The Best Mullvad Alternative in 2024: Top Personal VPN Servers for Complete Online Protection
While Mullvad is a solid choice for a virtual private network, its inconsistent speeds, spotty streaming access and small server network make it less than impressive for many users. If you’re one of them, a Mullvad alternative might solve your issues.
Written by Andrej Hadji-Vasilev (Writer)
Reviewed by Samuel Chapman (Writer, Editor)
Facts checked by Jasna Mishevska (Lead Fact-Checking Editor)
Last Updated: 2024-09-30T20:59:04+00:00
All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.
Key Takeaways: Best Mullvad Alternatives
- NordVPN — Premium VPN with over five times as many servers as Mullvad. New NordVPN subscribers get up to (for Black Friday) 74% (plus 3 months free) reduced rates on long-term commitments.
- Surfshark — A VPN service with unlimited simultaneous connections and with more consistent speeds. Explore Surfshark’s features with a 30-day return policy, and grab extended plans at a (for Black Friday) 64% (plus 4 months free) discount.
- ExpressVPN — Premium VPN with excellent streaming service support. Get (for Black Friday) 70% (plus 4 months free) off the first year with ExpressVPN, covered by its 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Private Internet Access — Reliable VPN with a huge server network.
- Windscribe — Excellent free VPN service.
Facts & Expert Analysis
- Mullvad is a reasonably good VPN provider, but users may find speeds fluctuating unpredictably. It’s also missing compatibility with streaming services and a large server network.
- NordVPN and ExpressVPN are premium alternatives to Mullvad that offer better (and more consistent) speeds, more features, better streaming service compatibility and larger server networks.
- Surfshark and Private Internet Access are affordable options that still offer significant advantages over Mullvad, and VyprVPN takes security up a notch.
- Windscribe is the only free VPN that we’d recommend. It’s more consistent in terms of speeds, and works better with streaming services than Mullvad.
Mullvad currently sits in ninth place on our list of the best VPNs. While this virtual private network is an excellent choice for many users, it has several glaring downsides. If you’re trying to avoid untrusted internet connections with your private, sensitive data, you should consider a Mullvad alternative.
Mullvad is secure, but speeds varied a lot between tests and locations, which might make this VPN service hard to use from certain locations. Additionally, Mullvad can’t access some streaming services, such as BBC iPlayer. Learn more in our Mullvad review.
While Mullvad is a reliable VPN service and has secure VPN servers, those servers are located in only 39 countries, and very few are owned by Mullvad. With that in mind, let’s discuss what a good alternative to Mullvad should look like, and test-drive a few of the best options.
-
11/30/2023
Updated the article to reflect ExpressVPN’s expansion of server presence from 94 to 105 countries.
-
10/01/2024
We updated the VPN list to incorporate the latest user feedback and expert evaluations.
The Top Alternatives to Mullvad
- 1
- : PayPal, Credit card, Google Pay, JCB, UnionPay, Bitcoin, Ethereum, X-Coin
- : 10
- :
- :
- :
- :
Average speedDownload Speed90 MbpsUpload Speed9 MbpsLatency4 ms - 2
- : PayPal, Credit card, Google Pay, Amazon Pay
- : Unlimited
- :
- :
- :
- :
Average speedDownload Speed95 MbpsUpload Speed9 MbpsLatency112 ms - 3
- : PayPal, Credit card, Bitcoin, UnionPay, iDeal, Sofort, Giropay, Pixpay, Sepa Direct Debit
- : 8
- :
- :
- :
- :
Average speedDownload Speed80 MbpsUpload Speed8 MbpsLatency3 ms - 4
- : PayPal, Credit card, Amazon, Paygarden, Apple Pay, Google Pay
- : Unlimited
- :
- :
- :
- :
Average speedDownload Speed72 MbpsUpload Speed7 MbpsLatency2 ms - 5
- : PayPal, Credit card
- : Unlimited
- :
- :
- :
- :
Average speedDownload Speed74 MbpsUpload Speed9 MbpsLatency47 ms
What Makes the Best Mullvad Alternative?
To make a VPN provider a good alternative to Mullvad, it should offer better speeds than Mullvad, a better streaming experience and a larger server network.
Achieve Online Privacy and Security Even as a VPN Novice
- Comprehend the essential role a VPN plays in safeguarding your digital life
- Gain a deep understanding of how VPNs function under the hood
- Develop the ability to distinguish fact from fiction in VPN promotions
The most important thing we looked at was each VPN service’s speed. Mullvad is only sporadically fast, so we made sure the alternatives all offered consistent internet connection speeds.
Another common complaint about Mullvad is its inability to unblock popular streaming services, such as BBC iPlayer. You won’t find it on our list of the best VPNs for Netflix either, so we wanted the alternatives to work with as many streaming services as possible.
We also wanted the alternatives to have a good server spread that covers more than Mullvad’s 39 countries. Here are the best Mullvad alternatives that offer anonymous VPN networks you can rely on for browsing, streaming and more.
The 5 Best Mullvad Alternatives
Without further ado, let’s dive into our top five alternatives to Mullvad, starting with the overall best VPN service provider — NordVPN.
1. NordVPN — Best Mullvad Alternative
Very Fast
Very Fast
Very Fast
NordVPN offers excellent value when compared to other premium VPNs like ExpressVPN (our third choice). NordVPN has a huge server network, with 5,497 servers in 59 countries, and blazing-fast speeds that are on average only 10% slower than unprotected speeds. You can find out more about it in our NordVPN review.
NordVPN also works admirably with all popular streaming services, allowing you to enjoy content from Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. Online security is top-notch, thanks to a combination of 256-bit AES encrypted connection and the proprietary NordLynx protocol.
Excellent Speeds With NordLynx
The NordLynx advanced VPN protocol is NordVPN’s take on WireGuard, but with double network address translation (NAT) for an even more secure connection. It also has a very streamlined code, which makes it a faster and safer alternative than most protocols on the market (less code means fewer places to attack).
NordVPN offers a large server network with solid speeds and great compatibility with streaming services, and good value if you subscribe for a year. If you find you don’t like it, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
2. Surfshark — Best Budget-Friendly Mullvad Alternative
Very Fast
Very Fast
Good
Surfshark is a relative newcomer to the VPN scene, but that doesn’t prevent it from being an overall excellent service. It has over 3,200 servers spread across 95 countries, making it the best server spread on our list. We covered it in more detail in our Surfshark review.
Surfshark has also improved its streaming performance since we first reviewed it, and is now able to get into all streaming services with no issues whatsoever. Where it falls short is in the speed department — during our testing, the speed dropped when tunneling through locations that were farther away, which means Surfshark isn’t reliable when you need to connect to a different continent.
Unlimited Simultaneous Connections
Surfshark’s hallmark feature is the unlimited number of simultaneous connections it offers on any subscription. If you want, you can share the subscription with as many others as you can find.
Surfshark is as affordable as they come, with a two-year subscription at a price that’s a fraction of the competition. If you find that the inconsistency in streaming services bothers you, the 30-day money-back guarantee has you covered.
- Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Plans renew: $59.76 for one year, $59.76 per year for the two-year plan.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Yes
- Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Plans renew: $79 for one year & $79 per year for the two-year plan.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Everything in One, plus Data removal Plans renew: $269.25 for one year, $404.65 for two years
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
3. ExpressVPN — Best Alternative to Mullvad for Beginners
Very Fast
Very Fast
Very Fast
ExpressVPN is our third choice, both here and on the list of best VPNs, even though it commands a price higher than almost all other VPNs on our list. The large server network, consistently fast speeds and excellent compatibility with streaming services make it worth its asking price, which you can read more about in our ExpressVPN review.
ExpressVPN has over 3,000 servers in 105 countries, which is the second best server spread of all VPN providers on our list. ExpressVPN’s Lightway protocol, which we covered in more detail, is an open-source protocol that gives you all the benefits of WireGuard, with improved privacy. It ensures excellent speeds in every scenario, including when you’re trying to stream content.
A True Streaming Monster
While all the providers on our list can access most streaming services, few of them do it as easily and as consistently as ExpressVPN. We were able to stream on any platform, from any location, with no buffering issues whatsoever.
ExpressVPN takes a premium approach to pricing, with an annual subscription almost twice as expensive as our runner-up. You can get a refund under the 30-day money-back guarantee if you decide it’s not your cup of tea.
- Unlimited GB
- 8
- Yes
4. Private Internet Access — Affordable Mullvad Alternative
Fast
Fast
Very Fast
PIA is one of the most affordable VPNs out there, and it’s also one of the best Mullvad alternatives if you’re after a reliable VPN connection with plenty of servers to choose from. It has over 24,000 servers in 77 countries, which isn’t the best server spread out there, but it certainly tops the charts in terms of sheer number of servers.
Performance-wise, PIA is consistently very fast, with less than 10% speed loss when tunneling through its anonymous VPN network. Its only downside is the fact that it fails to bypass geoblocks on most streaming services, which is why it’s so low on our list. You can find out more about it in our Private Internet Access review.
Easy Proxy with Shadowsocks
Knowing how to set up and install a proxy is often a difficult process with most VPNs, but PIA makes it easy with the Shadowsocks protocol. All you need to do is pick a proxy, and you’re done — the VPN takes care of the rest.
PIA is as affordable as they come, and comes with an industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re after a value-oriented VPN and aren’t that interested in streaming services, PIA is a solid choice.
- **$56.94 for the first two years, and yearly thereafter
- 10
- Yes
5. Windscribe — Best Free Mullvad Alternative
Fast
Very Fast
Fast
Windscribe is one of the best free VPNs. It gives you a generous 10GB of data and 10 server locations to choose from, and works with all streaming services. You can get an extra 5GB of data if you tweet about Windscribe. You can find out more in our Windscribe review.
Windscribe’s speeds are solid on both the free and the paid plans, and we’re happy to see there is no throttling for non-paying customers. What we aren’t thrilled with, though, is the difficult desktop app that’s tricky to navigate. It has a bunch of abbreviations that are hard to understand, and has a confusing settings menu.
Build-a-Plan Option
If you don’t need too many locations, Windscribe allows you to create your own plan for an affordable price of $1 per location per month, with a $3 minimum purchase. You can add as many locations as you like, though if you add more than five, you’re better off with the paid plan at $5.75 per month.
Windscribe’s free plan offers 10GB of data and 10 server locations to choose from, and if that’s not enough, you can either go for the paid plan or build your own plan. Unfortunately, their three-day money-back guarantee trails behind the competition.
- Up to 15 GB free with email confirmation and Tweet
- 15GB
- Unlimited
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Yes
Honorable Mention: VyprVPN
VyprVPN comes to the table with a large server network, a strong focus on security and compatibility with most streaming services. However, it has an egregious monthly price, which for many won’t be worth it. We cover it in more detail in our VyprVPN review.
The VPN boasts over 700 servers in over 70 locations, with no exact number of servers. Unfortunately, its speeds aren’t as consistent as we’d like, with farther away locations being significantly slower than those closer to us. Last but not least, VyprVPN failed to unblock Hulu, and streaming quality on other platforms was hit or miss.
- Unlimited GB
- 5
- Unlimited GB
- 5
- Unlimited GB
- 5
More plans
- Includes 3 Users, $99 per year per additional user, Multiple User Management. Global Business Servers, Dedicated Account Manager
- Unlimited GB
- 3
- Includes 3 Users $99 per year per additional user, Multiple User Management, Your own dedicated server, Fast and easy deployment
- Unlimited GB
- 3
Is Mullvad Better Than NordVPN?
No Mullvad is not better than NordVPN. NordVPN is our top choice for a secure VPN service that’s a good alternative to Mullvad. When it comes to features, NordVPN does a better job with both the basics and advanced features, such as obfuscated servers and double-VPN functionality.
NordVPN is cheaper and faster than Mullvad, and it offers those higher speeds more consistently. You can find out more in our NordVPN vs Mullvad article, but when all is said and done, no, Mullvad is not better than NordVPN.
Final Thoughts
Mullvad is a solid VPN service provider, but trails the competition in some scenarios. If you need more consistent speeds, a larger server network and better compatibility with streaming services, you should check out other VPN services, such as the ones we suggested above.
NordVPN is our top choice, but you won’t go wrong with any of the others on the list either. Skeptical? Put NordVPN to the test yourself — its 30-day money-back guarantee means you can try it without any financial commitment.
Have you tried any of the Mullvad alternatives we listed above? Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments, and as always, thank you for reading.
FAQ
Yes, Netflix has a reputation for blocking Mullvad’s IP addresses. If you need a VPN to use with Netflix, you’re better off with a different VPN provider.
No, Mullvad is not better than ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN offers much more consistent speeds, better access to streaming networks, a larger server network and an overall better feature set.
Yes, and no — Mullvad may slow down your internet traffic, but sporadically rather than consistently.
Yes, Mullvad has a split tunneling feature that you can configure on a per-application basis.