Rank 2 of 11 · Updated August 13, 2026
Mullvad review: 85.5/100
Flat €5/month with no tiers, no email required at signup, and no affiliate programme for anyone to earn from recommending it.
Rubric total
85.5/100Verdict. The strongest privacy posture of any provider in this dataset, and the only one we cannot earn a commission from.
Best for. Readers who want the least possible account data held about them.
Visit MullvadWe earn nothing from Mullvad. This link is included because the ranking says it belongs here.
What holds up and what does not
Holds up
- Signup requires no email address, name or phone number
- All client applications are open source and independently audited
- One flat price with no upsell tiers or renewal price jump
- Accepts cash sent by post, and cryptocurrency
Counts against it
- No native app for Apple TV, Android TV or games consoles
- Five simultaneous connections is below the market average
- Streaming unblocking is inconsistent and not a stated product goal
Do not buy this if: Your main reason for buying a VPN is watching a specific streaming catalogue. Mullvad does not chase streaming platforms and does not claim to.
How the score was reached
Mullvad scores 85.5 out of 100. The table below shows every criterion, its weight, the raw score and the fact that produced it. Nothing here is adjusted after the fact, and commission is not an input. The full rubric is published.
Rubric total
85.5/100The weighted sum of the seven criteria below. Nothing is adjusted afterwards, and commission is not an input.
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent audit | 20 | 20.0 (10/10) | Recurring published audits by Assured AB and Cure53 covering infrastructure, apps and extension. |
| Jurisdiction and ownership | 15 | 9.0 (6/10) | Sweden participates in the Fourteen Eyes agreement, but Mullvad holds no email, name or payment identity to hand over. |
| Protocol and crypto stack | 15 | 13.5 (9/10) | WireGuard and OpenVPN only, with no proprietary protocol in the stack. |
| Leak protection | 15 | 15.0 (10/10) | Kill switch is always on by design across desktop and mobile, with IPv6 and DNS resolved in-tunnel. |
| Transparency | 15 | 15.0 (10/10) | All clients are open source, signup issues a random account number with no email, and cash payment is accepted by post. |
| Price and refund terms | 10 | 7.0 (7/10) | Flat €5/month with no discount tiers: more expensive than 2-year deals, cheaper than most monthly plans. |
| Platform coverage | 10 | 6.0 (6/10) | Desktop, mobile and router covered, but no native TV or console app and only 5 simultaneous devices. |
The evidence
Each row links to the page the claim was read from and the date it was read. If a source has changed since, tell us and we will re-check it.
| Field | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Sweden Sweden is a Fourteen Eyes participant, which Mullvad offsets by holding almost no account data. | Source checked August 13, 2026 |
| Ownership | Amagicom AB, privately held | Source checked August 13, 2026 |
| Server countries | 45 | Source checked August 13, 2026 |
| Simultaneous devices | 5 | Source checked August 13, 2026 |
| Refund window (days) | 30 | Source checked August 13, 2026 |
| Independent audits |
| |
| Protocols |
| Provider documentation |
Features
- ✓ Kill switch
- ✓ RAM-only servers
- ✓ Open-source apps
- ✓ Split tunnelling
- ✗ Port forwarding
- ✓ Ad and tracker blocking
- ✗ Dedicated IP available
- ✓ Signup without email
- ✓ Accepts cash
- ✓ Accepts cryptocurrency
Pricing
| Term | Effective monthly | Billed up front | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly, no term | $5.50 | — | August 13, 2026 |
Refund window: 30 days.
Lab status
We have not run our own speed or leak tests against Mullvad yet. Rather than print an estimate, this section stays empty until a measurement exists. The method we will use is published in advance.
Common questions
- Has Mullvad been independently audited?
- Yes. The most recent published audit is by Assured AB in 2024, covering infrastructure and server security. Mullvad has 2 published audits in total.
- Where is Mullvad based, and does it matter?
- Mullvad operates from Sweden under Amagicom AB, privately held. That jurisdiction participates in the fourteen eyes intelligence-sharing agreement, which is a factor if your threat model includes state legal process.
- How much does Mullvad cost?
- The lowest effective rate we recorded is $5.50 per month. Prices were checked on August 13, 2026 and change often, so confirm on the provider’s own page.
- How many devices can I use with Mullvad?
- One subscription covers 5 devices. Apps cover Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Router.
- Who should not buy Mullvad?
- Your main reason for buying a VPN is watching a specific streaming catalogue. Mullvad does not chase streaming platforms and does not claim to.
Compare Mullvad directly
Audit criterion raw score: 10/10. Transparency: 10/10.