Mullvad VPN Analysis and Review: Features, Pricing, Comparison, and Setup Instructions

In the digital age, where privacy and security concerns are growing, a VPN can help maintain your digital safety. Mullvad VPN, a Swedish-based provider, is slowly building its reputation as one of the most privacy-focused VPN services available.

Mullvad offers multiple features, including a no-logs policy, anonymous sign-up via account numbers, multiple device support, and a kill switch.

If you are searching for a wallet-friendly VPN that can enhance your online privacy and security, Mullvad might be a perfect fit. This article will help you determine whether it is worth your money, along with its features, compared with other VPNs.

What is Mullvad VPN?  

Mullvad VPN AB, a Swedish-based provider, is considered one of the most reliable and value-for-money virtual private networks. Unlike other commercial VPNs that require user registration, Mullvad allows users to create an account without providing any personal information, including email addresses and mobile numbers.

Mullvad VPN works by routing your internet traffic through their servers and creating an encrypted tunnel for the same, therefore hiding your IP address from websites and your ISP.

This encryption and routing of data assists privacy protection by making it difficult to track your online activity and location by your internet service provider, websites, or any other kind of third party.

Mullvad VPN Features: Privacy, Security, and Speed 

Mullvad offers many impressive features for its price range, including no activity logging, anonymous account creation, OpenVPN protocols, and support for WireGuard. We have listed some key features that can help you understand this VPN service better.  

1. Anonymous Sign-up

Anonymous signup using randomly generated account numbers is one of the most impressive features that Mullvad VPN offers, which differentiates it from its competitors.

Mullvad generates a unique, random account number for each user, and this account number is the only credential needed to use the VPN service.

2. No-Logging Policy and Kill Switch 

Mullvad VPN works under a strict no-logs policy, which means they don’t log user activity, including user identification, Internet traffic, DNS requests, timestamps, user bandwidth, or any other user details.

A built-in kill switch is included in Mullvad that blocks all internet traffic and automatically disconnects from the internet if the VPN connection to a Mullvad server is disconnected. 

3. Speed and Tunneling Protocols

Mullvad VPN mostly offers good speed, particularly when using WireGuard; it also depends on your internet connection and server location.

To maintain secure, encrypted connections, it supports both tunneling protocols, including OpenVPN and WireGuard, which also makes it one of the best vpn for torrenting. Mullvad, however, suggests using WireGuard due to its speed and security features.

OpenVPN Mullvad is also available, as Mullvad uses TLS 1.3 for the control channel and AES-256-GCM for the data channel, implemented in OpenSSL. 

How to Log In and Set Up Mullvad VPN?

Unlike the other VPNs, which require you to register through your email ID or phone number, Mullvad VPN offers an anonymous sign-up process.

Mullvad generates a 16-digit unique account number, which will be the only identifier needed to use the service.

If you are new to using VPN and figuring out how to use VPN, we have prepared an easy list of pointers to help you easily install and set up Mullvad on different devices and operating systems.

1. Android

• Search for the Mullvad App on the Google Play Store and install the app.

  

• Tap on Create account at the bottom of the login screen.

  

• Create a New Account in the Mullvad app and log in using the Unique 16-digit Account Number. 

2. iOS 

• Search for Mullvad on the App Store and install the app.

  

• Create a new account in the Mullvad app and log in using the Unique 16-digit Account Number.

  

3. Windows 

• Download the latest version of Mullvad VPN from the Mullvad website and search for “Install Mullvad VPN.exe” to install. 

  

• Complete the Installation process and create a New Account, and log in using the Unique 16-digit Account Number. 

macOS

Mullvad VPN is generally considered one of the top 10 Best VPN for Mac worldwide. Read out the steps mentioned below to understand how to set up Mullvad on your device. 

• Download the latest version of Mullvad from the Mullvad website and search for “Install Mullvad VPN” .dmg to install the App.

  

• Click the download & install option to complete installation. Further register and log in using the same process mentioned earlier. 

  

Refer to these steps to easily download and install Mullvad VPN on your Mobile, Windows, or macOS, and register to use.  

Mullvad VPN Compared to Other VPNs 

MullvadVPN offers some distinguished and impressive features compared to other VPNs, such as anonymous accounts and payments. However, it has yet to appear in the top 10 list of the most widely used VPNs worldwide.

The table below can help you analyze how Mullvad compares to other VPNs. It will also give you an idea of Mullvad Vs NordVPN, which is also the top-rated VPN worldwide. 

Attributes	Mullvad VPN	Nord VPN	Surfshark	Proton
Starting Price	€5 ($5.78)	$12.99	$2.19	$3.59
Location	Sweden	Panama	Netherlands	Switzerland
Servers	700+	7,300+	3200+	13,000+
Free Version	No	Yes	No	Yes
Countries	49	118	100	110
Torrenting	All servers	All servers	All servers	P2P servers
Simultaneous Connections	5	10	Unlimited	10
Customer Support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Mullvad VPN Cost: Does Mullvad Justify Its Worth?

The starting price to avail the services of Mullvad VPN starts at €5, which is approximately USD 5.78. Unlike other VPNs like Nord VPN and Proton VPN, it does not offer a different price package for monthly or annual subscriptions. Mullvad pricing remains the same whether you avail a monthly or yearly subscription, which will be €5 per month.

If you compare the cost of Mullvad to the other VPNs, including Nord VPN and ExpressVPN, which cost $12.99 and $12.95, respectively, every month. Mullvad VPN does offer a relatively reduced monthly package, as it costs €5 per month.

One exciting and attractive feature is that it offers several options for anonymous payments, which uphold user privacy. To avail the services of MullvadVPN, users can make the payment through several payment methods, including cash or cryptocurrency (Bitcoin), and payment processors, including PayPal and Stripe.    

Mullvad VPN offers some distinguished privacy and security features as well to complement its price point. Therefore, the privacy features include no logging, anonymous account creation, open source apps, split tunneling, and a lot more.

Security features like using strong encryption protocols like AES 256 and ChaCha20, a kill switch, MultiHop connections, SOCKS5 proxy, and DNS leak protection help users maintain digital security and enhance online privacy and security. 

Mullvad VPN: Pros and Cons

While Mullvad offers several features for enhanced privacy and security of its users, it contains some major drawbacks as well. One of the major drawbacks is that there is no Mullvad VPN free version that is currently available for users.

We have curated a list of some major pros and cons checklist, which will help you understand more about all the benefits or drawbacks.

Pros	Cons
Mullvad offers some secure privacy and security features, including anonymous registration and no log activity.	It offers only 5 simultaneous connections, which is fewer than the other VPNs available in the market.
Anonymous payment options, including cash and cryptocurrency (bitcoin).	Limited server network of just 700+, which is much less compared to Nord VPN, which has 7,300+ servers.
Multi-device support of up to 5 devices per account.	No Mullvad free version of its vpn is available, which restricts its global presence.
Kill switch and DNS &IPv6 leak protection for enhanced protection.	No access to popular streaming services
Use secure protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard for strong encryption.
Split tunneling feature for reduced vpn server load and enhanced network performance.
Independent security audits to verify its claims for secured systems.

Therefore, we can say that Mullvad might have a limited server network and streaming limitations, but can still be considered as a value-for-money option due to several distinguished privacy and security features that it offers. 

Is Mullvad VPN Legal to Use? 

After reading the article, one question might have crossed your mind: are VPN’s legal to use? Mullvad is completely legal to use worldwide. While using a VPN like Mullvad remains completely legal to use, using it for illegal activities remains illegal and will be a criminal offense.

Strong privacy and security policies make Mullvad a legal and trustworthy option to consider for users. Mullvad’s legality is based in Sweden, where Swedish law doesn’t require VPN providers to log user data or traffic, which helps Mullvad offer a strict no-logs policy for its users.

Using a VPN in restrictive locations like China can be tricky, but Mullvad VPN China can be an option for users in China to consider for bypassing censorship and accessing blocked websites.

However, the Chinese government actively monitors and restricts internet access; Mullvad can be used in China due to features like Shadowsocks, which can help bypass the Great Firewall.  

Mullvad VPN Issues and Troubleshooting Solutions 

Mullvad offers various advanced features and aims to enhance its global presence and increase its user base. While it offers various enhanced security and privacy features, it also has some limitations.

We have enlisted some common recurring issues that users sometimes face and provided troubleshooting solutions below. 

Common Recurring Issues

• Unstable Connection: Some users have reported that Mullvad VPN sometimes faces slow speeds, dropped connections, and difficulty connecting to secure servers.
  
• Streaming Issues: Since Mullvad is focused on enhancing privacy, it faces streaming limitations due to its limited IP address, which can be blocked by streaming platforms.

• Connection Failure and Slow Speeds: Some users face connection drops, especially during downloads or streaming, which can be due to unstable internet or server issues.

Troubleshooting Solutions

• Change VPN Settings: If you are continuously facing similar or firewall issues, you can try enabling Obfuscation to conceal VPN traffic, making it appear as regular internet traffic. 

• Check for Updates: Regularly check for updates and keep your Mullvad App and operating system up to date to avoid any kind of recurring issues.  

• Switching to Different Servers: Slow speeds are usually caused by internet routing problems, which can be resolved by switching to a server hosted by a different provider. 

• Contact Support: If the above-mentioned points don’t help you resolve your VPN issues, try contacting the Mullvad Contact Support team for assistance.  

Once registered, you might face some of these common recurring issues, but users have reported that most of these usually get resolved using these troubleshooting solutions.

The Final Verdict

Mullvad VPN can be an option to consider if you are looking for a privacy-focused VPN that offers strong security features and maintains anonymity.

Features such as no activity logs, registration & login without an email address or personal information, and anonymous payment options make it a cut above the rest.

Yet it has certain drawbacks as well, but due to all the advanced privacy and security features that it offers, this is a value-for-money option. 

Frequently Asked Questions