Opportunities › Exit node management and monetization for VPNs › Proposed app
Openlane Nodes
Run an opt-in exit node network with clear consent, limits and payouts
- Score
- 34
- confidence 52
- Evidence
- 4
- items on the page
- Rivals
- 2
- named in sources
- First version
- 45 d
- estimate
- Type
- Desktop app
- PWA: runs in the browser, installs on Mac and Windows
- Market since
- 2009
- Mature market · AI estimate
ScreensConcept
Desktop app: Network operators manage node fleets, traffic rules, payouts and compliance evidence from a single control panel with dense dashboards and frequent keyboard input. Sample screens on a computer, in the proposed brand. Their numbers are sample data.
Share your connection?
Opt-in required$3.20/mo
About this appAI proposal
Openlane Nodes is a control panel for VPN and proxy operators who want exit nodes that people have knowingly agreed to provide. You add a consent flow to your app, set what traffic a node may carry, and see every node, session and payout in one place.
Each participant sees plain-language terms, can pause or leave at any time, and gets a record of what was shared. Operators get a consent log, traffic rules and a ledger they can show to app stores, partners and lawyers.
It differs from silent exit-node libraries: nothing runs without a recorded opt-in, and the participant's reward is visible. It cannot promise that any store or regulator will approve a model. It gives you the evidence trail to make your case.
- Tagline
- Exit nodes people agreed to.
- Voice
- ClearCandidCalm
- Why this name
- Openlane suggests a road that is open and visible, with nodes as the places traffic leaves. It signals consent and transparency in two plain words.
In the first version
Members say which features they would use. It tells PWAS what people want; it changes no score.
Consent flow builder
Design the opt-in screens shown in your app: what is shared, when, how much, and what the person earns. Every acceptance is time-stamped and versioned.
No member yet
Traffic rules per node
Set bandwidth caps, Wi-Fi only, charging only and blocked destination categories. Participants see these rules before they join.
No member yet
One-tap pause and leave
Participants can stop sharing or withdraw consent instantly. The node disconnects and the change is logged.
No member yet
Participant usage receipts
A simple view of how much data was shared, when, and what was earned, so users understand what their device does.
No member yet
Brand identityAI proposal
Check the name against trademark registers before using it.
Palette
#0F4C5CDeep Teal · primary#F6F4EEPaper · surface#16232BInk · text#E09F3EAmber · accent#5B8C5AMoss · data
Typography
Aa
Openlane Nodes
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 0123456789
Exit nodes people agreed to.
PricingAI proposal
The material gives no competitor prices. These tiers are a starting point to test, based on the idea of pricing by active nodes, throughput or revenue share.
Pilot
Free
- Up to 100 active nodes
- Consent flow builder
- Basic consent log
Operator
$299 a month
- Up to 5,000 active nodes
- Traffic rules and fleet dashboard
- Payout ledger
- Compliance evidence pack
Network
Contact us
- Unlimited nodes
- Revenue share option
- Custom terms and support
Would you pay Operator · $299 a month?
Your answer tells PWAS which prices people accept. It changes no score.
No answers yet.
What it could be worthEstimate
What a software business making this much sells for today, from real deals. Pick a monthly revenue.
If it makes
Worth about
$194,000
Sale range $132,000 to $263,000
$120,000 a year in revenue
From 87 software businesses listed and sold on Empire Flippers in the last year, revenue vetted by the broker: they sell for about 19× their monthly revenue, most between 13× and 26×.
Measured on profit, the middle deal is 32× monthly net profit: about 2.7 years of profit.
An estimate, not an offer or financial advice. A real price depends on profit, growth, churn, how much of the work is the owner's, and the buyer.
How it would growAI proposal
How the product would reach new customers through its own use, and how the first ones would be found. A plan to test, not a result.
- Built-in loop
- Visible inside customers’ products. The consent screen and participant receipts run inside operators' apps and show a small 'Powered by Openlane' line. Participants and other app builders see it.
- Do they become customers?
- Participants see the brand but are not buyers. Only app builders who notice it could become customers. Test whether a visible badge leads any operator to ask for a demo.
- First customers
- Small free-VPN and residential proxy operators with 10,000 to 100,000 mobile users, who have faced or fear Google Play enforcement.
- Where to reach them
- Hacker News and security forums: Post a write-up on building consent-based exit nodes and invite operators to the pilot.
- Direct outreach: Email founders of small VPN apps with a short consent-flow demo and a pilot offer.
- First milestone
- Three VPN or proxy operators run a pilot, and one pays for the Operator tier within 90 days.
Why people already pay for this
- Public claimCompanies offer libraries to turn mobile apps into exit nodes and get paid for the traffic.
- Public claimGoogle Play actively enforces against apps using users as exit nodes, sometimes involving law enforcement.
- Public claimFree VPNs monetize by using users as exit nodes for paying customers without clear user understanding.
- Public claimExit node monetization is considered the primary revenue model for VPN services beyond ads.
Tech stack
Every proposal builds on the same PWA base, installable from the browser on any phone or computer. Dashed boxes are what this app adds.
- AppNext.js and TypeScript
- PWAManifest and service worker
- UITailwind CSS
- Data and authSupabase Postgres
- PaymentsStripe
- EmailResend
- HostingVercel
- This app · Node client SDKMobile and desktop SDK with consent hooksOperators need a client that only runs after a recorded opt-in and obeys rules.
- This app · Time-series metricsManaged time-series databaseThroughput and session data for thousands of nodes outgrows plain tables.
RisksAI inference
- PlatformApp stores may reject any app that shares a user's connection, even with consent. Openlane cannot guarantee approval.
- RegulatoryOperators may be liable for abuse that leaves through participants' IP addresses. Laws vary by country and need legal review.
- CommercialOperators that profit from silent exit nodes have little reason to switch to a consent-based model.
- TechnicalA reliable node client across phones and desktops, with battery and network limits, is hard to build.
- DataConsent logs and traffic metadata are sensitive. Storing them demands strict retention and access controls.
Everything marked AI proposal or AI inference was written by a model from the evidence on the opportunity page. The proposed name must be checked against trademark registers before it is used.