You might want to take a closer look at tunnelr.com. They do support
both OpenVPN and OpenSSH based tunnels, and both of these work fine on
MacOS. I don't own a "normal" Mac, but I did see MacOS tutorials on
their site, in fact, there are two tutorials, with each using a
different method.
You were a bit vague when simply stating "mobile device" but if memory
serves me, Both OpenVPN and OpenSSH will work on some "mobile" platforms
(Android, iOS, etc.). I've never tried it personally, and I don't know
what kind of "mobile device" you use, so for your specific case, I could
very well be wrong.
Using OpenSSH via SOCKS support in applications or by using a
SOCKS-Wrapper like "DSOCKS" by Dug Song or similar ("Sockify for
windiws, etc), take more effort than running OpenVPN. It might take more
effort, but if you don't mind the hassle, it's most likely more secure
than the common alternatives (OpenVPN, PPTP, etc.). The only thing
better than OpenSSH (in my opinion) would be using a correctly
configured IPSec implementation. But getting IPSec right makes OpenSSH
look very easy.
You might want to note how in this discussion both Fredrik Strömberg
(kfreds -runs the Mullvad VPN service) and myself have intentionally
tried to avoid disparaging PPTP. Whether good or bad, a lot of people
like PPTP for various reasons, and a lot of VPN services offer it as an
option. Other than for the sake of curiosity, learning, and
experimentation, I would never use PPTP. When it comes to both security
and privacy, PPTP has many known problems and some VPN service providers
refuse to support it due to these issues.
Trying to be fair to those who like PPTP is being a bit too generous
since the security and privacy of people is at stake. None the less,
development work is still being done on PPTP, and it has supposedly
made some improvements over the years.
EDIT: I misspelt Fredrik Strömberg's name. Sorry. (sigh).
iOS devices do not support OpenVPN nor OpenSSH. You can use L2TP, PPTP or IPSec for VPNs.
So, I can either pay for tunnelr.com and have zero VPN support on my iOS devices, pay for two separate services, or switch to a provider that supports both. I suggested that while it's fine to tell people not to use PPTP, some of us will still want to use it, because it is better than nothing at all (please don't make me argue that it really is better than no VPN at all).
Here's a statement of fact: at present, the only reason tunnelr.com does not get my money is because it does not support PPTP alongside OpenVPN.
> please don't make me argue that it really is better than no VPN at all
No argument at all from me. ;)
What you've said seems blatantly pragmatic to me. --It's sad how so
much of HN these days is pointless arguments. Sure, it's good that
we're accurate in what we say, and fair about it, but every word we
utter should not lead to an argument. Oh well...
Anyhow, I did find one SSH app for iOS (iPad) when I last looked,
but I still agree; Whether or not it's possible to get other apps
to play well with SOCKS would be a real headache.
I'm not a real iOS user, but I have helped my parents with their iPad
a bit. I'm curious how much of a pain it is on iOS to get IPSec set up
properly?
IPSec can be really tricky to set up properly, but once you've got it
right, it's the very best VPN solution. A lot of companies have tried
to make IPSec more "usable" and "user-friendly" on desktops, but it's
still an unwanted pain for users. For admins, testing it for leaks is
often a convoluted nightmare. The thought of attempting both the setup
and testing on a mobile device (iOS/Android) makes me shudder.
You were a bit vague when simply stating "mobile device" but if memory serves me, Both OpenVPN and OpenSSH will work on some "mobile" platforms (Android, iOS, etc.). I've never tried it personally, and I don't know what kind of "mobile device" you use, so for your specific case, I could very well be wrong.
Using OpenSSH via SOCKS support in applications or by using a SOCKS-Wrapper like "DSOCKS" by Dug Song or similar ("Sockify for windiws, etc), take more effort than running OpenVPN. It might take more effort, but if you don't mind the hassle, it's most likely more secure than the common alternatives (OpenVPN, PPTP, etc.). The only thing better than OpenSSH (in my opinion) would be using a correctly configured IPSec implementation. But getting IPSec right makes OpenSSH look very easy.
You might want to note how in this discussion both Fredrik Strömberg (kfreds -runs the Mullvad VPN service) and myself have intentionally tried to avoid disparaging PPTP. Whether good or bad, a lot of people like PPTP for various reasons, and a lot of VPN services offer it as an option. Other than for the sake of curiosity, learning, and experimentation, I would never use PPTP. When it comes to both security and privacy, PPTP has many known problems and some VPN service providers refuse to support it due to these issues.
Trying to be fair to those who like PPTP is being a bit too generous since the security and privacy of people is at stake. None the less, development work is still being done on PPTP, and it has supposedly made some improvements over the years.
EDIT: I misspelt Fredrik Strömberg's name. Sorry. (sigh).