Mullvad VPN review
Who is this for? Anyone who wants a VPN that knows as little about you as possible — no account, no email address, affordable and independently audited. New to VPN? Read [VPN: what it does and doesn’t do](/en/guides/vpn-what-it-does-and-doesnt-do/) first.
Mullvad VPN review
Who is this for? Anyone who wants a VPN that knows as little about you as possible — no account, no email address, affordable and independently audited. New to VPN? Read VPN: what it does and doesn’t do first.
Mullvad is the VPN most frequently recommended by privacy communities — not because of marketing, but because of its design. No account creation, no email address, no personal details. Explained why.
How Mullvad is different
Most VPN providers ask for an email address when signing up. Mullvad doesn’t. You receive a randomly generated account number — that is your account. No username, no password, no linked identity.
You pay with cash (sending banknotes by post to Sweden genuinely works), Bitcoin, Monero or credit card. The credit-card option links your identity to your account — cash and crypto do that less directly. Crypto payments get a 10% discount due to lower processing costs.
The pricing model is simple: one rate, no discounts for longer subscriptions, no tricks. €5 per month. Always.
Specifications
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Country | Sweden |
| Protocol | WireGuard, multihop, DAITA |
| Anonymous payment | Cash, Bitcoin, Monero |
| Account creation | No email address required |
| Open-source client | Yes — all platforms |
| Audits | Multiple app and infrastructure audits (Cure53, ROS, X41, NCC Group) |
| Price | €5/month, fixed |
| Servers | ~550 online in 50+ countries (check current status at mullvad.net/servers) |
Audits — what was verified
Mullvad has commissioned multiple independent audits across different parts of the service in recent years:
- App audits: 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024
- Infrastructure audits: including Radically Open Security (2023) and Cure53 (2024)
- Android security assessment: NCC Group / MASA (2025)
Not every audit was specifically about “no logs”, but together they provide more confidence in Mullvad’s technical and operational design.
In April 2023, Swedish police visited Mullvad with a search warrant to demand customer data. According to Mullvad, police left without taking equipment or customer information. That is a strong practical test of Mullvad’s minimal data model.
DAITA — defence against traffic analysis
Mullvad offers DAITA (Defence Against AI-guided Traffic Analysis) in the app. Because not all servers support DAITA directly, the app can automatically route traffic through a DAITA-capable server with multihop when needed.
DAITA adds artificial noise to traffic patterns to make analysis harder. That costs extra bandwidth and battery, but it is an interesting option for higher-risk profiles.
Multi-hop
You can route traffic through two Mullvad servers. The entry server sees your IP but not your final destination; the exit server sees the destination but not your original IP.
Available in the app. On Android, multihop has also been available directly since 2025. Expect extra latency and some speed loss.
In practice
The desktop and mobile apps are stable. The kill switch works reliably — if the VPN connection drops, the app blocks all traffic until you reconnect. LAN access is configurable separately so local devices (NAS, printer) remain reachable while VPN is active.
On Android, Mullvad also works as an always-on VPN via system settings. On GrapheneOS, used per work profile.
Speed: on Dutch servers: 300–450 Mbps WireGuard download. Sufficient for any home connection.
Getting started
1. Create an account
Go to mullvad.net and click “Generate account number”. You get a 16-digit number — save it. No email address, no password, no verification step.
2. Pay
- Anonymous: send banknotes by post to Mullvad AB, Stora Nygatan 31, 211 37 Malmö, Sweden. Include a note with your account number. Takes 1–3 business days.
- Crypto: Monero or Bitcoin via the account page — 10% discount. No direct link to your name, but the transaction stays on the blockchain.
- Card/PayPal: works, but links your identity to your account.
3. Install the app
Download from mullvad.net/download — not from third-party app stores. Enter your account number. No further registration.
4. Three settings to turn on immediately
- Kill switch — blocks all traffic if the VPN connection drops. On by default on desktop; check it on mobile.
- LAN access — off by default. Enable it if you want local devices (NAS, printer, Chromecast) to stay reachable while VPN is active.
- DAITA — optional, relevant at higher threat levels. Adds noise to traffic patterns. Costs extra bandwidth; not necessary for most readers.
Multihop is available for those who want it, but adds latency and is not needed for everyday use by most people.
Caveats
Sweden falls under the EU and 14-eyes. Mullvad can in theory be compelled to hand over data. The real protection is that they have nothing to hand over — no logs, no account data — not the jurisdiction.
No free tier. Mullvad offers no free trial, but does offer a 14-day money-back guarantee (not applicable to cash payments). ProtonVPN has a free tier if you want to compare without paying.
Fewer extra features than ProtonVPN. No Secure Core, no Tor-over-VPN. Mullvad does fewer things, but the things it does are solid.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Account number only — no email address, no name, no linked identity at sign-up
- No email address required; payment can still be made with cash or Bitcoin
- Multiple independent audits; the 2023 police visit tested the minimal data model in practice
- DAITA and multihop are included without an extra surcharge
Cons
- No free trial
- Sweden falls under EU and 14-eyes jurisdiction (mitigated by the minimal data model)
- Fewer extra features than ProtonVPN (no Tor-over-VPN, no Secure Core)
Conclusion
Mullvad is one of the most privacy-friendly VPNs on the market. The account system without personal details, anonymous payment options and minimalist data model are still unusually strong. The 2023 police visit remains one of the clearest practical examples of that design in action.
Choose Mullvad if anonymity is the priority and you’re willing to configure the app yourself.
Next step
Choose this if…
Choose Mullvad if anonymity and minimal account data matter more to you than extra features or a free entry tier.
- VPN comparison — if you still want to compare Mullvad directly against ProtonVPN or IVPN
Already have this?
If you are already using Mullvad, make sure your kill switch and always-on route are correctly configured before experimenting with heavier options like multihop or DAITA.
- VPN: what it does and what it doesn’t — to keep your expectations accurate
Compare with…
If you are still undecided, compare Mullvad with the few privacy-focused alternatives that are genuinely relevant — not random marketing VPNs.
- VPN comparison
- Setting up a GL.iNet travel router — if you want to run Mullvad at router level