Two of the most-recommended privacy-leaning VPNs in 2026. They make different trade-offs and the right pick depends on which trade-off matters for your threat model.
At a glance#
| Dimension | Mullvad | ProtonVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Signup identity | Random account number | Email required (Proton account) |
| Cash payment | Cash by mail accepted | Not accepted; crypto only |
| Crypto payment | Yes | Yes |
| Free tier | None — €5/mo flat | Yes (limited, but real) |
| Network size | Smaller, curated | Larger, broader country coverage |
| Apps | All major platforms; audited | All major platforms; audited |
| WireGuard | Yes | Yes |
| Secure Core / multi-hop | Yes (limited) | Yes |
| Onion-over-VPN | No (use Tor Browser separately) | Yes (Tor over VPN) |
| Port forwarding | Removed in 2023 | No |
| Jurisdiction | Sweden | Switzerland |
| Tested no-logs | 2023 Swedish police search returned nothing | Transparency reports; 2021 Proton Mail IP-log case is the relevant precedent |
| Pricing model | Flat €5/month, any duration | Tiered; free / Plus / Unlimited |
| Operator parent | Mullvad VPN AB | Proton AG (Mail, Drive, Calendar, Pass) |
What each one is really good at#
Mullvad’s entire product is built around the no-account model. You install the app, you enter your account number (or generate a new one), you pay €5 for a month — by card, by crypto, or by mailing cash in an envelope. The operator never asks for an email. The 2023 search warrant outcome is the public test: Swedish police came in, the operator handed over what they had, and they had nothing connectable to a user. This is the single strongest public data point for a “no-logs” claim in the commercial VPN category.
ProtonVPN’s strength is the suite. The free tier is genuine — full-speed servers in three countries, no time limit. The paid plans integrate with Proton Mail, Proton Drive, Proton Calendar, and Proton Pass into a single account. The Swiss operator publishes consistent transparency reports. For users who want a privacy-leaning VPN bundled with a privacy-leaning email and storage, ProtonVPN is the obvious answer.
Where they overlap#
Both:
- Implement WireGuard correctly.
- Have audited open-source clients.
- Operate their own server fleets (not third-party rented exit nodes).
- Have transparent ownership and a public track record.
- Are immune to “VPN affiliate review” pressure because neither runs an affiliate program.
For 80% of users, either one would meet their threat model. The picking criterion is whether the account-binding is part of the threat.
Where the choice flips#
Pick Mullvad if:
- “The VPN operator should not know who I am” is a binding requirement.
- You can pay in cash or in crypto without correlation.
- You don’t need a free tier and the €5 flat rate works.
- You already have other privacy tools and don’t want a suite.
Pick ProtonVPN if:
- A real free tier matters (use case: travelers, occasional VPN users, students).
- You want bundled mail + drive + calendar + VPN under one account.
- The Swiss jurisdiction works for your threat model (it does for most users).
- You can tolerate the email-at-signup binding.
What about the others#
For completeness:
- IVPN is the closest peer to Mullvad in posture: account-ID-only signup, audited no-logs, cash accepted. The choice between Mullvad and IVPN is mostly aesthetic.
- AirVPN is the activist-roots option with port-forwarding intact in 2026. Italian operator.
- OVPN owns its physical servers and won a 2020 Swedish court case demonstrating no logs. Account-based.
These are all “Mullvad-class” in posture; pick on small differences.
For users tempted by NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or Surfshark: those are mainstream privacy-marketed VPNs, not no-identity ones. Each requires an account with email and runs an affiliate program that skews the third-party review landscape. They’re fine consumer products; they’re not in the same category as Mullvad or ProtonVPN for the no-KYC use case.
On running your own#
For users with operational discipline: WireGuard on a no-KYC VPS host (Cockbox, Njalla, BitLaunch) gives you a VPN tunnel that no commercial operator has any knowledge of. The trade-off is that you become the operator — you have to monitor the server, update it, and trust the upstream host’s posture more than you would trust a commercial operator’s.
For most users, a Mullvad or ProtonVPN subscription is the better answer because the operations cost of running your own dominates the marginal privacy gain. For users with the discipline, self-hosted is unbeatable.
Recommendation#
For users whose primary concern is “the VPN operator should not know me”: Mullvad.
For users who want a complete privacy-leaning suite and accept an account: ProtonVPN.
For users who want the cheapest option that meets a low-effort threat model: ProtonVPN free.
For users with the operational discipline to run their own: WireGuard on Cockbox or Njalla.