Mullvad review
Swedish, independent, no account email, no subscription tier — and a police raid that came up empty.
What we like
- No email address required — you get an account number and nothing else
- Pays in cash, by post, or in cryptocurrency including Monero
- Swedish police raided the office in 2023 and found no data
- One transparent price for five devices, no upsells or long-term lock-in
- Open-source clients and publishes per-server ownership information
What we don't
- Effectively no streaming unblocking, and this is deliberate
- Flat $5/month is expensive if you only need a VPN occasionally
- Small network of about 700 servers across 40 countries
- Port forwarding was discontinued for all users in 2023
Our verdict
Mullvad's combination is unique in this list: no email, cash by post, one flat price, and a Swedish address you can physically visit. In 2023 police did exactly that and left with nothing. If your threat model involves not wanting a subscription relationship that a company can hold on to, this is the most honest design in our comparison — but $5 a month with no streaming support is not for casual use.
Prices and facts last verified October 6, 2026
Score breakdown
The weighted total, and what each component contributed. Weights are published and identical across all eleven providers.
Why we scored it this way
Anonymous signup, cash and crypto payment, a small owned infrastructure, open-source clients and the 2023 police raid. Scores are held down by a flat $5/month with no long-term discount, a 700-server network, Swedish 14-Eyes membership, and effectively no streaming support.
Privacy and logging
Audit evidence cited: Cure53 and Assured AB. We summarise publicly available reports and do not have access to the underlying working papers.
Network, protocols and speed
Pricing
| Term | From /month | Total price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 month Best value | $5.00 | $5 |
Prices change frequently and are set by the provider. The date above is when we last verified them; the provider's checkout is always authoritative, and you will never be charged the wrong amount because of an error here.
Who it suits
People who want to leave as little trace as possible: no account email, no payment identity link, no long-term commercial relationship.
How it compares
Where this provider wins and where it does not, against the two nearest alternatives on our list.
IVPN
The most transparent provider we found: named ownership, seven annual audits and monthly reporting.
TunnelBear
The most approachable apps of the eleven, a free tier, and the most annual audits of any provider we list.
Mullvad questions
How much does Mullvad cost?
The cheapest plan we list works out at $5.00 per month for 1 month, which is $5 in total. That figure can change at any time — we last verified it on the date shown above — and it is the effective cost of the whole subscription rather than a headline monthly rate. You get 30 days to change your mind.
Can Mullvad really be trusted not to log my data?
The claim is supported by 6 independent audit engagements with Cure53 and Assured AB, the most recent dated 2026-02. RAM-only servers: Yes. Intelligence alliance membership: Inside the alliance. Real-world legal test: yes — there is a documented case. We rate what is verifiable rather than what is promised, which is why this answer scores the way it does.
Why does Mullvad score what it scores?
Mullvad scores 7.5 out of 10, which places it number 11 of the eleven we review, under the badge 'Best anonymity'. The score is a weighted sum of privacy, speed, value, streaming and ease of use, with the weights published in full on our methodology page. Affiliate commission had no influence on any component of it.
Try Mullvad
Check the current price and the terms of the plan you want before you commit. Every plan here includes a money-back window, so the first decision is reversible.