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Cybersecurity · head to head

Mullvad VPN vs Ring Neighbors

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
Ring Neighbors logo

Ring Neighbors

Government

Community Safety Network

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ring Neighbors 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.; Ring Neighbors neighbors by Ring is a free app only available in the US, per the vendor's own page (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2023)
  • They diverge on capability: Mullvad VPN covers Flat single pricing, Ring Neighbors covers Video Request Portal.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mullvad VPN and Ring Neighbors actually diverge.

Attributes where Mullvad VPN and Ring Neighbors differ
AttributeMullvad VPNRing Neighbors
Starting price$5/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Platformswindows, mac, linux, ios, androidWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment
Founded20092013

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 Ring Neighbors

  • Video Request Portal
  • Community Alerts
  • Geographic Requests
  • Case Management
  • Resident Opt-in
  • Ring Devices
  • CAD Systems
  • Social Media

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 Ring Neighbors
  • Avoiding tiered upsells with a single flat-rate plannot Ring Neighbors
  • Signing up without providing an email addressnot Ring Neighbors
  • Verifying a provider's privacy claims via independent auditsnot Ring Neighbors

Ring Neighbors

  • Citizen Servicesnot Mullvad VPN
  • Records Managementnot Mullvad VPN
  • Public Safetynot Mullvad VPN
  • Civic Engagementnot 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.

Ring Neighbors

  • Neighbors by Ring is a free app only available in the US, per the vendor's own page (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2023)

Pricing, plan by plan

Mullvad VPN

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

Ring Neighbors

Free
  • Public Safety PortalFree
    • Video Requests
    • Community Alerts
    • Case Management

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 Ring Neighbors if

  • You need video request portal.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want community alerts.
Ring Neighbors review

Questions people ask

Is Mullvad VPN or Ring Neighbors better?
Neither clearly leads. Mullvad VPN starts at $5/month and Ring Neighbors at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mullvad VPN or Ring Neighbors?
Ring Neighbors has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5/month for Mullvad VPN and Free for Ring Neighbors.
Does Mullvad VPN or Ring Neighbors run on more platforms?
Mullvad VPN runs on windows, mac, linux, ios, android. Ring Neighbors runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Ring Neighbors for free?
Yes. Ring Neighbors 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 Ring Neighbors is typically brought in for.
What can Mullvad VPN do that Ring Neighbors cannot?
Mullvad VPN covers Flat single pricing, Account-number signup, Cash and crypto payments, WireGuard support. Ring Neighbors covers Video Request Portal, Community Alerts, Geographic Requests, Case Management.
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