Best Mullvad Alternatives in 2026: Five VPNs That Fix Its Limits

Mullvad’s pricing page offers a single rate, whether you pay for one month or ten years. Sign-up requires no email, only a random account number, and you can even mail cash to Sweden. For privacy, few VPNs go that far, and that’s why Mullvad has such a loyal following.

Its narrow focus is also why people leave. Mullvad removed port forwarding and dropped OpenVPN. It still has no app for most TV devices, and support works by email only. If one of those has become a problem, several VPNs fix it while keeping most of Mullvad’s privacy.

Mullvad Alternatives Compared

	Servers	Streaming Services Unblocked	Average Speed Loss	Devices	Best Long-Term Price	Money-Back Guarantee
Mullvad (Baseline)	560+ in 50 countries	4 of 9	32.9%	5	€5/mo (flat pricing)	14 days
NordVPN	7,200+ in 152 countries	9 of 9	7.8%	10	About $3.50/mo	30 days
Proton VPN	20,000+ in 149 countries	7 of 9	10.2%	10	Under $3/mo	30 days
ExpressVPN	113 countries	9 of 9	7.8%	10-14	Under $3/mo	30 days
PIA VPN	113 countries	6 of 9	12.7%	Unlimited	About $2/mo	30 days
Surfshark	4,500+ in 100 countries	8 of 9	9.6%	Unlimited	About $2.50/mo	30 days

We tested each VPN on the same nine streaming services, including Netflix in three regions, BBC iPlayer, and Prime Video, and on UK, US, and Japanese servers for speed.

The 5 Best Mullvad Alternatives in 2026

Each of these VPNs keeps an independently audited no-logs policy, so switching doesn’t mean trading Mullvad’s privacy for convenience. Where they differ is what they add on top.

1. NordVPN: Best Mullvad Alternative Overall

NordVPN fixes Mullvad’s biggest limits at once. Its network covers 152 countries, three times Mullvad’s, so you have a nearby server almost anywhere you travel. It also unblocked every streaming service in our tests, which makes it the VPN we recommend for Netflix.

On top of that, it lost only 7.8% of our speed on average. As for privacy, NordVPN uses RAM-only servers that keep no data after a reboot. Its no-logs policy has also been audited six times. Double VPN sends your traffic through two servers, much like Mullvad’s multihop, and it costs us almost no speed.

Beyond that, the Complete plan adds next-gen antivirus against malware, while Meshnet connects you to your home devices remotely. Compatibility is better too. NordVPN has native apps for Apple TV and Fire TV, and one subscription covers 10 devices instead of 5.

On the two-year term, its Basic plan is about $3.50 a month, less than Mullvad’s flat rate. You can also test it first with the free trial on Android, and the refund window lasts 30 days.

See price at NordVPN

2. Proton VPN: Best Mullvad Alternative for Privacy

Proton VPN is the closest match to Mullvad’s privacy-first approach. Its apps are open source, and the company behind Proton Mail operates it from Switzerland. An independent firm has also audited its no-logs policy every year since 2022. You can also pay with Bitcoin or cash, so an anonymous subscription remains possible.

Unlike Mullvad, it still offers port forwarding on paid plans, which helps torrent users seed on private trackers. Secure Core first sends traffic through a hardened server in Switzerland, Iceland, or Sweden. NetShield, meanwhile, blocks ads and trackers. Stealth, its obfuscation protocol, also disguises VPN traffic on networks that block VPNs.

Streaming is stronger too. Proton VPN unblocked seven of our nine streaming services, with a 10.2% average speed loss. Its 24/7 live chat also replaces Mullvad’s email-only support. VPN Plus comes in under $3 a month when you commit for two years, with 10 devices per account. Our Proton VPN vs Mullvad comparison goes deeper.

See price at Proton VPN

3. ExpressVPN: Best Mullvad Alternative for Ease of Use

ExpressVPN is the alternative for users who find Mullvad’s settings too technical. Its apps require almost no setup: select a country, press Connect, and ExpressVPN chooses the protocol for your network. Meanwhile, Lightway, its own protocol, includes post-quantum encryption, so you keep the forward-looking protection Mullvad users expect.

In our tests, ExpressVPN unblocked all nine streaming services and lost 7.8% of our speed on average. It also covers 113 countries, more than twice Mullvad’s 50. As a result, finding a fast server near you is rarely a problem. TV devices are where it pulls furthest ahead.

Apple TV and Fire TV get their own ExpressVPN apps, and the company even sells its own router. As a result, a whole household can share one account. Plans cover 10 to 14 devices, and two years of the Basic plan work out to under $3 a month. Our ExpressVPN vs Mullvad comparison has the full breakdown.

See price at ExpressVPN

4. Private Internet Access: Best Mullvad Alternative for Torrenting

Private Internet Access is the obvious move if Mullvad’s port forwarding removal broke your torrent setup. PIA still offers it in its desktop and Android apps, on servers outside the US. That way, seeding on private trackers works again. Like Mullvad, it also publishes its apps as open source.

Its privacy record is strong in a way few VPNs can match. PIA’s no-logs policy has been proven in court twice, when it had no user data to hand over. Independent audits have confirmed it since. In addition, MACE, its ad and tracker blocker, stopped 96% of the ads and trackers on our test page.

PIA covers 113 countries and lost 12.7% of our speed on average. It unblocked six of our nine streaming services, so it’s better for downloads than for streaming sites. PIA sets no device limit, and it costs about $2 a month on its longest plan, the lowest long-term price of the five. You can also pay with cryptocurrency or gift cards.

See price at PIA VPN

5. Surfshark: Best Mullvad Alternative for Streaming on a Budget

Surfshark is one of the best budget VPNs, and it streams far better than Mullvad. It unblocked eight of our nine streaming services, failing only on ITV, and lost 9.6% of our speed on average. Its network of more than 4,500 servers in 100 countries also doubles your choice of locations.

For privacy, Surfshark’s WireGuard connections include post-quantum protection, like Mullvad’s. Alternative ID, included on every plan, creates a masked email address and a made-up identity for sign-ups. That brings back part of the anonymity of Mullvad’s account numbers. CleanWeb then blocks ads and trackers, and you can pay with cryptocurrency.

There’s no limit on connected devices, so phones, laptops, and TVs fit on one account. Surfshark Starter is about $2.50 a month over two years, roughly half of what Mullvad charges. My Surfshark review covers its test results in detail.

See price at Surfshark

Where Mullvad Falls Short

Mullvad is a sound choice for casual browsing and strict privacy, and its no-email sign-up and audited apps remain rare. However, its design choices leave out several things other VPNs treat as standard:

• Server network: about 560 servers in 50 countries. That’s enough to change your IP address to most major countries. However, choice is thin in Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia.
• Streaming: Mullvad unblocked Netflix US, Netflix Canada, BBC iPlayer, and Channel 4. Still, it couldn’t unblock Netflix Japan, ITV, Pluto TV, Prime Video, or HBO Max.
• Port forwarding: Mullvad removed it in 2023, so seeding on private trackers is harder.
• OpenVPN: Mullvad has been WireGuard-only since January 2026, so older routers and third-party clients set up on OpenVPN have to switch.
• Devices: five connections at once, and no app for Apple TV or Fire TV. Its Android app works on Android TV, but the VPNs for Apple TV all offer native tvOS apps.
• Support: email only, with no live chat, so a fix can take hours instead of minutes.
• Pricing: one flat monthly rate, so there’s no long-term discount. The 14-day refund also excludes cash and crypto payments.

When Mullvad Is Still the Better Choice

Switching isn’t always worth it. If you mainly browse, use a VPN on public Wi-Fi, and care most about leaving no trace of who you are, Mullvad remains hard to beat:

• Anonymous sign-up: none of the alternatives lets you sign up with a random account number and pay with cash by post.
• Consistent apps: Mullvad works the same way across Linux, macOS, and Windows, although its apps are plainer than the best VPN apps for Windows.
• No renewal increase: its flat price never rises at renewal, which none of the five alternatives can promise.

So if you don’t stream, seed torrents, or watch on a TV, keeping Mullvad is a reasonable decision.

Are There Free Mullvad Alternatives?

Yes, but none of them match Mullvad’s privacy. Mullvad itself has no free plan or trial, and most free VPNs limit servers, speed, and data. Some also log activity to make money, which defeats the point of switching from a privacy-first VPN.

• Proton VPN’s free plan comes closest. It has no data cap, its no-logs policy covers free users, and Stealth is available too. On the other hand, it chooses the server for you, and it doesn’t unblock streaming services reliably.
• Windscribe’s free plan is better for streaming, but it has a monthly data limit. For anything beyond light browsing, a paid alternative with a 30-day money-back guarantee is the better test.

Recap of the Best Mullvad Alternatives

The best Mullvad alternative depends on which limit pushed you to look. For most people, it’s the small network, weak streaming, and missing TV apps, and NordVPN solves all three without giving up audited privacy.

We even compared Mullvad and NordVPN directly, and NordVPN came out ahead on nearly every point except anonymous sign-up. If you’re leaving because of port forwarding, Proton VPN and Private Internet Access still offer it.

And if Mullvad’s anonymity was the main draw, Proton VPN’s open-source apps and cash payments keep you closest to it.

Try NordVPN Risk-Free

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