'Shutting down our public encrypted DNS' - 484 pts, 265 comments
Deep community engagement with Mullvad's DNS decision - most-trusted operator status intact.
Mullvad VPN Review
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, and Swedish police walking away empty-handed in 2023. The price of that integrity is a small network (566 servers / 50 countries, verified live), zero streaming chops, no port forwarding since 2023, and community grumbling that it is 'a bit behind' - which is exactly what a non-marketing VPN looks like.
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Red flags (2):
- Sweden is 14-Eyes; Mullvad's counterweight is radical data minimization, not jurisdiction
- Sept 2026: shut down its public encrypted DNS servers and handed that trust to Quad9 - honest about running 'a highly specialized undertaking', but it means one less service under their own control
// Review
by the vpncomparison editorial desk · review version 2 · prose updated 2026-09-28 · facts as of 2026-09-28 · how we verify
Honesty note: we have not run our own tests on Mullvad VPN yet (leak tests, speed, kill switch). Everything on this page is source-based meta-research with dated links. When we test it, results appear here and on the change log.
Overview
Mullvad VPN is a commercial service based in Sweden, operating since 2003 with a reputation for radical transparency. It runs on a flat, account-free model using numbered access keys, accepts cash and cryptocurrency, and publishes open-source apps. The caveat: its integrity comes at the cost of streaming access, port forwarding, and a smaller server footprint - this is privacy without compromise, not convenience.
Logging & privacy
Mullvad claims it does not keep activity logs of any kind, a statement backed by court-proven-nologs evidence: in 2023, Swedish police executed a search warrant and left with nothing due to the absence of user data. This is reinforced by regular audits (X41 D-Sec in 2021 and 2024) covering infrastructure and apps. Though based in Sweden - a 14-Eyes jurisdiction - its data-minimization design neutralizes legal pressure. No warrant canary exists, but real-world testing has already occurred.
Pricing & the renewal trap
Mullvad charges a flat EUR 5 per month (displayed as $5.71 USD), with no discounts for long-term plans and no price hikes at renewal - making it immune to the renewal trap that plagues most providers. There’s no contract (contract_term_days: 0) and a 14-day refund window. You can pay anonymously via Bitcoin or Monero, or with fiat. The 3-year cost is simply 36 × $5.71 = $205.56, predictable and transparent.
Features & performance
Mullvad supports WireGuard, OpenVPN, and Shadowsocks, with obfuscation via Shadowsocks bridges and UDP-over-TCP fallback. It includes a kill switch, split tunneling, and multihop, but no dedicated IP or Tor-over-VPN. Apps are open-source and available on all major platforms. It operates 566 servers across 50 countries and allows P2P traffic, but does not support streaming services. No independent performance tests have been conducted, so speed claims remain unverified.
Ownership & track record
Ownership details are not publicly disclosed (owner: null), but Mullvad has a documented history of principled resistance: removing Indian servers in 2022 to avoid state-mandated 5-year logging, and surviving a 2023 police raid with zero data seized. A 2026 incident revealed co-founder Daniel Berntsson’s donation to a far-right Swedish party, which the company called a private matter. While this sparked debate, it hasn’t undermined the service’s technical integrity, which remains community-trusted.
Censorship resistance
Mullvad offers Shadowsocks bridges and UDP-over-TCP fallback, making it viable for evading deep packet inspection in moderately censored environments. However, it is not optimized for extreme censorship like China’s Great Firewall. While Shadowsocks helps, user reports note bridges can be strained under heavy filtering. For high-risk regions, purpose-built tools like Psiphon or Tor remain more reliable.
Verdict
Mullvad is the gold standard for users who prioritize verifiable privacy over streaming or marketing fluff. It doesn’t pay for reviews or run affiliate programs - its credibility is self-sustained through transparency. If you value court-tested no-logs, anonymous payment, and open-source accountability, this is your benchmark. For everyone else, cheaper or flashier options exist - but none this honest.
++ What holds up
- Flat EUR 5 forever - verified on the live pricing page, 1 month = 1 year = 1 decade
- No-logging policy + open-source GPLv3 clients (Wikipedia + policy page fetched 2026-09-27)
- Anonymous account generation, no email, crypto AND cash accepted (r/VPN voices repeatedly cite this as the differentiator)
- 2023 Swedish police search warrant found nothing to seize - the no-logs claim survived law enforcement
-- What to watch
- Small network: 566 servers, 50 countries (verified live) - thin coverage outside Europe
- Streaming is effectively unsupported and routinely detected (r/VPN threads)
- Port forwarding removed in 2023 - a hard loss for self-hosters that HN voices still mourn
- No warrant canary, no multi-year pricing tiers, no affiliate program - fewer enticements, that's the point
Pricing reality check
| Intro price | $5.71 /month · renews $5.71 |
|---|---|
| Renewal price | $5.71 1x intro |
| Refund window | 14 days |
See the 3-year total next to the marketing number: true-cost calculator →
// The money trail - what review sites earn by recommending this
NO affiliate program - verified via none · published terms: n/a - Mullvad states it has no affiliate program at all
Load-bearing quotes (policy page 'Last updated: May 15, 2024', fetched live): 'We never pay for reviews'; 'We do not have affiliates, and do not pay for influencers'; 'we do not pay anyone to write about Mullvad - good or bad. We don't even pay for links back to our website.'
"We do not have affiliates, and do not pay for influencers... We never pay for reviews." - Mullvad, their policy page
If we sign up for this program, every link here becomes rel="nofollow sponsored" and this box stays. Until then our links are plain redirects with zero tracking. Ranking logic physically cannot read affiliate fields - here is the proof.
Incident record (3)
- 2026 Mullvad co-founder revealed as main financer of Swedish far-right party Swedish weekly Flamman revealed Mullvad founder/part-owner Daniel Berntsson donated 5M SEK in 2025 to Örebropartiet, which advocates 'remigr source →
- 2023 Swedish police raid Mullvad - leave with nothing Officers with a search warrant searched Mullvad's Gothenburg offices; because Mullvad stores no customer data, nothing could be seized and n source →
- 2022 India's CERT-In directive forces 5-year logging; providers pull servers The CERT-In directive required VPN providers to keep subscriber and IP logs for 5 years and report incidents in 6 hours. Proton, Mullvad and source →
Before you pay: check the renewal price, the refund window, and whether a cheaper or free path covers your use case - the honest checklist.
// Mullvad VPN FAQ
Is Mullvad VPN legit?
Based on our checks as of 2026-09-28: Mullvad VPN scores 8.9/10 in our weighted review. We logged 2 red flags (listed above). Its logging claim survived a real-world test. User reports, ownership and the incident record are documented with dated sources in the meta-review below.
What do I actually get for the price?
You get access to 566 servers in 50 countries, support for WireGuard, OpenVPN, and Shadowsocks, with full P2P support, multihop, and open-source apps - no streaming, no port forwarding, no frills.
What is the renewal price and total for three years?
The price never changes: $5.71 per month, so $205.56 for three years. There is no renewal trap - what you see is what you pay, forever.
What proof is there that Mullvad doesn’t log?
In 2023, Swedish police raided Mullvad with a warrant and left with nothing - proving no user data was stored. This is backed by regular audits and a clear, updated no-logs policy.
Does it work in heavily censored countries like China or Iran?
It can help with moderate censorship using Shadowsocks bridges, but it’s not optimized for China or Iran. Bridges may struggle under sustained filtering - use Tor or Psiphon for higher assurance.
Can I pay without revealing my identity?
Yes - use Bitcoin or Monero, or send cash by mail. No email, phone, or personal info is required to create or fund an account.
What happens if Mullvad shuts down?
If it closes, your access ends, but no personal data is at risk - no accounts mean nothing to expose. Server shutdowns in India (2022) show they’ll exit rather than compromise.
What’s an honest free or cheap alternative?
Proton VPN offers a solid free tier with no ads, and IVPN is a flat-priced independent with strong no-logs proof - both are trustworthy, though smaller than mainstream options.
// User comments (0)
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