Mullvad VPN review
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Mullvad is widely recognized by people who prioritize privacy and want to stay anonymous online. It focuses on privacy and security by offering strong encryption, a strict no-logs policy, and features like WireGuard-only tunneling, post-quantum encryption, and multihop connections.
On the other hand, Mullvad's interface feels outdated, and its services cost $5.60/month, which is pricier compared to its alternatives.
However, I recommend NordVPN as the best alternative to Mullvad. It focuses on security and privacy, is easy to use, and costs $3.39/month, nearly twice as cheap as Mullvad.
In this Mullvad VPN review, I cover its security and privacy aspects, features, performance, and pricing. So keep reading to find out if Mullvad is the right fit for you.
| NordVPN | Mullvad VPN | |
| ⭐ Rating: | ||
| 🥇 Overall rank: | #1 out of #41 | #15 out of #41 |
| 🖥️ Servers: | 7,800 + servers in 125 countries | 700 + servers in 49 countries |
| 📖 No logs policy: | No logs | No logs |
| 💵 Price: | From $3.39/month | $5.60/month |
| 🔥 Coupons: | NordVPN coupon 76% OFF | Cybernews VPN Coupons |
| 🔒 VPN protocols: | OpenVPN, WireGuard (NordLynx), NordWhisper | WireGuard, OpenVPN |
| 🍿 Streaming services: | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more | Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer |
| 🖥️ Platforms: | Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS |
| 📥 Simultaneous connections: | 10 | 5 |
| 💁🏻 Support: | Knowledge base, FAQs, email, 24/7 live chat | Email, help center, guides, social media |
Mullvad VPN pros & cons
We spare no effort to test the products & their features. All information is gathered by our in-house research team & fact-checked by our team of experts. Discover the ins and outs of our testing procedures.
Is Mullvad VPN safe?
In 2023, the ZATAZ group discovered that Mullvad VPN was potentially leaking user information through its API. Thankfully, the issue was quickly fixed, but that shows that even a robust VPN like Mullvad is not immune to issues.Otherwise, the service is quite safe because it has a no-logs policy, doesn’t collect any personal information, and uses the latest tech to make sure your internet traffic is untraceable.Here’s what makes Mullvad one of the safest and most private VPNs online:
- Completely anonymous accounts
- WireGuard and OpenVPN tunnel protocols
- AES-256 encryption
- SOCKS5 proxy
- No third-party trackers on website
Read on to find out how each of these features helps guarantee your anonymity.
Mullvad VPN privacy
If privacy is your main concern, then Mullvad is the right VPN for you. That’s because you can create a Mullvad account 100% anonymously. You don’t even have to provide an email address, as a randomly-generated 16-digit code is all you need to log into your account.
You can go so far as to pay with cash, which removes any way to trace the purchase back to you.
Mullvad has a detailed Privacy Policy on their website, precisely explaining what data they collect, under what circumstances, how it's used, etc. The level of transparency this document demonstrates is quite uncharacteristic of the VPN industry.
The bottom line is, the service doesn't keep any logs of user online activities. Unless you pay for it via bank wire, PayPal, Swish, or Stripe, Mullvad can't tie your account to your person. And while some may be worried by the fact that Mullvad's home - Sweden - is a 14-Eyes country, the company is adamant that they are prepared to “shut down the service” if the government requires it to spy on users.
Tunnel protocols
Mullvad lets you choose between two secure tunneling protocols:
- WireGuard. This is a new open-source VPN protocol whose main selling point is speed. While ensuring a high level of safety, WireGuard offers you better download and upload speeds than other VPN protocols.
- OpenVPN. Right now, this is the most popular open-source tunnel protocol on the internet - it is even referred to as the “gold standard”. Even though it is a bit slower than WireGuard, OpenVPN has no known security issues.
Depending on your preferences, you can use the VPN protocol of your choice - just go to Advanced settings and select WireGuard or OpenVPN. Otherwise, Mullvad will set the protocol automatically.
AES-256 encryption
Mullvad VPN uses AES-256 encryption to encrypt your traffic. AES-256 is immune to brute-force attacks and is virtually unbreakable.In other words, your data will be safe from any third-parties.
SOCKS5 protocol
You can use all Mullvad VPN servers with the SOCKS5 proxy for an additional layer of safety. You can also use it to limit your VPN connection to a specific app (such as your browser or torrent client). As a bonus this feature will reduce the number of CAPTCHAs you encounter.
Keep in mind that this is an advanced feature and you won’t be able to activate the proxy by using the Mullvad app. To do this, follow the instructions provided on the official site of Mullvad.
Does Mullvad VPN work in China?
Internet censorship in China is an ongoing issue, affecting travelers and locals alike. Even worse - China blocks not only content, but also VPNs, so a lot of VPN services simply don’t work in China.However, Mullvad has the right features to work in China. Namely, it has Shadowsocks, which can help users bypass the Great Firewall, making it one of the best VPNs for China.
Mullvad VPN features
Each and every VPN hides your IP address - that’s just what VPNs do. However, not all VPN services dive a little deeper, giving you the freedom to torrent, use port forwarding, or personalize the settings.
Luckily, Mullvad VPN is strong in the feature department. It gives you a lot to choose from, including:
In case you have very particular needs, you can even tweak your feature preferences using the extensive CLI interface of the Mullvad app, which allows you to create advanced scripts.
Torrenting
It is much safer to torrent without using your real IP address instead of without any protection at all.Luckily, Mullvad VPN allows torrenting, no matter which server you use. To be 100% sure, I tested it together with our researchers: the connection speeds were good and there was no sign of speed throttling. The SOCKS5 proxy will also come in handy – you can set it up directly on your torrent client and go about your day.
Split tunneling
Split tunneling is a really useful feature that makes certain programs use the VPN while allowing others to access the internet with your own IP address. For example, you can watch geo-restricted content while downloading files with no change in internet speed.Mullvad supports split tunneling on its Windows, Linux, macOS and iOS applications. You will find the split tunneling feature in the Advanced settings section. Enable it and then select the apps you want to exclude from the VPN connection.
Automatic connection
If you need to use a VPN every single day, remembering to turn it on can become a nuisance. That’s where the Launch on Start-up feature might come in handy. Enable it to launch Mullvad right away after turning on your computer.
You can also make Mullvad automatically connect to a server when you open the app itself. To do this, activate the Auto-Connect feature in the Preferences section.
Local network sharing
You can allow local network sharing when you want to share resources between different devices on the same network. If you don't enable this feature, you can’t access printers and other devices from your computer when using Mullvad VPN.
Bridge Mode
Bridge Mode is a networking feature that merges two or more networks. In this way, all the networks function as one. You may find Mullvad’s Bridge Mode useful when you want to use multi-hop servers, or connect to a server using a ShadowSocks proxy.
Post-quantum protection
While WireGuard encryption has no known vulnerabilities, it is still known to be crackable with a strong quantum computer. Mullvad realized that problem and has decided to protect against these types of attackers before the bigger problem arises. You can turn this feature on in your WireGuard settings on the Mullvad app.
Enable IPv6
Even though IPv6 addresses are the inevitable future of the internet, the number of VPNs that support them is quite small. Luckily, Mullvad VPN can connect you to the IPv6 internet even if your internet provider doesn’t support this possibility.
To test this feature, our experts set up a bridged dual-stack (IPv4 + IPv6) WireGuard connection on Linux and managed to get it to work.
However, as the technology is quite new, Mullvad doesn’t guarantee IPv6 tunneling for all computers: your device simply might not be able to support it.
Lockdown mode and Kill switch
If you enable Lockdown mode, your device will always require a Mullvad VPN connection to access the internet.Meanwhile, the Mullvads app also has a built-in kill switch that is always on. This setting will also block the internet if your VPN connection drops, making it useful when using public Wi-Fi or any other unsecured internet connection.
OpenVPN MSSFIX
In this section, you can set your preferred value for OpenVPN MSS. The valid range goes from 1000 to 1450. This is an advanced feature that can help you with connection speed and stability.
WireGuard MTU
Setting up your own WireGuard MTU (from 1280 to 1420) can help you with performance issues, too.
WireGuard Key
In this section, advanced users can manage and regenerate their WireGuard keys. Currently, Mullvad’s limit is five keys per user, so you might quickly reach the maximum Wireguard key limit. This cannot be changed, as this key limit allows Mullvad to restrict the user to a maximum of five devices.
Mullvad plans and pricing
Mullvad has one of the most simplistic pricing systems I’ve ever seen. It costs $5.60/month no matter if you pay for a single month, a year, or the whole decade at once.
There are also no different plans with different features. You get the whole package - take it or leave it.
The payment methods for Mullvad VPN include cryptocurrencies, bank wire transfer, credit card, PayPal, Swish Eps transfer, Bancontact, iDEAL, and Przelewy24. You can even pay in cash – simply put the money and your payment token in an envelope and send it to the address provided on Mullvad’s website.
| Version | Price |
| 1-month plan | $5.60/month |
However, if you’re wondering whether there’s a free version of Mullvad VPN, you might get a bit disappointed.
You see, back in 2019, you could get a free Mullvad trial right after getting a new account number. Even though this trial lasted for only three hours, it was a good way to test the speed and features of Mullvad VPN before buying the monthly subscription.
Unfortunately, it is no longer available. The only way to try Mullvad VPN for free is buying the service and asking for a refund within the period of 14 days. However, $5.60 is not a big sum to pay for your privacy, and the developers of Mullvad VPN deserve to be paid for their dedication.
Mullvad speed and performance
I tested Mullvad VPN's speed and performance with the Cybernews research team, and the results were excellent. Mullvad retained an average download speed of 84.43% and 56.1% of my original upload speed, surpassing some industry giants. Of course, many factors can affect a VPN's speed, so your experience might differ.Check out the table below to get a deeper insight into the test results:
| Test type | Ping (ms) | Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps) |
| No VPN | 1 | 500 | 500 |
| Germany | 33 | 467 | 467 |
| Japan | 268 | 406 | 80 |
| Australia | 293 | 277 | 69 |
| US | 131 | 458 | 149 |
Keep in mind that the speed results in this table were received using the WireGuard VPN protocol.
Mullvad also lets you connect via the OpenVPN (TCP) and OpenVPN (UDP) tunneling protocols. This will usually result in worse speeds - Wireguard offers the best performance.
In any case, you shouldn’t notice much of a difference in internet speed when using Mullvad.
Platforms and browsers
As of today, Mullvad VPN offers apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux. Both desktop and mobile versions of Mullvad have identical user interfaces - the only difference is the number of features.
Even though these versions have some minor differences, all of the apps have the following options: auto-connect, local network sharing, Regenerate Wireguard key, and Change Wireguard MTU.
Mobile apps
Mullvad for Android
The Android app doesn’t offer all the features mentioned in this Mullvad VPN review, as it is currently in beta version. It still lets you use Split Tunelling, local network sharing and set the WireGuard MTU value.However, I was a bit disappointed to see that WireGuard was the only protocol available.
Mullvad for iOS
In 2020, Mullvad finally released their iOS app, so you can download it to your iPhone or iPad.Like the Android version, Mullvad iOS only offers the WireGuard VPN protocol. However, this is the full version of the app, so you’ll find all the features you need.
Desktop apps
Mullvad’s desktop apps for Windows, Mac, and Linux offer all the features mentioned in this Mullvad VPN review, and use both WireGuard and OpenVPN.
Also, you can enable the setting that notifies you about new Mullvad VPN beta versions.
Mullvad VPN servers
When it comes to the number of servers, Mullvad is not the biggest VPN out there. In this regard, it can’t compete with VPN services like Private Internet Access, NordVPN or SurfShark that count their servers by the thousands.
However, this shouldn’t cause any problems. As my tests show, Mullvad is an extremely fast VPN, which means that its servers are not too busy.
So, at the moment, Mullvad VPN offers:
- 700+ servers
- 49 countries
All of these servers come from 24 different server providers. Also, there are 3 server types in total: OpenVPN, WireGuard, and Bridge.
You can find the full list of all the servers on the official site of Mullvad VPN.
Mullvad VPN and streaming
If your sole purpose for using a VPN is to watch geo-restricted content, you might want to think about another provider.I tested Mullvad on Netflix and it was unable to unblock American or Japanese content, while at the same time NordVPN could do it just fine. I had the same problem when trying to access BBC iPlayer - it seems that many services simply block Mullvad VPN.Unfortunately, my experience correlates with many other reviews - it seems being a cure for geo-blocking is not Mullvad's goal.However, Mullvad helped me watch geo-restricted content on Youtube.
Mullvad setup and ease of use
Even though suitable even for the most tech-savvy users, Mullvad VPN is extremely easy to install. A couple of clicks, and you already have the VPN on your device.
After you download the program, you need to unlock it by buying a subscription. To do this, you need to:
- Visit the official site of Mullvad
- Generate a new account number
- Choose the desired plan and pay for it
Then, all you need to do is log into your account using the previously generated 16-digit number. Your account doesn’t require an email address or any other personal details, which can be a big plus.
On the other hand, anyone who knows your Mullvad code will be able to use your VPN with no problems, so make sure you don’t openly display it.
Using the application
Once you’re logged in, using Mullvad VPN is a piece of cake. You can secure your connection with a single click, and it’s easy to choose the desired server.
If you want to access the settings, click the gear icon at the top right corner of the window. Here, you can set your account preferences, report a problem, access the FAQ sheets, or dive deeper into the Advanced settings.
Even though the design of the app is simplistic, this simplicity didn’t bother me. However, some users might crave something more modern, as the UI of Mullvad can seem a bit outdated.
By the way, there’s one nice touch: Mullvad lets you choose to display the tray icon in white (instead of the regular red and green), and colorblind users might find it useful.
Mullvad customer support
If you encounter problems when using Mullvad VPN and cannot resolve them yourself, you can email Mullvad's customer support. Support usually responds to your questions within a couple of hours.
Alternatively, you can try to fix the issue yourself by exploring Mullvad's website. Mullvad shares extensive guides on any topic you might need. You can also find lots of useful info on the Mullvad subreddit.
Mullvad alternatives
Even though Mullvad is a great VPN, it might not fit the needs of all its users, as it can’t unblock Netflix and other streaming services.
For this, I suggest you use one of the VPNs listed below.
NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the most well-known VPNs in the world, offering you more than 7800 servers in 125 countries. It is an extremely fast and user-friendly VPN that allows you to watch geo-restricted content on Netflix and other streaming sites.
However, NordVPN is much more than a tool for watching movies, as it guarantees total safety and anonymity with the help of a solid list of features. Double VPN, Onion over VPN, and malware blocking are just the tip of the iceberg. With that said, Mullvad's accounts do have a higher degree of anonymity.
You can use NordVPN on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux devices. By the way, it is cheaper than Mullvad if you buy a long-term subscription: you can pay as little as $3.39 a month. However, its one-month subscription costs more than Mullvad, so I’d recommend NordVPN to those who plan on using it for a long time.
For more information, read our NordVPN review.
PIA VPN
Private Internet Access VPN, or PIA VPN, is yet another decent provider to hide your activity online. Currently, they have over 30000+ servers in 91 countries, which is probably the largest server selection among all VPN services available today. This means that you’ll always find a server near you, resulting in good connection speeds.
You can download PIA as an application or a browser extension depending on your preferences. It’s also nice that PIA VPN lets you use 10 devices simultaneously no matter which plan you select.
The price range starts from $2.03, depending on the length of your subscription. It is cheapest to buy a three-year plan.
For more information, read our Private Internet Access review.
AirVPN
AirVPN is a truly unique VPN, as it claims to be operated by “activists and hacktivists”. The company’s approach to transparency seems truly different from the rest. Just visit their website and you’ll see much more information than anywhere else: pending issues, top user speeds, top user session traffic, and other stats.
As for the VPN itself, it's one of the better ones. It uses the OpenVPN protocol, is compatible with torrenting, and allows port forwarding. In addition, AirVPN’s pricing is extremely versatile: you can buy it for three days (€2), one month (€7), three months (€15), etc. The cheapest monthly plan comes with a three-year plan, which costs €99.
I’d recommend AirVPN for advanced users, as its UI might be a bit too confusing for a beginner.
Mullvad VPN review: the bottom line
In conclusion, Mullvad VPN is an excellent tool for protecting your privacy. It has many features and customization options, allowing you to tailor the VPN to your needs.The company's transparency, open-source ideologies, and out-of-the-box solutions make their app stand out among other VPNs. Additionally, while the app looks outdated, its functionality isn't disappointing.
Mullvad provides many security features, including the Kill Switch and Split tunneling, and is also one of the rare providers that supports IPv6 tunnelling. It also uses robust AES-256 encryption, keeps no logs, and offers safe tunneling protocols, all for a $5.60 price, which has remained the same since 2009.
The only bigger con I noticed was that Mullvad cannot unblock most geo-restricted content and has removed its port-forwarding feature, which caused some backlash from its community.All in all, if you're familiar with VPNs and prioritize anonymity and security, Mullvad is a great provider.
All in all, if you're familiar with VPNs and prioritize anonymity and security, Mullvad is a great provider.
FAQ
Does Mullvad work with Netflix?
At the moment, no. Mullvad VPN doesn’t seem to unlock most geo-restricted streaming services aside from Youtube.
How much does Mullvad VPN cost?
Whether you buy a monthly or a yearly plan, Mullvad VPN will cost you €5 a month.
Where is Mullvad VPN based?
Mullvad VPN AB is registered in Sweden. As a result, they have to follow Swedish laws and regulations.
