Mullvad Review 2023

Mullvad VPN is a Sweden-based, privacy-focused VPN owned by Amagicom AB, which cooperates with Mozilla and Malwarebytes.

Although Sweden is officially part of the 14 Eyes alliance, Mullvad takes the privacy of its users very seriously. You don’t need an email address to sign up. Instead, Mullvad VPN provides a unique code that allows you to subscribe and log in. You can even pay for the subscription anonymously.

Mullvad VPN is ahead of the curve; it was one of the first providers to offer the WireGuard protocol, along with NordVPN and CyberGhost. This protocol is faster and more secure than IPsec and OpenVPN.

Continue reading our Mullvad VPN review below to learn more about this VPN provider.

Mullvad VPN: A Short Review

In this Mullvad VPN review, we assess Mullvad’s speeds, safety, user-friendliness, and server network. The table below highlights some of our key findings.

The pros certainly outweigh the cons of this VPN. If you’re looking for a fast and secure provider that will keep your data safe, Mullvad VPN is a great choice.

With great security features, including a built-in kill switch, split tunneling, and multi-hop, you can browse the web anonymously with Mullvad VPN. Mullvad’s dedication to security is evident in the VPN protocols it makes available to users.

There are a couple of downsides to this VPN. We couldn’t unblock Netflix. Also, Mullvad VPN is on the more expensive side. And while it focuses on privacy, Mullvad VPN is located in Sweden, which is part of the 14 Eyes alliance.

Specifications Mullvad VPN

💵 Price	From $5.50 a month
📱 Operating systems	Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Windows
💻 Connections	5
💳 Payment methods	Other, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, PayPal
🔒 Protocols	Wireguard, OpenVPN
📥 Torrent options	Torrenting allowed
📅 Money-back guarantee	Money-back-guarantee
📋 Logs	Zero logs
🎬 Works with

Visit Mullvad VPN

Speed – How Fast is Mullvad VPN?

Do you want to browse, stream, and download content from the web with the protection of a VPN? You’ll need a provider with fast speeds. We tested Mullvad’s speed extensively.

Initially, we were doubtful that Mullvad VPN could deliver since the provider seems to be primarily focused on privacy. However, we’re pleased to say we got excellent speeds. For this reason, we score Mullvad’s speed at 8 out of 10. Here why:

• Mullvad VPN boasts fast speeds, especially on local servers.
• Your general browsing experience is not affected by Mullvad running in the background.
• Our download and upload speeds dropped significantly on distant servers.

Mullvad VPN speed test results

Before assessing Mullvad’s connection speeds, we ran a baseline test of our connection speed without a VPN. After establishing this benchmark, we switched Mullvad on and connected to a local server to check our speeds.

To get a complete picture, we tested several servers across the globe. And, to maintain consistency for this Mullvad VPN review, all our speed tests were done using Ookla’s speedtest.net website at the same location — our office in the Netherlands.

The table below shows the results of our speed tests.

Overall, we are pleased with Mullvad VPN’s speeds. When connected to a local server in Amsterdam, there was no noticeable difference in our download and upload speeds. Even servers a bit further away, in the UK or Germany, for example, still provided fast speeds.

Compared to other VPNs, Mullvad’s U.S. servers are very fast. As usual, the ping rate increases significantly, but its download speeds are impressive.

Unfortunately, Mullvad’s speeds dropped on more distant servers, such as those in Japan and Australia.

Speed during daily use

Mullvad’s speeds held up during our tests. We could stream videos on YouTube, play games on Steam, and browse the internet without hiccups. Also, downloading with a browser and on torrent went smoothly.

Mullvad VPN is one of the fastest VPNs we’ve tested.

Safety – How Secure is Mullvad VPN?

Security is arguably the most important aspect of any VPN. Mullvad VPN is an excellent choice for users who value privacy and safety. This provider offers the safest protocols, collects very little personal data, and uses a unique system to secure customer accounts.

Overall, Mullvad VPN is one of the safest premium VPNs currently. For this reason, we gave it a score of 9 out of 10 for security. Here are our main findings:

• Mullvad VPN uses the safest protocols: OpenVPN and WireGuard.
• Mullvad does not keep logs of any kind.
• You don’t need an email address to create a VPN account with Mullvad.
• You can send emails to customer support through PGP-encrypted email.
• Mullvad VPN has a built-in kill switch.
• To get around strong firewalls, Mullvad offers special Bridge servers.
• Mullvad VPN is based in Sweden. So, at any point, now or in the future, the VPN provider may be pressured to give up user data, although they likely won’t be able to offer any.

Protocols

Mullvad VPN uses the two safest protocols at the moment:

• OpenVPN
• WireGuard

OpenVPN has become the industry-standard protocol. WireGuard is a relatively new VPN protocol that continues to be improved. It uses modern encryption algorithms and delivers faster speeds than IPsec and OpenVPN.

Go to the Advanced tab to select a VPN protocol in the Mullvad app.

Besides these two protocols, Mullvad VPN also offers Shadowsocks: an open-source proxy project that’s meant to help users get around censorship. Whenever you use a so-called Bridge server, your internet traffic is first routed via Shadowsocks before OpenVPN or WireGuard.

Logging and privacy

Mullvad VPN has a strict no-logs policy. Its privacy statement is very clear about what data it collects and stores. Mullvad keeps little to no information on you, and the company specifies how this data is stored and for how long.

Mullvad has a unique approach to privacy. While VPN providers are increasingly open about their logging policies, Mullvad VPN takes this transparency to a new level.

All you need to create a Mullvad VPN account is a payment method (including its corresponding payment information). You don’t even need an email address to use this VPN. If you wish to email them, for example, to get in touch with customer support, you can use a PGP encrypted email.

Kill switch

Mullvad VPN has a built-in kill switch. You can find this option under the “Preferences” tab.

The kill switch is automatically enabled. You can’t disable it. From a privacy point of view, this is excellent. However, it would be more user-friendly if users could manually toggle it on and off.

A kill switch cuts your internet connection if your VPN connection unexpectedly drops. This allows Mullvad to automatically shield your data and keep it private until your VPN connection is restored.

What information does Mullvad VPN need?

Most VPN providers, even the most private ones, ask users to provide an email address to create an account, but Mullvad VPN doesn’t.

With Mullvad, you only need a unique code, which you’ll receive from the provider, to create an account. This is all Mullvad VPN needs to give you access to its VPN network. You can link your subscription payment to this code.

Information that Mullvad VPN collects

Certain payment methods, such as direct transfers or PayPal, give away more private information than paying with cash or cryptocurrency.

According to its privacy statement, Mullvad VPN receives the following information along with each payment method:

• Financial transfer: name, address, bank account number, and Mullvad financial account number.
• PayPal: transaction ID (deleted 40 days after payment), name, country of residency, and email address.

Mullvad VPN recommends avoiding direct transfers if you don’t want to expose your financial information.

When you send an email, for example, to customer service or troubleshoot an issue, Mullvad also processes certain information. The Mullvad VPN privacy statement specifies this data:

• Customer support via email: email addresses and any information within the content of the email.
• Troubleshooting in the app: program logs, email, and IP address will be deleted. Mullvad recommends users do not include any personal data when troubleshooting.

Does Mullvad VPN leak your data?

In May 2022, Mullvad VPN was independently audited by the Göteborg-based Assured AB. This audit revealed that Mullvad does not leak user data or log personal information.

In October 2022, Mullvad VPN revealed that Android leaks certain data, including IP addresses, HTTPS traffic, and DNS lookups outside an active VPN tunnel. The company has urged Google to make some changes to the mobile operating system to prevent the leaks.

Do you want to check whether Mullvad VPN is leaking your data online? Our free online anonymity tool allows you to check what data your device is leaking. You can also use browserleaks.com to check for potential WebRTC, IPv4/IPv6, or DNS leaks.

Usability – How User-Friendly is Mullvad VPN?

Overall, Mullvad’s usability is good. VPN software tends to look similar these days, and Mullvad is no exception. The familiarity makes Mullvad user-friendly.

Even so, when we compare Mullvad VPN to industry-leading providers, such as NordVPN, some options are missing. The difference is in the details.

For example, you can’t see how crowded a server is or which Mullvad VPN servers are most suitable for torrenting and streaming.

Considering this, Mullvad gets 8 out of 10 for usability. These are our main observations:

• Mullvad VPN is a minimalistic and user-friendly VPN provider.
• The Mullvad software is fast and easy to use.
• Creating an account is simple and can be done with a few clicks.
• Mullvad VPN is easy to install.
• Customer support reacts surprisingly quickly via email.
• Since a subscription costs €5 monthly (approx. $5.50), Mullvad isn’t the cheapest VPN.
• Mullvad VPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Mullvad VPN’s website and installation process

Mullvad VPN has a well-organized website containing some useful information. You’ll find a lot of basic information about the VPN on the homepage.

For more in-depth information, you have to check the FAQ page. In our opinion, this isn’t very convenient. Most other VPN services have a page for this, which Mullvad VPN is missing.

There is an “About” page that contains some background information about the company and its vision.

My Mullvad VPN account

You only need the code corresponding to your VPN account to log into the Mullvad website and access the “My Account” page. From a privacy perspective, this is great, but the big drawback is that anyone can log into your account if they have the code.

But it makes little difference since the only options available on this part of the website are port management and payment. Regardless, it’s something to be aware of. Never share your account code with anyone.

Keep the code safe. Perhaps, have it stored in a password manager. You can’t request your code via email.

If you wish to download Mullvad VPN, you don’t have to log in first. You can download the software by clicking the “Download” button at the top of the homepage. You can find it at the bottom left corner of the website.

Once you reach the download page, you’ll be able to choose the right software for your operating system. The options include Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and Firefox.

Installing Mullvad VPN

It’s easy to install Mullvad VPN. Just follow these steps:

1. Go to the Mullvad VPN homepage and click “Get started.” You will see the following steps.
2. 
3. Click “Generate Account.” You’ll receive a unique code. You’ll need this code to log in and configure your account, so keep it safe.
4. Select the duration of your subscription (one month, two months, three months, six months, one year) and select your payment method.
5. Download the Mullvad VPN software for your operating system.
6. Run the installation wizard for Mullvad VPN.
7. Open the Mullvad software once the installation is complete.
8. Enter your account number and connect to a Mullvad VPN server!
9. 

Mullvad VPN’s appearance and ease of use

While the Mullvad VPN app looks like those of other premium VPNs, there’s something to say about its minimalist design. Since Mullvad limits your choice of VPN protocols and other options, the software is easy to use.

Below, you can see what the Mullvad app looks like. It’s instantly clear whether you’re connected or not.

The only drawback to Mullvad’s design is that information about different servers is limited, including how busy they are and whether you can use them to download torrent files or to unblock Netflix.

You can check each server’s status, issues, and scheduled maintenance on the website.

Overall, the appearance and ease of use of Mullvad’s app don’t leave much to be desired. The software is not particularly striking, but everything works as it should.

We find it inconvenient that the interface is attached to the taskbar and minimizes every time you click outside the window.

You’ll see a green, closed lock whenever you’re connected to a VPN server; whenever you’re unprotected online, you’ll get a red, open lock.

DNS blocking

Mullvad VPN allows users to block websites at the DNS level. Besides ads, trackers, and malware, you can block gambling websites and pornographic content.

You need to manually do this on Mullvad VPN’s iOS app and desktop apps. If you’re using Android, there’s an adapted DNS feature. You’ll find it under “Preferences.”

Multi-Hop and split tunneling

Considering its privacy-sensitive approach, it’s no surprise that Mullvad VPN supports multi-hop. This feature routes your data via multiple VPN servers. While this will affect your connection speeds, you’ll be much more anonymous online.

Mullvad also supports split tunneling. Split tunneling allows you to select which internet traffic you wish to route through your VPN tunnel and which you’ll route via your regular internet connection. This feature is available on Mullvad’s desktop and mobile apps.

Note: On macOS, you have to use a special OpenVPN terminal.

Mullvad VPN pricing and payment methods

With a fixed price of €5 monthly (approximately $5.50), Mullvad VPN is relatively expensive. Whether you want a subscription for one month or longer, the price stays the same.

For privacy reasons, it’s not possible to pay monthly. If you want to use Mullvad for a year, you have to pay at once. This way, Mullvad VPN doesn’t have to store any payment data.

Mullvad offers the following payment methods:

• Privacy-sensitive: Cash or vouchers
• Cryptocurrency: Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, or Monero
• Credit or debit card: PayPal or credit card
• Other: Direct transfer, Swish, Giro, Eps transfer, Bankcontact, iDEAL, or Przelewy24

Mullvad VPN incentivizes anonymous payments with cryptocurrency by giving users 10 percent off. Although this isn’t the best discount, it’s worth considering, especially if you’re looking to use Mullvad VPN long-term.

Paying with cash or Bitcoin is the most anonymous option. You’ll have to share additional account information if you choose direct transfer.

Another thing worth mentioning is that Mullvad offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, and you can have a maximum of five simultaneous connections on one account.

Customer service

Mullvad VPN offers excellent customer support. While it doesn’t provide an on-site live chat option, its staff responds quickly to emails. We received an answer to our questions within one hour. It was evident that actual employees were replying and genuinely were trying to help us.

For this Mullvad VPN review, we inquired about the possibility of getting a free trial, which is not available via the website. An employee sent us an account code that’s valid for 24 hours. They also reminded us of the 30-day money-back guarantee.

We also reached out after running into issues streaming Netflix. Again, we received a very prompt response within 15 minutes.

Unfortunately, Mullvad VPN was unable to unblock the U.S. Netflix library or access any other streaming services. We were told to try different servers.

Server Network – Can Mullvad VPN Unblock the Internet?

It’s essential for VPN providers to have an extensive server network. This allows users to unblock content from around the world and switch between servers when there are connection issues.

Mullvad VPN’s server network receives a score of 8 out of 10. This is based on the following findings:

• Mullvad VPN has 878 servers across 39 countries.
• Mullvad VPN doesn’t unblock Netflix or other streaming services.
• Mullvad VPN is a good option for torrenting; there are extra security options for BitTorrent.

Number of servers and locations

Mullvad VPN has a reasonably large server network. While it isn’t as big as that of ExpressVPN or CyberGhost, Mullvad’s network includes nearly a thousand servers. Mullvad VPN has divided its servers into three categories:

• OpenVPN servers: the more “standard” VPN servers.
• WireGuard servers: “new” VPN servers that should be faster than OpenVPN servers.
• Bridge servers: special Mullvad servers that run on Shadowsocks and should be used to bypass online censorship.

Mullvad VPN doesn’t differentiate between streaming or P2P servers. This provider also doesn’t offer any special “Onion” servers for the Tor network, which alternatives like NordVPN and ExpressVPN do.

Mullvad VPN has 878 servers across 68 cities in 39 countries.

Mullvad VPN: OpenVPN servers

Mullvad has OpenVPN servers in 35 countries. The server locations are divided as follows.

Mullvad VPN: WireGuard servers

Mullvad VPN has WireGuard servers in 36 countries. The server locations are divided as follows.

Mullvad VPN: Bridge servers

Mullvad VPN has Bridge servers in 17 countries. The server locations are divided as follows.

Dedicated IP address

Mullvad VPN doesn’t offer dedicated IPs. All its IP addresses are shared, and we don’t expect this to change anytime soon. Mullvad VPN is focused on privacy and security, and static IP addresses, such as dedicated IPs, are more traceable.

Therefore, it makes sense they choose not to offer these. If you are looking for a VPN with dedicated IP, consider NordVPN.

Mullvad VPN and streaming (Netflix)

During our testing for this Mullvad VPN review, we could not stream Netflix. Neither our local Netflix library nor the American library (which has some of the best Netflix shows) was accessible.

At the moment, Netflix is actively pushing back against VPN use. None of Mullvad’s servers could get past Netflix’s geo-blocks.

When we asked customer service whether there was something we could do, they suggested we try different servers. This didn’t help us, unfortunately.

If you’re looking to access BBC iPlayer, stream Disney Plus, or watch Netflix wherever you are, we recommend using a VPN like Surfshark.

Mullvad VPN and torrenting

While Mullvad VPN doesn’t have specialized P2P servers, we managed to download torrents on local servers. Files downloaded quickly thanks to Mullvad’s high download speeds.

You’ll find additional instructions to guard your BitTorrent client on the Mullvad website. Other clients were not supported, unfortunately, either because they aren’t open source, contain adware or junkware, or don’t offer decent privacy settings.

Our Experience With Mullvad VPN

Mullvad VPN is an excellent and safe VPN provider. Like Private Internet Access (PIA), its primary focus is on safety and privacy, but Mullvad also scores well for speed and usability. In our opinion, Mullvad VPN is one of the best VPNs available today.

The drawbacks are also clear: Mullvad VPN is quite expensive and doesn’t work with Netflix. For some users, this is enough grounds to pick a cheaper VPN or even a free VPN that unblocks Netflix.

Interested in unblocking Netflix and accessing content from around the world? Check out the articles below for our recommmendations:

• The Best Netflix VPNs: Our Top 5 (Tried and Tested!)
• The Best Free VPN for Netflix (Tried and Tested!)
• Best Free VPN for Torrenting & P2P: Tried and Tested!