Proton VPN and Mullvad are both privacy-focused VPN services, but they solve different problems. As of April 2026, Proton VPN is the better fit if you want streaming support, a usable free tier, and a bundled account with Mail, Drive and Pass; Mullvad is the stronger choice if you want the minimum personal data trail, simple flat pricing, and account-number-only sign-up. Both support WireGuard, both have published independent audits, and neither is the cheapest mass-market VPN. The practical decision is not whether one is “good” and the other is “bad”, but whether you value convenience features or data minimisation more.
Quick verdict
If you want one-line advice, it is this:
- Pick Proton VPN if you want to watch US Netflix or BBC iPlayer, use one account for VPN plus email/password manager, or need a free plan before paying.
- Pick Mullvad if you want to create an account without giving an email address, pay a flat monthly rate, and minimise subscription metadata.
As of April 2026, Proton is operated by Proton AG in Switzerland. Proton says it keeps no logs that can identify what users do online, and its apps and infrastructure claims have been independently audited; its ownership is public and tied to Proton AG. As of April 2026, Mullvad is operated by Mullvad VPN AB in Sweden, is owned by Amagicom AB, and also states that it keeps no activity logs; that claim and its apps have also been independently audited.
The difference is not protocol support or baseline competence. It is product direction. Proton is building a broad privacy suite. Mullvad is still building a narrow VPN product with fewer upsells and less account data.
Privacy model: data minimisation vs account convenience
Mullvad still has the cleanest sign-up flow in the VPN market. As of April 2026, you can generate a random 16-digit account number and use the service without attaching an email address. That matters because a no-logs policy only covers VPN-side activity; your account trail still exists somewhere. If a provider stores your email, billing timestamps, support history and marketing preferences, that is more data than an account number plus payment status.
Proton asks for more because it is selling a broader account system. As of April 2026, Proton accounts can tie together VPN, Mail, Drive, Pass and Calendar. That is convenient, but it means one provider may know more about your subscription relationships. Proton’s privacy advantage is jurisdiction and transparency rather than extreme data minimisation. Switzerland is outside the EU, but that does not make it immune to lawful requests; it does mean a different legal framework than Sweden.
A concrete example: if your goal is to buy one month of VPN access for travel and leave almost no account residue, Mullvad is the simpler option. If your goal is to run encrypted email, file storage, aliasing and VPN from one dashboard, Proton is easier to live with day to day.
Jurisdiction, logging and audits
This is the minimum disclosure readers should have before choosing.
| Provider | Jurisdiction | Ownership | Logging claim | Most recent widely published independent audit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proton VPN | Switzerland | Proton AG | As of April 2026, Proton says it does not keep logs of browsing activity or metadata that can identify a user’s online activity | As reported by Proton in 2024, Securitum audited Proton VPN apps and found issues that were remediated |
| Mullvad | Sweden | Mullvad VPN AB, owned by Amagicom AB | As of April 2026, Mullvad says it keeps no activity logs and stores minimal account data | As reported by Mullvad in 2024, Assured AB audited Mullvad’s app, infrastructure and no-logs work |
Switzerland is usually seen as the more privacy-friendly jurisdiction in VPN marketing, but that does not end the analysis. Sweden is in the EU and subject to a different legal environment, yet Mullvad’s design reduces the amount of data available in the first place. In practice, architecture can matter more than slogans about jurisdiction.
Both providers have stronger evidence than VPNs that merely say “no logs” on a landing page. That matters because many large VPN brands still rely on narrow audits of browser extensions or point-in-time server checks. Here, both Proton and Mullvad have a better record of external scrutiny.
One caveat on ownership: Proton is part of a larger privacy platform and has external investors; Mullvad remains a smaller standalone business. For some readers, that makes Mullvad easier to trust organisationally. For others, Proton’s larger footprint and published transparency work are positives.
Pricing: Proton is flexible, Mullvad is simpler
Mullvad’s pricing remains easier to explain. As of April 2026, Mullvad charges a flat monthly rate in euros, historically €5 per month, with no steep long-term discount ladder. That means 1 month and 12 months cost exactly 12 times the monthly rate. There is no coupon-hunting game.
Proton VPN uses tiered pricing and bundles. As of April 2026, Proton sells VPN Plus on monthly and annual terms, and the effective monthly price drops on longer plans. Proton also pushes bundle value through Proton Unlimited. That can be a good deal if you already want Proton Mail, Drive and Pass. It can be poor value if you only want a VPN.
Numeric example: if Mullvad remains at €5 per month, 12 months costs €60. A discounted Proton annual VPN plan can undercut that on effective monthly price, but the true comparison depends on whether you need streaming servers and bundles. If you only want a clean one-month VPN for a trip, Mullvad’s flat rate is easier. If you are replacing three separate subscriptions with Proton Unlimited, Proton can come out ahead.
Dark-pattern check: Mullvad’s pricing has historically been straightforward, with no fake countdown discounts. Proton is more conventional subscription software. As of April 2026, readers should still check renewal terms carefully before buying any annual plan. Auto-renew defaults and retention prompts are common across the industry, even when a company is otherwise credible.
Speed, apps and day-to-day use
On protocol support, this is close. As of April 2026, both Proton VPN and Mullvad support WireGuard, and both offer modern apps across major desktop and mobile platforms. Both are capable of saturating typical home broadband lines under the right conditions. The real difference is defaults and product polish.
Proton tends to expose more consumer-facing features: profiles, streaming-labelled servers, Secure Core routing, split tunnelling on supported platforms, and tighter integration with the rest of the Proton account. Mullvad keeps the interface leaner. Its app is usually faster to understand because there are fewer choices. For a non-technical user setting up a laptop in five minutes, Proton can feel friendlier; for a technical user who wants fewer moving parts, Mullvad often feels cleaner.
A practical scenario: on a 500 Mbps fibre line, either service is usually fast enough that the bottleneck is the server location or the website you visit, not the protocol. The bigger quality-of-life difference is whether the app helps you pick a sensible server quickly. Proton is better at labelled convenience. Mullvad is better at staying out of your way.
Streaming, port forwarding and extra features
This is where the choice becomes easy for many people.
As of April 2026, Proton is the better streaming VPN. Proton publicly markets streaming support, and independent reviewers regularly report better results with major platforms and region-specific libraries. Mullvad has deliberately moved away from competing on streaming. If watching geo-restricted TV is on your list, Proton wins.
For privacy purists, that may not matter. Mullvad has put more emphasis on anonymity-friendly account handling and less on cat-and-mouse streaming support. It also launched Mullvad Browser with the Tor Project, though that is separate from the VPN product and funded differently from typical venture-backed browser companies.
Port forwarding is another dividing line. As reported by Mullvad in 2023, Mullvad removed port forwarding. Proton VPN still offers port forwarding on supported plans and platforms as of April 2026. If you torrent heavily, seed Linux ISOs, or rely on inbound connections for better peer connectivity, Proton has the practical edge here.
One concrete example: if you use qBittorrent and want better peer reachability, Proton’s port forwarding support is materially useful. If you only browse, message and occasionally connect on public Wi‑Fi, Mullvad’s lack of port forwarding may not matter at all.
Which one should you choose?
Use this decision matrix instead of the usual “both are good” shrug.
| If you care most about… | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Minimal sign-up data | Mullvad | No email required; account-number model is still unusually clean |
| Streaming access | Proton VPN | Better support for Netflix, iPlayer and similar services |
| A free plan | Proton VPN | Mullvad does not offer a free tier |
| Flat, predictable pricing | Mullvad | One monthly price, no long-term pricing maze |
| Bundled privacy tools | Proton VPN | Mail, Drive, Pass and VPN under one account |
| Torrenting features like port forwarding | Proton VPN | More useful for inbound peer connectivity |
| Lowest trust in centralised account metadata | Mullvad | Less account data by design |
My comparative take is simple. If your privacy model starts with give the provider as little information as possible, Mullvad is still the benchmark. If your privacy model starts with replace mainstream providers with one competent privacy suite, Proton VPN is the better package.
What to do next: write down your top two requirements before you buy. If one of them is streaming, choose Proton. If one of them is anonymous sign-up, choose Mullvad. If you are mainly trying to clean up links and sharing habits alongside VPN use, also use our free URL cleaner at https://tool.notrackr.com/ to strip tracking parameters before you send links around.