Comparison

Mullvad VPN vs VPN

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Mullvad VPN

This service encrypts your internet traffic, masking your identity and location to protect your online privacy. It offers anonymous accounts, no activity logs, and uses a secure VPN protocol. Enhance your privacy further by using it with a companion browser.

Highlights
  • Anonymous account creation
  • No activity logs
  • Anonymous payment options
  • WireGuard protocol
  • Encrypted traffic tunnel
  • Blocks third-party cookies (with companion browser)
Features
Read full description

Free the internet from data collection with Mullvad VPN – a service that helps keep your online activity, identity, and location private. Only €5/month. GET STARTED 1. Install the app. 2. Create an account. 3. Add time to your account via in-app purchases, vouchers or on our website. To make sure to block third-party cookies and other tracking technologies – use Mullvad VPN together with Mullvad Browser (free of charge). ANONYMOUS ACCOUNTS – NO ACTIVITY LOGS * Creating an account requires no personal info - not even an email address. * We keep no activity logs. * We offer the possibility to pay anonymously with cash or cryptocurrency. * Our app uses WireGuard, a superior VPN protocol that connects fast and doesn’t drain your battery. HOW DOES MULLVAD VPN WORK? With Mullvad VPN, your traffic travels through an encrypted tunnel to one of our VPN servers and then onward to the website you are visiting. In this way, websites will only see our server’s identity instead of yours. Same goes for your ISP (internet service provider); they’ll see that you’re connected to Mullvad, but not your activity. It also means that all the third-party actors with technology integrated into the various websites you visit can’t sniff out your IP address and use it to track you from one site to another. Using a trustworthy VPN is a great first step to reclaim your privacy online. In combination with Mullvad Browser you make sure to block third-party cookies and other tracking technologies. FREE THE INTERNET FROM MASS SURVEILLANCE AND DATA COLLECTION A free and open society is a society where people have the right to privacy. That’s why we fight for a free internet. Free from mass surveillance and censorship. Free from big data markets where your personal information is up for sale. Free from authorities mass monitoring every click you make. Free from an infrastructure mapping your whole life. Mullvad VPN and Mullvad Browser is our contribution to the fight. TELEMETRY AND CRASH REPORTS The app collects a very minimal amount of telemetry, and it does not in any way tie it to an account number, IP or other identifiable information. Account numbers are used for authentication. App logs are never sent automatically but are rather explicitly sent by the user. App version checks are performed every 24 hours to tell the app if there are any upgrades available and if the currently running version is still supported.

About

VPN

Access websites and services securely and anonymously with a single touch. This application offers a fast and unlimited VPN experience, helping to protect your network security and potentially improve game speeds. Enjoy global server access with minimal ads.

Highlights
  • One-touch access to websites and services
  • Fast and unlimited VPN connection
  • Global server network
  • Maximum security and anonymity
  • Network security protection
  • Game speed optimization
Features
Read full description

Our VPN is a secure, fast, unlimited and convenient VPN that allows you to access websites and services with just one touch. Our free VPN will help you speed up games and protect the security of your network on the Internet. Why is our free VPN the best VPN for you?! - Lots of free and fast servers all around the world! Choose a free server convenient for you anywhere in the world! If you do not want to choose, then we will do it for you and connect you to the fastest one with one touch! - Maximum security and anonymity! We do not save and do not share with anyone the history of visiting websites and apps. Website owners will not know your real IP address. - Convenient and very easy! Simply install our app, run it and press one "connect" button, after that you will get access to any website! - Minimum ads! Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iKq8rnj7IIDWW4m_DBjx5saAzsdmBtGvtVnwbc54IoM Terms of Service: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19frdep3_HPB8pXL9pCydH_8Zny8FstmlKCvG3ULkaL0

Screenshots

Mullvad VPN4 screens
VPN3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: VPN at free with in-app purchases against Mullvad VPN's subscription. VPN also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and ratings volume (7.3K vs 1.5K). Mullvad VPN's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#50 vs unranked). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Mullvad VPN sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and VPN sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.1 for Mullvad VPN against 4.2 for VPN. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.5K and 7.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 58% of Mullvad VPN's written reviews are positive against 54% of VPN's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mullvad VPN ships an update monthly, VPN weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Mullvad VPN versus VPN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMullvad VPNVPN
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (1.5K ratings)4.2 (7.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews58.4% of reviews — better53.9% of reviews
Number of ratings1.5K7.3K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#50 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size56 MB129 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMullvad VPN ABcom.stolitomson.vpn

Customer experience

Mullvad VPN

All ratings1,469 ratings
Positive76.6%
Neutral4.6%
Negative18.8%
Written reviews589 reviews
Positive58.4%
Neutral8.3%
Negative33.3%

VPN

All ratings7,358 ratings
Positive78.0%
Neutral3.9%
Negative18.1%
Written reviews386 reviews
Positive53.9%
Neutral6.7%
Negative39.4%

User reviews

Mullvad VPN

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and reliable connection
  • 🔒 Excellent privacy and security
  • 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
  • 💰 Affordable pricing
  • 🌐 Wide server selection

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent disconnects and reconnection issues
  • 🔋 High battery drain
  • ⚠️ Blocked by some websites and services
  • 🌍 Limited server availability in certain regions

VPN

From 7.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and efficient
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🔒 Reliable security
  • 💡 Innovative features
  • 🥰 Excellent user experience

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • ⚠️ Inconsistent performance
  • 💸 Paid features not worth the cost

Bugs and requests

Mullvad VPN

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App freezes or becomes unresponsive
  • Inability to connect or reconnect after device idle or network changes
  • Inconsistent behavior across iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Split tunneling support
  • Favorite/frequently used server options
  • Automatic server selection based on performance
  • Integration with iOS features (e.g., Control Center, Shortcuts)

VPN

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to connect to servers
  • Sudden disconnections during use
  • App freezes and becomes unresponsive
  • Compatibility issues with newer OS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • More server location options
  • Improved stability and reliability
  • Automatic reconnection after disconnects
  • Reduced ads and in-app purchases

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Mullvad VPN

One-time4
  • 30 day subscription$5.69
  • 30 days subscription$5.89
  • 90 day subscription$16.90
Show 1 more
  • 90 days subscription$17.49
3 purchases

VPN

Subscriptions3
  • 1 month$4.991 Month
  • 6 months$14.996 Months
  • 1 Year$22.491 Year

Questions

Is Mullvad VPN free?
Mullvad VPN is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is VPN free?
VPN is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Mullvad VPN or VPN?
VPN is rated higher. Mullvad VPN averages 4.1 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while VPN averages 4.2 from 7.3K ratings.
Do Mullvad VPN or VPN have ads?
VPN shows ads; Mullvad VPN does not.
Which is updated more often, Mullvad VPN or VPN?
Mullvad VPN ships an update monthly, and VPN weekly. Most recently, Mullvad VPN was updated on November 3, 2026 and VPN on November 6, 2026.

Other comparisons