Proton VPN vs Mullvad VPN: which wins in 2026?
Head-to-head on the facts that decide the purchase: real prices in the provider's own unit, minimum, KYC, proof, payment and terms - every number sourced in the linked reviews.
The most honest mainstream deal in 2026: open-source apps, real audits, a genuinely usable free tier with no data cap, and a transparent renewal model - and in September 2026 it even moved its encrypted DNS trust to Quad9 and published the reasoning. You pay for it in renewal prices (roughly $10/mo if you don't prepay), the Secure Core infrastructure is a black box you must trust Proton's word on, and the 2021 Proton Mail IP-logging case proved Swiss products are still subpoenaable.
The most honest VPN on the internet, and in 2026 still the one this industry is measured against: numbered accounts, cash or Monero accepted, open-source clients, a no-logs policy page updated June 2026 (verified live), and Swedish police walking away empty-handed in 2023. The price of that integrity is a small network (566 servers / 50 countries, verified live 2026-09-28), zero streaming chops, no port forwarding since 2023, and a 2026 ownership-donation controversy that cost it some principled customers - which is exactly what a non-marketing VPN looks like.
Short answer: Mullvad VPN wins overall (8.9/10 vs 6.6/10). Proton VPN is the better pick if you care most about ownership & track record. Facts checked 2026-10-06.
The facts
 Proton VPN |  Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score (0-10) | 6.6 | 8.9 |
| Privacy & proof | ||
| Logging claim | Strict no-logs (Swiss); only an overwritten last-successful-login timestamp, no IP… | We do not keep activity logs of any kind |
| Logging evidence | independently audited | proven in court |
| Audits | Securitum 2024, Securitum 2023 | X41 D-Sec 2024, X41 D-Sec 2021 |
| Jurisdiction | Switzerland | Sweden |
| Owner | Proton AG | amagicom-ab |
| Money | ||
| Intro price | $3.49/mo | €5/mo (about $5.65/mo) |
| Renewal price | $83.88 / 12 mo ($6.99/mo) 2x | €5 / 1 mo |
| Anonymous payment | btc, xmr · fiat | btc, xmr · fiat |
| Account | ||
| Personal info | none | none |
| Kind | Commercial VPNs | Commercial VPNs |
| Facts checked | 2026-10-01 | 2026-10-01 |
Score breakdown
Proton VPN leads on ownership & track record (+6) · Mullvad VPN leads on security (+2), honest value (+4.5).
Proton VPN at a glance
++ What holds up
- Only one of the ten with fully open-source clients + published Securitum audits
- Genuinely free tier (unlimited data, no ads, no logs) - verified on own site 2026-09-27
- Expansion to ~145 countries with owned infrastructure (2026-04)
- ProTUN: Rust-based WireGuard core with public technical write-up (fetched 2026-09-27)
-- What to watch
- Renewal pricing jumps ~3x vs intro; site shows $0.00 placeholders unless JS runs
- No port forwarding - a real loss for self-hosters vs PIA/Windscribe (confirmed by community defections from Surfshark to Proton for the opposite reason)
- Support is increasingly AI-gated (HN: '4 days no human support')
- Email/account still required even for the free tier
Mullvad VPN at a glance
++ What holds up
- Flat EUR 5/month - the same price for 1 month, 1 year, or 1 decade of service
- Numbered accounts, no email; Bitcoin (since 2010), Monero, and cash by mail accepted
- Open-source GPLv3 clients with a long independent-audit record (Cure53, Radically Open Security, X41 D-Sec, MASA via NCC Group and Leviathan)
- 2023 Swedish police search warrant ended with nothing to seize - the architecture held
-- What to watch
- Small fleet: 566 servers in 50 countries (real-time operator page) - thin coverage outside Europe
- Streaming is effectively unsupported; its IPs are widely detected and blocked
- Port forwarding removed in 2023 - a hard loss for self-hosters
- No warrant canary; the counterweight is data minimization, not a transparency page
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Proton VPN or Mullvad VPN?
Proton VPN is cheaper at $3.49 month versus $5.65 month.
Which has better logging evidence, Proton VPN or Mullvad VPN?
Mullvad VPN has the stronger logging evidence; Proton VPN is audited too - the winner adds a courtroom test on top.
Which renewal price is honest, Proton VPN or Mullvad VPN?
Proton VPN renews at $6.99/mo and Mullvad VPN at €5/mo - different currencies, so no direct winner. Check the linked reviews for the 3-year totals.
Which needs less KYC, Proton VPN or Mullvad VPN?
Both have the same KYC stance (none).
Which has the longer track record?
Mullvad VPN has the longer track record (since 2009).
Scores and facts: meta-reviews with dated sources - Proton VPN · Mullvad VPN. Method: how we verify. More: all providers compared · all head-to-heads.