In 2023, Swedish police raided the home of a Mullvad VPN user and left empty-handed. The company had no data to hand over, because it stores none. That single incident tells you more about privacy than any marketing page ever could. But Proton VPN, based in Switzerland, makes a similar promise with a very different business model behind it.
Which service fits your definition of privacy: anonymous signup, a hardened legal jurisdiction, or a full set of encrypted tools? This comparison covers the real differences between Mullvad and Proton VPN so you can choose based on how you use the internet. (Mullvad)
The Core Difference: Two Privacy Philosophies
Mullvad and Proton VPN approach privacy from opposite directions.
Mullvad is built around anonymity. You do not create an account with an email address. You get a randomly generated 16-digit account number, and that is your entire identity on the service. You can pay with cash sent by mail, and the company has said it does not want to know who you are. It operates under Swedish law through its parent company, Amagicom AB.
Proton VPN is built around privacy across Proton services. It is operated by Proton AG in Switzerland, the same company behind Proton Mail, Proton Drive, and Proton Pass. The idea is that your email, files, passwords, and VPN connection all live under one encrypted roof. You need a Proton account to sign up, which means an email address is part of the deal.
Neither approach is wrong. But they attract different users. If you want maximum separation between your real identity and your VPN traffic, Mullvad’s model is hard to beat. If you want convenience and a suite of tools that talk to each other, Proton’s model wins.
If you are comparing password managers within Proton’s apps, a separate breakdown of 1password vs proton pass is worth reading, since it follows the same trade-off between standalone tools and bundled convenience.
Jurisdiction: Sweden vs Switzerland
Both countries sit outside the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which is the first box most privacy-conscious users want ticked. But “outside Five Eyes” is not the same as “safe from data requests.”
| Factor | Mullvad (Sweden) | Proton VPN (Switzerland) |
|---|---|---|
| Parent company | Amagicom AB | Proton AG |
| EU member | Yes | No |
| Known for | Strong constitutional press freedom | Long-standing banking secrecy tradition |
| Data requests | Handled under Swedish law | Handled under Swiss law |
Sweden is an EU member, which means it operates inside the EU’s legal cooperation framework. Switzerland is not in the EU and has its own arrangements with foreign authorities. Privacy advocates often point out that both countries have legal processes for handling data requests, and neither jurisdiction is a magic shield. What actually protects you is whether the provider has data to hand over in the first place.
That is why no-logs claims matter more than flag emojis on a marketing page. Both companies have commissioned third-party audits of their no-logs policies at various points, and both publish transparency reports. The details of those audits, including the auditors, the scope, and the dates, change over time. Check each provider’s official transparency pages directly rather than trusting a comparison article (including this one) for audit specifics.
Anonymous Signup: Mullvad’s Biggest Advantage
Here is where the two services diverge most sharply in practice.
Mullvad’s signup flow takes about thirty seconds. You open the site, generate an account number, and you are done. No email, no name, no phone number. If you pay with cash, there is no digital payment trail at all connecting you to the account. Even card and PayPal payments are processed in ways designed to limit what the company retains.
Proton VPN requires a Proton account. That means an email address, and while you can create a Proton Mail address specifically for this purpose, the account still exists as a record. For most people this is fine. For journalists, activists, or anyone in a situation where identity linkage is a genuine risk, it is a meaningful difference.
A practical tip from people who use Mullvad seriously: write your account number down on paper and store it somewhere physical. There is no “forgot password” recovery flow that involves your email, because there is no email. Lose the number and you lose the account. That is the price of anonymity, and it catches new users off guard more often than you would expect.
Free Tier vs Paid Only: A Real Trade-Off
Proton VPN offers a free tier with unlimited data, which is unusual in the VPN market. The catch is a smaller server network and slower speeds on free servers. Mullvad has no free tier at all. It charges a flat rate of about €5 per month, and that is the only option.
This matters for privacy in a subtle way. Free VPNs are often free because they monetize something else, usually data. Proton’s free tier is funded by its paid subscribers and its broader business, which is a more honest model than most. Still, free users on any service should understand what they are getting: fewer servers, more congestion, and less control.
If you are weighing budget options more broadly, this guide to the best free vpn covers which free services are actually usable and which ones should be avoided entirely.
Mullvad’s flat pricing is itself a privacy feature. There are no upsells, no tiered data collection, and no “premium” plan that adds extra logging. One price, one product.
What the Apps and Features Look Like
Both services publish open-source client apps, which means independent researchers can inspect the code. That is a genuine trust signal, and both companies deserve credit for it.
Mullvad’s app is deliberately minimal. You pick a server, you connect. There is a multihop feature that routes traffic through two servers, and a kill switch that works reliably. The interface is almost aggressively plain, and long-time users tend to appreciate that. There is nothing to configure and nothing to get wrong.
Proton VPN’s app is friendlier and more feature-rich. It includes Secure Core, which routes traffic through hardened servers in privacy-friendly countries before exiting elsewhere, plus ad and malware blocking, split tunneling, and streaming-optimized servers. The trade-off is complexity: more features mean more settings to misconfigure.
A common mistake with both services is leaving the kill switch off. If your VPN drops and the kill switch is not active, your real IP address leaks. Turn it on before you need it, not after. Another frequent error is assuming that connecting to a nearby server equals better privacy. It does not. Server location affects speed and which legal jurisdiction your exit traffic appears to come from, and those are different concerns.
For a broader look at how these tools fit into a full privacy stack, the roundup of the best vpn services for privacy puts both providers in context against their competitors. (Privacy)
Speed, Reliability, and Daily Use
Privacy means little if the connection is unusable.
Mullvad’s network is smaller but consistently fast, and its WireGuard implementation is well regarded. Proton VPN’s network is larger and includes more locations, though free-tier users share a much smaller pool of servers and will notice the difference during peak hours.
In day-to-day use, both hold up well for browsing, video, and general work. Proton has an edge for streaming because it maintains servers optimized for that purpose. Mullvad does not chase streaming unblocking as a feature, and users who primarily want to watch geo-restricted content sometimes find it less reliable for that specific task. That is a deliberate trade-off, not a flaw.
Reliability is close to a wash. Both have maintained strong uptime, and both have survived public scrutiny without a documented logging incident. That track record is worth more than any spec sheet.
Pricing Compared
| Plan | Mullvad | Proton VPN |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | ~€5 flat | Free tier available; paid plans higher |
| Email required | No | Yes |
| Anonymous payment | Cash by mail, plus digital options | Standard payment methods |
| Free tier | None | Yes, unlimited data, limited servers |
Mullvad’s flat €5 pricing is simple and has stayed stable for years, which long-term users appreciate. Proton’s paid tiers cost more but bundle in other Proton services depending on the plan. If you already use Proton Mail, the bundle math changes considerably.
Who Should Choose Which
Choose Mullvad if:
- You want to sign up without giving any personal information
- You value a flat, predictable price with no upsells
- You prefer a minimal app that does one thing well
- Anonymity at signup matters more to you than bundled features
Choose Proton VPN if:
- You already use Proton Mail or other Proton tools
- You want a free tier to test the waters
- You need streaming-optimized servers and a larger network
- You want one account managing your email, files, and VPN
A third option worth knowing: some people run both. Mullvad for sensitive work, Proton for everyday browsing where the convenience of Proton’s other apps matters. It sounds excessive until you realize the combined cost is less than a streaming subscription.
If you are still mapping out the wider landscape, the best vpn 2025 overview and this comparison of proton vpn vs nord will help you see where these two sit against the rest of the market. And if you are unsure whether a VPN is even the right tool for your goal, this explainer on vpn vs proxy what is the difference clears up a surprisingly common confusion.
The Verdict
There is no universal winner, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something.
On pure anonymity, Mullvad wins. The numbered account system, cash payments, and absence of any email requirement make it the stronger choice for anyone whose threat model includes identity linkage. The 2023 raid that produced nothing is the clearest proof of concept any VPN has offered.
On integration with other Proton apps and accessibility, Proton VPN wins. The free tier, the larger network, the streaming servers, and the connection to Proton Mail and Drive make it the more practical daily driver for most people.
Both are legitimate privacy tools operated by companies with consistent track records. Both sit outside Five Eyes. Both publish open-source clients and transparency reports. The right pick comes down to one question: do you need your VPN provider to not know who you are, or do you need it to fit neatly into the rest of your digital life? Answer that honestly and the choice makes itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mullvad more private than Proton VPN?
For signup anonymity, yes. Mullvad requires no email and accepts cash, so there is no identity trail. Proton VPN requires a Proton account, which means an email address exists on record. Both have strong no-logs commitments, so the difference is at the account level rather than the traffic level.
Does Proton VPN keep logs?
Proton VPN states that it does not keep activity logs, and it has commissioned third-party audits of that claim. Audit scope and dates change, so check Proton’s official transparency report for the current status rather than relying on secondhand summaries.
Can I use Mullvad without an email address?
Yes. That is the entire point of its account model. You receive a generated account number and use that to sign in. There is no email recovery, so store the number somewhere safe. If you lose it, the account is gone.
Which VPN is better for streaming?
Proton VPN generally has the edge. It maintains servers optimized for streaming and a larger overall network. Mullvad does not prioritize streaming unblocking as a feature, so users who mainly want to access geo-restricted catalogs often find Proton more reliable for that task.
Is a free VPN safe for privacy?
It depends entirely on the provider’s business model. Proton’s free tier is funded by paid subscribers and its wider business, which is a more honest arrangement than most. Free services that monetize user data are a different story. Always check who is paying for the service and why.
Do both VPNs work in countries with internet restrictions?
Both companies have taken steps to help users in restrictive regions, but the situation changes constantly and no provider guarantees access everywhere. Check each provider’s official documentation for current guidance before relying on either service in a high-restriction environment.
