Software · head to head
Mullvad VPN vs Windscribe
Mullvad VPN
Software
Privacy-first VPN with one flat price and no email required to sign up
- From
- $5/month
- Rated
- -
Windscribe
Software
VPN and firewall service with a generous free data tier and a customizable Build-A-Plan option
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Windscribe 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.; Windscribe free tier's 10GB cap still requires email confirmation and social sharing to unlock, unlike some no-strings-attached competitors.
- They diverge on capability: Mullvad VPN covers Flat single pricing, Windscribe covers Firewall / default block.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Mullvad VPN and Windscribe actually diverge.
| Attribute | Mullvad VPN | Windscribe |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $5/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | windows, mac, linux, ios, android | windows, mac, linux, ios, android, web |
| Founded | 2009 | Unknown |
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 Windscribe
- Firewall / default block
- Unlimited simultaneous devices
- Build-A-Plan
- R.O.B.E.R.T. content blocker
- Static IP and port forwarding add-ons
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 Windscribe
- Avoiding tiered upsells with a single flat-rate plannot Windscribe
- Signing up without providing an email addressnot Windscribe
- Verifying a provider's privacy claims via independent auditsnot Windscribe
Windscribe
- Running a free VPN across unlimited personal devicesnot Mullvad VPN
- Buying access to just a few specific server locations cheaplynot Mullvad VPN
- Blocking ads and trackers at the DNS level while browsingnot Mullvad VPN
- Preventing IP leaks with a default-block firewall rulenot 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.
Windscribe
- Free tier's 10GB cap still requires email confirmation and social sharing to unlock, unlike some no-strings-attached competitors.
- Build-A-Plan's low cost only covers selected locations, so broad global coverage still requires the full Pro plan.
- Server speeds and streaming reliability are inconsistent compared to larger premium VPN providers.
- Customer support is primarily ticket/community-based rather than live chat for lower tiers.
Pricing, plan by plan
Mullvad VPN
$5/month- Mullvad VPN$5/month
- Flat rate regardless of subscription length
- 5 simultaneous devices
- No email required
Windscribe
Free- FreeFree
- 10GB of data per month with confirmed email
- 10 server countries
- Unlimited devices
- Build-A-Plan$3/month
- Pay per selected server location ($1/location)
- $3 minimum purchase
- Unlimited data on selected locations
- Pro$9/month
- Unlimited data
- 69+ countries
- $69/year on annual billing
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 Windscribe if
- You need firewall / default block.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on windows, mac, linux, ios, android, web.
- You also want unlimited simultaneous devices.
Questions people ask
- Is Mullvad VPN or Windscribe better?
- Neither clearly leads. Mullvad VPN starts at $5/month and Windscribe at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Mullvad VPN or Windscribe?
- Windscribe has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5/month for Mullvad VPN and Free for Windscribe.
- Does Mullvad VPN or Windscribe run on more platforms?
- Mullvad VPN runs on windows, mac, linux, ios, android. Windscribe runs on windows, mac, linux, ios, android, web.
- Can I use Windscribe for free?
- Yes. Windscribe 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 Windscribe is typically brought in for.
- What can Mullvad VPN do that Windscribe cannot?
- Mullvad VPN covers Flat single pricing, Account-number signup, Cash and crypto payments, WireGuard support. Windscribe covers Firewall / default block, Unlimited simultaneous devices, Build-A-Plan, R.O.B.E.R.T. content blocker.
Related pages
More on Mullvad VPN
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