Proton VPN vs Mullvad: Which Privacy VPN Should You Use in 2026?

Q: Is Proton VPN's free tier actually good?

For basic privacy (hiding traffic from your ISP), yes. The free tier is genuinely unlimited bandwidth — no data caps. Restrictions: 3 server locations (US, Netherlands, Romania), 1 device, no NetShield, no streaming, no P2P. Speed is slower than paid. It's a legitimate entry point to evaluate Proton VPN before paying.

Q: What happened in the Mullvad police raid?

In April 2023, Swedish police arrived at Mullvad's office in Gothenburg with a court order to seize computers. Mullvad cooperated with the inspection. Police found no user data — Mullvad's servers run in RAM-only mode with no logs. Police left empty-handed. This real-world verification is more credible than any audit alone — it's proof under adversarial conditions that no data exists.

Q: Does jurisdiction matter — Sweden vs Switzerland?

Both are strong privacy jurisdictions by commercial VPN standards. Switzerland is not in the EU and not in any intelligence-sharing agreement (Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes). Sweden is in the EU but not in Five Eyes. Mullvad has demonstrated no-log policy under real police pressure. Proton VPN has Swiss legal protections plus independent audits. For most threat models, either jurisdiction is adequate.

Q: Is Mullvad worth it without a free tier or annual discount?

If maximum anonymity is your priority, yes. Mullvad's flat €5/month with no long-term commitment means you can cancel any month without losing money — that's actually a privacy-philosophy choice, not a pricing quirk. If you're cost-sensitive, Proton VPN's paid plans on annual billing are cheaper.

Both have audited no-log policies and genuine privacy credentials. Mullvad is more anonymous. Proton VPN has a free tier and a richer feature set. Here's how to pick.

Proton VPN

★ 4.3

Swiss-based, open-source VPN with a genuinely usable free tier and no data cap

freemium macwindowsios

Best for: Users who want a privacy-credible VPN with a free tier to evaluate before paying, or who already use Proton Mail and want a bundled privacy stack

Try free →

Mullvad VPN

★ 4.4

Anonymous sign-up, cash payment accepted, audited no-log policy — the privacy-purist VPN

paid macwindowsios

Best for: Privacy-focused users for whom trust and auditability matter more than features — journalists, activists, or anyone with a higher-risk threat model

Try Mullvad VPN →

Our pick

Mullvad VPN — Privacy-focused users for whom trust and auditability matter more than features — journalists, activists, or anyone with a higher-risk threat model

Get Mullvad VPN → €5/month flat (~$5.50). No annual discount. No free trial. Cash, cryptocurrency, bank transfer, and card accepted.

At a glance
Tool	Platforms	Pricing	Best for	Rating
Proton VPN	mac, windows, ios, android, chrome, firefox	freemium	Users who want a privacy-credible VPN with a free tier to evaluate before paying, or who already use Proton Mail and want a bundled privacy stack	4.3
Mullvad VPN	mac, windows, ios, android	paid	Privacy-focused users for whom trust and auditability matter more than features — journalists, activists, or anyone with a higher-risk threat model	4.4

For maximum anonymity, Mullvad — it requires no email to sign up, accepts cash payment, and a real 2023 police raid verified that no user data exists to seize. For accessible privacy with a genuine free tier and a broader feature set, Proton VPN — Swiss jurisdiction, open-source apps, unlimited free bandwidth, and NetShield ad blocking on paid plans. Both have passed independent audits; Mullvad has also passed a live adversarial test.

Last verified: May 31, 2026 · Reading time: 6 min

TL;DR

Maximum anonymity: Mullvad — no email, cash payment accepted, police-raid-verified no-log policy.
Accessible privacy + free tier: Proton VPN — unlimited free bandwidth, Swiss jurisdiction, Proton ecosystem.
Both are independently operated (not part of commercial VPN conglomerates).
Both are open-source with independent audits.
Mullvad has no affiliate program — you won’t find it promoted on many review sites. That’s relevant context for why it’s often underrepresented.

The verdict table

Feature	Proton VPN	Mullvad
Mac	✓	✓
Windows	✓	✓
iOS	✓	✓
Android	✓	✓
Browser extension	✓ (Chrome, Firefox)	—
Free tier	✓ (3 servers, 1 device, unlimited bandwidth)	—
Account registration	Email required	Account number only — no email
Cash / anonymous payment	—	✓ (mail cash to Gothenburg)
No-log verification	Audits (Securitum, SEC Consult)	Audits + real police raid (2023)
Built-in ad blocker	✓ NetShield (paid)	—
Jurisdiction	Switzerland	Sweden
Open-source apps	✓	✓
WireGuard	✓	✓ (DAITA available)
Obfuscation protocol	✓ Stealth	✓
Server count	~8,000 in 112 countries	~650 in 49 countries
Pricing	Free; Plus ~$107.88/yr	€5/month flat (~$5.50, no discount)
Affiliate program	✓	—

Where Mullvad wins

True anonymity. Proton VPN requires an email to create an account. Mullvad requires nothing — you generate an account number in a browser tab, no credentials, no identity attached. You can pay for it by mailing cash to Gothenburg. Zero paper trail is possible with Mullvad. This isn’t a theoretical edge: the 2023 police raid confirmed it empirically.

The police raid test. This is the most important data point in this comparison. In April 2023, Swedish authorities arrived with a court order. They found nothing. Mullvad’s servers don’t log — not as a policy claim, but as a demonstrated physical reality. No VPN audit can replicate this confidence level.

No long-term commitment required. €5/month, cancel any month. Proton’s best pricing requires annual or multi-year commitments. Mullvad’s flat pricing is a feature for users who prefer not to be locked in.

No commercial incentive to overstate features. Mullvad has no affiliate program. Every major review site that pushes NordVPN or ExpressVPN as the “best VPN” is working from affiliate revenue. Mullvad doesn’t play that game.

DAITA (traffic analysis resistance). Mullvad’s DAITA feature adds padding and randomization to traffic patterns, making it harder for observers to identify what you’re doing through traffic analysis alone. A unique feature in the commercial VPN space as of 2026.

Where Proton VPN wins

Free tier with no data cap. Proton VPN’s free tier is genuinely usable — unlimited bandwidth on 3 server locations with 1 device. Good enough to hide Reddit traffic from your ISP without paying anything. Mullvad has no free tier at all.

Feature breadth. NetShield (ad/malware blocking), Stealth protocol (obfuscation for restrictive countries), Secure Core (multi-hop routing through privacy-friendly countries), and P2P support — Proton VPN’s paid plans are more feature-complete than Mullvad’s.

Server network. ~8,000 servers in 112 countries vs Mullvad’s ~650 in 49 countries. More servers mean more geo-location options and less congestion.

Browser extensions. Proton VPN offers Chrome and Firefox extensions for browser-level protection without running the full desktop app. Mullvad is desktop/mobile apps only — no browser extension.

Proton ecosystem. If you already use Proton Mail, Proton Drive, or Proton Pass, the Proton Unlimited bundle ($12.99/mo) gives you everything in one subscription at competitive pricing.

Swiss jurisdiction. Switzerland is not in the EU, not in the Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes intelligence-sharing agreements, and Swiss law does not compel companies to hand over data to foreign governments without a Swiss court order. Stronger than Sweden’s EU membership, though Mullvad’s demonstrated track record partially offsets the jurisdiction difference.

The affiliate disclosure that matters here

Mullvad does not have an affiliate program. Proton VPN does.

Most VPN “comparison” articles online are written with affiliate revenue in mind. Mullvad consistently underperforms in rankings on ad-supported review sites not because it’s a worse privacy product but because there’s no financial incentive to recommend it.

This comparison is based on the product specifications. For anonymity and privacy-focused use cases, Mullvad is the more credible choice. For general use with a free entry point, Proton VPN is excellent.

Pricing reality

Option	Proton VPN	Mullvad
Free	✓ (3 servers, unlimited BW)	—
Monthly	$9.99/mo	~$5.50/mo (€5)
Annual	~$107.88/yr	~$66/yr (€5/mo × 12)
Note	Best value: Proton Unlimited bundle	No annual discount; €5 flat always

Mullvad at €5/month is actually cheaper monthly than Proton VPN Plus at $9.99/mo. Proton VPN wins on annual cost if you’re comparing their discounted annual plan.

Who should pick which

Your situation	Pick
Maximum anonymity, privacy purist	Mullvad
Want to try a VPN for free first	Proton VPN (free tier)
Already use Proton Mail / Drive / Pass	Proton VPN (bundle)
Need a browser extension	Proton VPN
Need 8,000+ servers, many geo-locations	Proton VPN
Want no email, no paper trail	Mullvad
Budget: monthly, no commitment	Mullvad (~$5.50/mo)
Hiding Reddit from ISP, don’t need maximum privacy	Either — both are excellent

What to do next

Mullvad: mullvad.net — generate an account number, no email required. €5/month.
Proton VPN: Get Proton VPN [partner link] — start on the free tier, upgrade if you need NetShield or more servers.

Disclosure: Mullvad has no affiliate program and is linked directly. Proton VPN links marked [partner link] are affiliate links. This has no effect on the ranking or recommendation — Mullvad wins on anonymity regardless.

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN — the mainstream commercial options
NordVPN vs Surfshark — value vs unlimited devices
Best VPNs for Reddit 2026 — full ranked list with use-case guidance
Do you need a VPN for Reddit? — honest breakdown of when a VPN helps

Frequently asked questions

Common questions — click any to expand.

Proton VPN vs Mullvad — which is more private?

Mullvad is more anonymous. Sign-up requires no email — only a randomly generated account number. Mullvad accepts cash payments mailed to their Gothenburg office, and cash leaves no digital paper trail. In April 2023, Swedish police raided Mullvad's office and left with no data — because none existed to find. Proton VPN has a stronger overall feature set and a free tier, but account registration requires an email address.

Is Proton VPN's free tier actually good?

What happened in the Mullvad police raid?

Does jurisdiction matter — Sweden vs Switzerland?

Is Mullvad worth it without a free tier or annual discount?