Mullvad VPN Review 2024: Is It Any Good?

Mullvad VPN has excellent security and offers great privacy features. It secures user data with 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, and secure protocols, it has a strict no-logs policy, and all of its apps are open-source. Plus, Mullvad VPN allows users to pay for subscriptions with cash, and it collects only the bare minimal personal information when you open an account.

Mullvad VPN also offers:

• Perfect forward secrecy — Changes the encryption key for each VPN session.
• Split-tunneling — Allows you to exclude apps from the VPN connection.
• Ad blocker — Lets you block ads, ad trackers, malicious sites, and more.
• Obfuscation — Hides your VPN traffic to provide additional privacy.
• Multihop — Adds an extra layer of encryption to your VPN connection.

Mullvad VPN is also good for torrenting, and it works in restrictive countries like China and Iran, allowing users to access a free and open internet.

I give Mullvad VPN a lot of high marks, but it has some flaws — my main complaint is that Mullvad VPN isn’t good for streaming. It works with Netflix, but not with Amazon Prime and many other top streaming services (ExpressVPN, my favorite VPN, works with all popular streaming services at all times). Also, there’s no WebRTC leak protection, and Mullvad VPN doesn’t offer live chat support.

Mullvad VPN allows up to 5 simultaneous connections with 1 subscription, and it’s the only VPN on the market that offers a fixed rate for a 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month payment plan — the price per month remains the same no matter which plan you choose. Plus, all plans are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Mullvad VPN Full Review — Excellent for Privacy + Good Torrenting Tools

I spent a few weeks testing and researching Mullvad VPN to see how it compares to the top VPNs on the market.

Mullvad VPN is a very good VPN, and it has a reputation as being one of the most privacy-focused providers out there.

Mullvad VPN comes with industry-standard VPN security features, a strict no-logs policy, open-source apps that have been independently audited, and it’s based in a privacy-friendly country. Plus, Mullvad VPN doesn’t ask for personal information when you purchase a subscription, and it offers anonymous payment options.

Mullvad VPN also has easy-to-use apps, fast speeds, and is great for torrenting.

Mullvad VPN Plans & Pricing — Fixed (& Reasonable) Pricing

Mullvad VPN has a fixed, flat monthly rate. You can choose a recurring monthly plan, or you can make a one-time payment for 1, 2, 3, 6, or 12 months (but the monthly price is the same no matter which plan you choose).

Mullvad VPN’s flat-rate price of $5.36 / month is cheaper than most VPNs if you use it for less than a year. But many VPNs (like CyberGhost VPN, Private Internet Access, and PrivateVPN) offer steep discounts on plans for 2 years and 3 years.

Mullvad VPN accepts multiple payment methods, including credit cards, PayPal, Swish, SEPA, cryptocurrencies, Mullvad VPN vouchers, giropay, EPS, iDEAL, Bancontact, and Przelewy24. Mullvad VPN is one of the only VPNs that accept cash payments in 10 different currencies (Proton VPN also accepts cash payments).

Mullvad VPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee for all of its plans.

Overall, Mullvad VPN’s flat-rate pricing is convenient because it doesn’t force you into long-term commitments. Mullvad VPN costs a bit more than some VPNs that offer discounts for long-term commitments, but it still has very affordable pricing.

Mullvad VPN Features — Covers All of the Basic Security Tools

Mullvad VPN has all of the essential VPN security features:

• 256-bit AES encryption. Mullvad VPN uses military-grade encryption to secure your data.
• No-logs policy. Mullvad VPN doesn’t log any user data (IP addresses, website traffic, and downloaded files). Mullvad VPN’s no-logs policy has been independently audited and confirmed multiple times.
• Kill switch. Mullvad VPN shuts down your internet access if the VPN connection drops. The built-in kill switch is available on all of the provider’s apps, except iOS. You can also configure the kill switch to block all of your internet access if you manually disconnect from the VPN server or quit the app, preventing you from going online without being connected to Mullvad VPN.

Mullvad VPN has OpenVPN (UDP and TCP) and WireGuard, which are 2 of the top protocols out there. Both OpenVPN and WireGuard are secure and maintain fast speeds, but in my tests, WireGuard had better speeds.

Mullvad VPN also includes perfect forward secrecy (when you use OpenVPN), which regularly changes the encryption keys that encrypt your online traffic. Perfect forward secrecy prevents a third-party from accessing your data on past or future keys (only the data on your current encryption key is accessible).

Mullvad VPN has good leak protection. It automatically prevents DNS leaks by sending your traffic through its own DNS servers. And Mullvad is one of the few VPNs that supports IPv6 traffic. Most VPNs don’t support IPv6 — instead, they either automatically block IPv6 traffic or recommend that you manually disable it. Unfortunately, Mullvad VPN doesn’t prevent WebRTC leaks.

I like that Mullvad VPN allows you to browse Tor sites while connected to Mullvad VPN’s servers, which protects you against Tor IP leaks. For example, if your IP address gets leaked while you surf the Tor network, only the VPN’s IP address will get exposed, and not your actual IP address. While Mullvad VPN provides good Tor support, I prefer to use NordVPN or Proton VPN — both let you visit Tor sites in regular browsers like Firefox and Chrome.

Besides these standard security features, Mullvad VPN also has extra features like split-tunneling, an ad blocker, obfuscation, multihop, and a connection checker.

Split-Tunneling — Pick Apps to Route via the VPN or Your Local Network

Mullvad VPN has decent split-tunneling that lets you exclude specific apps from the VPN tunnel. In my tests, I downloaded torrent files while connected to Mullvad VPN’s server, and I watched a movie on Disney+ while connected to my local network. This allowed me to get faster download speeds and enjoy Disney+ content.

Mullvad VPN’s split-tunneling feature is easy to use and it’s available on Android, Windows, and Linux. Mullvad VPN has guides that show you how to manually set up split-tunneling on macOS, but the process is very complicated.

That said, I prefer Private Internet Access’s split-tunneling more — it lets you split-tunnel both apps and sites, and it’s available on Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Overall, Mullvad VPN provides access to pretty good split-tunneling on most of its apps, but keep in mind the feature only lets you split-tunnel app traffic (I’d like to see the provider let you split-tunnel sites too in the future).

Ad blocker — Customizable Tool (Also Blocks Adult Content & Social Media Sites)

Mullvad VPN provides access to an in-depth ad blocker, which blocks ads, ad trackers, malicious sites, and even gambling, adult, and social media sites. The ad blocker is available on the provider’s Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux apps — though it’s more limited on iOS, as it only blocks ads, trackers, and shady sites.

The provider’s ad blocker worked very well in my tests — it got rid of most ads on media outlets and search engines, and it successfully stopped me from accessing unsafe HTTP websites.

I also think it’s great how the ad blocker lets you block access to adult content (ExpressVPN’s Advanced Protection tool does this too) — this setting can be used as a form of parental controls to keep your kid safe from inappropriate online content.

Overall, I really like Mullvad VPN’s ad blocker — it works very well, it’s available on all of its apps, and it also blocks gambling, adult, and social media sites (except on iOS).

Obfuscation — Makes Your VPN Traffic Look like Normal Traffic & Works in Restrictive Countries

Mullvad VPN supports obfuscation, which hides your VPN traffic. The provider allows obfuscation via both the OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols, which is great since most VPNs only support obfuscation via OpenVPN. Obfuscation is available on Mullvad VPN’s Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux apps.

Obfuscation is great for users in restrictive countries, as it allows them to circumvent VPN connection blocks. Mullvad VPN’s obfuscation works very well, as the VPN consistently works in restrictive regions, such as China, Russia, and Iran.

In addition, obfuscation is also a good way of getting additional privacy. Since the feature hides your VPN traffic, third parties can’t detect and monitor your VPN connection anymore.

Overall, Mullvad VPN provides excellent obfuscation on most of its apps. I’d just like to see it add support for this feature on its iOS app.

Multihop — Adds Another Layer of Privacy

Mullvad VPN’s Multihop feature lets you create double VPN connections, which send your traffic through 2 VPN servers instead of just 1 VPN server — this provides additional security, as you protect your online data with an extra layer of encryption. The provider’s Multihop feature is available on its Windows, macOS, and Linux apps.

The Multihop feature is very easy to use, and I also like how it lets you pick whichever entry and exit servers you want out of the 40 countries available in Mullvad VPN’s server network.

Multihop connections normally cause bigger slowdowns, which is due to the added layer of encryption, and the extra server your data has to pass through. That said, I didn’t experience very big slowdowns with Mullvad VPN’s Multihop feature — on average, my multihop connections were only about 20% slower compared to regular VPN connections.

While I like Multihop, I still think Surfshark’s Dynamic MultiHop feature is better — it lets you set up customized double VPN connections just like Mullvad VPN, but it lets you pick entry and exit servers from 100 countries.

Overall, Mullvad’s Multihop feature lets you easily create double VPN connections, and it’s great that you can pick whichever entry and exit servers you want.

Connection Check — Convenient Tool to Check for Leaks

Mullvad VPN’s Connection Check feature is really cool — it tests your VPN connection for IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks. The tool is very simple since it’s available on the provider’s site (ExpressVPN has a similar tool on its site too), so all you have to do is load the tool page when you’re connected to a VPN.

I particularly like how convenient this type of leak test tool is — that’s because it’s easier to just run a leak test on the provider’s site rather than having to use different third-party leak testing tools.

Overall, Mullvad VPN lets you quickly and easily test your VPN connection for leaks via the Connection Check tool on its site.

Mullvad VPN Privacy & Security — A Verified No-Logs Policy + Options for Added Anonymity

Mullvad VPN has one of the most transparent no-logs policies out there and offers tons of extra privacy measures for users who want to remain as anonymous as possible.

Mullvad VPN’s privacy policy clearly says the provider doesn’t log any personal data, including your IP address, user bandwidth, or even your email address for creating an account — instead Mullvad VPN automatically generates a 16-digit numbered account, which is what you use to buy a subscription and then to log in to your Mullvad VPN account.

Mullvad VPN also accepts cash payments by mail (like Proton VPN), which offers better privacy because it doesn’t leave an online money trail. Also, Mullvad VPN’s no-logs policy has been independently audited and confirmed.

Mullvad VPN’s privacy policy is really easy to understand, and it also includes screenshots examples to highlight the data Mullvad VPN may access. I also like how the privacy policy advises people who pay with cash not to write their name and address on the envelope that they use to send their payment. I really like the commitment Mullvad VPN makes to ensure their users’ privacy is protected.

I’m also a really big fan of how all of Mullvad VPN’s apps are open-source (like Private Internet Access and Proton VPN), allowing anyone to inspect the code to make sure the service is safe.

Mullvad VPN is headquartered in Sweden, which is part of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances (a group of countries that share intelligence data with each other). But even if the authorities asked for user data, Mullvad VPN would have nothing to hand over because it doesn’t store any user data. And while Sweden has mandatory data retention laws, they only apply to ISPs — and not VPNs.

Overall, Mullvad VPN has an excellent no-logs policy and is one of the best VPNs out there for protecting users’ privacy. And all of Mullvad VPN’s apps are open-source.

Mullvad VPN Speed & Performance — Solid Speeds on the Majority of Servers

I ran a speed test in each of the 40 countries where Mullvad VPN has a server. I used WireGuard for my speed tests because my speeds were 20% faster with WireGuard than with OpenVPN. On average, I experienced a 70% speed decrease, but I live in a country (Romania) that has very fast internet speeds, so this decrease didn’t significantly affect any of my online activities. But I asked my colleague in the US to conduct speed tests to get a fairer idea of Mullvad VPN’s speeds — on average he reported a slow down of about 17%, which is really good.

First, I ran a speed test while connected to my ISP’s local network to get a baseline for my speeds:

I then manually connected to a VPN server in Romania (since the provider lacks a quick-connect feature). While I experienced a 54% slowdown, my browsing remained unchanged from when I was connected to my local network. Websites and 4K videos on YouTube loaded instantly, and I didn’t experience any buffering while watching and skipping through the videos. I also played online video games without any lag.

Next, I connected to a VPN server in the US. My speeds were 71% slower, but I hardly noticed the difference. Websites continued to load right away, and 1080p and 4K videos only took 1-2 seconds to load. I downloaded 20 GB torrents in 15-20 minutes, which is really fast, and my Voice over IP (VoIP) calls were very stable and didn’t freeze.

Finally, I tested a VPN server in Japan, and my speeds slowed down by a whopping 89%. Websites and 4K videos took 4-5 seconds to load, and I experienced minor buffering. My P2P files still downloaded pretty fast, and VoIP calls took 1-2 seconds to load but were uninterrupted.

My country (Romania) has very fast internet speeds, so it’s not fair to compare my results with what people from other countries might see. So I asked my colleague from the US to run some speed tests, too.

First, he ran a speed test while connected to his local network to get a baseline for his speeds.

Next, he manually connected to a Mullvad VPN server in New York City, which was the closest server to his location. He experienced a decrease of 8%, and his speeds for browsing, streaming, and torrenting were barely affected.

When he connected to a server in Switzerland, his download speed was actually faster than it was when he was connected to the New York City server. My colleague had no issues with websites loading, TV shows and movies instantly starting, and P2P files quickly downloading — even his international VoIP calls were crystal clear.

Finally, my colleague connected to a server in Australia, where he had a 19% speed loss, which is still pretty good for a distant location. However, he experienced significant slow downs. Websites took 5-6 seconds to load, videos took 6-7 seconds to begin (but there was no buffering once the videos started), and he suffered some lag while playing video games.

Overall, Mullvad VPN has very fast speeds on nearby servers and decent speeds on distant servers. My colleague and I both enjoyed fast loading times for websites and videos, and our VoIP calls were stable while connected to far-away servers.

Mullvad VPN Servers & IP Addresses — A Smaller Network Compared to Competitors

Mullvad VPN has 649 servers in 40 countries. Most top VPNs have a larger server network, like ExpressVPN (servers in 105+ countries) and CyberGhost VPN (servers in 100 countries).

Almost half of Mullvad VPN’s servers are located in Europe, and the other servers are evenly spread in North America, Oceania, and the Middle East. But Mullvad VPN has poor coverage for Asia, South America, and Africa, preventing many users in those regions from finding a nearby server to get good speeds.

However, I like that Mullvad VPN supports torrenting on all of its servers. Some top VPNs (like Proton VPN) only allow torrenting on dedicated servers, which may prevent some users from finding a nearby server.

Mullvad VPN doesn’t offer dedicated IPs, which are IP addresses that are assigned only to you. If you’re looking for a provider that offers dedicated IPs, PrivateVPN has free dedicated IPs, and CyberGhost VPN and Private Internet Access charge a small additional cost for them.

Overall, Mullvad VPN has a good server network that is evenly spread across Europe, North America, and Oceania. It doesn’t have servers in as many countries as many of the top VPNs, but I like that all of the servers allow P2P traffic.

Mullvad VPN Streaming & Torrenting — Pretty Weak for Streaming, Good for Sharing Files

Mullvad VPN isn’t good for streaming. It works with Netflix and sometimes works with BBC iPlayer, but it doesn’t work with Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, or Hulu. If you’re looking for a VPN that works with all of the popular streaming sites, I recommend ExpressVPN.

Mullvad VPN is good for torrenting. It allows P2P traffic on all of its 649 servers, which are located in 40 countries. Plus, it works with all torrent clients like qBittorrent, Deluge, and uTorrent.

Before I started to download files, I ran DNS, WebRTC, and even IPv6 leak tests while connected to 10+ servers — fortunately, there were 0 leaks.

That said, there are much better P2P VPNs out there — for example, Private Internet Access allows torrenting on servers in 91 countries, and it lets you boost P2P speeds via port forwarding (lets you connect to more peers) and SOCKS5 proxy connections, which hide your IP address but don’t provide encryption.

Overall, Mullvad VPN works with Netflix but not other streaming services. That said, it’s good for torrenting — Mullvad VPN supports P2P traffic on all servers and works with the top torrent clients.

Mullvad VPN Bypassing Censorship — Good for Use in Restrictive Countries (Like China & Iran)

Mullvad VPN works in restrictive countries without any issues, as it supports obfuscation via all protocols and on most of its apps — this tool hides your VPN traffic and allows you to circumvent VPN blocks.

Mullvad VPN Ease of Use: Mobile & Desktop Apps — Intuitive Apps (Really Good One for Linux)

Mullvad VPN has apps for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. Mullvad VPN is one of the few VPNs that has a Linux app with a full graphical user interface (GUI), meaning it looks just like the other Mullvad apps — you don’t have to deal with command lines to use the app.

It’s very easy to install Mullvad VPN’s apps. It only took me 1 minute to add it on my Android and iOS smartphones, and 1-2 minutes to install the desktop app on my Windows 10 PC and MacBook Pro.

Android — Full-Featured & Intuitive Interface, but It’s Missing Quick Connect Option

Mullvad VPN has a really good Android app, as it’s feature-rich and pretty easy to use. The design is really easy to navigate, and I like how there are quick explanations for most settings and features.

Also, the Android app provides access to pretty much all of the VPN’s extra features, including split-tunneling, obfuscation (via WireGuard), and the ad blocker. The only thing that’s missing is support for multihop connections, but that’s not a huge drawback.

Still, I do think it’s a shame that there’s no quick-connect tool to automatically connect you to the fastest server. Most top VPNs offer a quick-connect feature on their Android apps.

Overall, I think Mullvad VPN’s Android app is great since it’s simple to use, and it also comes with most of the provider’s additional features.

iOS — Simple Dashboard, but It Lacks Many Extra Features

Mullvad VPN’s iOS app is user-friendly, but that’s about it. It has an interface that’s simple to navigate, and it takes less than 5 seconds to find and connect to a server. But, just like the Android app, it’s missing a quick-connect tool.

But I don’t think the iOS app is as good as the Android app — it has ad blocking, but it’s more limited compared to the ad blocker tool on Android. Also, the iOS app is missing a built-in kill switch since Mullvad VPN relies on an iOS feature that imitates a kill switch. In addition, the app is also missing split-tunneling (most VPNs don’t have this on iOS, though), multihop connections, and obfuscation.

Overall, Mullvad VPN has an intuitive iOS app, but I honestly think there are better VPNs for iOS on the market.

Windows/Mac (Desktop) — Feature-Rich & Easy-to-Use Apps

Mullvad VPN’s desktop apps have the same design as the mobile apps and are very easy to use. Mullvad VPN’s Windows and macOS apps also lack a quick connect feature, but it’s pretty simple to find and connect to a server.

I like that the Windows and macOS apps support OpenVPN and WireGuard. And both of Mullvad VPN’s desktop apps have a built-in kill switch that’s always enabled. Both apps also come with obfuscation (via both WireGuard and OpenVPN), the ad blocker, and multihop connections.

Still, I think the Windows app is slightly better because it also comes with split-tunneling. If you’re looking for a VPN with good split-tunneling for macOS, I recommend ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access.

Overall, Mullvad VPN’s macOS and Windows apps are user-friendly, feature-rich, and very secure.

Mullvad VPN’s Apps: Is Mullvad Easy to Use?

Yes, Mullvad VPN has easy-to-use apps for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux. All of the apps have a similar interface that makes them simple to navigate.

The Windows and Linux apps are the most feature-rich, as they come with all of the provider’s additional features — but most users will be satisfied with the functionality they get on Android and macOS too. Only the iOS app is pretty bare-bones, as it only comes with limited ad blocking.

Mullvad VPN Customer Support — Good Guides & Email Support (But Lacks Live Chat)

Mullvad VPN’s customer support includes several channels, such as an extensive library of frequently asked questions (FAQs), setup and troubleshooting guides, and email support. However, there’s sadly no live chat support.

The support page is well structured for simple navigation. It divides FAQs and instructions into 10+ separate categories such as Mullvad app, Connectivity, Security, and Bridges. Each category is located on the left-hand side of the support page. When you select a category, you’re offered a variety of comprehensive and useful FAQs and guides.

If I was unable to find an answer with the FAQs or support guides, I contacted Mullvad VPN via email. I sent Mullvad VPN many email messages, and I always got a reply within 2-3 hours (the industry average is around 5-6 hours or more). Sometimes, the support reps even replied in under 30 minutes — and the reps were always friendly, professional, and provided me with helpful answers.

The lack of a live chat feature is a letdown with Mullvad VPN, especially since most premium VPNs (like ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN) offer this. I find live chat preferable because you can get immediate answers, so I hope Mullvad adds this feature soon.

Overall, Mullvad VPN has good customer support. While it’s missing live chat, Mullvad VPN has tons of helpful FAQs and support guides, and I always received fast and useful replies through email.

Is Mullvad VPN the Best VPN for Privacy?

Mullvad VPN protects your data with top-notch security, provides excellent privacy features, and is both fast and user-friendly.

Mullvad VPN has a reputation for having great security and privacy. It offers all of the industry-standard security features, as well as strong leak protection, perfect forward secrecy, and open-source apps (that have been independently audited and confirmed). Plus, it also has multihop connections, obfuscation, and a good ad blocker. And when it comes to privacy, Mullvad VPN has a strict no-logs policy, accepts cash payments, and offers near-anonymous account registration.

And the provider also has good P2P support (it allows torrenting on all servers), and it works without issues in restrictive countries, such as China, Iran, and Russia.

But Mullvad VPN isn’t perfect. Although it works with Netflix and sometimes BBC iPlayer, Mullvad VPN doesn’t work with other streaming services. Also, it lacks WebRTC leak protection, and there’s no live chat support.

Mullvad VPN offers an affordable flat monthly rate no matter how long of a payment plan you choose, and it backs each purchase with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mullvad VPN free?

No, Mullvad VPN doesn’t have a free plan. But each payment plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee that lets you test the service risk-free. Also, Mullvad VPN offers multiple payment plans where the price is the same flat rate of $5.36 / month.

While there are free VPNs available, I don’t recommend using them. They usually lack important security features, have buggy apps, set a limit on your data, have slow speeds, and may log what sites you browse and files you download.

Instead, I recommend that you purchase an inexpensive VPN like Mullvad VPN to make sure you get great security, fast speeds, torrenting support, and easy-to-use apps.

Does Mullvad work with Netflix?

Yes, Mullvad VPN will work consistently with Netflix. However, Mullvad VPN isn’t one of my favorite VPNs for streaming. It works about half the time with BBC iPlayer, but it doesn’t work with other popular streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Hulu.

To use Netflix and all of the other popular streaming sites, I recommend ExpressVPN.

Is Mullvad good for torrenting?

Yes, Mullvad VPN is a great torrenting VPN. It supports P2P traffic on all of its 649 servers, allowing you to choose a server close to your location to get the fastest download speeds.

In my tests, I was able to download 20 GB files in 15-20 minutes, which is really fast. Mullvad VPN also worked with the most popular torrenting clients like qBittorrent, uTorrent, Deluge, and Transmission. It also provides very strong security features for torrenting.

Does Mullvad work in China?

Yes, Mullvad VPN consistently works in China. It offers obfuscation on most of its apps, which hides your VPN traffic to allow you to circumvent VPN traffic detection and connection blocks.