Mullvad VPN (Flat monthly) review 2027

What problem does Mullvad VPN solve, and what do you get?

Mullvad is built for people whose threat model is the reason they want a VPN in the first place. The account is a 16-digit number — no email, no name — and cash and Monero are accepted. Servers run on RAM only, DAITA defends against traffic analysis, and audits recur. The price is flat €5 a month with no term games, and the same rate applies whether you pay monthly or over two years. It is the most private VPN you can buy, and the worst for streaming.

How did Mullvad score in our tests?

Privacy: 30 out of 30. We scored jurisdiction, an independently audited no-logs policy, RAM-only servers and anonymous payment, and Mullvad took every point.

Speed: 22 out of 25. We measured download retention on a 1 Gbps line to US, UK and Japan servers over WireGuard where offered. It retained 85% on US servers.

Streaming: 6 out of 15. We tried Netflix US and UK, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, Prime Video, Hulu and Max from abroad on three consecutive days. Two of 10 services worked.

Apps & devices: 11 out of 15. We looked at simultaneous connections, router and TV support, and kill switch and split tunnelling on every platform. Five devices is the limit.

Value: 11 out of 15. We judged price per month on the 2-year plan and what it renews at. Here the 2-year plan is 5.49 a month and the monthly plan is also 5.49 a month.

What does Mullvad do better than the rest?

The privacy result is the headline: a full 30 out of 30, the top privacy score in the ranking. The account system is the clearest expression of it — a 16-digit number instead of an email address or a name, with cash and Monero accepted as payment. Servers are RAM-only, DAITA is in place against traffic analysis, and audits recur rather than happening once.

Speed held up better than the privacy-first reputation might suggest: 85% retained on US servers on a 1 Gbps line. And the pricing is flat — 5.49 a month on the 2-year plan and 5.49 a month monthly, with a 30-day money-back window.

How does the technology behind Mullvad work?

WireGuard and OpenVPN are the two protocols listed. WireGuard is a lean tunnel that moves a small amount of code and modern cryptography, which is why it tends to hold speed well; OpenVPN is the older, widely deployed protocol kept for compatibility. RAM-only servers store nothing on disk, so a seized or restarted machine has no data to hand over. DAITA is a traffic-analysis defence: it changes the shape and timing of traffic so an observer cannot infer what you are doing from the pattern alone.

What is inside the Mullvad service?

The network is 700+ servers across 49 countries, run from Sweden. Five devices can connect at once. The no-logs policy is audited by Assured and Cure53 on a recurring basis. Protocols are WireGuard and OpenVPN. The 2-year plan is 5.49 a month, the monthly plan is 5.49 a month, there is a 30-day money-back window, and there is no free tier.

How does Mullvad compare with the other VPNs we tested?

NordVPN scored 9.2 at $3.39 and runs 7,400+ servers in 118 countries with 10 devices, Panama jurisdiction, a Deloitte 2024 no-logs audit, NordLynx (WireGuard), OpenVPN and NordWhisper, 3.39 a month on the 2-year plan, 12.99 a month monthly and a 30-day money-back window. It is ahead on network size, devices and streaming; Mullvad is ahead on privacy and on flat pricing.

Surfshark scored 9 at $2.19 with 3,200+ servers in 100 countries, unlimited devices, Netherlands jurisdiction, a Deloitte 2023 audit, WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2, 2.19 a month on the 2-year plan, 15.45 a month monthly and 30 days money-back. It undercuts Mullvad on price and beats it on device count; Mullvad keeps the privacy edge.

Proton VPN scored 8.6 at $4.49 with 12,000+ servers in 120 countries, 10 devices, Switzerland jurisdiction, a Securitum 2024 audit and open-source apps, WireGuard, OpenVPN and Stealth, 4.49 a month on the 2-year plan, 9.99 a month monthly, 30 days money-back and a free tier. It is the closest privacy rival here, and it adds a free tier Mullvad does not have.

Where does Mullvad fall short?

Streaming is the weak point, and Mullvad does not pretend otherwise. Two of 10 services worked in our three-day test, against rivals that unblocked every service three days running. Five simultaneous devices is the joint-lowest allowance in this comparison. And there is no discount for paying yearly: the 2-year plan is 5.49 a month and the monthly plan is 5.49 a month, so committing to a term buys you nothing on price.

Is Mullvad worth the price?

The price summary is $5.49. That is the 2-year plan rate and the monthly rate alike — 5.49 a month either way, with a 30-day money-back window and no free tier. You are paying for the privacy stack, not for a streaming unblocker or a large device allowance.

Who should buy Mullvad VPN?

Anyone whose threat model is the reason they want a VPN. If anonymous sign-up, cash payment, RAM-only servers and recurring audits are the features you actually care about, this is the one to buy. If you want Netflix from abroad or a household of devices on one subscription, the streaming score and the five-device limit will send you elsewhere.