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Cybersecurity · head to head

Mullvad VPN vs PartyKit

M

Mullvad VPN

Cybersecurity

Privacy-first VPN with one flat price and no email required to sign up

From
$5/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
P

PartyKit

Developer Tools

Platform for building and deploying realtime multiplayer servers on the edge

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only PartyKit has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Mullvad VPN offers no free trial or free tier, unlike several consumer VPN competitors.; PartyKit documentation and FAQ material on the marketing site is sparse compared to larger realtime platforms.
  • They diverge on capability: Mullvad VPN covers Flat single pricing, PartyKit covers Stateful edge servers.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mullvad VPN and PartyKit actually diverge.

Attributes where Mullvad VPN and PartyKit differ
AttributeMullvad VPNPartyKit
Starting price$5/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Platformswindows, mac, linux, ios, androidweb, api
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools
Founded2009Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Mullvad VPN

  • Flat single pricing
  • Account-number signup
  • Cash and crypto payments
  • WireGuard support
  • Independent audits

Only in PartyKit

  • Stateful edge servers
  • WebSocket-first API
  • CRDT library compatibility
  • Framework integrations
  • Global edge deployment
  • Custom domains

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Mullvad VPN

  • Paying for a VPN anonymously with cash or cryptocurrencynot PartyKit
  • Avoiding tiered upsells with a single flat-rate plannot PartyKit
  • Signing up without providing an email addressnot PartyKit
  • Verifying a provider's privacy claims via independent auditsnot PartyKit

PartyKit

  • Multiplayer collaborative appsnot Mullvad VPN
  • Realtime AI agent backendsnot Mullvad VPN
  • Live cursors and presencenot Mullvad VPN
  • Collaborative whiteboards and documentsnot Mullvad VPN

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Mullvad VPN

  • Offers no free trial or free tier, unlike several consumer VPN competitors.
  • Lacks a bundled tiered structure, so there is no cheaper limited plan for occasional users.
  • Server network and streaming-unblocking performance is smaller than large mainstream VPN providers.
  • No annual discount, meaning long-term subscribers pay the same monthly rate as short-term users.

PartyKit

  • Documentation and FAQ material on the marketing site is sparse compared to larger realtime platforms.
  • Commercial free tier requires deploying to the user's own Cloudflare account, adding setup complexity.
  • Storage on the free Individual plan clears every 24 hours, limiting it to prototyping rather than persistent production data.
  • Smaller ecosystem and community than more established realtime infrastructure providers.

Pricing, plan by plan

Mullvad VPN

$5/month
  • Mullvad VPN$5/month
    • Flat rate regardless of subscription length
    • 5 simultaneous devices
    • No email required

PartyKit

Free
  • IndividualFree
    • Up to 10 live projects
    • Deploy to the global edge platform
    • Storage clears every 24 hours
  • CommercialFree
    • Unlimited projects
    • Custom domains
    • Runs on your own Cloudflare account; pay only Cloudflare usage

Which should you pick?

Choose Mullvad VPN if

  • You need flat single pricing.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux, ios, android.
  • You also want account-number signup.
Mullvad VPN review

Choose PartyKit if

  • You need stateful edge servers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want websocket-first api.
PartyKit review

Questions people ask

Is Mullvad VPN or PartyKit better?
Neither clearly leads. Mullvad VPN starts at $5/month and PartyKit at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mullvad VPN or PartyKit?
PartyKit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5/month for Mullvad VPN and Free for PartyKit.
Does Mullvad VPN or PartyKit run on more platforms?
Mullvad VPN runs on windows, mac, linux, ios, android. PartyKit runs on web, api.
Can I use PartyKit for free?
Yes. PartyKit has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mullvad VPN starts at $5/month.
What is Mullvad VPN best used for?
Mullvad VPN is most often used for paying for a vpn anonymously with cash or cryptocurrency, avoiding tiered upsells with a single flat-rate plan, signing up without providing an email address, verifying a provider's privacy claims via independent audits. Of those, paying for a vpn anonymously with cash or cryptocurrency and avoiding tiered upsells with a single flat-rate plan are not what PartyKit is typically brought in for.
What can Mullvad VPN do that PartyKit cannot?
Mullvad VPN covers Flat single pricing, Account-number signup, Cash and crypto payments, WireGuard support. PartyKit covers Stateful edge servers, WebSocket-first API, CRDT library compatibility, Framework integrations.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PartyKit: How much does PartyKit cost?

PartyKit is completely free. Both the Individual and Commercial plans have no upfront costs.

Source
PartyKit: What is PartyKit's Individual plan?

The Individual plan is free and includes deployment to a global edge platform, support for up to 10 live projects, and is suitable for small projects. Storage is cleared every 24 hours.

Source
PartyKit: What is PartyKit's Commercial plan?

The Commercial plan is free but requires deploying to your own Cloudflare account. It includes custom domains, unlimited projects, and you pay only your Cloudflare usage costs.

Source
PartyKit: Can I upgrade from Individual to Commercial plan?

Yes, both plans are free but offer different feature sets. The Commercial plan removes project restrictions but requires managing your own Cloudflare infrastructure.

Source
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