Proton VPN vs Mullvad VPN
Proton VPN has a free plan and 10 devices on Plus; Mullvad has one flat €5 price, 5 devices and no free tier.
Pick Proton VPN if…
You want to try a VPN for free first, need more than 5 devices, or already use Proton Mail or Drive.
Pick Mullvad VPN if…
You want one simple monthly price, the option to pay with cash or Monero, and do not need a free plan.
Price
- Freemium
- Open source
- Paid
- Open source
Starting price
Free plan
Open source
Works on
| Feature | A Swiss VPN service with a free plan, paid plans, and open-source apps on desktop and mobile. | A Swedish VPN with one flat price, no email needed to sign up, and an open-source app. |
|---|---|---|
| Price |
|
|
| Starting price | $3.49 per month on a 24-month plan (VPN Plus) | €5 per month (VAT included) |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Works on | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Try Proton VPN (opens the Proton VPN website in a new tab) | Try Mullvad VPN (opens the Mullvad VPN website in a new tab) |
Pricing differs most. Proton VPN lists a free plan (1 device, medium speed, 10 randomly selected countries, no data limit per Proton) and VPN Plus at $3.49 per month on a 24-month term. Mullvad charges €5 per month, VAT included, at the same rate for 1 month, 1 year or 1 decade, and says it has no free plan.
Devices and platforms: Proton VPN Plus secures 10 devices at a time and has apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS plus Chrome and Firefox extensions and TV apps. Mullvad allows 5 devices per account and lists Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
Privacy statements are each company's own. Proton says it enforces a strict no-logs policy and says Securitum has audited its VPN infrastructure for five years running, with the 2026 report quoted on its blog. Mullvad says it never stores activity logs of any kind, does not require an email, and publishes unredacted app audits done every second year. We did not verify any of these independently.
Both publish app source on GitHub under GPL-3.0 (Mullvad notes its App Store iOS build is under Apple's EULA). Mullvad accepts cash, Bitcoin, Monero and cards; Proton's pricing page does not list payment methods, so check at checkout.
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Last updated 17 October 2026. How we make money