Mullvad Expert Review
Privacy purist's VPN with unique anonymous approach, analyzed by Tom Spark
Mullvad scores 53 out of 93.5 points, earning a C-tier ranking. This Swedish VPN provider takes privacy to extremes with anonymous accounts, cash payments, and open-source everything—but sacrifices too much convenience and features, resulting in a lower score.
Pros
- •True anonymity (no email)
- •Open-source everything
- •Cash payments accepted
- •€5 flat pricing
- •Excellent for torrenting
- •No port forwarding
Cons
- •Poor Netflix support
- •No dedicated IPs
- •Limited customer support
- •Minimal interface
- •No mobile optimization
- •Smaller server network
Detailed Scoring Analysis
Category Analysis
Privacy & Security (14.5/16) - Outstanding
Mullvad sets the gold standard for VPN privacy:
- ✓ No email required - just account number
- ✓ Cash payments via mail accepted
- ✓ Fully open-source clients
- ✓ Based in privacy-friendly Sweden
- ✓ No marketing tracking whatsoever
Pricing & Value (9/10) - Refreshingly Simple
No games, no tricks, just €5/month:
- ✓ Flat €5 monthly (about $5.50)
- ✓ No long-term commitments required
- ✓ Pay by the day if needed
- ✓ Cash, crypto, or card
- ✓ No auto-renewal tricks
- ✓ 5 simultaneous connections
Streaming & Torrenting (6.5/14)
Built for privacy, not entertainment:
- ✗ Netflix rarely works
- ✗ Most streaming services blocked
- ✗ No streaming optimization
- ✓ Excellent for torrenting
- ✗ No port forwarding
- ✓ No bandwidth limits
GUI (Interface) (5/10)
Functional but austere:
- ✗ Extremely basic interface
- ✗ No server recommendations
- ✗ Minimal features exposed
- ⚠ CLI-friendly for tech users
- ✓ Clean and uncluttered
- ✓ No bloat or upsells
Technical Extras (2.25/2.25) - Perfect Score
Everything a privacy advocate wants:
- ✓ Bridge/multihop support
- ✓ Custom DNS options
- ✓ IPv6 support
- ✓ SOCKS5 proxy included
- ✓ WireGuard implemented perfectly
Real-World Testing Results
Mullvad is the VPN equivalent of a Swiss Army knife—exceptionally well-made, highly functional, but deliberately spartan. It's built by privacy advocates for privacy advocates, with every decision prioritizing anonymity over convenience.
True Anonymous Experience
Creating an account takes seconds: click "Generate account," receive a random number, done. No email, no password, no personal information. You can literally mail cash in an envelope to pay. This level of anonymity is unmatched in the VPN industry.
Performance and Reliability
Speed tests showed 15-25% degradation—good but not exceptional. The smaller server network (600+ servers in 40 countries) means fewer options during peak times. However, connections are stable and the WireGuard implementation is excellent.
The Privacy-Feature Trade-off
Mullvad deliberately avoids features that could compromise privacy. No affiliate program (tracking), no email newsletters (data collection), no free trials (user identification). Even customer support is limited to preserve anonymity. For privacy purists, these are features, not bugs.
Final Verdict
Mullvad's 53/93.5 score and C-tier ranking reflect a specialized VPN that excels at privacy while deliberately avoiding mainstream features. It's not trying to be everything to everyone—and that's exactly the point.
Perfect For:
- • Privacy absolutists
- • Anonymous activists
- • Torrenting enthusiasts
- • Technical users
Wrong Choice For:
- • Streaming fans
- • VPN beginners
- • Support-dependent users
- • Feature seekers
Score Summary
Privacy Champion
No email, no tracking, just a number