ProtonVPN vs. Mullvad: Two Different Privacy Philosophies

ProtonVPN and Mullvad both have strong, genuine privacy reputations, but they pursue it differently — ProtonVPN through a broader, audited ecosystem based in Switzerland, and Mullvad through radical, minimal-data anonymity based in Sweden. Neither is a strict "winner" over the other; the right choice depends on your specific threat model.

Jurisdiction

ProtonVPN is headquartered in Switzerland, outside the Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes intelligence-sharing alliances, a jurisdiction commonly cited for strong privacy law. Mullvad is headquartered in Sweden, which is a member of the Fourteen Eyes alliance. This is a genuine, meaningful structural difference — check each country's current, specific data-retention and surveillance law if the legal nuance matters to your threat model, since these frameworks are periodically revised (the EU's own data-retention framework, in particular, has a complicated legal history worth checking current sources on rather than relying on a fixed summary).

No-Logs Verification

Both providers maintain no-logs policies verified through different methods. ProtonVPN has commissioned independent audits from firms including Securitum and Cure53 at various points — check Proton's current published audit documentation for specifics (auditor, date, scope). Mullvad has instead emphasized radical transparency (publishing detailed policy explanations and, at times, a warrant canary) over formal third-party audits, though this approach has evolved over time — check Mullvad's current transparency documentation directly. A genuinely notable real event: in 2023, Swedish police raided Mullvad's offices and reportedly did not find data usable for identifying users, which is broadly consistent with Mullvad's stated minimal-data architecture — a real, meaningful data point, though not the same thing as a comprehensive independent audit.

Sign-Up and Payment Anonymity

This is one of the clearest, most genuine differentiators between the two. Mullvad allows sign-up with no email, name, or personal information at all — it issues a randomly generated account number and lets you pay with cash, cryptocurrency, or other methods that don't require identity verification. ProtonVPN requires an email address at sign-up (which can be a Proton Mail address or another provider), though it accepts various payment methods including cryptocurrency. If minimizing any link between your real identity and your VPN account is your top priority, Mullvad's sign-up model is a genuine structural advantage.

Core Privacy Features

Both providers run real, checkable privacy features. Mullvad uses RAM-only servers (data doesn't persist across reboots) and supports port forwarding, which is useful for certain P2P/torrenting setups. ProtonVPN offers Secure Core (routing through extra privacy-hardened servers before exiting to the internet) and NetShield, a DNS-level ad/tracker blocker. Both offer kill switches. Check each provider's current feature documentation for specifics, since exact implementation details are updated over time.

Performance and Streaming

Both use the WireGuard protocol, which is generally faster than older protocols like OpenVPN — but exact speed depends heavily on your location, the specific server, and current network conditions, so treat any fixed benchmark (including from this review) as a rough guide rather than a guarantee. Mullvad has historically prioritized its privacy-first architecture over streaming-service compatibility, while ProtonVPN has invested more specifically in servers optimized for unblocking major streaming libraries. As with all VPN-vs-streaming-service compatibility, this is an ongoing arms race with no permanent guarantee for either provider — check current, dated user reports for the specific service you want.

Pricing and Device Limits

Mullvad has a reputation for simple, flat-rate pricing without long-term-commitment discounts, while ProtonVPN uses a tiered structure with better per-month pricing on longer commitments, plus a broader "Unlimited"-style bundle that includes other Proton products (Mail, Drive, Calendar, Pass). Check both providers' current pricing pages directly for exact current rates and device-connection limits, since specific figures for both change periodically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which VPN has the better no-logs policy? Both have real, if differently verified, no-logs track records — ProtonVPN through commissioned audits, Mullvad through transparency and its real 2023 police-raid outcome. Check each provider's current documentation for specifics. Does Sweden's Fourteen Eyes membership meaningfully hurt Mullvad? It's a real structural consideration, but Mullvad's minimal-data architecture (no logs to hand over, no personal info collected at sign-up) mitigates much of the practical risk. Whether this matters to you depends on your specific threat model. Which is better for anonymous torrenting? Mullvad's port forwarding and no-identity sign-up process are genuine advantages for torrenting-focused users; check current documentation from both, since feature support changes over time.

The Bottom Line

Choose based on your threat model rather than a fixed "winner": Mullvad if sign-up/payment anonymity and port forwarding matter most to you, ProtonVPN if you want a broader audited ecosystem, Secure Core, and stronger built-in streaming support. Check both providers' current pricing, audit documentation, and feature pages directly before subscribing. See our best VPNs for privacy guide for more options.