Mullvad VPN

★ 4.4

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

Last verified: May 2026

Install Mullvad VPN →
Type
app
Pricing
paid · €5/month flat (~$5.50). No annual discount. No free trial. Cash, cryptocurrency, bank transfer, and card accepted.
Platforms
mac, windows, ios, android
Targets
vpn

Strengths

  • ✓ No account creation required — sign up with a generated account number only, no email
  • ✓ Accepts cash payments (mail to Gothenburg) and cryptocurrency — zero paper trail possible
  • ✓ WireGuard-first implementation with DAITA (traffic analysis resistance) available
  • ✓ Open-source apps, independently audited (Cure53)
  • ✓ No-logging policy has been verified under real conditions — Swedish police raid in 2023 found no user data
  • ✓ Multihop (double VPN) with independent entry and exit nodes

Weaknesses

  • ✕ No browser extension — desktop and mobile apps only
  • ✕ No ad or malware blocking built in (unlike NordVPN or Surfshark)
  • ✕ €5/month flat rate with no annual discount — more expensive than NordVPN on a 2-year plan
  • ✕ Smaller server network (~650 servers) than NordVPN or ExpressVPN
  • ✕ No iOS kill-switch via the system VPN implementation (Apple VPN API limitation)
  • ✕ Not beginner-friendly — the interface is minimal and assumes some familiarity with VPN concepts

Best for

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

#vpn#privacy#security#open-source#anonymous

Mullvad is the VPN that privacy researchers and journalists recommend when the stakes actually matter. No email address at signup — only a generated account number. Cash and crypto payments accepted. Open-source apps. RAM-only servers. And in 2023, Swedish police arrived with a court order and left with nothing, because there was nothing to find. This is the VPN when trust matters more than features.

At a glance

FieldValue
Pricing€5/month flat (~$5.50); no annual discount
Sign-upAccount number only — no email required
PaymentCash, cryptocurrency, card, bank transfer
No-log proofPolice raid 2023 — no data recovered
Open sourceYes
Last verifiedMay 27, 2026

What Mullvad does well

  • True anonymous sign-up. No email, no name. A number is generated in your browser. That’s your account. You don’t give Mullvad anything to correlate with you.
  • Real-world no-log proof. The 2023 police raid is the most credible verification any VPN has had — not a third-party audit, but an actual law enforcement attempt to seize data that came up empty.
  • DAITA (Defence Against AI-guided Traffic Analysis). Mullvad’s implementation adds random noise and dummy packets to your traffic to make it harder for network observers to infer what you’re doing even if the traffic is encrypted.
  • WireGuard-first. Mullvad contributed code to the WireGuard project and runs WireGuard by default. Faster connection times and better performance on modern hardware than OpenVPN.

What Mullvad doesn’t do

  • Ad blocking. No CleanWeb or Threat Protection equivalent. Pair with uBlock Origin in your browser.
  • Free tier. €5/month, no trial, no annual discount. Less accessible than Proton VPN for budget-conscious users.
  • Browser extensions. No Mullvad browser extension. The app covers your whole device, not just one browser.
  • Beginner UX. The interface is intentionally minimal. If you want guided setup and live chat support, look at NordVPN or ExpressVPN.

Best for

Anyone for whom the question “how much do you trust the company?” is the most important VPN criterion. Journalists, researchers, privacy advocates, and users with high-risk threat models.

Alternatives

  • Proton VPN — similar privacy principles, free tier available, Swiss jurisdiction.
  • NordVPN — more features, larger network, lower price on 2-year plan.
  • Surfshark — unlimited devices, household-friendly.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions — click any to expand.

In April 2023, Swedish police arrived at Mullvad's office with a court order to seize computers. Mullvad allowed the police to inspect the premises and confirmed they found no user data — because none exists to find. The servers run in RAM-only mode and hold no logs. The police left without any data. This real-world test is the most credible no-log verification any VPN has undergone.

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