![]() This function works well, but it's difficult to find. Multi-hop VPN is another desktop and Android feature which sees your connections routed to one Mullvad server first, exiting the VPN from another server. That’s good news for not-so-sensitive apps which don’t work properly when the VPN is active (streaming services for your own country, for instance). The company’s Github site (opens in new tab) lists all the blocklists it uses, and you can even view them, see which sites it blocks, and which it doesn’t.ĭesktop and Android support for Split Tunneling enables specifying apps which won't use the VPN. As usual, Mullvad is way more transparent. Other VPNs claim similar technology, but rarely tell you anything about what it is, or how it works. The desktop and iOS apps allow you to separately block ads, trackers or malware, and (new to the desktop since our last review) can filter out adult or gambling-related content, too. Mullvad doesn’t just have a single ad-blocking feature, for instance. Mullvad’s apps may look small and simple, but there’s a surprising amount of functionality lurking underneath. Mullvad offers a good range of settings and configuration choices (Image credit: Mullvad) Features and settings WireGuard took maybe a couple of seconds, and even OpenVPN was ready to go in around 6-8 seconds, less than half the time we see with some apps. Whatever location you choose, Mullvad doesn't waste time getting you connected. The apps don’t have a ‘Fastest’ option to automatically select your nearest server, either – you must select it yourself. Are Mullvad customers really more interested in viewing only M247 or Leaseweb servers than, say, listing all the locations in Asia, or saving Favorites of their own? Really? What you do get, oddly, is the ability to filter by server providers. This is surprisingly basic, with no ping times, server load indicators, search box or Favorites system to help group commonly-used locations. Tapping the location name lets you choose another from a list of countries and cities. ![]() The apps look good, with a colorful panel, a map highlighting your current location, and a 'Secure my connection' button. Whether you're using Windows or Android, Mac or iOS, or indeed Linux, each app is almost identical, with little more than a few settings varying between versions. While some VPN’s apps look and feel very different across all platforms, Mullvad takes a more unified approach. Mullvad's interface looks smart, but makes some odd design choices (Image credit: Mullvad) Interface Mullvad isn’t asking you to take what it says entirely on trust: there’s detailed and independent evidence freely available for anyone to check out. ![]() We could mention the comprehensive 2020 Cure53 audit (opens in new tab) of its (already open source) desktop and mobile apps, but, well, you get the picture. The company provides its own authoritative DNS servers for an extra privacy guarantee, and – you’ve guessed it – that recently passed an independent audit (opens in new tab), too. Mullvad backs up its privacy claims with a 2021 infrastructure audit (opens in new tab), and a 2022 VPN server audit (opens in new tab), neither of which found any sign of logging or leaks. There’s no logging of connection times, IP addresses, DNS requests, traffic, or anything else that can be used to link an action back to a specific account, the company explains. Mullvad does very well on the privacy front compared to rival VPNs (Image credit: Mullvad) Privacyįiguring out a VPN's logging policy is often a real challenge, but again, Mullvad is different, spelling out the fine detail in an excellent policy page. There are potential complications (the refund help page (opens in new tab) has more), but it's still better than the blanket 'no Bitcoin refunds' we see with most providers. Not only is there a 30-day money-back guarantee, but it can also refund Bitcoin payment in some situations. Mullvad scores a plus for its refund procedure, though. Private Internet Access is only $2.03 a month for the first term of its three-year plan, for instance, a fraction of the price. If you're happy to sign up for longer, though, there's a lot of money to be saved elsewhere. Even better, Mullvad offers a 10% discount if you pay by cryptocurrency. That's half the price you'll pay for monthly billing with some providers, and cheaper than many annual plans. No discounts for long-term contracts, no doubling of the price at the end of the first term it’s just €5 a month. Pricing is extremely simple at €5 ($5) a month (opens in new tab), and, well, that’s it. Mullvad offers a whole host of different ways to pay (Image credit: Mullvad)
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