintenance burden.
- The alternative: Jimber SASE replaces Azure VPN Gateway with a unified platform that includes Zero Trust access, microsegmentation, web filtering, and SD-WAN.
- Key benefits: Predictable monthly pricing, no hidden fees, 1 Gbps bandwidth included, and security capabilities that Azure VPN Gateway doesn’t offer.
What Azure VPN Gateway does well
Azure VPN Gateway is Microsoft’s managed VPN service. It provides secure connectivity between on-premises networks, branch offices, remote users, and Azure workloads. For organizations already invested in Azure, it integrates natively with the ecosystem.
Typical use cases include:
- Connecting on-premises data centers to Azure with site-to-site VPN
- Providing remote workers with point-to-site VPN access
- Establishing connections between different Azure regions
For basic scenarios with a single site and limited users, this works. The challenge emerges when you scale beyond those initial use cases.
Where costs escalate
Azure VPN Gateway pricing appears straightforward until you read the fine print. The base tiers come with hard limits on tunnels and connections. Exceed those limits, and hourly overage charges accumulate.
| Gateway Type | Monthly Cost | Bandwidth | S2S Tunnels | P2S Users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | ~$26 | 100 Mbps | 10 | 128 |
| VpnGw1 | ~$139 | 650 Mbps | 30 | 250 |
| VpnGw2 | ~$358 | 1 Gbps | 30 | 500 |
The hidden costs become clear when you grow:
- Exceed 10 S2S tunnels: +$0.015/hour per additional tunnel
- Exceed 128 P2S connections: +$0.01/hour per additional connection
- Data transfer fees: Outbound data charges apply separately
For a mid-market organization with multiple sites and a growing remote workforce, these incremental charges accumulate into significant monthly expenses.
The workaround trap
Facing these costs, many IT teams attempt workarounds. They deploy virtual appliances like OPNsense or pfSense inside Azure to handle VPN termination. They manually configure IPSec tunnels between on-premises infrastructure and Azure VMs. They manage custom routing, NAT rules, and firewall configurations.
These approaches can reduce direct Azure VPN Gateway costs, but they introduce new problems:
- Operational overhead. Someone must maintain, patch, and monitor these virtual appliances.
- Scaling complexity. Adding sites means manually configuring each new connection.
- Security gaps. Basic VPN provides connectivity, not security. Microsegmentation, web filtering, and Zero Trust access remain missing.
- Single points of failure. Self-managed appliances require redundancy planning that adds more complexity.
You’ve traded one problem for another. The underlying issue remains: Azure VPN Gateway and its workarounds provide connectivity, but modern networks need security-first architecture.
Why connectivity alone isn’t enough
VPNs were designed for a different era. They create encrypted tunnels, but once traffic enters that tunnel, there’s no granular control over what users can access. An employee connecting via VPN typically lands on a broad network segment with access to far more than their job requires.
This model conflicts with Zero Trust principles that European organizations increasingly adopt, driven by frameworks like NIS2 and the practical reality of hybrid work. Modern security requires identity-based access where each user and device receives only the permissions they need for specific applications.
The capabilities missing from Azure VPN Gateway include:
- Zero Trust Network Access. Per-application access control based on identity and device posture.
- Microsegmentation. Limiting lateral movement so a compromised credential can’t reach every system.
- Web filtering. Protection against malicious destinations and policy enforcement for internet traffic.
- Agentless device support. Security for printers, IoT sensors, and industrial equipment that can’t run VPN clients.
- Unified policy management. One console for access control, web security, and site connectivity.
A Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) platform addresses these gaps by design, combining networking and security into a single cloud-managed service.
How Jimber SASE replaces Azure VPN Gateway
Jimber delivers Real SASE in one cloud-managed platform. Instead of bolting security onto connectivity after the fact, the platform builds Zero Trust into every connection from the start.
What you get
- Zero Trust Network Access. Users connect to specific applications, not network segments. Access depends on identity and device posture.
- Microsegmentation. Isolate workloads and users so lateral movement becomes impossible.
- Secure Web Gateway and FWaaS. Protect users from malicious destinations with consistent web controls.
- SD-WAN. Secure, resilient connectivity between sites with application-aware routing.
- NIAC hardware. Inline isolation for agentless devices like printers, IoT sensors, and industrial equipment.
- Azure Network Controller. Purpose-built controller you deploy directly in Azure to replace VPN Gateway.
- One console. Manage policies, visibility, and reporting across all sites and users.
Transparent pricing
Jimber uses predictable monthly subscription pricing. No hidden per-tunnel fees. No per-connection overages. 1 Gbps bandwidth included. You know what you’ll pay before you deploy.
Feature comparison
| Capability | Azure VPN Gateway | Jimber SASE |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Base + per-tunnel/connection fees | Flat monthly subscription |
| Bandwidth included | Depends on tier (100 Mbps–10 Gbps) | 1 Gbps included |
| Zero Trust Network Access | Not included | Built-in |
| Microsegmentation | Not native | Built-in |
| Web filtering | Not included | Included |
| Device posture checks | Limited | Built-in |
| Agentless device support | Not available | NIAC hardware included |
| Hybrid cloud deployment | Azure only | Azure + on-prem + multi-cloud |
| Management complexity | Grows with scale | One console at any scale |
| NIS2 / GDPR alignment | Basic connectivity logs only | Unified logging, access governance, compliance reporting |
Deployment in Azure environments
Jimber provides an Azure-optimized Network Controller that deploys directly in your Azure environment. This controller replaces Azure VPN Gateway while integrating with your existing virtual networks and resources.
The migration path is straightforward:
- Deploy the Jimber Network Controller in your Azure environment alongside your existing VPN Gateway.
- Configure access policies for users and applications through the Jimber console.
- Migrate users and sites in phases, validating connectivity and access at each step.
- Decommission Azure VPN Gateway once migration is complete.
The same platform extends to on-premises sites, other cloud environments, and remote users. One console manages everything.
European compliance and data sovereignty
For European organizations, choosing infrastructure involves more than cost and features. NIS2 requires demonstrable access control, logging, and incident response capabilities. GDPR demands data handling that respects privacy principles.
Jimber is a European company built with these requirements in mind. The platform provides centralized logging for compliance evidence, identity-based access policies that auditors can verify, and data handling aligned with EU expectations. This positions organizations for NIS2 compliance while maintaining operational efficiency.
FAQ
Can Jimber work alongside Azure VPN Gateway during migration?
Yes. Deploy the Jimber Network Controller in parallel, migrate users and sites progressively, and decommission Azure VPN Gateway when ready.
What about existing Azure investments?
Jimber integrates with your Azure virtual networks and resources. You’re replacing the VPN Gateway component, not your entire Azure environment.
How does this work for remote users?
Remote users connect through Jimber’s ZTNA rather than traditional point-to-site VPN. They get per-application access based on identity and device posture, which improves both security and user experience.
What about devices that can’t run agents?
NIAC hardware provides inline isolation for printers, IoT sensors, and industrial equipment. These devices get segmented access without requiring software installation.
Is this suitable for mid-market organizations?
Yes. Jimber is designed for mid-market teams that need enterprise security without enterprise complexity. One console, predictable pricing, and fast deployment make it practical for organizations without large security teams.
Can MSPs manage this for multiple customers?
Yes. The platform is multi-tenant with API-first design. MSPs manage all customers from one console with role-based access, consistent templates, and centralized reporting.
Replace complexity with control
Azure VPN Gateway served its purpose, but modern networks need more than encrypted tunnels. If you’re facing escalating costs, wrestling with workarounds, or realizing that connectivity without Zero Trust leaves gaps, there’s a cleaner path forward.
Jimber SASE delivers secure connectivity, granular access control, and predictable pricing in one platform your team can actually operate. Book a demo and see how straightforward the switch can be.
