Mullvad VPN Ratings

Overall Score 8.0
8.5

Security

8.5

Speed

7.5

Servers

7.5

Support

8

Price

General overview

Mullvad VPN is a Swedish virtual private networking service founded in 2009. It is ideal for budget-friendly users with advanced security and convenience features. The VPN follows a strict no-logs policy; it doesn’t collect any customer data. Besides, it even encourages anonymous payment methods like cryptocurrencies. 

Mullvad has an easy-to-use interface; even for first-time users, it doesn’t create any bemusement. The VPN has a simple and identical structure across all platforms, using top-notch security protocols and features like split-tunnelling, AES-256 encryption, and high-speed WireGuard protocol.

Moreover, the VPN is one of the most reliable ones when it comes to speeds. It provides fast speeds on both OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols. The only thing which Mullvad hasn’t prioritized is its streaming abilities. The service provider only unblocks the US Netflix library and Amazon Prime Video. Mullvad VPN is compatible with five devices per license and works on all major operating networks, including macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and Linux.

Score 8.5

Security

Mullvad is a Sweden-based VPN which is not the ideal country to operate as it lies under 14-eyes jurisdiction. Despite its contract with global surveillance, Mullvad provides an impressive no-logs policy. It doesn’t collect data like email, location, or other personal information. It also undergoes independent audits creating transparency between the provider and users.

Mullvad provides a variety of encryption and security protocols, using OpenVPN (TCP/UDP) and WireGuard protocols — two of the most advanced security protocols in the industry. The service uses AES-256 encryption, a classic kill switch, and a split-tunnelling feature. Mullvad VPN also has a built-in Ad-blocker, Double VPN, and SOCKS. Moreover, the VPN is clean from DNS, IPv6, and first-party DNS leaks.

Score 8.5

Speed

Mullvad VPN is fast on both OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols. It provides fast speeds on both short and distant servers. Its local speeds only drop to 5% speed loss which is quite impressive. Even from the UK base, you can expect 82Mbps speeds connecting to the farthest location like Australia. It has occurred while using OpenVPN, which is a bit surprising. The real test happens when VPNs have to provide fast speeds on distant servers, and the Mullvad VPN passes that test.

Both the OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols provide equal fast speeds, but it depends on the server location of the users. For instance, OpenVPN provides faster speeds when connected to Germany or Australia. In contrast, WireGuard performs much better when connecting to Canada.

Moreover, the speeds of Mullvad VPN are smooth enough to support lag-free gaming and stream content. The VPN offers all these services in low-budget packages, making it a cost-effective option among top VPNs.

Score 7.5

Servers

Mullvad VPN claims to provide 860+ servers in 35+ countries and 65+ cities. Mullvad is transparent about its infrastructure, and you can choose to connect to both Mullvad-owned servers and rented servers.

Mullvad is not a good choice for streaming content. It only unblocks US Netflix, Amazon Prime Video (US), and Australia’s version of Hulu. So, if streaming content is the main priority, you might face difficulties and should go for another alternative.

You can easily download torrents smoothly and safely. Mullvad VPN is much better for torrenting compared to streaming. All of its servers allow P2P torrenting and come with advanced security features required for torrenting, like port-forwarding kill-switch, logging policy, and SOCKS.

Score 7.5

Support

Mullvad VPN’s customer support is helpful, transparent, and professional. They provide set-up guides and FAQ options covering all the helping material needed to address customer queries. Though, they don’t offer 24/7 live chat support, which is a more convenient feature for providing support to users. Instant person-to-person help is much more efficient as compared to other support material. It would be great to see Mullvad VPN investing in 24/7 live chat support.

Score 8

Prices

Mullvad appears to be one of the most affordable VPNs in the market regarding pricing. It comes with three basic subscription plans:

  • 1-Month plan costs €5/per month
  • 1-Year plan costs €5/per month
  • 1-Decade plan costs €5/per month

Refund Policy

If unsatisfied with the service or for any other reason, you can contact their support team and ask for a refund. They offer a 30-day money-back guarantee (except for cash payments due to anti-money laundering regulations).

Payment Methods

Mullvad VPN accepts the following payment methods:

  • Bitcoin
  • Bitcoin Cash
  • Monero
  • Bank wire
  • Credit Card
  • PayPal
  • Swish
  • Giropay
  • Eps transfer
  • Bancontact
  • iDEAL
  • Przelewy24
  • Cash Payments (accepts the following currencies: EUR, USD, GBP, SEK, DKK, NOK, CHF, CAD, AUD, NZD).

Company Information

  • Company name: Amagicom AB.
  • Company incorporation country: Sweden
  • Years in market: 13
  • No-logs: Yes

Overview - Conclusion

Mullvad VPN provides excellent security features but is not the polished one you will experience. It lacks streaming and bypasses geo-blocked content. If anonymity is your main priority, then Mullvad would be the reliable option for your high-quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does Mullvad VPN obey the EU Data Retention Laws?

Mullvad VPN doesn’t follow the EU directives because they aren’t considered an Electronics Communications service.

2. Can you change the app's language?

Mullvad automatically sets its language based on your computer’s language settings. Still, if you want to change VPN’s language, you can select the environment variable MULLVAD_LOCALE to the language you wish to use.

3. How can you circumvent censorship or get around a restrictive firewall?

Using Mullvad VPN, you can circumvent the highly-restricted locations through Bridge Mode. This feature uses Shadowsocks Proxy, which is built to bypass restrictive areas.

4. What to do If you have paid but can't connect?

Firstly, if you get any message about the expiring of an account, then the issue would be with the payment. However, if you have paid through PayPal, check the transaction processing status, as the service sometimes doesn’t confirm the charges. Also, cryptocurrency payments and transaction processing, can take from 1-2 working days.