Security & Cybersecurity · head to head
Mullvad VPN vs Private Internet Access
Mullvad VPN
Security & Cybersecurity
Privacy-first VPN with one flat price and no email required to sign up
- From
- $5/month
- Rated
- -
Private Internet Access
Security & Cybersecurity
Long-standing VPN service with a large server network and flexible multi-year plans
- From
- $11.99/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Mullvad VPN offers no free trial or free tier, unlike several consumer VPN competitors.; Private Internet Access monthly plan is priced noticeably higher than the discounted multi-year commitments, penalizing short-term users.
- They diverge on capability: Mullvad VPN covers Flat single pricing, Private Internet Access covers Split tunneling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Mullvad VPN and Private Internet Access actually diverge.
| Attribute | Mullvad VPN | Private Internet Access |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $5/month | $11.99/month |
| Founded | 2009 | Unknown |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (windows, mac, linux, ios, android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Security & Cybersecurity).
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 Private Internet Access
- Split tunneling
- Kill switch
- Ad and tracker blocking
- Dedicated IP add-on
- Bundled antivirus add-on
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 Private Internet Access
- Avoiding tiered upsells with a single flat-rate plannot Private Internet Access
- Signing up without providing an email addressnot Private Internet Access
- Verifying a provider's privacy claims via independent auditsnot Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access
- Encrypting traffic on public Wi-Fi with a kill switchnot Mullvad VPN
- Blocking ads and trackers network-wide via MACEnot Mullvad VPN
- Maintaining a consistent connection identity with a dedicated IP add-onnot Mullvad VPN
- Committing to a long-term plan for a lower effective monthly ratenot 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.
Private Internet Access
- Monthly plan is priced noticeably higher than the discounted multi-year commitments, penalizing short-term users.
- Dedicated IP and antivirus are paid add-ons rather than included features.
- Headquartered in a jurisdiction whose privacy reputation some competitors market against, despite audited no-logs claims.
- App interface is less streamlined than some higher-priced premium VPN competitors.
Pricing, plan by plan
Mullvad VPN
$5/month- Mullvad VPN$5/month
- Flat rate regardless of subscription length
- 5 simultaneous devices
- No email required
Private Internet Access
$11.99/month- Monthly$11.99/month
- Billed month to month
- Full server network access
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 1-Year$3.1/month
- Billed annually at $37.19
- Full server network access
- 2-Year$2.19/month
- Lowest advertised rate, billed every 2 years
- Full server network access
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.
Choose Private Internet Access if
- You need split tunneling.
- You work on windows, mac, linux, ios, android.
- You also want kill switch.
Questions people ask
- Is Mullvad VPN or Private Internet Access better?
- Neither clearly leads. Mullvad VPN starts at $5/month and Private Internet Access at $11.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Mullvad VPN or Private Internet Access?
- Mullvad VPN starts at $5/month and Private Internet Access at $11.99/month.
- Does Mullvad VPN or Private Internet Access run on more platforms?
- Both run on windows, mac, linux, ios, android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- 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 Private Internet Access is typically brought in for.
- What can Mullvad VPN do that Private Internet Access cannot?
- Mullvad VPN covers Flat single pricing, Account-number signup, Cash and crypto payments, WireGuard support. Private Internet Access covers Split tunneling, Kill switch, Ad and tracker blocking, Dedicated IP add-on.
Related pages
More on Mullvad VPN
More on Private Internet Access
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