Stuck between a rock and a hard place? If you’ve narrowed your VPN shortlist to Mullvad and Proton VPN, we understand the struggle. This Proton VPN vs Mullvad comparison pits two of the most privacy-respected names in the industry against each other, and unlike most VPN duels, neither one is the obvious villain. Both are excellent for privacy, incredibly secure, and easy to use.
Both promise fast speeds, encryption, and no logging. Proton VPN capitalizes on a huge server fleet and constant innovation, while Mullvad has built a near-religious following around minimal data collection and security purism. It doesn’t even want to know your email address. Our 8-test comparison will crown the better VPN across privacy, speed, streaming, and more. Read on.
Compare Mullvad VPN and Proton VPN
| Mullvad | Proton VPN | |
| Our Current Ranking 📋 | Outside Top 10 | #2 |
| Prices 🤑 | $5.72/mo flat fee | $2.99/mo for 2 years |
| Money-Back Guarantee 🪙 | 14 days | 30 Days |
| Free Version/Free Trial 🆓 | No | Yes/No |
| Logging/Jurisdiction 🕵️ | No logging/Sweden | No/Switzerland |
| Protocols 🌐 | WireGuard | OpenVPN, WireGuard, Stealth |
| Servers 🏠 | 570+ servers in 50 countries | 20,000+ in 148 countries |
| Specialty Servers ✅ | No | Torrenting, Tor Over VPN, Secure Core |
| RAM-Only Servers 🛡️ | Yes | No, full-disk encryption |
| Working With Netflix 📺 | Netflix US only | Yes (15 catalogs) |
| P2P Allowance ↔️ | Yes | Yes |
| Concurrent Connections 📟 | 5 | 10 |
Applications and Ease of Use: I Prefer Proton VPN
Both providers have amazing desktop and mobile applications, but compatibility splits them right away. Mullvad covers Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, and throws in the Mullvad Browser, a privacy-hardened browser built with the Tor Project, for those who want to go further. Proton VPN offers everything except the browser, then keeps going. The VPN is Smart TV-friendly, a huge plus for me.
Its Firestick app handles streaming unblocking too. Routers? Also covered, with support for popular firmware from Asus, DD-WRT, and Tomato. We especially love Proton VPN’s Linux client with its proper GUI, something even ExpressVPN hasn’t managed yet. As for the feel, Mullvad is light and designed with taste. Minimal, easy to use, all settings at your fingertips, and the design just flows.
Proton VPN goes more luxurious, reminiscent of NordVPN with a server list on the left and a world map that takes the majority of the app. Still, its apps are intuitive and snappy, with no fluff. Both apps are a pleasure, so connections and compatibility decide it: Mullvad is stuck at 5 simultaneous connections against Proton’s 10, and Proton runs on more platforms and devices. Easy win for Proton VPN.
Proton VPN Costs Less Than Mullvad
This round is especially interesting thanks to Mullvad’s famous no-commitment pricing, but we’ll start with the Swiss subatomic particle. Proton VPN is one of the cheapest VPNs. Our favorite deal is the 2-year plan at 70% off, costing only $2.99 a month, or $71 for the first 24 months. The 1-year plan at $3.99 a month ($47.88 upfront) is hard to beat too. Even the monthly price at $9.99 is a good value.
| Monthly Price | 1 Year Price | 2 Year Price | |
| Mullvad VPN | $5.72 | $68.64 | $137.28 |
| Proton VPN | $9.99 | $47.88 | $71.76 |
Proton VPN still has a 30-day money-back guarantee and a completely free tier with 10 VPN locations, unlimited data, and a no-log policy. Among its rivals, only Hide.me offers anything similar. Mullvad plays by different rules: a flat €5 a month (around $5.72), whether you stay one month or ten years. There are no discounts, no commitments, and remarkably, no price changes since the company started in 2009. A 14-day money-back guarantee now replaces a 30-day one from before.
That model is brilliant for short-term users, like paying for a single month to use the VPN in China and walking away. Long-term users make no savings, ever. So who wins? If you value flexibility, Mullvad. But over a year, Proton’s $47.88 beats Mullvad’s $68, and over 2 years the gap doubles, plus Proton throws in a free plan. Since a good VPN is worth keeping long-term, Proton VPN takes the round.
Equally Secure VPNs, But in a Different Way
Feature quality is non-negotiable, and luckily, Proton VPN and Mullvad both have impressive tools under their belts. This round compares them to see who gives you more value for the money.
Proton VPN and Mullvad VPN Similarities
Despite being rivals, at least in this setup, they share a standard set:
- 256-bit encryption
- Automatic kill switch, including an advanced mode on both sides that blocks internet access until you connect.
- Split tunneling. We prefer Proton VPN’s variant, which covers apps and IP addresses, while Mullvad’s only works with apps
- WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols
- Ad-blocking plus protection against trackers and malicious sites
- IPv6 and DNS leak protection
- Private DNS and RAM-only servers
Unique Features
The differences are where it gets interesting.
Secure Core and MultiHop Servers
These sound similar on paper, and they are. Proton VPN’s Secure Core routes your traffic through two servers, the first always being Proton-owned hardware in Iceland, Sweden, or Switzerland. Your data passes through secured servers rather than third-party ones, with an encryption layer on top. We explained how Double VPN connections work, and Secure Core is, at its core (no pun intended), that.
Mullvad’s MultiHop does the same but with any two servers: you pick the entry and exit, press Connect, and it just works. In our testing, Secure Core ran slightly faster and, being Proton-owned, is likely safer. Mullvad’s MultiHop and its OpenVPN-based Bridge Mode performed like a slog in comparison.
Advanced Protection Tools
Proton VPN uses NetShield to block ads, trackers, malicious sites, and malware, clearing out fluff for smoother browsing. Mullvad’s DNS content blocker extends further, filtering adult and gambling sites too, a handy form of parental control if you have children. I found both to be useful, though, to be completely honest, I used Mullvad VPN’s solution to block out adult sites for my child.
Obfuscation Features
Both fight censorship. Proton VPN runs Stealth for hostile networks, and is preparing new Proton Protocols architecture for tougher filtering resistance. Mullvad takes the traditional obfuscation route of disguising VPN traffic as ordinary HTTPS, and in our repeated tests, its obfuscation proved the more powerful of the two. Its quantum-resistant tunnels are already live in July.
They protect today’s traffic from future quantum-computer attacks, while Proton’s post-quantum work is still in the groundwork phase. Then there’s DAITA, Mullvad’s defense against AI-guided traffic analysis, which pads and disguises your traffic patterns so machine-learning systems can’t profile what you’re doing even through encryption. Nobody else in the industry offers this.
Both providers have ups and very, very few downs. Proton wins on Secure Core and split tunneling flexibility; Mullvad wins on obfuscation and bleeding-edge defenses. This is a tie, and I really can’t decide on the winner.
Mullvad and Proton VPN Store Zero Logs: Audited ✅
When it comes to logging, both providers have plenty to be proud of. This is the round where two privacy-heavyweights flex. Our Proton VPN analysis praised its immaculate no-logs policy, one of the best around. Proton VPN doesn’t track your IP address, browsing history, visited websites, DNS requests, or location. What it stores is troubleshooting data and your email address.
Mullvad matches the no-logs policy and removes the one thing Proton keeps. No email is required at all. Instead, Mullvad generates a random account number for signing in, and you can even pay with cash mailed in an envelope if you’re feeling maximalist. There’s simply less data about you to log in the first place. Both run RAM-only servers, so nothing really survives a good, old reboot.
And both back their words with audits, frequently. Proton VPN’s no-logs policy has been audited by Securitum every year since 2022, with the fifth consecutive audit completed in mid-2026 and all reports publicly available, plus a SOC 2 Type II audit in 2025. Mullvad leans on Cure53, the firm that also audited ExpressVPN and Surfshark, with repeated audits of its apps and infrastructure over the years.
Most recently in 2024-2025. Its servers even survived a Swedish police raid in 2023 that walked away with nothing, because nothing was there. Annual audits on one side, an accountless design and a fruitless police raid on the other. No logging anywhere, and another well-earned tie.
Mullvad is Faster Than Proton VPN in My Tests
Seeking speedy connections and Godlike smoothness? Perhaps consider neither. These aren’t the fastest options around, and Proton VPN in particular loses that fight against NordVPN. But between the two of them, someone has to be quicker. Below is our baseline in Belgrade, no VPN attached.
We tested both providers 3 times a day, 3 days in a row, across 3 server locations in the UK, the USA, and Japan, with WireGuard on both sides for the best possible speeds. Here’s what we found soon after.
| Download Speed Loss | Upload Speed Loss | |
| Mullvad | 34% | 7% |
| Proton VPN | 43% | 21% |
On average, Mullvad wins, and comfortably: 9% better retention on downloads and 14% on uploads. The per-location results add nuance, though:
| UK (Download/Upload) | US (Download/Upload) | Japan (Download/Upload) | |
| Mullvad | 298.61/18.69 Mbps | 215.32/18.39 Mbps | 154.37/17.80 Mbps |
| Proton VPN | 195.66/18.47 Mbps | 260.69/11.56 Mbps | 119.74/16.21 Mbps |
Mullvad took the UK and Japan routes decisively, while Proton VPN fired back with a surprise win on US downloads. Uploads, however, went to Mullvad everywhere, and its consistency across all three routes is what seals the round. If you need speed (pun intended), Mullvad is the pick.
Proton VPN vs Mullvad: P2P and Streaming Results
If you value streaming, Proton VPN is better. Watching Netflix is a breeze with its streaming-optimized servers unblocking 10 popular catalogs (USA, UK, Japan, Australia, Canada, etc.). It’s also a great VPN for BBC iPlayer and other UK channels, and its servers unblock sports streaming platforms such as Sky TV and ESPN Plus. Aussies wandering abroad can watch Foxtel Go outside Australia.
Mullvad isn’t skilled at streaming, with reach mostly limited to Netflix US, plus BBC iPlayer on a good day and a few less popular channels. Ironically, its superior speeds make 4K just a bit smoother, but that’s in vain if you can’t access many streaming services. Torrenting is another Proton VPN forte. P2P servers keep everything flowing. Port forwarding plus the VPN Accelerator make it actually fast
Mullvad allows P2P on any server and pairs it with a SOCKS5 proxy, but it removed port forwarding entirely in 2023, a decision that still stings for serious torrenters since it directly hurts seeding speeds. We prefer the VPNs for torrenting listed here, like NordVPN, but both of these scratch the itch. Proton VPN wins streaming clearly and edges torrenting too, thanks to port forwarding. The round is Proton’s.
Proton VPN Has Way More Servers Than Mullvad
A big server fleet signals a serious VPN service, one that doesn’t mind investing millions in its infrastructure. Proton VPN offers well over 20,000 servers in 148 countries, a contrast to Mullvad’s roughly 570 servers in 50 countries. The analysis could end there, but Proton’s server variety is its magnum opus.
Beyond the streaming and torrenting servers we’ve mentioned, there are Tor Over VPN servers, extremely useful for navigating the dark web with Proton’s privacy behind you, and the Proton-owned Secure Core servers covered earlier. Mullvad’s smaller fleet has one quiet strength worth noting: a high share of owned, physical servers rather than rented ones, which fits its security-first philosophy.
It can’t match the reach. Neither provider suits dedicated IP seekers, since Proton reserves them for business users. For that, look at VPNs with proper dedicated IPs: NordVPN for the fastest, PIA for the cheapest. Proton VPN wins this round.
Mullvad is Better for Bypassing Censorship
Chinese residents and expats lean on NordVPN and ExpressVPN to beat censorship, and we can tell you first-hand that Proton VPN won’t cut it there. The provider itself admitted as much on its website back in 2019, and our testing confirms it. Its Stealth protocol handles the UAE, Turkey, and similar mid-tier censors fine, and to Proton’s credit, it has poured effort into censorship resistance lately.
It became a lifeline in Iran and Russia during crackdowns. The Great Firewall is simply a different beast. In China, Mullvad is the one that shows up. Its obfuscation fights the firewall fiercely, and paired with WireGuard, you keep respectable speeds alongside the security. Users report occasional blocks, but a bit of tweaking and server-hopping usually restores the connection promptly.
Proton VPN is dead in China; Mullvad works with patience; if maximum reliability is the goal, NordVPN and ExpressVPN remain the safer bets. Within this duel, though, Mullvad takes the round, and its no-commitment pricing makes it easy to trial for a single trip.
Conclusion: Proton VPN Wins Against Mullvad VPN
Proton VPN beats Mullvad. Mullvad’s showing was more than valiant. It won the speed round outright, took censorship thanks to obfuscation that actually survives China, and fought Proton to a standstill on features and privacy. If you’re a privacy purist, a short-term traveler, or allergic to subscriptions, Mullvad’s flat fee and zero-knowledge signup are unmatched. Proton VPN wins the war, though, on breadth.
It’s cheaper long-term, runs on more devices, unblocks what Mullvad can’t stream, and commands a huge server network, all backed by five consecutive no-logs audits. For most people, most of the time, it’s the package that matters. Get Proton VPN over Mullvad, unless one of Mullvad’s specialties describes you exactly. And if raw speed tops your list, NordVPN outpaces them both at a similar price.