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Cybersecurity · head to head

Mullvad VPN vs ProtonVPN

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Mullvad VPN

Cybersecurity

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

From
$5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ProtonVPN logo

ProtonVPN

Cybersecurity

High-speed Swiss VPN that safeguards your privacy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Mullvad VPN and ProtonVPN differ
AttributeMullvad VPNProtonVPN
Starting price$5/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Platformswindows, mac, linux, ios, androidWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Founded20092014

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (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 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

Free

No 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.
Mullvad VPN review

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.
ProtonVPN review

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.
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