Mullvad VPN

Mullvad VPN is an outstanding service for individuals who value privacy and transparency. Its numbered account model is relatively unique in the industry and allows users to sign up without an email address, password or username. IVPN is another vendor that uses a similar anonymous registration solution. Cash and crypto payment options provide additional anonymity. We appreciate that founders Fredrik Strömberg and Daniel Berntsson entirely own Mullvad VPN AB and its parent company, Amagicom AB, and remain actively involved. The VPN provider’s transparency extends to every part of its service, from open-source code and yearly audits to detailed server information and a robust no-logs policy. Still, its small server network and device limitations may not appeal to everyone. If you’re willing to pay up front for longer terms, some alternatives have cheaper rates for more simultaneous connections on networks extending across double the number of countries with thousands of servers.

Features

Mullvad VPN’s functionality and tools are more than enough for personal use. It features an integrated kill switch, OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols and split tunneling on Windows, Linux and Android devices. The server network is considerably smaller than competitors’ but spread across 45 countries. Mullvad’s browser support is more limited than that of hide.me or Surfshark. Mullvad only works with Mullvad or Firefox-based browsers, whereas rivals typically support Chrome. We like that Mullvad rolls out new features, such as its Defense against AI-guided Traffic Analysis (DAITA), which fights sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) surveillance. The desktop-enabled quantum-resistant VPN tunnels solve a problem we haven’t encountered yet: powerful quantum computers.

Pricing

Mullvad’s gimmick-free pricing model is refreshing. The VPN provider charges €5 (around $5.50) monthly, and you can add funds to your account to pay ahead for a few months, a year or a decade. The rates haven’t increased since Mullvad launched in 2009. Customers paying with accepted cryptocurrencies receive a 10% discount. It offers a standard 30-day money-back guarantee, but the refund doesn’t cover cash or crypto payments.

Customer Service

For U.S.-based customers, Mullvad’s customer support options could be a drawback. The Sweden-based team operates on Central European Time. You can email Mullvad’s in-house support team, but they only respond during weekday office hours. So, if you live in America and have an issue after lunch, chances are good that Mullvad offices are closed. If you’re wondering how responsive Mullvad’s customer support team is, though, I can tell you Mullvad does not play around. I sent an email asking for help with a technical issue, and I received a response in under an hour, which is exceptional.