Mullvad VPN review 2023: secure your online traffic

VPNs make it harder for spies and advertisers to track you online and keep track of your web data. The problem is that the world of virtual private networks (VPNs) is confused and messy, full of big claims and shady practices. But Mullvad VPN is different. Its main goal is to protect its customers’ privacy at a very low cost. It is a very open company that uses unusual ways to protect its customers. You won’t get add-ons, a huge number of servers, or a beautiful interface, but for surprisingly little money, you will get better online privacy than the competition.

Mullvad VPN: Description

Mullvad is an open-source VPN service based in Sweden that is privately owned and puts security and privacy above all else. Every other VPN service says the same thing, but Mullvad goes out of its way to show that security and privacy are its top priorities. The apps are easy to use and have a simple design, but they also have enough customization options to keep even advanced VPN users happy. And Mullvad has all the privacy and security features you need to keep yourself safe online.

It’s a fast VPN that’s easy to use and can keep up with the big-name VPN services. Overall, I was impressed by Mullvad’s dedication to privacy, security, and transparency, as well as its straightforward, no-nonsense approach. However, the fact that the provider is based in Sweden makes it a risky choice for anyone who needs online privacy that is very important.

Mullvad VPN: Plans and Pricing

Mullvad is different in that it only has one price plan, which costs €5 (about $5.20) per month. The price stays the same whether you pay for one month, one year, or ten years. Compared to other monthly plans, this one isn’t too expensive, but since there isn’t a loyalty deal, it can seem a bit pricey. If you pay for two years, Surfshark costs about $2.49 per month before discounts.

Still, not everyone wants to be a subscriber for a long time, so I think the present price is quite fair. Also, since it started offering the service in 2009, Mullvad has charged the same monthly fee of €5 (about $5.20). The company says it doesn’t “ever” have sales, so you don’t have to worry about whether or not you’re getting the best deal.

To keep your identity completely secret, the company takes Bitcoin, Monero, and Bitcoin Cash. If you use these cryptocurrencies, you can even get a 10% discount. If that seems like too much trouble, you can pay with PayPal, Swish, a bank transfer, or a credit card. The most odd thing about this is that you can pay with cash. Put the cash and payment token (which is created randomly on their website) in an envelope and send it to Mullvad.

Mullvad VPN Key Features Table

Mullvad VPN is a Swedish VPN service known for how much it cares about privacy. It has a tight no-logs policy, which means it doesn’t keep any information about what you do online. Mullvad also protects your privacy with a number of security features, such as the OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2/IPSec protocols, a kill switch, and protection against DNS leaks.

Mullvad VPN: Set Up

To get started with Mullvad, all you have to do is create an account number and buy some time. As stated, you can pay with cards, PayPal, Bitcoin, and other methods. On the Download page, there was a link to the Windows client, but there were also links to the Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android apps, the latest beta release, the Firefox extension, and Mullvad’s WireGuard and OpenVPN setup files. We quickly got the Windows driver and put it in place. We turned it on by typing our account number. Mullvad doesn’t require passwords or usernames.

Mullvad VPN: Security and Privacy

Mullvad is very concerned with both security and privacy. To sign up for and use the VPN service, you don’t need to give any personal information, not even an email address or username. When you make an account, Mullvad gives you a unique 16-digit account number that is picked at random. You use this number to sign in. Mullvad says that when you use the service, it doesn’t record anything you do. The company never logs or stores your connection timestamps, IP addresses, DNS requests, bandwidth, or traffic.

This is because the company has a strategy of not keeping track of user activity. If this is true, it means that none of that can be linked back to your account number, and nothing you do online while using Mullvad can be linked back to you because none of your personal information is linked to your account number. There’s no way to know for sure if a VPN company’s claims that it doesn’t keep logs are true. Even though Mullvad says it doesn’t keep track of users’ IP addresses, your IP address is briefly stored in memory when you connect with Wireguard.

Wireguard deletes the data when a server restarts or the Wireguard interface restarts, but Mullvad goes one step further and says it removes and reapplies the peer if there hasn’t been a handshake in 600 seconds. (A secure connection is made when your device and the VPN server swap encryption keys.) “Doing so removes the public IP address and any information about when it last performed a handshake,” says Mullvad.

Mullvad VPN: Server Network

Even though Mullvad VPN is a small VPN service, it has a decent amount of coverage. Mullvad VPN can meet the needs of many people because it has more than 800 servers in 70 cities in 40+ countries. On the VPN provider’s website, where users can see a full list of server sites and their status, the server information is easy to find. You can also find the same information in the VPN app, where you can see a list of areas and expand them to see the city-level servers that are available. Even though Mullvad VPN’s server network might not be the biggest compared to other VPN services, it is not the smallest either.

Mullvad VPN has servers that can be used for anything, such as games, streaming, and P2P file sharing. Unlike other VPNs, it doesn’t have sites that are only used for certain things. All of the computers on the list can be used for the same kinds of tasks. It’s important to note that each server’s connection type is listed next to its choice. This information can only be found on the server list page, not in the mobile or PC apps. The servers use OpenVPN, WireGuard, or Bridge (Double VPN) links, with about 300 using OpenVPN and WireGuard and 30 using Bridge for extra security.

Mullvad VPN: Speed and Performance

Mullvad has a strong network with 895 computers in 39 countries. That’s a lot less than some other VPNs, like NordVPN, which has more than 5,000 servers, but don’t let that fool you Mullvad isn’t a slouch. In fact, the service worked perfectly in every way. Using OpenVPN, I was able to get speeds of 600Mbps in the US. This makes Mullvad one of the fastest VPN services out there right now.

When I switched to WireGuard, I got even faster speeds, reaching 770Mbps for the US. Again, this makes Mullvad one of the fastest VPNs on the market. Only TorGuard, NordVPN, and Hide.me offer faster speeds all around. So, Mullvad isn’t the fastest service I’ve tried, but it’s certainly not the slowest either. It’s fast enough for the vast majority of users.

Mullvad VPN: Protocols

Your VPN provider can set up a VPN link in many different ways. OpenVPN was the most popular choice in the VPN business for a long time, but the WireGuard protocol, which is newer, is becoming more popular now. Mullvad VPN was one of the first companies to fully adopt it.

Like OpenVPN, WireGuard has an open source code that can be looked at to find any possible flaws. WireGuard is different from OpenVPN in that it uses newer security technology and has less of an effect on your internet speed. All Mullvad VPN apps have WireGuard, but OpenVPN only works on Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Mullvad VPN: Customer Support

Mulvad VPN has email and a contact system that customers can use to get help at any time. Live chat and phone support are not available, but the email support is quick and helpful. The ticket system is also easy to use and lets you know where your ticket is in the process.

When I asked Mullvad support a question about the return policy, I got a helpful answer within two hours. The agent knew what people was talking about and answered all of my questions in a clear way. Overall, I’m happy with the customer service that Mullvad VPN offers. It is quick to respond, useful, and knows its stuff.

Mullvad VPN: Pros and Cons

Mullvad VPN is a good choice for people who want a VPN service that is safe and private. It has a strong privacy policy, a number of security features, and a number of other useful features.

Final Words

In the end, Mullvad VPN is a great way to keep your information safe. It has a lot of features and ways to customize it, so you have a lot of choice to make it fit your needs. The company’s open-source ideas and solutions that don’t fit in a box make their app stand out among other Virtual Private Networks.

When it comes to privacy and safety, there are also no problems. The app uses AES-256 encryption that is strong enough for the military, doesn’t keep any logs, and has safe tunneling procedures.