IVPN vs Mullvad VPN
We give IVPN a 2.0 GPA and Mullvad VPN a 1.8, out of 4.0. IVPN grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAIVPNFair | 1.8GPAMullvad VPNWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStandard is $60 a year and renews at that, so two years cost $120, about $5 a month, right in the middle of what VPNs charge. Monthly is $6, and Plus and Pro Suite are $80 and $100 a year for the email aliases, DNS filtering and app firewall. | C€5 a month flat, about $5.62, 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 | FNothing free: no free plan and no trial. IVPN points you to a $2 one-week plan for trying it, and the 30-day refund is once per customer. Neither of those is a trial. | 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 | CMulti-hop, the AntiTracker blocker, WireGuard with key rotation, and V2Ray and obfs4 for networks that block VPNs. But the listing names the gaps: no port forwarding, no streaming promises, 5 devices on Standard and servers in 41 countries. | 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 | BNo App Store rating on record. You generate an account ID instead of signing up with an email, then install the app and connect, with nothing to configure first. | 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 | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, all with open-source apps. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. | 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 private VPN you can try for a week | 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: IVPN and Mullvad VPN. How we grade
Price against what you get
IVPN starts at $5 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Mullvad VPN starts at about $5.60 a month and scores 2.3.
IVPN scores higher and starts $0.60 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 3 score higher than IVPN for less, and 8 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
- IVPN starts at $60 per year (Standard), also sold at $6 a month or $2 a week. Mullvad VPN starts at €5 per month, the same rate for any length paid ahead.
At a glance
| IVPN | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $60 per year (Standard), also sold at $6 a month or $2 a week | €5 per month, the same rate for any length paid ahead |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | IVPN Limited | Mullvad VPN AB |
| Price read from | ivpn.net | mullvad.net |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
IVPN
- People who want to pay for a VPN without giving an email or card
- Buyers who want open-source apps and yearly third-party audits
- Small teams that want per-seat VPN billing without dedicated servers
Mullvad VPN
- People who want a VPN account with no email or name attached
- Paying in cash or cryptocurrency
- Short-term use at the same price as a long commitment
Worth knowing
IVPN
- There is no free trial or free plan; IVPN offers a 1-week plan and a 30-day refund, available once per customer.
- Servers are in 58 locations across 41 countries, and IVPN states it offers no port forwarding and no streaming guarantees.
- Portmaster Pro, the main Pro Suite extra, runs only on Windows and Linux.
- Teams has no dedicated servers or IPs and is not a way into a company network, per IVPN's teams page.
Mullvad VPN
- Priced in euros: €5 a month, which the page converts to about $5.62.
- 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
IVPN
- Signup without an email address
- An account is a generated ID with no email required, and IVPN accepts card, PayPal, Bitcoin, Lightning, Monero and cash.
- WireGuard, OpenVPN and IPSec
- Quantum-resistant WireGuard is on by default in the apps, with automatic key and IP rotation on a schedule you set.
- Multi-hop routes
- Sends traffic through two servers in separate jurisdictions. Included on every tier since the May 2026 plan changes.
- AntiTracker
- A DNS-based blocker for ads, adware, malicious sites and trackers, built into the apps. modDNS on Plus and Pro Suite extends it.
- Obfuscation for blocked networks
- V2Ray obfuscation on every platform, plus obfs4 for OpenVPN on desktop, for connecting from networks that block VPNs.
- Mailx, modDNS and Portmaster
- Email aliases, filtered encrypted DNS and an app firewall run by IVPN, each signed into separately without sharing your IVPN account ID.
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
IVPN
Standard, 1 week$2
per week
The VPN on up to 5 devices, with Multi-hop and the AntiTracker blocker. IVPN suggests the weekly plan for trying the service.
Standard, 1 month$6
per month
The same Standard VPN on up to 5 devices, renewing monthly.
Standard, 1 year$60
per year
The same Standard VPN on up to 5 devices, renewing yearly.
Plus, 1 year$80
per year
Adds Mailx email aliases and modDNS filtering, still on 5 devices. Also $3 a week or $8 a month.
Pro Suite, 1 year$100
per year
Adds Portmaster Pro for Windows and Linux and raises the limit to 10 devices. Also $4 a week or $10 a month.
Teams$90
per user / year at 1 to 20 seats ($9 per user billed monthly)
VPN only, 10 devices per seat, with admin tools. The seat price falls with team size, to $50 a year above 80 seats. Set up by email.
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 gives $5.62 as the dollar equivalent. No sales or term discounts.
Ways to pay less
IVPN
- Annual discount
Yearly billing about 17% below monthly
Standard costs $60 a year against $72 for twelve months at $6. Plus ($80 against $96) and Pro Suite ($100 against $120) save the same share.
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.
