A genuine dVPN with real scale (22,000+ active nodes in 135+ countries per the network homepage, 45k bandwidth providers per MystNodes, both fetched 2026-11-02) and an unusually candid product surface: open-source Go node and apps, live network stats, published tokenomics with a CertiK token audit. But this dossier's evidence cuts against the marketing on the points that matter most: the no-logs claim is policy-only (no VPN audit exists; the privacy policy collects email, session timestamps, bandwidth volumes and IP-bearing server logs), the advertised 30-day money-back guarantee is 7 days in the actual terms (14 for EU withdrawal), the terms are governed by Panama law despite the Swiss/Lithuanian entities, and the ToS caps simultaneous connections at 6 while plans advertise up to 15. Strangers' residential IPs are simultaneously the product (unblock streaming - r/VPN users confirm it beats datacenter VPNs at that) and the risk (multiple independent r/VPN reports of node operators getting police visits for traffic that transited their home connection). Node-runner voices report payout and staking pain (broken IQ unstake, dead SenseCAP M1 earnings) while user voices report subscription frustration (unanswered refund requests, throttled downloads, hard cancellations). Interesting, cheap, and watchable - not yet trustable as a privacy tool for high-stakes use.
site reachable · checked 19 h ago · daily check
draft generated by Qwen3, fact-checked by the vpncomparison editorial desk · review version 2 · prose updated 2026-11-02 · facts as of 2026-11-02 · how we verify
Mysterium Network is a decentralized VPN (dVPN) marketplace where strangers run exit nodes for MYST tokens. Operated by UAB MN Intelligence (Lithuania) on a protocol by Blockdev AG (Switzerland), it offers residential IPs at $2.29/month on a 2-year prepaid plan. While it’s open-source and scales to 22,000+ nodes, the no-logs claim rests on policy alone - not audits - and its privacy practices contradict marketing: email is collected, and website trackers abound.
Mysterium claims a strict no-logs policy, stating it doesn’t store browsing history, IP addresses, or session data, with connection logs deleted within minutes. However, this is policy-only evidence - no independent audit verifies the claim. The privacy policy admits collecting your email, bandwidth usage, session timestamps, device info, and server logs containing your IP and request URI (claimed anonymized). Third-party trackers (Google Analytics, Facebook, Hotjar) run on the site. The ToS even allows abuse assessments using traffic data, undermining the no-logs stance. Jurisdictionally, it’s murky: Lithuanian operator, Swiss developer, but disputes governed by Panamanian law - a red flag for legal opacity.
You pay $2.29/month (billed every two years) for the Plus plan, the cheapest tier despite offering more than Basic. Monthly plans start at $12.99. There is no renewal price published, so the long-term cost is unknown - a major financial risk. The advertised 30-day money-back guarantee is false: terms grant only 7 days (14 for EU users), one refund per user, and deny refunds for “abuse” judged from traffic. Payment options include card, PayPal, Apple/Google Pay, or MYST crypto via CoinGate. No free tier exists; the old pay-per-GB model was retired in 2026. The 3-year cash total cannot be computed due to missing renewal data.
Mysterium supports WireGuard and OpenVPN, with a kill switch, Double VPN (multihop), and city-level exit selection. It works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, routers, and browser extensions. With 22,000+ nodes across 108 countries - including 7,500+ residential IPs - it excels at evading geo-blocks, per Reddit users unblocking streaming services others couldn’t. However, P2P is contractually banned, and performance varies wildly since nodes are run by volunteers. Open-source apps and node software exist (GitHub), but we’ve not tested speeds or leaks. The network’s scale is real, but reliability depends on strangers’ bandwidth and uptime.
No central owner is disclosed, but Blockdev AG (Switzerland) built the protocol, and UAB MN Intelligence (Lithuania) runs the consumer app. Data quality is verified, but red flags abound: the 30-day refund claim contradicts 7-day terms, Panama governs disputes despite EU entities, and residential IPs may be from datacenter ranges. Community reports cite node operators facing police raids due to exit traffic. Reddit voices confirm payout issues (broken unstaking), poor support, and throttling. While used in censorship events (Nigeria #EndSARS, Myanmar 2021), it lacks trust markers: no audits, no warrant canary, and Privacy Guides excludes it for failing audit and multi-hop criteria.
Mysterium offers no documented obfuscation like Shadowsocks or domain fronting. It relies on residential IPs - which don’t look like typical VPN ranges - to bypass blocks. This helped users in China in 2020 (per HN threads), but plain OpenVPN was the method, now likely ineffective. Without active obfuscation, this tool is not reliable for China, Iran, or Russia-class censorship. Users in restrictive networks may find it useful for evading casual DPI or app-level blocks (e.g., streaming), but it’s not designed for high-risk circumvention. Node instability and lack of pluggable transports limit its utility in heavily censored environments.
Avoid Mysterium if you need audited privacy, reliable support, or safe torrenting. It’s a gamble for high-stakes anonymity due to unverified logging, Panama-law terms, and exit-node legal risks. It may work for streaming and geo-unblocking via residential IPs, especially for tech-tolerant users. The money-trail is unclear - no affiliate program is published, but the project funds itself via tokenomics and subscriptions. For real privacy, choose audited, independent providers; this dVPN is intriguing but not yet trustworthy.
| Intro price | $2.29 /mo |
|---|---|
| Refund window | 7 days |
| Notes | Live pricing page 2026-11-02 (Black Friday promo): Basic $2.49/mo ($59.77 billed every 2 years, 6 devices, 57 countries, datacenter IPs), Plus $2.29/mo ($54.94 billed every 2 years, 10 devices, 108 countries, 7,500+ residential IPs, Double VPN, city-level choice), Pro $3.89/mo ($93.37 billed every 2 years, 15 devices, malware blocker). Monthly plan starts at $12.99/mo (FAQ). VAT extra per ToS. No free tier: the historic pay-per-GB MYST model ($2/$4/$8 top-up packages, How-To Geek Dec 2022) has been retired in favor of flat subscriptions (Tech Insider Sept 2026 confirms the shift). |
See the 3-year total next to the marketing number: true-cost calculator →
| Sign up at | mysterium.network |
|---|---|
| Identity check | none |
| Payment | myst, fiat |
| Money-back window | 7 days |
| Apps | windows, mac, linux, android, ios, router … |
Check the renewal price above before any multi-year plan - true-cost calculator.
Legal domicile: Switzerland and Lithuania - Blockdev AG (Alpenstrasse 14, 6300 Zug, footer fetched 2026-11-02) develops the network; the consumer VPN app is operated by UAB 'MN Intelligence' (Lithuanian company form, mysteriumvpn.com footer fetched 2026-11-02); discovery services run by NetSys Inc; terms-conditions-vpn states disputes are governed by the laws of the Republic of Panama with exclusive jurisdiction in Panamanian courts. Logging claim: 'No Logs Policy - We do not track or store your online activity, ensuring complete privacy' plus a NO LOGS PLEDGE: 'We do not store information about the websites you visit, your IP addresses, browsing history, or session data... basic connection data is automatically deleted within minutes of your session ending' (privacy-policy-vpn fetched 2026-11-02) - evidence class: promise only (no proof). No incidents on file in our research - absence of evidence is not proof of innocence. Facts verified - operator pages (mysterium.network home/token/about, mysteriumvpn.com home/pricing/privacy-policy/terms, GitHub node repo, MystNodes, stats portal), reviews (How-To Geek 2022, Tech Insider 2026), Privacy Guides, Yahoo/GlobeNewswire, Google News RSS, HN threads and Reddit archives (r/VPN, r/MysteriumNetwork, r/vpnreviews) all fetched live 2026-11-02; mysterium.net (403), docs.mysterium.network (transport error) and Trustpilot (403) were NOT fetchable this session (not fully verified) as of 2026-11-02 - read the sources below.
Evidence classes and scoring: methodology · user experiences: meta-review.
affiliate status not verified yet
If we sign up for this program, every link here becomes rel="nofollow sponsored" and routes through /go/. Until then our links point straight to the provider's website with zero tracking. Ranking logic physically cannot read affiliate fields - here is the proof.
Captured by our screenshot bot from the live site (or its public archive). A capture is evidence of what the page showed at capture time - not an endorsement.
Before you pay: check the renewal price, the refund window, and whether a cheaper or free path covers your use case - the honest checklist.
Based on our checks as of 2026-11-02: Mysterium Network (MYST residential dVPN) scores 3.6/10 in our weighted review. We logged 6 red flags (listed above). User reports, ownership and the incident record are documented with dated sources in the meta-review below.
A 2-year prepaid subscription to the Plus plan: 10 devices, 108 countries, 7,500+ residential IPs, Double VPN, and city-level exit choice - but no P2P allowed and speeds depend on volunteer-run nodes.
The renewal price is unknown - not published anywhere. The 3-year cash total cannot be calculated due to missing renewal data, creating a financial blind spot.
No. The claim is policy-only - not backed by audit or court test. The privacy policy collects email, session data, and IP-bearing logs, and the ToS allows traffic analysis for abuse claims, contradicting the no-logs marketing.
Not reliably. It lacks obfuscation tools. While residential IPs helped in past censorship events, plain OpenVPN is likely blocked now. Use purpose-built tools like Psiphon or Tor for such environments.
You must provide an email, so signup isn’t anonymous. Paying with MYST crypto via CoinGate hides your card, but the service still ties your activity to your account and email.
The dVPN relies on centralized apps and discovery servers. If operators vanish, node discovery and app updates fail - it’s not truly decentralized in practice. Your subscription would stop working with no recourse.
Yes. For real privacy, consider Mullvad ($5/month, audited, anonymous accounts) or Proton VPN (free tier, audited, Swiss-based). Both are open-source and avoid Mysterium’s legal and logging risks.
Comparable providers of the same kind only - a free app is never "an alternative" to a commercial VPN. Ranked by the same deterministic score.
Sentinel is real decentralized-VPN infrastructure - an open-source Cosmos chain with on-chain sessions, Wallet-only signup and per-gigabyte pricing that…
The most ambitious attempt to replace the VPN trust model with a market - and one of the least convincing products to actually use. The design is real…
Althea should not appear in any consumer VPN comparison as a VPN, and this dossier exists mainly to say so precisely: the project started (2017-2019) as a…
No comments yet - be the first. Posting runs a short proof-of-work in your browser (anti-spam), no account needed.