In the VPN universe, Mullvad is not among the biggest players or best-known names. Instead, it’s a much smaller VPN in the industry. Nevertheless, it has a niche status. Some of the most enthusiastic privacy fans globally have embraced it as one of the best in the market. The features in Mullvad are robust, and security is good without compromising convenience. Additionally, the pricing structure is straightforward.
But when you look at the cold facts, how good is Mullvad, really? Is it really in the same league as the best in the industry, such as NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or Surfshark?
This honest review of Mullvad is going to explore this VPN in detail. I will answer questions about its speed, supported protocols, privacy policy, streaming capabilities, and customer service quality.
It’s been a while since I tried Mullvad. Back then, my daily VPN network was not working correctly with WireGuard (it’s not my provide anymore). So I thought of trying my setup with a different provider and see if it worked. It was Mullvad, and it did.
Mullvad worked exceedingly well, so I kept my membership active. I have it still because it’s always a good idea to have a backup VPN. So while NordVPN is my top choice and everyday VPN network, Mullvad is there, always available, for when I need a little extra help.
I decided to remain a Mullvad customer because it worked very well for me. But that’s a subjective, anecdotal assessment. So how good is Mullvad when I put it to the test, as I’ve done with other VPNs? Keep reading to find out.
Mullvad VPN key feature at a glance
| Server | 800+ servers |
| No-log policy | Yes |
| Kill switch | Yes |
| Price | 5 EUR/month |
| Country-based | Sweden |
| Torrenting allowed | Yes |
| Simultaneous connections | 5 simultaneous devices |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days |
Mullvad VPN’s summary
Mullvad’s headquarters are in Sweden. Its privacy policy is clear and exhaustive, and it keeps no logs. When you log into the network, it collects no data. Instead, it comes up with a random number that will be your user identifier for that session.
The protocol menu includes OpenVPN (the industry standard) and WireGuard (a favorite for high speeds). In addition, there is multiple server hop available through the Bridge feature. Other features include a kill switch and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Mullvad’s priority is privacy, and it excels at it with a strong focus on security features.
Mullvad’s general overview
If you’re in a rush and need to get the gist of this unbiased review of Mullvad VPN, here it is. I will discuss every aspect in further detail, but here are the essentials.
Here’s the good news: connections speeds are very good with most of the servers in the network. The VPN protocols include OpenVPN and WireGuard. The first one is the industry standard because it’s an open-source project that’s been thoroughly audited throughout the years and has a developing community that keeps it updated.
The second one is very efficient and allows for high transfer speeds. IPv6 support is on the menu. The network keeps no logs at all. The Bridge feature gives you the ability to have a multi-hop connection. There is a kill switch. And, last but not least, this is a VPN that works in China, a widespread but critical issue. This is the make-or-break feature for many users looking for a new VPN provider.
Not so good news: the customer service is not the best we at PrivacySavvy have seen. When many new VPN users are looking for a way to unblock streaming services, Mullvad will give mixed results. It unblocks Amazon Prime and Netflix, but if you have other streaming platforms in mind, you’ll find you can’t use them. Friendliness is not an advantage either.
If you want to use some features such as split tunneling or custom DNS queries, you’ll need a degree of expertise to activate them. The network doesn’t block any ads. The website could be a lot more useful.
So Mullvad is a good VPN indeed, but it’s far from perfect. Moreover, even this preliminary view puts it at a clear disadvantage relative to, say, NordVPN – my regular VPN provider.