Mullvad VPN overview: The Honest Opinion About the Swedish VPN

And even if you know that there is specific software that can help you, like VPN, there are so many software providers that you simply don’t know which one to choose. On the one hand, you need to be protected against some forces, but do all VPN companies seem trustworthy and able to ensure your security?

That’s why we have decided to write this Mullvad VPN review: to provide the essential information about this brand and to answer your main questions. Without this knowledge, it is almost impossible to make the right choice. And if you still have some questions, you can always contact us.

What Is a VPN?

But let’s start with the basics. What is a VPN, and why do you need this software? VPN stands for the virtual private network. It is a technology that allows the user to lay a virtual cable over the Internet to one’s remote network (server). What does it mean for you? When you connect to your router via Wi-Fi at home, you are on your home network. But if a VPN server is configured on your router, then you can get into your home network while far from home. And, for example, connect to your home printer and print something on it, as if you were working from home. You will also access the Internet as if you were on your home network.

VPN runs over the Internet. It means that you can connect to it from anywhere: whether you’re at home, at work, or travel abroad. The principle of the technology is to create a secure connection over the network (it can be called a tunnel between a computer and a server). When connecting, the data being sent is encrypted and protected.

In short, there are two main advantages of such software: You can access any websites blocked in your country; You’re protected against the interception of logins or passwords in public WI-FI points (the fact is that traffic over open wireless networks can be easily intercepted).

However, don’t forget about the fact that there may be various software providers. And their primary goal is not your security. They have their business goals, and sometimes it takes time to define how exactly you can benefit from them. Speaking about Mullvadvpn, we are ready to make this task easier for you.

What is Mullvad?

Mullvad is a Swedish VPN, and it is already suspicious. The point is that Sweden is part of the 14 Eyes alliance made up of 14 countries that have data sharing and surveillance assistance agreements with each other, making Sweden not a desirable place to host a VPN. However, they assure users they are safe. Mullvad even has some arguments to prove it.

The first thing that attracts many users is a very simple registration process. Just one click of a button and you have an account. The website generates a unique account number for you, and that’s it. Mullvad VPN doesn't need your private data, e.g.email address, real name, country of your location, phone number, or any personal details at all. Your account ID is enough to use the software. And it sounds really good, but only if there are some other advantages to appreciate.

Pricing and Features

Mullvad VPN claims that they have a fair pricing model. It is because many companies have nice deals when you buy the software for 1 decade. In this case, you have to pay the same price regardless of your choice: whether you need the tool for 1 month or 1 year. And they call it fair! In fact, it isn’t. When the company expects you to pay for a subscription for a long period, it should provide you with some price benefits. For example, with a discount. The customer that uses the product for 1 decade shouldn’t pay the same cost as the 1-month customer. If you explore the market, you’ll easily find out that other companies offer lower prices when you subscribe for several months or years. But not Mullvad.

And there is one more interesting fact about the Mullvad VPN subscription. Though they show several options to choose from, there is only one package: the monthly. You can’t just buy a yearly plan and forget about it. The good news is that you can cancel the subscription at any time, so if you’re disappointed with the service, you shouldn’t wait just because you’ve paid for it.

Pay attention to the fact that there are many opportunities to get started with Mullvad VPN. Once you generate an account number, you can buy a subscription in one of the ways you like. Available options include Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, PayPal, Swish. You can use any credit card payment and even pay cash. Mullvad has done a really good job with payment systems so that they have a guarantee their customers will pursue this service. And there is only one question then: who will benefit from this?

Speaking about features, Mullvad offers the following services to all users: - 5 simultaneous connections; - Socks5 proxy; - Port selection; - OpenVPN protocol; - Torrents are allowed, just like any other p2p activity; - Obfsproxy and Shadowsock bridges (anti-censor technologies); - SSH and SSL tunneling (to bypass VPN blocking); - VPN chains; - Full IPv6 Routing; - Servers in 36 countries. The chances are the average user doesn’t understand what stands behind these words about Mullvad, so we want to talk about them in more detail.

VPN Protocols

There are many options to create connections when it comes to VPN, and Mullvad VPN uses the OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols. It is an open-source solution that is free of dangerous vulnerabilities. You can also configure SOCKS5 manually. And such low-security options as PPTP are not offered.

OpenVPN

Most likely, you have already heard about it if you read other Mullvad VPN reviews. This security protocol uses open-source software. It is very reliable, especially when dealing with AES encryption, which is also used by Mullvad. It is widely used and has an excellent reputation.

WireGuard

It is very easy to use yet fast, modern, and promising VPN tunnel Mullvad offers. At the moment, it is still being finalized, but it is already considered one of the most secure protocols. Moreover, it is based on crypto technologies and is capable of providing more than 5 times the speed of connection!

Servers and Server Locations

Not only the number of servers the Mullvad can offer but also the number of their location is important. If you have 30 servers in three cities, you can only connect to these three cities. It is also important to consider what kind of relationship servers and users have. Typically, more servers mean higher speeds, but if VPN A has slightly more servers than VPN B, but they have twice as many users, VPN A will usually have slower speeds. Unfortunately, VPNs and Mullvad, in particular, do not share the number of their users, but they all compete to get more servers. Look at the number of IP addresses and locations. Additional IP servers broadcast for more privacy and more locations mean better access to content.

Speaking about Mullvad VPN, it has more than 600 servers in 36 countries. You may think that it is a great offer, but to be honest, it isn’t. The average amount is about 52 countries if you see what other companies offer. Besides, you can find out that this company doesn’t provide users with diverse server offerings. If you need to connect to South America, you have only one country to choose from. And there is no coverage in Central America or Africa. Most of the servers are in Europe. Compared to other competitors, this is not so much and may limit Mullvadvpn's usefulness to users in Asia.

Should You Worry About Your Privacy With Mullvad VPN?

You should understand that when you use Mullvad VPN or any other VPN service, this company potentially can receive access to all of your web traffic. That’s why it is very important to choose the provider that you trust. And it is impossible if you don’t understand what exact measures Mullvad VPN takes to protect your data and ensure your security.

The good news is that this company has a guide describing all privacy aspects. The bad news is that it is pretty long, and you need time to read and understand them.

There is one thing you should also know about Mullvad VPN before you decide to buy a subscription. Many VPN providers hire third-party audit companies to define whether their solutions are secure enough. Speaking about Mullvad VPN, the last time when it was audited was in 2018. They hired Cure53 to organize the penetration testing of its tools. It would be better if they follow the example of their competitors who have committed to annual audits to get exhaustive data.

Actually, security is an issue of trust. And Mullvad VPN can take the most right measures, but if it isn’t able to persuade its customers, all these efforts are just useless.

Personal Experience With Mullvad VPN

Once you have generated your personal account number on the Mullvad VPN website, you can download its software. The client, admittedly, looks pretty naked, so it takes you some time to understand whether its features work perfectly. The experience isn’t 100% smooth, and you can encounter some ubiquitous VPN issues like latency, unresponsive client, connection issues, etc.

The tool is divided into status and settings tabs. The first one will tell you about your remaining time, your connection (status, country, IPv4, and IPv6), the server you are connected to, and the version of the Mullvad VPN software you are currently using.

The settings tab will allow you to change the account number and manage network settings (ports, kill switch, DNS leaks, and IPv6 tunnel). Finally, you can also check the auto start option. This tab also contains advanced Mullvad settings, but they are not recommended to use unless you are an experienced VPN user.

Mullvad VPN and Netflix

Since the beginning of 2016, Netflix began its fight against VPN users by recognizing whether a user is connected to a VPN or not. Most VPNs (around 30-40%) have failed to circumvent these measures and no longer allow Netflix to be used. However, many of them were still able to overcome these restrictions and allow you to unblock regional Netflix content. Unfortunately, Mullvad VPN is not one of them.

This software is not the right tool if you need a VPN to unblock Netflix shows. Of course, there are a lot of ways to download its content, but you don’t need Mullvad VPN or any other VPN for this purpose. This tool doesn’t work with any streaming, so it doesn’t even make sense to try it.

Mullvad VPN and other streaming platforms

You may think that if Mullvad VPN doesn’t work with Netflix, it should provide you with the opportunity to enjoy other streaming platforms. Unfortunately, there is no such option.

Whether you need Hulu or BBC iPlayer, Mullvad is not able to bypass their VPN blocks. They detect easily that you’re connecting from outside the concrete country. And it sounds disappointing since most users look for decent VPN software for streaming. So, it is better to choose the alternative option that can provide you with incredible speeds and unblocking capabilities as well.

However, Mullvad VPN can be good for torrenting, but it is not the thing you should pay $5 per month.

Beyond VPN: What extra opportunities can Mullvad provide you with?

Most companies these days create solutions that provide users with various opportunities. For example, you can install the VPN software along with an ad-blocking extension for your browser or with a password manager. Some tools grant you access to different privacy services, and you can also benefit from the encrypted file vault.

And what about Mullvad VPN? Unfortunately, it has no such aspirations, and its VPN software is its sole tool. At the network level, you can’t use ad-blocking or any other additional features. Of course, we can’t say that it is necessary, but we know that users like some extra bonuses.

Speed Tests

Speed determines how fast it is possible to load the content. Of course, when you're torrenting or streaming, you want the VPN speed to be no different from your normal Internet speed. Typically, when a Mullvad VPN starts encrypting your data, it takes longer to send it back and forth, and this can slow down your connection. However, if an ISP (Internet Service Provider) intentionally slows down your connection (so-called throttling), a VPN can increase your Internet speed. VPN testing is a bit of a silly idea because the emergence of new servers affects speed. Also, the speed may vary depending on your location, so your speed test results may differ from ours. It should be noted that we tested the Mullvad speed in several geolocations to give you an average value.

Speaking about Mullvadvpn, this software offers a decent speed, but a drop in speed is also very noticeable. OpenVPN is secure enough, and it makes the connection slower. There were also VPN disconnects during testing, especially when choosing a server at the city level instead of the country. This is also a disadvantage. Fortunately, a Mullvad emergency switch comes into play when the VPN connection drops and hides your real IP address.

For these reasons, it is impossible to recommend Mullvad VPN to gamers. There are more suitable VPN providers for these purposes.

Mullvad VPN on Other Platforms

We have tested Mullvad VPN on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. It supports various operating systems, and you won’t face difficulties when installing it on a personal computer. Just a couple of minutes, and that’s it. However, most people use VPN from their smartphones, and things are a little different here. They don’t have an application for Android (actually, there is the beta version only), and only this fact can spoil the overall impression if it is positive. However, there are more reasons to be disappointed in Mullvad VPN.

Customer Support

While most believe that good support is only needed when you’re installing a Mullvad VPN, there are many other cases where you may need customer support. Connecting to a specific server, changing the security protocol, and setting up a VPN on the router, you may require professional assistance. We check each VPN service to see if support works at any time (even late at night), how quickly they respond, and if they answer our questions.

The first thing you will mention is that Mullvad does not have a live chat feature. How is it possible in the 21st century? They do provide their email address and real physical address, and we find it outdated. If you’re not living in Sweden and aren’t willing to travel there to get support), a physical address is just useless. And you can wait for years until someone responds to the email. This company takes one business day to answer your request, and it definitely can’t be called a very fast reaction. If you have some issues with your Mullvadvpn, you need a response just in several minutes. Unfortunately, it is impossible with this company.

If you look for some Mullvad VPN reviews online, you’ll find out that users are not happy with their customer service.

Pros and Cons

Each company has its advantages and disadvantages. And Mullvad VPN is no exception. We can’t deny that there are some advantages a lot of users will appreciate. But we want to show you a list of pros and cons so that you get the full picture and understand whether this solution is good for you personally.

Mullvad Advantages

• No logs policy;
• Strong focus on the user’s privacy;
• Torrents allowed regardless of the service;
• Clear instructions;
• Multi-hop (chains) solution;

Mullvad Disadvantages

• Fair pricing which is actually unfair;
• Limited functions;
• 3-hour free trial;
• Number of servers is limited;
• You can’t use Netflix;
• Speed results are not impressive;
• It is not so easy to reach the support service.

Wrapping up

So, speaking about our verdict, we can say that Mullvad VPN is not the choice we recommend to make. Though it has some nice features and you can be impressed with some of them, this company is focused on some things and forgets about the other ones who are no less important. It is better to read some other reviews and find the VPN software with more advantages.

Mullvad VPN Specs

Country: Sweden; Number of servers\countries: 663 servers in 36 countries; Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, Linux, iOS; Protocols: OpenVPN, WireGuard; Payment options: Bitcoin, Bitcash, Swish, credit cards, PayPal, cash, bank transfers; Encryption protocol: AES-256; Data usage: Unlimited; Bandwidth usage: Unlimited; Max. no. of simultaneously connected devices: 5; Customer support: Email and physical address; Privacy policy: No logging.

FAQ — All You Want to Know About Mullvad VPN

What should I do if I have paid for a subscription but can’t connect?

If you receive the message with words that your Mullvad VPN account has expired, there are some issues with your payment. It depends on the option you have chosen to pay. For example, if it was a PayPal account, you need to log in to this service and check whether everything is ok with your transaction. This service can change one’s mind about payment without notifications. There also may be some issues with cryptocurrency payments, and you need to wait about 1-2 working days to get bank wires processed, and the transaction confirmed.

I’m installing Mullvad VPN, and it fails; what are my next steps?

Once you get the error "Fatal error during driver installation: Failed to enumerate network adapters: SetupDiOpenDevRegKey Failed", you need to uninstall the TAP adapter from your system. Then reboot it and try to start the installation process once again.

Can I get dedicated IP?

No, we don’t provide our customers with dedicated IPs since they have to be linked to users. And it is not aligned with the privacy the company strives to ensure. Besides, Mullvad VPN doesn’t store any kind of activity logs according to its Privacy Policy.

Can I use this app in China?

Many users require a VPN when they are traveling abroad since some countries close access to popular in Europe and the USA services. And if you’re in China, you can install Mullvad VPN to counter regional block and firewall. However, don’t forget that the local authorities are constantly working to block all VPN connections. So you should be well-aware of it and ensure your app can bypass surveillance technology.

What should I do if my connection is broken?

There is a built-in safety feature that is intended to ensure that all your Internet traffic is blocked automatically. It will change only after the reestablishment of the VPN connection or after you quit the application or disconnect from it. It is necessary to guarantee you the absolute safety of your traffic. It won’t leak outside of the tunnel the Mullvad app creates.

How can I use the kill switch?

When you’re using Mullvadvpn, you don’t have an opportunity to use a kill switch. But don’t panic! It is just because this function is built-in, and users can never disable it for any purpose. So, there is no reason to worry when your network stops suddenly or when the tunnel fails. Your application is intended to protect the traffic automatically until everything is ok with your Internet connection.

Does the EU Data Retention Directive apply to your company?

Mullvad VPN doesn’t obey the directive since they are not electronic communications services. It is also related to other legislation documents, e.g. Sweden's Lagen om elektronisk kommunikation.

Why can my connection be slow?

Many aspects affect the speed of your connection. For example, you can try to use an Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi, or temporarily disable your firewall. Some reasons are connected with drivers and routers. And you shouldn’t forget that Mullvad VPN works slower when it establishes a connection with far-located servers.