Cloudflare WARP vs Mullvad VPN (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Cloudflare WARP grades higher than Mullvad VPN: 3.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 2, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 2, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Cloudflare WARP grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Cloudflare WARP
Free Cloudflare app that encrypts traffic, with an optional paid tier
Mullvad VPN
Flat-rate Swedish VPN with anonymous numbered accounts
Which one is for you
Pick Cloudflare WARP if
- Fits if you want a free app that encrypts your traffic and DNS on public Wi-Fi
- Works for people who want family-friendly DNS filtering
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to appear in another country, as Cloudflare says WARP can't
- Not for you if you want anonymity: Cloudflare says WARP doesn't provide it
- Watch out: WARP+ ties the paid tier to more Cloudflare cities, not a choice of server country
- Watch out: WARP+ Unlimited can only be bought inside the iOS or Android app
Pick Mullvad VPN if
- Fits if you don't want your name or email tied to your VPN
- Works for a short trip abroad, as one month costs the same €5 rate as a year
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to try before paying, as there's no trial or free plan
- Watch out: the 14-day refund excludes cash payments, and the VPN page says crypto too
- Skip it if you torrent and need port forwarding, or want a dedicated IP; Mullvad offers neither
- Tight if you have more than 5 devices to cover
- Watch out: it's priced in euros, €5 a month, which the page converts to about $5.60
How we grade them
| 3.2GPACloudflare WARPVery good | 1.8GPAMullvad VPNWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe 1.1.1.1 app with WARP is free. WARP+ Unlimited is $4.99 a month, close to the category's middle of $5. | C€5 a month flat, about $5.60, whether you pay for one month or a year ahead, so two years come to €120. That's a little above the middle of what VPNs charge, with no first-term discount to expire. Paying in cryptocurrency takes 10% off. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe core app is free with no cap listed. WARP+ is a paid extra. | FNothing free: there's no trial, and the 14-day money-back guarantee excludes cash and, on the VPN page, crypto payments too. A money-back guarantee isn't a trial anyway. |
| Features | CEncrypted traffic, DNS-only mode, 1.1.1.1 for Families and a local proxy mode, but it can't choose a server country or unblock region-locked content. | CAnonymous numbered accounts, DAITA against traffic analysis, quantum-resistant tunnels, multihop, obfuscation and DNS blocking. But the listing names the gaps: 5 devices, no port forwarding and no dedicated IPs. |
| Ease of use | B4.5 from 216K App Store ratings. Install the app and switch it on. | C4.1 from about 1,500 App Store ratings, below most VPNs here. You sign up with a generated account number rather than an email, so keep that number somewhere safe. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiOS, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux. No browser extension, and the business Zero Trust client is a separate product. | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, with open-source apps. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | a free, simple encrypted connection | a VPN with no email or name attached |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Cloudflare WARP and Mullvad VPN. How we grade
Price against what you get
Cloudflare WARP starts at $4.99 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Mullvad VPN starts at about $5.59 a month and scores 2.3.
Cloudflare WARP scores higher and starts $0.60 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 3 score higher than Cloudflare WARP for less, and 14 score higher than Mullvad VPN for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Mullvad VPN is open source, according to its own site.
- Cloudflare WARP also covers malware protection.
- Mullvad VPN also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| Cloudflare WARP | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $4.99 per month (WARP+ Unlimited, as shown on the US App Store) | €5 per month, the same rate for any length paid ahead |
| Free plan | The 1.1.1.1 app with WARP is free: it encrypts device traffic to Cloudflare's network or routes DNS queries through the 1.1.1.1 resolver. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Cloudflare, Inc. | Mullvad VPN AB |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | mullvad.net |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 2, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Cloudflare WARP
- Cloudflare states WARP does not provide anonymity and does not let you pretend to be in another country, so it cannot unblock region-locked content.
- Cloudflare's WARP+ page ties the paid tier to more Cloudflare cities, not to a choice of server country.
- WARP+ Unlimited can be bought only inside the iOS or Android app, through the Apple or Google store.
- Cloudflare's separate Zero Trust client for businesses is a different product with its own documentation.
Mullvad VPN
- Priced in euros: €5 a month, which the page converts to about $5.60 at the current exchange rate.
- Covers up to 5 devices, and offers neither port forwarding nor dedicated IP addresses.
- No free trial; the 14-day money-back guarantee excludes cash payments, and the VPN page also excludes crypto payments.
Key features
Cloudflare WARP
- Encrypted traffic to Cloudflare
- In Traffic and DNS mode the app sends device traffic to Cloudflare's network over MASQUE, using post-quantum encryption, according to Cloudflare's documentation.
- DNS-only mode
- Routes only DNS queries through the 1.1.1.1 resolver, over DNS-over-HTTPS or DNS-over-TLS, without tunneling the rest of the traffic.
- 1.1.1.1 for Families
- A DNS setting inside the app that, according to its App Store listing, protects against malware, phishing and crypto-mining sites.
- Local proxy mode
- On desktop, an advanced setting sends only the apps you point at the local proxy (HTTPS or SOCKS5) through WARP.
- WARP+ Unlimited
- A paid tier that adds more Cloudflare cities to connect to. Payment goes through the Apple or Google store.
Mullvad VPN
- Anonymous accounts
- Signing up generates an account number; no email or other personal details are asked for, and cash or cryptocurrency are accepted.
- DAITA
- Defense Against AI-guided Traffic Analysis, a feature in the app meant to make encrypted traffic harder to analyze.
- Quantum-resistant tunnels
- Quantum-resistant VPN tunnels can be switched on in the apps on every supported platform.
- Multihop and obfuscation
- Route traffic through two or more servers in different jurisdictions, and use obfuscation to get past firewalls that block VPNs.
- DNS content blocking
- Built-in toggles block ads, trackers and malware through Mullvad's DNS, except on Android, where custom DNS entries do the same job.
Plans
Cloudflare WARP
WARP (free)$0
Traffic and DNS, DNS only or traffic only modes on every supported platform.
WARP+ Unlimited$4.99
per month, bought through the App Store or Google Play
Connects through a larger set of Cloudflare cities. One licence key covers up to five devices. $4.99 is the US App Store price.
Mullvad VPN
Flat rate€5
per month, whether you pay for 1 month, 1 year or longer
Every feature on up to 5 devices, VAT included. The page shows a dollar equivalent that moves with the exchange rate. No sales or term discounts.
Ways to pay less
Cloudflare WARP
No public discounts listed.
Mullvad VPN
- Other savings
10% off when paying with cryptocurrency
Mullvad discounts payments made in its accepted cryptocurrencies by 10%, citing lower fees and less administration.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cloudflare WARP or Mullvad VPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Cloudflare WARP is cheaper to start with: $4.99 a month, against about $5.59 a month for Mullvad VPN. Cloudflare WARP starts at $4.99 per month (WARP+ Unlimited, as shown on the US App Store), and Mullvad VPN starts at €5 per month, the same rate for any length paid ahead.
Which has a free plan, Cloudflare WARP or Mullvad VPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Cloudflare WARP has a free plan. Mullvad VPN does not.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.