Mullvad VPN is the product of a Swedish company Mullvad VPN AB. Initially released in 2009, Mullvad VPN has become one of the best budget VPNs on the market. You won’t get a fancy interface or too many features, but you will get reliable protection and privacy when using it.
Mullvad VPN Features in 2023
Mullvad VPN has 871 servers in 39 countries. That’s quite a small number compared to 3-9 thousand servers that other VPNs offer but as we already said, Mullvad is a budget VPN that doesn’t go over the top with things users may not even need. 871 servers are more than enough for regular users.
Mullvad VPN allows up to 5 simultaneous connections with a single account, which is a pretty standard amount. Some VPNs offer unlimited connections but that’s pretty rare.
Web traffic encryption
A VPN’s most important feature is traffic encryption. Mullvad will encrypt all your traffic when you’re using it, essentially concealing your browsing data from prying eyes, including your internet service provider (ISP). This allows you to safely use public VPNs without worrying that someone could be spying on you and potentially stealing your sensitive information.
Strict no-logs policy
Whether a VPN has a no-logs policy is one of the most important things to check when choosing a VPN. The whole point of a VPN is to hide all traces of your online activities. No reliable VPN will keep logs of your online activities. But while most VPNs claim to not keep logs, you, as a user, have no way of knowing whether logs are kept. This is why it’s important for VPNs to be audited by independent parties.
Mullvad does have a no-logs policy. All of Mullvad’s apps have been audited by third parties numerous times. This proves that no logs are kept.
Split tunneling
Mullvad has a split tunneling feature, which essentially allows you to choose which apps should connect to the Internet via the VPN and which should connect directly. For example, if you want to use a VPN exclusively for streaming, you can have the streaming app connect via the VPN, while all your other apps would connect normally. This is useful when you want to maintain your regular speeds for some apps, while also staying completely concealed when using others at the same time.
Kill switch
Like all trustworthy VPNs, Mullvad has a kill switch that will stop network traffic if your connection to the VPN gets dropped. This can happen for many reasons, including issues with your ISP, as well as problems with Mullvad’s servers. When a VPN connection suddenly gets dropped, your IP address would be leaked. If this were to happen to activists in countries where certain activism is prohibited, a leaked IP could have disastrous consequences. A kill switch immediately blocks all network traffic, preventing data from leaking.
Adblocker
Like a lot of VPNs nowadays, Mullvad VPN also works as an adblocker tool. It also blocks trackers, preventing websites and data collectors from gathering data to make a profile of you. We visited sites that tend to spam ads and Mullvad was able to block them with no issue.
Does Mullvad VPN unblock Netflix, Disney+, etc. in 2023?
When it comes to unblocking streaming services and their libraries, VPNs can often be a hit or miss. To make it worse, whether a VPN works changes all the time because streaming services try to prevent VPS usage. So if you read that a specific VPN worked to unblock Netflix two years ago, it does not mean that it will be able to do that in 2023.
When we tried to access Netflix using the VPN, the streaming service was able to detect it. We tried multiple servers with no luck. However, it’s worth mentioning that the Mullvad VPN does not appear to promote itself as a streaming service unblocker. It does not even list that as one of its features. So it’s not particularly surprising that we’re not able to access geo-blocked streaming content. If you need a VPN to access geo-blocked streaming content in 2023, Mullvad VPN is not the correct choice.
Customer support
Mullvad’s official website has many resources to help users with the most common issues related to the VPN. There are also general guides and tips on how to browse more safely and change certain browsing habits. It does not appear that there is 24/7 support or a live chat option. If users wanted to contact customer support, they’d have to use email.
Mullvad is a budget VPN so it’s not surprising that there is no 24/7 support. Nonetheless, some users may find issues with that. Communication via email is generally slower so if there’s an urgent problem, having to wait for a reply may be troublesome.
Mullvad Interface/design in 2023
You shouldn’t expect a fancy interface with multiple additional features because Mullvad VPN has a very simple interface and design. Operating the VPN on all platforms is quite simple as it’s very straightforward. You can easily switch between available servers, enable/disable features, etc. The design is pretty standard for VPNs, though that’s certainly not a bad thing.
It’s worth mentioning that creating an account for Mullvad VPN is different than for other services. Mullvad stresses the importance of not collecting any data from users, which is why they do not ask for an email address during account creation. Instead, you are assigned a 12-character account number when creating an account. When logging in, instead of using an email and password, only the account number is necessary. This makes logging in a simpler process but for less tech-savvy users who may be unfamiliar with it, it may seem confusing initially.
Mullvad Performance in 2023
No matter how good a VPN is, your connection slows down when you use a VPN. In extreme cases, your internet speed can go down more than half. Mullvad VPN is pretty good at maintaining good speeds. We tested the VPN using speed test tools, and download speeds were reduced by only 15-20%. That’s pretty impressive, with only a few VPNs that can top that. However, how Mullvad VPN will affect your speed will differ because of your location and circumstances. Nonetheless, you shouldn’t suffer a significant slowdown.
How much does Mullvad VPN cost in 2023?
Interestingly enough, Mullvad VPN recently stopped allowing new subscriptions. According to a blog post on their official website, this decision was made in order to protect users’ privacy to an even greater extent. It now only allows one-time payments because it can immediately scrub users’ data instead of having to keep it for the duration of the subscription. Another interesting thing about Mullvad VPN is that the company accepts cash payments. The way that works is you’d need to send the cash via post with your unique code included.
Mullvad VPN has a flat price of €5/month. The company offers no discounts and has kept the same price since the very beginning. So in 2023, you’ll be paying the same €5/month as always. You can pay for however many months in advance you want but it’s not an automatically renewing subscription. You just pay in advance if you want.
There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee (except for cash payments) for users who are not satisfied with the program. Mullvad VPN does not offer a free trial because it does not want to subject users to ads, collect any kind of information, or provide limited functionality.
Mullvad VPN review 2023 summary
Mullvad is a budget VPN that prioritizes privacy over everything else. It encrypts traffic, is affordable, has a clear/audited no-logs policy, has a simple interface, barely collects any information about users, and has a kill switch. It even works as an adblocker that not only blocks ads but also prevents tracking. It has trouble unblocking streaming services but it was never advertised as a tool that can do that.
For users who want nothing more than to browse anonymously, Mullvad VPN is a great choice for 2023. However, if you want to access streaming services, Mullvad VPN is not a good choice.