Mullvad VPN Review

For anyone who cares about their anonymity, Mullvad VPN service is an interesting option. While the actual VPN app doesn’t provide any unusual features and is fairly bare-bones, the payment plans are highly unusual and compelling. You can pay with Bitcoin (and receive a 10% discount), PayPal, or even by sending cash in an envelope (with a secure token key you print out). You never have to enter your name or other personal information and you use a 16-digit code to register and pay, not your email.

For those unfamiliar with a VPN app, here's a quick refresher. A remote VPN server protects everything you do online. Your IP address is hidden from view, protecting a DNS leak from exposing your activity. With a secure VPN connection, you can trust that the Mullvad app is safe, reliable, and secure. Everything on the remote server is encrypted. In fact, the server is locked down to the point where not even those at the Mullvad company can access your online history. Similar VPN apps like OpenVPN also run a remote server to encrypt your data, hide your IP address, and keep your Netflix login safe. During our Mullvad review, we focused mostly on things like download speed, how the Android app performed, testing the VPN protocol, and making sure our Internet connection stayed stable.

If you’re wondering which payment plan to pick after reading our Mullvad review, here’s the good news. There’s only one. You can skip all of the usual tiers and features available with basic or pro plans—this VPN only offers a monthly plan at a flat rate of 5 euros, which is $5.42 in U.S. dollars. (The company operates out of Sweden so their pricing is in euros only.) There is a 30-day money-back trial. But with an on-going subscription, your plan renews each month or you can pay for only one month, but the price is the same either way.

The Mullvad VPN service stands out for one simple reason—it only costs $5.42 per month no matter how you pay or for how long. That’s not as cheap as some VPN services if you pay for the annual plan, but it is one of the most affordable options around if you pay by the month. It doesn’t matter if you renew the service each month, and paying for the full year at once is not available. If you do pay for a month, you can cancel within 30-days for a full refund, which is fairly typical with most VPN services.

Another unusual perk is that, if you pay with Bitcoin, you will receive a 10-percent discount. That means your final price will be only $4.88. Since Bitcoin is highly secure—you never have to reveal your identity—it is also a smart way to use a VPN. Mullvad VPN offers the Bitcoin plan at a discount because their processing fees are less.

With the possible exception of Private Internet Access and Windscribe, the one additional feature with Mullvad VPN that is highly unusual has to do with how you can pay. Private Internet Access does allow you to use a gift card from companies like Starbucks or Target to pay for the service, and Windscribe lets you add individual servers one by one for a low fee, but Mullvad VPN goes a few steps further. You can pay with Swish, a bank wire transfer, PayPal, a credit card, Bitcoin, or even send the company cash in an envelope (you print out a token to match it with your account).

Who it’s best for: Best for those who want flexible payment options. Why we recommend it: Paying monthly means you can decide if you really like it.

Mullvad VPN is not the most powerful or feature-rich VPN (if you're interested in one of those, check out our best VPN providers list), and that is reflected in our review score. However, if you simply need a VPN to protect your connection, Mullvad provides a lot of flexibility in how you can pay—even by sending cash in an envelope.

Mullvad VPN prices and plans:

• Flat rate: $5.42/mo.

 Mullvad VPN standout features:

• Unusual flat-rate monthly payment plan
• 10% discount when you use Bitcoin
• Alternative payment methods

You may have noticed Mullvad VPN allows you to send cash in an envelope as a way to pay for the VPN. That’s extremely rare, but the reasoning is that it is extremely difficult (or even impossible) to trace. Someone would have to conduct a DNA analysis of the cash or the envelope, which would likely not last in shipment anyway. So if you’re looking for the ultimate anonymous payment method, this is it.