IVPN and Mullvad are two privacy purists from the ethical end of the VPN market. The differences between them are small. Both started from a privacy-first philosophy and share a commitment to user privacy, but they…
Gibraltar VPN with open-source apps and yearly Cure53 audits since 2019. Suits privacy-focused users who can accept a small network and patchy streaming.
Swedish VPN that signs you up with a random account number and charges a flat 5 euros a month. Suits privacy-first users who can live without streaming.
IVPN and Mullvad are two privacy purists from the ethical end of the VPN market. The differences between them are small. Both started from a privacy-first philosophy and share a commitment to user privacy, but they handle user experience and business operations differently.
Both have strong principles. IVPN offers anonymous signup options and proactively removes features that could enable abuse. Mullvad accepts anonymous cash payments and gives each user a random account number. Mullvad is completely transparent about its operations, while IVPN keeps to ethical business practices with a boutique focus.
Mullvad offers the WireGuard protocol and detailed documentation. IVPN concentrates on core privacy features and has cleaner user interfaces. IVPN prices its tiers by the number of simultaneous connections (2 or 7 devices), while Mullvad takes a standard approach.
Neither service prioritizes geo-unblocking for streaming. Both put their effort into privacy instead. Each is aimed at people who already know something about privacy. IVPN's interfaces are more refined, while Mullvad is more open about its technical workings.
The business models differ slightly. Mullvad charges everyone exactly €5/month. IVPN prices by connection and keeps to ethical practices.
| Feature | IVPN | Mullvad |
|---|---|---|
Ad & Tracker Blocking | ||
Anonymous Payment Methods | ||
Connection Protocols | ||
Custom VPN Protocols | ||
Customer Support Availability | ||
Dedicated IP Option | ||
Encryption Standard | ||
Independent Audits | ||
IPv6 Leak Protection | ||
Kill Switch | ||
Multi-Hop | ||
No-logs Policy | ||
Open Source Apps | ||
RAM-only Servers | ||
Simultaneous Connections | ||
Split Tunneling | ||
Streaming Support | ||
Support Channels | ||
Torrenting Support |
The choice between these two comes down to small preferences. Choose IVPN if you want a more refined user experience and anonymous signup. It suits people who like a boutique privacy provider with ethical business practices and would rather pay by the number of connections. Choose Mullvad if you want maximum anonymity through anonymous payments. It also fits people who value complete operational transparency and like a cooperative business model. Both offer excellent privacy. IVPN's experience is more refined, while Mullvad's payment methods give slightly more anonymity.
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