A lightweight, open-source macOS GUI client for openfortivpn.
If you've ever used the official FortiClient on macOS, you know the pain: bloated, buggy, and unreliable. Constant crashes, broken updates, and features you never asked for getting in the way of the one thing you need — a VPN connection.
I got tired of depending on it. So I built OpenFortiVpn Connect — a minimal, native macOS GUI that wraps the excellent openfortivpn CLI tool. No telemetry, no bloat, no surprises. Just a clean interface to manage your VPN profiles and connect.
The UI is inspired by OpenVPN Connect — simple, focused, and easy to use. Built with native macOS vibrancy for a modern frosted glass look that blends with your desktop.
- Multiple VPN profiles — save and switch between different VPN connections
- SAML authentication — full support for SSO/SAML login flows
- Password auth — credentials stored securely in the macOS Keychain
- Certificate trust management — pin server certificates by SHA256 digest
- Native macOS look — vibrancy blur, overlay title bar, system tray integration
- System tray — connect/disconnect and switch profiles without opening the app
- Real-time logs — monitor connection logs with optional debug mode
- Lightweight — small binary, minimal resource usage
brew tap walcew/tap
brew install --cask openfortivpn-connectopenfortivpn is bundled in the app (no separate CLI install).
Download the .dmg for your architecture from Releases:
- Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4):
OpenFortiVpn.Connect_x.x.x_aarch64.dmg - Intel:
OpenFortiVpn.Connect_x.x.x_x64.dmg
- macOS 12 (Monterey) or later
- Rust (1.77.2+)
- Node.js (18+)
- Tauri CLI
- A C toolchain to compile the bundled openfortivpn/OpenSSL: Homebrew and/or Xcode Command Line Tools
scripts/build-openfortivpn.sh picks what is available:
- autoconf/automake already on
PATH - else Homebrew (
brew install autoconf automake) - else bootstrap autotools with Xcode CLT (
clang/make/perl) - slower, first run only
Compiling from source always needs a compiler: there is no zero-toolchain path. Installing the DMG does not need Homebrew or Xcode CLT.
npm install
npm run build:openfortivpn
cargo tauri buildBy default npm run build:openfortivpn fetches the latest openfortivpn release (OPENFORTIVPN_VERSION=latest). Pin a tag for reproducible builds, e.g. OPENFORTIVPN_VERSION=v1.24.1.
cargo tauri dev- Backend: Tauri v2 + Rust
- Frontend: React 19 + TypeScript + Tailwind CSS v4
- VPN engine: bundled openfortivpn (statically linked OpenSSL)
- Security: macOS Keychain for credential storage
- DNS: Native macOS
scutilintegration
| What | File |
|---|---|
| App + helper version | src-tauri/Cargo.toml → [workspace.package].version |
| Names, paths, repo, bundle ids, cask, … | src-tauri/common/src/lib.rs |
Derived files (frontend constants, tauri.conf.json fields, package.json name/version, project.env, …) are regenerated when you run cargo tauri dev or cargo tauri build (via src-tauri/build.rs). Do not edit those by hand.
- openfortivpn by Adrien Vergé — the open-source CLI tool that makes this project possible
- OpenVPN Connect — UI inspiration for the clean, profile-based interface
- Tauri — the framework powering this native desktop app
This project is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with Fortinet, FortiClient, FortiGate, or FortiVPN in any way. These are registered trademarks of Fortinet, Inc. This is an independent, open-source project that provides a graphical interface for the community-driven openfortivpn tool.
This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.
The bundled openfortivpn binary is GPL-3.0; its source is available upstream. OpenSSL is linked statically into that binary.
Wallacy Santos Ferreira — @walcew