Mullvad VPN

Mullvad VPN Summary

Ease of Use

Mullvad VPN has a sleek and simple desktop client for Windows, Mac and Linux users. The home screen is scattered, displaying only your connection status and the selected server.

When connected, the top header turns green and the application writes ‘secure connection’. A red flag indicates that the VPN is not connected. Changing the VPN server location is simple and is done by clicking ‘Change Location’ on the home screen; in some places you can see the city level and even select a specific server.

The main settings are located in the upper right corner, but there is no access to many of the advanced features, such as the split tunnel, which requires manual configuration. The application’s advanced settings only allow you to switch between UDP and TCP and select your preferred port.

Our biggest problem with the availability of Mullvad is that they are not mobile VPN applications. You can only manually configure your device with OpenVPN. This makes it difficult to recommend Mullvad VPN to VPN beginners.

Server Locations

Mullvad has servers in only 39 countries. This is a low number. Most of these countries are located in Europe, so Mullvad may not be the best option for users located elsewhere. Mullvad VPN currently operates 410 servers, but users with only one IP address per server may experience slower speeds during high congestion times. Fortunately, this was not the case during our testing experience.

Speed and Reliability

Mullvad VPN speeds are exceptional, extremely fast and consistent.

Before using Mullvad VPN:

When you connect to Mullvad VPN:

Download speed without Mullvad: 91 Mbps

Download speed with Mullvad: 86 Mbps

Loss of download speed when running Mullvad: 6%

As you can see, when you connect to nearby servers, you can expect speeds that are almost no loss.

There’s almost nothing you can do at these speeds.

Platforms and Devices

Mullvad VPN provides user-friendly custom applications for:

• Microsoft Windows
• Mac OS Operating System
• Linux

Mullvad does not have local applications for smartphones. This means that you need to manually configure your devices with OpenVPN software.

Pricing and Opportunities

Unlike most VPN providers, Mullvad VPN no longer offers discounts for long-term subscription plans or long-term contracts. You pay a monthly fee for the time you want to use the VPN service.

For just $ 5.80 a month, Mullvad is a relatively inexpensive VPN provider since you’re not connected for 12 months or more.

Encryption and Security

Mullvad VPN applications have many extra security features and are the perfect choice for anyone who wants top-level privacy.

The encryption is over AES-256 and you can choose between two VPN protocols: OpenVPN and WireGuard. Using WireGuard with Mullvad required manual configuration, but they have recently been included in MacOS and Linux applications.

Windows users must manually configure WireGuard to use it, but Mullvad has promised an update to fix it in the near future. Mullvad also offers integrated DNS leak protection and runs its own DNS servers; this means that your web traffic is not routed through less secure third-party servers.

Customer Support

Mullvad VPN does not currently have live chat, and the speed of email responses varies from a few minutes to 12 hours and is frustrating if you need quick answers. However, the customer support representatives were friendly and helpful when they answered. If you have any urgent questions, most answers can be found in Mullvad’s extensive FAQs, manuals and blog.

Do you recommend?

Mullvad is very popular for a reason: an easy to use, fast and secure VPN. We recommend if you want to take advantage of the power of all at once. However it is still not perfect.