Score Breakdown
Pros
- Unique approach to privacy
- Fast speeds
- Budget-friendly with no-nonsense pricing
- Open-source apps
Cons
- Small server network
- Struggles with streaming
- No transparency reports
- Only five simultaneous connections
Mullvad isn’t for everyone -- and it doesn’t try to be. But if you want a VPN that puts privacy above all else and one that you can buy without providing any personal info or falling into sneaky pricing traps, then Mullvad is for you. On the other hand, Mullvad struggles with certain streaming services, so if you’re looking for a VPN for all of your streaming needs, you may want to look elsewhere.
Mullvad’s overall app performance, speeds, value, ease of use and unique features like DAITA and quantum-resistant tunnels stand tall alongside other top VPNs.
I put Mullvad through a rigorous set of tests over the course of two weeks in March 2025. During that time, I ran hundreds of individual speed tests, evaluated its streaming capabilities, tested for leaks, examined its privacy policies and made sure its features worked as expected across all available platforms. Throughout the process I was also in touch with Mullvad representatives, who quickly answered my questions.
I found that Mullvad remains steadfastly true to its ethos of knowing as little as possible about its users while doing as much as possible to ensure their privacy is protected while using its service. Mullvad is also fast, easy to use across platforms and has some unique privacy features that you can’t find elsewhere. It’s a smaller VPN provider, but it’s one that’s been around for a long time and can easily hang with the best VPNs in the industry. Mullvad’s wallet-friendly pricing also makes it an excellent choice for privacy-conscious users on a budget. I just wish that Mullvad worked better across more streaming services. If it’s able to shore up its streaming struggles, Mullvad would be an even greater value and more appealing to casual VPN users in addition to the extremely privacy-focused crowd it has historically catered to. Here’s everything you need to know about Mullvad and whether it’s the right VPN for you.
Speed: A speedy VPN despite a small server network
- 24% speed loss in 2025 tests
- Number of servers: 690
- Number of countries: 49
Mullvad’s speeds are very respectable considering the company's relatively small network of servers. While it’s not necessarily a primary contributing factor in VPN speed loss, a small server network can lead to congestion, which can slow your speeds to a crawl. Many of the bigger players in the VPN industry have thousands of servers spread across more than 100 different countries, with varying levels of speed performance. But Mullvad delivers consistently fast speeds across its network of just 690 servers in 49 countries.
In my latest round of speed tests, I calculated an average speed loss of 24% overall with Mullvad across platforms, protocols and a selection of international server locations. The 24% average speed loss I calculated in 2025 represents a drop in overall speed performance from the 13% speed loss I calculated last year. Even so, Mullvad is a fast VPN because you can typically expect to lose about half of your base internet speeds with most VPNs. At CNET, we generally classify any VPN that cuts your internet speeds by 25% or less as a fast VPN, so Mullvad was able to make it just under that threshold.
I was impressed with the stability of Mullvad’s speed performance across server locations and operating systems. While many VPNs struggle with dramatic fluctuations in speed performance from one location to another or even from one test to another on the same server, Mullvad’s speeds are remarkably consistent -- a trend I’ve seen with the provider over several years of testing its speeds.
Mullvad’s speed performance was generally consistent with my expectations, with one exception
In practical terms, the download speeds I measured from Mullvad were plenty fast enough on any server for basically anything you’d want to do online, whether that’s basic web browsing or more data-heavy activities like streaming or torrenting. Throughout my testing I didn’t run into any buffering issues, and my browsing sessions were just as smooth as if I wasn’t using a VPN at all.
I tested Mullvad’s speeds on MacOS and Windows using both the OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols. WireGuard is typically faster than OpenVPN because it has a much lighter codebase and is built for speed, whereas OpenVPN prioritizes privacy rather than speed. That’s why I was somewhat surprised at Mullvad’s faster speeds through OpenVPN than with WireGuard on my Windows machine.
Though the difference in average speed loss between OpenVPN and WireGuard on Windows was minimal (34% on WireGuard and 31% on OpenVPN), it was still unexpected. The difference in speed loss I calculated between WireGuard and OpenVPN on MacOS was similarly minor (13% on WireGuard and 19% on OpenVPN) but consistent with the general hypothesis that WireGuard is faster than OpenVPN. Yes, the OpenVPN/WireGuard split on Windows was a bit of an anomaly in my testing, but I attribute the negligible difference between both protocols on both operating systems to how stable and consistent Mullvad’s speed performance is across protocols and platforms.
Mullvad’s speed performance across server locations was as expected, with servers closer to my testing location in Ohio yielding the fastest results while servers in more distant locations were slower. I tested Mullvad’s speeds through servers in New York City, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Singapore and Australia on my Wi-Fi network that delivers a stable 370Mbps. Speeds to New York were consistently the fastest throughout my tests across platforms and protocols, hovering around 350Mbps on Mac and 280Mbps on Windows. Speeds to the UK and mainland European servers in France and Germany were largely the same, ranging from 280Mbps to 330Mbps on Mac and 230Mbps and 270Mbps on Windows. Unsurprisingly, the slowest speeds were through Australia and Singapore, where Mullvad averaged around 250Mbps to 290Mbps on Mac and 190Mbps to 220Mbps on Windows.
Key takeaway: Mullvad is a fast VPN whose speed performance has remained remarkably consistent throughout the years -- an impressive feat considering its relatively small server fleet.
Cost: A cheap VPN with the most straightforward pricing in the industry
- $5 per month
- Money-back guarantee: 14 days
- Payment options: Credit card, PayPal, bank transfer, cash, voucher, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Monero, Swish, Giropay, Eps transfer, iDeal, Przelewy24
- Simultaneous connections: 5
- Apps available for Windows, MacOS, Linux (GUI), iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, Browser extension
- Works with: Netflix, Max
I like a lot about Mullvad, but one of the things I like the most is its blunt rejection of the often unnecessarily complicated (and sometimes sneaky) pricing structures that too many VPN companies are concocting nowadays.
Many VPN companies will entice users with attractive introductory prices that sometimes more than double upon renewal. This is standard practice for various online services and not inherently unscrupulous, but the bigger problem is VPN companies that don’t make the renewal price hike obvious at signup. Some even go to great lengths to actively obscure crucial subscription information throughout the signup funnel.
Mullvad does none of that. In fact, Mullvad snubs recurring subscriptions altogether and charges a simple flat rate of $5 per month. That’s $5 per month whether you use it for a single month, six months or five years -- there are no discounts, sales or specials. You can add more time to your account whenever you want by sending Mullvad money, but your account will never auto-renew beyond the number of months you’ve added. The Mullvad app tells you exactly how many days you have left that you’ve paid for, so you always know when you need to top up your account if you want to continue with the service. It’s a system I can get behind and one that makes sense for people who may only need a VPN for a month at a time or anyone who doesn’t want to worry about forgetting about a recurring subscription.
At $5 per month, you can get a year of Mullvad for $60, which makes it one of the most budget-friendly VPNs available. As a comparison, expensive VPNs like NordVPN and ExpressVPN renew annually at $140 and $117 or $150, respectively. Other top class VPNs like Surfshark and Proton VPN renew at $80 annually. The only other VPN among CNET’s top picks that’s cheaper than Mullvad on a yearly basis is PIA, which renews annually at $50.
That said, NordVPN’s and Proton VPN’s introductory pricing starts at $60 for the first year, and Surfshark starts at $48 for the first year prior to their more expensive renewal rates, which is equal to or even cheaper than what you would pay for Mullvad if you purchased 12 months. That makes NordVPN, Proton VPN and Surfshark a potentially better value than Mullvad for the first term of their subscription plans. However, with those services, you need to commit to at least one year to get those prices, and those prices increase significantly after the initial term unless you start to manually stack yearly subscriptions. If you only need a VPN for a month or a few months at a time, you can’t beat Mullvad’s pricing or flexibility -- you only pay a minimal charge for it when you need it instead of being locked into a lengthy subscription plan. Any way you look at it, Mullvad is an excellent choice if you’re on a budget.
Mullvad keeps your personal data on file to a minimum
When you sign up for Mullvad, you don’t have to provide any personal information whatsoever -- no name, email address, username or password. Instead, you generate a unique 16-digit code that you use to log in and add money to your account. If you use a credit card to purchase access, then you have to enter your credit card number, but you don’t have to enter your name or billing address. Mullvad does everything it can to minimize the amount of data it collects from users, which is the main reason why the company got rid of recurring subscriptions and why it shortened its money-back guarantee to 14 days. The company even actively encourages users to purchase access to the service with cash, vouchers or crypto rather than credit cards, PayPal or bank transfers to further reduce the personal data it has on file.
You can purchase Mullvad vouchers from several online retailers, including Amazon. This way, you can still pay with a credit card without having any payment information linked to your Mullvad account. If you purchase a year’s worth of Mullvad from Amazon, it’ll only cost you $57 rather than the $60 you’d pay if you purchased a year’s worth of service directly from Mullvad. You’ll get a scratch-off card in the mail with a voucher number that you can input to activate your access after you’ve generated your unique account number.
Mullvad is compatible with major desktop and mobile platforms and includes some handy features
Mullvad’s apps are intuitive, with a consistent cross-device experience. You’ll find lots of useful features that are easy to access.
You can use Mullvad on major desktop and mobile platforms like Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android and iOS. But the VPN only allows for up to five simultaneous connections, which is fewer than what most other VPNs offer nowadays. I’d like to see Mullvad increase its simultaneous connection allowance, considering the number of internet-connected devices people have these days and the fact that several other VPNs allow up to 10 or even unlimited simultaneous devices. A larger allowance would make Mullvad a better fit for people with lots of devices or those living in large households.
You can get around this restriction by using Mullvad on a router for full network coverage. However, doing so can be risky and expensive because you need to purchase a separate compatible router if you don’t already have one, and you risk bricking your router or voiding your warranty if you botch the setup process. That said, Mullvad has helpful guides on its website explaining how to set up the VPN on a router that can help you through the process.
Mullvad’s apps have a smooth interface that’s consistent and user-friendly across all platforms, and I like several recent app improvements. The app’s connection screen design is still nicely minimalist but now displays additional information related to the server you’re connected to, the protocol you’re using and the features you currently have enabled. All of this information is presented without being obtrusive or making the app interface seem cluttered. It’s much like what Surfshark has also recently implemented, and it’s a helpful way to let users confirm their connection details at a glance.
Another cool new feature I particularly like is Mullvad’s custom server lists. Instead of just having a Favorites tab where you can save a list of your top servers, Mullvad allows you to create any number of custom server lists to easily categorize different groupings of servers. For example, I created a couple of different custom server lists: one for speed testing and one for streaming. You can label the lists whatever you want based on your own needs. I also like that you can filter Mullvad’s main server list by Mullvad-owned or rented as well as by specific server providers. This can be useful if you only want to use Mullvad-owned servers for privacy purposes or if you’re particular to any specific server provider.
Other features you can enable in the app include multihop connections, DAITA (a proprietary feature that defends against AI-driven traffic analysis) and protocol selection. Notably, the kill switch is enabled automatically and cannot be disabled. You can also enable several DNS content blockers that block ads, trackers, malware, gambling sites, adult content and social media platforms -- which goes beyond the blocking technology most VPN providers offer. Surfshark offers protection against ad, trackers and malware, while you can set ExpressVPN to block ads, trackers, malware and adult sites.
I also appreciate that Mullvad offers split tunneling on MacOS -- a feature most VPNs no longer offer on Apple devices after changes the tech giant made in 2020 that interfered with how split tunneling works on its devices. Mullvad offers split tunneling on MacOS, Windows, Linux and Android. Just two of CNET’s other top VPN picks (PIA and Surfshark) offer split tunneling on MacOS.
Streaming performance could be better
Although its apps are well-designed and easy to use across platforms, Mullvad leaves quite a bit to be desired for streaming enthusiasts.
During my most recent tests, I was only able to access content on Netflix and Max. My attempts to access content on Disney Plus, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video through Mullvad servers were countered with error messages telling me that a VPN connection was detected. This was a disappointment because I was able to access content on all three of those streaming services through Mullvad servers when I tested it last year. That said, I was able to access Netflix and Max content on various US and international server locations.
“We always strive to ensure that Mullvad works as reliably as possible while maintaining our core commitment to security and privacy,” Mullvad CEO Jan Jonsson told me via email. “However, we will never take measures that compromise security/privacy. Because of this, accessing certain streaming platforms can be challenging, and functionality may vary over time.”
International streaming unblocking is often a cat-and-mouse game between the VPN and the streaming provider. If a certain streaming service isn’t accessible through your VPN one day, it may be on another -- and vice versa. Often, a simple server change can get you access to the streaming content you want. However, even when I switched servers and tested the streaming services on different days, the results were still the same.
I fully support Mullvad’s stance on this matter and its dedication to user privacy -- diverting internal resources away from privacy initiatives or indiscriminately adding servers just to boost streaming performance could potentially lead to privacy gaps. However, I still hope Mullvad can strike a balance and provide better access to additional streaming content in the future without compromising privacy. I’ll update this review if and when I’m able to retest and access content from other streaming providers.
I’d also like to see Mullvad add additional native support for smart TVs and other streaming devices. Jonsson told me that the company is still considering adding an Apple TV app, but there isn’t a timeline for its potential release just yet. That said, you can use Mullvad’s Android .apk to run the VPN on Fire TV Stick and download the app directly from the Google Play Store for use on your Android TV (but sideloading apps isn’t as straightforward as a direct app store download).
Right now, I cannot recommend Mullvad as a viable streaming solution due to its inconsistent performance on various major streaming platforms. If all you want to do is stream Netflix or Max on your laptop or mobile device, then Mullvad could work for you, but if you want a dependable VPN for streaming on various other platforms and services, I recommend going with ExpressVPN, NordVPN or Surfshark.
Key takeaway: Mullvad is a maverick when it comes to pricing, an endearing misfit in a sea of VPN providers who continue to try and one-up each other to see who can create the most convoluted pricing scheme in the industry. Mullvad is also one of the few remaining genuinely budget-friendly VPNs available -- staying true to a no-nonsense $5 per month as other VPN companies continue to raise their prices. However, one thing I hope Mullvad can catch up with in the future is its streaming capabilities, which would make the VPN an even better value.
Privacy and security: Consistently setting the example for how a VPN should approach privacy
- Jurisdiction: Sweden
- Encryption: ChaCha20 (WireGuard), AES 256-bit (OpenVPN)
- Protocols available: OpenVPN, WireGuard
- RAM-only server infrastructure
- No leaks detected
Everything Mullvad does is driven by its unwavering commitment to user privacy, from its anonymous signup process to its lack of recurring subscriptions and even its abbreviated money-back guarantee.
The company does everything it reasonably can to know as little about its users as humanly possible. Mullvad doesn’t want to keep any data on hand that would facilitate recurring subscriptions and even cut its original 30-day money-back guarantee back to 14 days so the company can minimize the amount of time it needs to retain payment data. Even though this move reduces the length of the guarantee, the money at stake is less than half of what most other VPNs charge for a month. And while most VPNs require personal data like your full name, email address, postal code, payment data, username and password (at a minimum) to sign up, Mullvad requires no personal data at all.
Naturally, this ethos also extends to the privacy features Mullvad includes in its apps, as well as its privacy and no-logs policies. And it’s more than just the minimization of collected data. Mullvad goes above and beyond to deliver features that protect user privacy in novel ways that help defend against current and future threats from artificial intelligence and quantum computers.
Mullvad’s privacy features are unique and forward-thinking
In addition to its standard-fare privacy suite, Mullvad boasts cutting-edge features that meaningfully beef up privacy and security.
Mullvad’s proprietary Defense Against AI-guided Traffic Analysis (DAITA) addresses a growing privacy vulnerability that can expose information related to your online browsing activity, even if it’s encrypted by a VPN. Theoretically, an unauthorized entity could monitor your encrypted web traffic by leveraging the power of AI to analyze the size and frequency of the data packets you’re sending and receiving. The patterns of packet traffic can act as a sort of fingerprint that can expose your web traffic, even if your activity is encrypted and an adversary cannot plainly see what websites you’re visiting. DAITA essentially wipes that “fingerprint” clean.
The idea behind DAITA is simple yet ingenious: The feature injects junk data, or “dummy packets,” into your encrypted traffic while simultaneously making all packets sent through the VPN tunnel the same size. This makes it virtually impossible for anyone to use AI to monitor your traffic. Currently, DAITA is a feature only Mullvad offers, but I suspect that other VPNs will begin rolling out similar features in the future.
You can enable DAITA from the Settings menu in the Mullvad app while using the WireGuard protocol. You can either tunnel directly through Mullvad’s DAITA servers in Amsterdam, London, Los Angeles or New York, or double-hop through those cities to any other server location. Keep in mind, though, that double hopping will slow your connection due to the extra layer of encryption coupled with the additional stop your data takes en route to and from the servers. Also, because DAITA sends extra data through the tunnel, enabling the feature on your mobile device while on a mobile network may drain your data allowance if you’re not on an unlimited data plan.
Mullvad guards against quantum computing threats
Post-quantum protection is a trending privacy feature among VPN providers, but Mullvad was an early adopter. Mullvad and ExpressVPN were two of the first VPN providers to offer post-quantum protections, but several other top VPNs, including Surfshark and NordVPN, have recently begun rolling it out as well.
While quantum computing may not be at the level that can crack modern VPN encryption (yet), it’s important for VPN providers to take steps now to protect against future threats. Implementing post-quantum protections now also helps defend against attackers potentially gathering encrypted data today in hopes of cracking it with quantum computers in the future. Mullvad’s quantum-resistant tunnels are enabled by default on desktop when connecting through WireGuard, so you don’t need to do anything special to benefit from the protections besides connecting via WireGuard. You can disable the option in the Settings menu if you choose.
Mullvad’s kill switch is also enabled by default. However, unlike other features, Mullvad’s kill switch cannot be disabled -- which is a good thing. A kill switch is a critical privacy feature that cuts your internet connection if the VPN connection inadvertently drops, preventing your data from leaking unencrypted. While the kill switch itself cannot be disabled, you can toggle the feature’s “lockdown mode” on or off. The standard kill switch kills your internet in case of an unexpected VPN disconnection, but lockdown mode takes it a step further and completely disables your internet connection unless you’re connected to Mullvad’s servers. Both the standard kill switch and lockdown mode worked as expected during my tests.
I also like Mullvad’s multihop functionality, which lets you manually choose any entry and exit server from the service’s entire network of servers. This is much like how Surfshark’s Dynamic MultiHop feature works and goes beyond what most other VPNs offer. Other VPNs that provide double-hop functionality typically have just a handful of pre-selected double-hop connections to choose from. I appreciate how Mullvad lets you pick which servers to double-hop through. Multihop connections add an extra layer of protection by routing your traffic through two different servers while encrypting it twice, making it even more difficult for anyone to track you online.
Mullvad’s DNS leak protection worked well across platforms throughout my tests -- I detected no leaks. Mullvad employs industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption for OpenVPN connections and ChaCha20 for WireGuard connections. WireGuard is the default protocol across platforms, although OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols are available on the desktop app, while Mullvad’s mobile apps only support the WireGuard protocol. In fact, Mullvad will be removing OpenVPN completely from all of its apps by January 2026 to focus its efforts entirely on WireGuard.
OpenVPN has long been an industry-standard protocol that VPN users relied on for maximum privacy and the ability to bypass firewalls and restrictive networks. However, with the emergence of newer, secure, lighter-weight protocols like WireGuard and ExpressVPN’s Lightway that can be more efficiently updated and can more easily support important emerging features like post-quantum protections and DAITA, while delivering faster speeds, VPN companies and users alike have been increasingly favoring newer protocols over OpenVPN. Mullvad has even rolled out a solution to WireGuard’s issues with bypassing firewalls by implementing Shadowsocks obfuscation for WireGuard.
While Mullvad’s jurisdiction may concern some privacy-conscious users, Swedish law eases some worries
Mullvad is about as airtight as it gets regarding privacy and security, but some privacy-critical users may have second thoughts about the company’s Swedish jurisdiction, which is part of the so-called “14-Eyes” intelligence-sharing alliance. However, Mullvad effectively puts those concerns to rest on its website with this statement: “Whether or not your VPN service is based in what’s known as a 14 Eyes country is entirely irrelevant. It’s the individual country’s laws that make a difference. Not whether the country is part of various intelligence collaborations.”
Mullvad says that Sweden is a safe jurisdiction for the VPN because under Swedish law, a VPN provider is not obligated to log user data. So if an authority from any of the 14-Eyes countries (or anywhere else, for that matter) were to request information on a Mullvad user, they’d have to do so in accordance with Swedish law. Because Swedish law doesn’t require Mullvad to log user data, there wouldn’t be anything to hand over anyway.
Mullvad does transparency right
Mullvad says in its privacy policy and in its no-logging policy that it doesn’t log user data. Specifically, Mullvad says it doesn’t log data related to web traffic, DNS requests, connection timestamps, IP addresses, user bandwidth or account activity. But as with any VPN, it’s impossible to verify a provider’s no-logs claims with 100% certainty. However, Mullvad does an excellent job of substantiating its no-logging claims and privacy posture through regular third-party audits. Even though they don’t paint a full picture and can only verify the state of the VPN provider over the course of the audit itself, independent audits represent an important trust signal that the VPN is doing what it says it’s doing. Because Mullvad undergoes audits at a regular clip, it helps bolster the validity of the provider’s privacy posture.
On top of being fully open-source (meaning that anyone is free to inspect Mullvad’s source code online), the company is working towards making its diskless server infrastructure user-auditable in the future.
“We are continuously striving to strengthen the trustworthiness of all aspects of our service. This is why our VPN apps have been open source since we started over 12 years ago,” Mullvad states on its website. “Achieving transparency on the server side is a very different challenge, as merely open sourcing our server software is not enough. We want our users to be able to verify and audit what is currently running on the VPN server they are connected to. This is our end goal with System Transparency.”
One of the other ways a VPN provider can add credence to its no-logs claims is if it has them tested in the real world. This very scenario played out for Mullvad in April 2023 when Swedish authorities came knocking in an attempt to seize computers containing user data related to an investigation into a 2021 blackmail attack. However, authorities left empty-handed because Mullvad had no data to hand over. In an article outlining how Mullvad responds to government requests for user data, the company states that its stance is to make it impossible to fulfill any data request, and that it is prepared to shut down its service in any jurisdiction where the government succeeds in forcing it to spy on users.
The only thing I wish Mullvad would do differently is implement regular transparency reports that outline the number and types of legal requests it receives and how it responds to those requests. Mullvad representatives have told me on multiple occasions that the company has no plans to publish transparency reports because they cannot be verified by the public and because Mullvad cannot provide user data anyway. Fair, but I still think transparency reports can only help foster trust in a VPN provider that publishes them.
Key takeaway: You’d be hard-pressed to find a VPN provider that is more committed to privacy, security and transparency than Mullvad. Every VPN says that privacy is its top priority, but Mullvad is one of the few that actually backs up that claim with hard evidence. And even though Mullvad is based in a 14-Eyes jurisdiction, the company does well to dispel any associated misgivings people may have about the situation there. As a result, I can confidently recommend Mullvad as an excellent option for even the most privacy-critical VPN users out there.
Mullvad is for the privacy purist
Mullvad is a company that is extremely thoughtful and deliberate in everything it does: the privacy features it offers, where it puts its servers, how its sign up process works, how it advertises and how it structures its policies. Everything is rooted in its uncompromising commitment to privacy and transparency. I really appreciate the candid and straightforward nature of Mullvad’s messaging -- the company goes above and beyond to clearly communicate how and why it does what it does. There are no tricks up Mullvad’s sleeves, which is how it should be in the notoriously opaque and often sneaky VPN industry.
I like how Mullvad doesn’t try to be everything for everyone. It has and always will cater to the privacy-first VPN user. Mullvad is also an excellent choice for anyone on a budget or people who only need sporadic access to a VPN. But if you’re heavy into streaming on your TV or streaming on lots of different services, you may want to consider other options. Do I wish Mullvad worked better for streaming? Sure I do. But I cannot fault Mullvad for prioritizing privacy over streaming. In fact, I admire Mullvad for being upfront about it and sticking to its guns. If, like Mullvad, you believe in the universal right to privacy, I suggest you give this VPN a shot because you can trust Mullvad to have your back in even the most privacy-critical situations.
