AWS has released AWS VPN Client v6.0.x, adding command-line interface (CLI) support, enterprise administrative controls, and faster connection establishment to its managed remote-access VPN service.
TL;DR
- -AWS VPN Client v6.0.x adds a CLI with full feature parity with the graphical interface and supports scripting VPN connections into automation workflows.
- -Administrators can now scope profiles to specific users or enforce organization-wide configurations, closing a profile management gap that existed in earlier versions.
- -The client switches to OpenVPN3 for faster connection establishment and maintains full backward compatibility with existing AWS Client VPN endpoints at no additional charge.
What Changed
The rebuilt client introduces a CLI with full feature parity with the graphical interface. Teams can now script VPN connections directly into automation workflows and infrastructure-as-code deployments. Previously, automating VPN connectivity required third-party tooling or manual steps.
Administrative controls address a long-standing profile management gap. Before this release, VPN profiles could be distributed to users and managed by anyone without permissions. Administrators can now scope profiles to specific users, maintain global profiles available to everyone on a device, and enforce approved VPN configurations across an organization.
The underlying connectivity stack has also been rebuilt. The client now uses OpenVPN3, replacing the previous OpenVPN implementation. AWS says the change delivers faster connection establishment across all supported operating systems. The GUI and CLI run concurrently, and VPN connections persist independently of either interface.
Configuration files have been relocated to a system-wide admin-protected location. AWS notes that profiles or preferences missing after an upgrade to v6.0 can be recovered using documented steps in the release notes.
Details and Availability
Version 6.0.x is available now for Windows (x64 and ARM), macOS (x64 and ARM), and Linux (x64). The macOS release notes show v6.0.0 shipped August 4, 2026, with a v6.0.1 patch on August 7 that fixed a sporadic SAML authentication issue. The Linux release notes show v6.0.1 dated August 12, 2026.
Scope and Compatibility
The rebuilt client maintains full backward compatibility with existing AWS Client VPN endpoints, so no endpoint-side changes are required to adopt it.
There are no additional charges beyond standard AWS Client VPN pricing.
Sources and supporting resources