Software · head to head
Mullvad VPN vs ProtonVPN
Mullvad VPN
Software
Privacy-first VPN with one flat price and no email required to sign up
- From
- $5/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only ProtonVPN 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.; ProtonVPN free plan limited to one device at a time
- They diverge on capability: Mullvad VPN covers Flat single pricing, ProtonVPN covers No-logs policy.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Mullvad VPN and ProtonVPN actually diverge.
| Attribute | Mullvad VPN | ProtonVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $5/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | windows, mac, linux, ios, android | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Founded | 2009 | 2014 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 ProtonVPN
- No-logs policy
- Secure Core
- Kill Switch
- DNS leak protection
- Tor over VPN
- Split tunneling
- NetShield ad-blocker
- VPN Accelerator
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 ProtonVPN
- Avoiding tiered upsells with a single flat-rate plannot ProtonVPN
- Signing up without providing an email addressnot ProtonVPN
- Verifying a provider's privacy claims via independent auditsnot ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN
- Privacy-focused browsing without subscription costnot Mullvad VPN
- Multi-device protection with Plus plan supporting 10 devicesnot Mullvad VPN
- Integrated access to Proton email and cloud services via Unlimited plannot 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.
ProtonVPN
- Free plan limited to one device at a time
- Free plan restricted to 10 countries with random selection
- Pricing amounts not clearly published; shown as variable
Pricing, plan by plan
Mullvad VPN
$5/month- Mullvad VPN$5/month
- Flat rate regardless of subscription length
- 5 simultaneous devices
- No email required
ProtonVPN
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the ProtonVPN review.
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 ProtonVPN if
- You need no-logs policy.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- You also want secure core.
Questions people ask
- Is Mullvad VPN or ProtonVPN better?
- Neither clearly leads. Mullvad VPN starts at $5/month and ProtonVPN at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Mullvad VPN or ProtonVPN?
- ProtonVPN has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5/month for Mullvad VPN and Free for ProtonVPN.
- Does Mullvad VPN or ProtonVPN run on more platforms?
- Mullvad VPN runs on windows, mac, linux, ios, android. ProtonVPN runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- Can I use ProtonVPN for free?
- Yes. ProtonVPN 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 ProtonVPN is typically brought in for.
- What can Mullvad VPN do that ProtonVPN cannot?
- Mullvad VPN covers Flat single pricing, Account-number signup, Cash and crypto payments, WireGuard support. ProtonVPN covers No-logs policy, Secure Core, Kill Switch, DNS leak protection.
Related pages
More on Mullvad VPN
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