Mullvad VPN: Difference between revisions
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'''Mullvad VPN AB''', or '''Mullvad''', is a Swedish based company created in 2009 by Fredrik Strömberg and Daniel Berntsson. The company is a subsidiary of Amagicom AB, 100% owned by Strömberg and Berntsson. Mullvad initially launched their VPN service in 2009, but since 2021, expanded into developing their own encrypted Domain Name System (DNS) service, browser, and search engine. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-15 |title=About |url=https://mullvad.net/en/about |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=mullvad.net}}</ref> | '''Mullvad VPN AB''', or '''Mullvad''', is a Swedish based company created in 2009 by Fredrik Strömberg and Daniel Berntsson. The company is a subsidiary of Amagicom AB, 100% owned by Strömberg and Berntsson. Mullvad initially launched their VPN service in 2009, but since 2021, expanded into developing their own encrypted Domain Name System (DNS) service, browser, and search engine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-15 |title=About |url=https://mullvad.net/en/about |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=mullvad.net}}</ref> | ||
{{CompanyCargo | {{CompanyCargo | ||
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===Freedom=== | ===Freedom=== | ||
Mullvad states: "We value open source" and develops various open-source projects. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-15 |title=We Value Open Source |url=https://mullvad.net/en/open-source |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=mullvad.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-15 |title=GitHub - Mullvad VPN |url=https://github.com/mullvad/ |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=Github.com}}</ref> The Mullvad VPN App for mobile and desktop is released under a GNU General Public License (GPL) 3.0 which grants irrevocable permission to use, modify, and redistribute under the same license.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-01-16 |title=GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE |url=https://github.com/mullvad/mullvadvpn-app?tab=GPL-3.0-1-ov-file |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=Github.com}}</ref> | Mullvad states: "We value open source" and develops various open-source projects.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-15 |title=We Value Open Source |url=https://mullvad.net/en/open-source |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=mullvad.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-15 |title=GitHub - Mullvad VPN |url=https://github.com/mullvad/ |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=Github.com}}</ref> The Mullvad VPN App for mobile and desktop is released under a GNU General Public License (GPL) 3.0 which grants irrevocable permission to use, modify, and redistribute under the same license.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-01-16 |title=GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE |url=https://github.com/mullvad/mullvadvpn-app?tab=GPL-3.0-1-ov-file |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=Github.com}}</ref> | ||
Mullvad requires you to sign up to the service to use, however does not require a name, E-Mail address, or other identifiable information. As of 2025, it costs €5 per month.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2025-02-19 |title=Terms of Service |url=https://mullvad.net/en/help/terms-service |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=mullvad.net}}</ref> | Mullvad requires you to sign up to the service to use, however does not require a name, E-Mail address, or other identifiable information. As of 2025, it costs €5 per month.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2025-02-19 |title=Terms of Service |url=https://mullvad.net/en/help/terms-service |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=mullvad.net}}</ref> | ||
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Mullvad has a strict no-log policy on their services and undergo independent audits regularly to solidify these claims.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-15 |title=The Mullvad Blog: Audits |url=https://mullvad.net/en/blog/tag/audits |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=mullvad.net}}</ref> | Mullvad has a strict no-log policy on their services and undergo independent audits regularly to solidify these claims.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-15 |title=The Mullvad Blog: Audits |url=https://mullvad.net/en/blog/tag/audits |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=mullvad.net}}</ref> | ||
Mullvad does not ask for personal information when signing up for their services, instead they provide the user an account number as an alternative for usernames and passwords. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-23 |title=No-logging of user activity policy |url=https://mullvad.net/en/help/no-logging-data-policy |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=mullvad.net}}</ref> | Mullvad does not ask for personal information when signing up for their services, instead they provide the user an account number as an alternative for usernames and passwords.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-23 |title=No-logging of user activity policy |url=https://mullvad.net/en/help/no-logging-data-policy |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=mullvad.net}}</ref> | ||
Mullvad provides various methods of payment depending on the level of anonymity desired from the user, including cash, bank wire, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Monero, | Mullvad provides various methods of payment depending on the level of anonymity desired from the user, including cash, bank wire, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Monero, [[PayPal]], credit cards through [[Stripe]], Swish, Eps transfer, Bancontact, iDEAL, and Przelewy24.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-15 |title=A fair pricing model |url=https://mullvad.net/en/pricing |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=mullvad.net}}</ref> | ||
===Business Model=== | ===Business Model=== | ||
Since its inception in 2009, Mullvad has had a fixed price of €5 per month. As of June of 2022, Mullvad removed subscriptions, defined as automatic recurring payments, as a way to increase user privacy by storing less data. As a result of their decision to remove subscriptions: only one-time payments are allowed. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-20 |title=We are removing the option to create new subscriptions |url=https://mullvad.net/en/blog/2022/6/20/were-removing-the-option-to-create-new-subscriptions |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=mullvad.net}}</ref> | Since its inception in 2009, Mullvad has had a fixed price of €5 per month. As of June of 2022, Mullvad removed subscriptions, defined as automatic recurring payments, as a way to increase user privacy by storing less data. As a result of their decision to remove subscriptions: only one-time payments are allowed.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-20 |title=We are removing the option to create new subscriptions |url=https://mullvad.net/en/blog/2022/6/20/were-removing-the-option-to-create-new-subscriptions |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=mullvad.net}}</ref> | ||
Mullvad has a very serious policy rejecting paid reviews, influencer sponsorships, and shout-outs as a testament to their integrity. Alternatively, they resort to purchasing ads outdoors, on [[Google]], [[DuckDuckGo Browser|DuckDuckGo]], and the [[Apple App Store]]. Similarly, they reject exchanging money for advertisements and shout-outs on their service applications, website, and blog, and state that any reviews they post are solely of their opinion.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-15 |title=Policy on reviews, advertising, influencers, and affiliates |url=https://mullvad.net/en/help/policy-reviews-advertising-and-affiliates |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=mullvad.net}}</ref> | Mullvad has a very serious policy rejecting paid reviews, influencer sponsorships, and shout-outs as a testament to their integrity. Alternatively, they resort to purchasing ads outdoors, on [[Google]], [[DuckDuckGo Browser|DuckDuckGo]], and the [[Apple App Store]]. Similarly, they reject exchanging money for advertisements and shout-outs on their service applications, website, and blog, and state that any reviews they post are solely of their opinion.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-15 |title=Policy on reviews, advertising, influencers, and affiliates |url=https://mullvad.net/en/help/policy-reviews-advertising-and-affiliates |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=mullvad.net}}</ref> | ||
===Market Control=== | ===Market Control=== | ||
According to a survey conducted by [https://www.security.org/ security.org], only 2% of the 323 VPN users questioned chose Mullvad VPN. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Cruz |first=Brett |date=2025-07-31 |title=VPN Use in 2025: Trends, Statistics, and Consumer Sentiment |url=https://www.security.org/resources/vpn-consumer-report-annual/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=security.org}}</ref> The company 6sense sates that Mullvad VPN retains an estimated 0.03% market share in the industry,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-15 |title=Mullvad VPN Market Share |url=https://6sense.com/tech/virtual-private-network-vpn/mullvad-vpn-market-share |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=6sense.com}}</ref> however their methodology for that conclusion is not clearly listed. | According to a survey conducted by [https://www.security.org/ security.org], only 2% of the 323 VPN users questioned chose Mullvad VPN.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cruz |first=Brett |date=2025-07-31 |title=VPN Use in 2025: Trends, Statistics, and Consumer Sentiment |url=https://www.security.org/resources/vpn-consumer-report-annual/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=security.org}}</ref> The company 6sense sates that Mullvad VPN retains an estimated 0.03% market share in the industry,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-15 |title=Mullvad VPN Market Share |url=https://6sense.com/tech/virtual-private-network-vpn/mullvad-vpn-market-share |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=6sense.com}}</ref> however their methodology for that conclusion is not clearly listed. | ||
Mullvad also provides the service backend for [[Mozilla]] FireFox's VPN.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-04 |title=Mozilla Subscription Services {{!}} Terms of Service |url=https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/about/legal/terms/subscription-services/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=mozilla.org}}</ref> | Mullvad also provides the service backend for [[Mozilla]] FireFox's VPN.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-04 |title=Mozilla Subscription Services {{!}} Terms of Service |url=https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/about/legal/terms/subscription-services/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=mozilla.org}}</ref> | ||
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==Reception== | ==Reception== | ||
[https://www.pcmag.com PCMag.com] awarded Mullvad with "Best of the Year - 2020" for "Editor's Choice for inexpensive VPNs." <ref>{{Cite web |last=Stobing |first=Chris |date=2024-09-20 |title=Mullvad VPN Review |url=https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/mullvad-vpn# |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=pcmag.com}}</ref> | [https://www.pcmag.com PCMag.com] awarded Mullvad with "Best of the Year - 2020" for "Editor's Choice for inexpensive VPNs."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stobing |first=Chris |date=2024-09-20 |title=Mullvad VPN Review |url=https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/mullvad-vpn# |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=pcmag.com}}</ref> | ||
A YouTuber and privacy advocate, Mental Outlaw, stated in a video "I just love Mullvad, so that is what I am going to use." <ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-15 |title=How To Torrent Anonymously With Mullvad VPN |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9y29Wxo060 |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=youtube.com}}</ref> | A YouTuber and privacy advocate, Mental Outlaw, stated in a video "I just love Mullvad, so that is what I am going to use."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-15 |title=How To Torrent Anonymously With Mullvad VPN |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9y29Wxo060 |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=youtube.com}}</ref> | ||
The Freedom of the Press Foundation has recommended the use of Mullvad among a short list of other VPN services.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Huerta |first=David |date=2018-06-29 |title=An in-depth guide to choosing a VPN |url=https://freedom.press/digisec/blog/choosing-a-vpn/ |journal=Freedom of the Press Foundation}}</ref> | The Freedom of the Press Foundation has recommended the use of Mullvad among a short list of other VPN services.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Huerta |first=David |date=2018-06-29 |title=An in-depth guide to choosing a VPN |url=https://freedom.press/digisec/blog/choosing-a-vpn/ |journal=Freedom of the Press Foundation}}</ref> | ||