Mullvad vs Proton VPN: Proton VPN wins 68 to 65
Proton VPN edges Mullvad 68 to 65 on my scoreboard, and they are the two most private VPNs I track, both with a 10 in that column. The difference is what you want on top of privacy: Proton VPN streams and has a bigger network; Mullvad is simpler, flat-priced and asks for nothing about you, not even an email address.
- Longest plan
- $5.60/mo · $5.60 for 1 mo
- Month to month
- $5.60/mo
- Based in
- Sweden
- Protocol
- WireGuard
- Trustpilot
- 3.5 / 5
- Longest plan
- $2.99/mo · $71.76 for 24 mo
- Month to month
- $9.99/mo
- Based in
- Switzerland
- Protocol
- WireGuard
- Trustpilot
- 2.1 / 5
Plain links to each provider. I have no affiliate or referral deal with either, so I earn nothing if you buy. Prices are USD as advertised on October 7, 2026; most plans renew higher.
Mullvad vs Proton VPN, feature by feature
Each feature scored 1 to 10 by me, same scale as the full scoreboard. Green is 8 to 10, yellow 5 to 7, red 1 to 4. The higher score in each row is marked.
| Feature | Mullvad | Proton VPN | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpeedDownload throughput and latency over WireGuard | 8 | 8 | Tie |
| PrivacyNo-logs policy, independent audits, jurisdiction | 10 | 10 | Tie |
| SecurityEncryption, kill switch, DNS and IPv6 leak protection | 9 | 9 | Tie |
| ServersServer count and country coverage | 6 | 8 | Proton VPN by 2 |
| StreamingUnblocks Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and live sport | 4 | 7 | Proton VPN by 3 |
| PriceValue on 1 and 2 year plans, refund window | 8 | 7 | Mullvad by 1 |
| Ease of useApp quality, setup, defaults | 7 | 8 | Proton VPN by 1 |
| SupportLive chat availability and response time | 6 | 7 | Proton VPN by 1 |
| TrustpilotTrustpilot TrustScore out of 5, doubled to a 1 to 10 scale | 7 | 4 | Mullvad by 3 |
| TotalPlain sum of the 9 scores | 65of 90 | 68of 90 | Proton VPN by 3 |
Where they differ most
- Streaming: Proton VPN leads by 3 (4 against 7).
- Trustpilot: Mullvad leads by 3 (7 against 4).
- Servers: Proton VPN leads by 2 (6 against 8).
- Price: Mullvad leads by 1 (8 against 7).
Privacy: a tie at the top
Both score 10. Mullvad, based in Sweden, lets you sign up with a randomly generated account number, accepts cash by post, and publishes audits. Proton VPN, based in Switzerland, publishes open-source apps and audited no-logs claims. Security is a tie at 9. If privacy is your only criterion, this comparison is a coin toss and you should decide on the rest of the table.
Streaming and servers: Proton VPN
Mullvad has the lowest streaming score in this pair at 4. It makes no promises about unblocking streaming services and in my checks it did not reliably unblock them. Proton VPN scored 7: it handles the major libraries with some server hopping. Servers go to Proton VPN too, 8 against 6, for a wider country list.
Speed is a tie at 8 over WireGuard. Ease of use is 8 against 7; Mullvad's apps are deliberately plain.
Price: different models
Mullvad charges a flat EUR 5 a month, about $5.60, with no long-term discount and no price rise at renewal. Proton VPN advertises $2.99 a month if you pay $71.76 for two years up front, and $9.99 month to month. Over two years Proton VPN is cheaper; month to month Mullvad is. Mullvad scores 8 for price and Proton VPN 7 because Mullvad's number never changes. Proton VPN also has a free plan, which Mullvad does not.
Trustpilot and support
Mullvad's TrustScore was 3.5 when I checked, a 7 on my scale; Proton VPN's was 2.1, a 4. Support is 7 against 6 in Proton VPN's favour, though neither offers the round-the-clock live chat the top of the scoreboard does. Both are email-first companies.
How I scored these
Every number on this page comes from the same tests as the main scoreboard: speed over WireGuard on a wired 1 Gbps line at three times of day, streaming checked against Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and a live sport service in two regions, and privacy from published policies, audits and jurisdiction. The method is on the How I score page. Think a score is wrong? Tell me what you found and I will re-test.
Pick Mullvad if
- You want to give a VPN company nothing, not even an email.
- You prefer one flat price that never changes.
- You do not care about streaming at all.
Pick Proton VPN if
- You want top-tier privacy and some streaming.
- You want a free plan to try first.
- You will pay two years up front for the lower rate.
Not sure about either?
All 15 VPNs are on one sortable table. Sort by the column you care about and see who else is close.
Open the full scoreboard