Lantern vs Mullvad VPN (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Lantern grades higher than Mullvad VPN: 2.6 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
Lantern 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.
Lantern
Nonprofit, open-source VPN built to get past censorship
Mullvad VPN
Flat-rate Swedish VPN with anonymous numbered accounts
Which one is for you
Pick Lantern if
- Fits if you live somewhere that blocks sites and apps and need something free to try first
- Works for people who want a VPN from a nonprofit and are fine with open-source code
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free VPN with a stated data allowance, because the daily limit isn't given
- Not for you if you want everything tunnelled out of the box, since Full Tunnel is a setting you turn on
- Tight if you're staying free: server choice, faster speeds, ad blocking and 5 devices are all Pro
- Watch out: the 2-year price doesn't say what it renews at, and the yearly total is shown as a calculated figure
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
| 2.6GPALanternGood | 1.8GPAMullvad VPNWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$3.63 a month on the 2-year Pro plan and $4 a month billed yearly, which is inside the cheaper quarter of VPNs ($3.99). The monthly plan is $12, and the page doesn't say whether the 2-year price renews the same. | 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 | CFree forever with no sign-up, on all five platforms. But there's a daily data limit in most countries and the pricing page doesn't say how much, so you'll find the edge by hitting it. | 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 | CSmart Routing, switching between protocols when one is blocked, an optional private-server mode and ad blocking on Pro. The gap is that it only protects blocked and sensitive traffic until you turn on Full Tunnel. | 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 store rating on record, but it's an app you install and use with no account. Pick a mode and connect. | 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 | BAndroid, iOS, Windows, Mac and Linux. Phones and computers covered, but no API or integrations are listed. | 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 VPN for getting past blocked sites | 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: Lantern and Mullvad VPN. How we grade
Price against what you get
Lantern starts at $3.63 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.
Lantern scores higher and starts $1.96 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 2 score higher than Lantern 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
- Lantern is self-hostable, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Lantern | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $3.63 per month on the 2-year Pro plan, billed every 2 years | €5 per month, the same rate for any length paid ahead |
| Free plan | Free forever with no sign-up. In most countries it has a daily data limit; the pricing page does not give the amount, and the vendor says the free version is not capped where paying is blocked or unsafe. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Brave New Software Project, Inc. | Mullvad VPN AB |
| Price read from | lantern.io | mullvad.net |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 2, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Lantern
- The free version has a daily data limit in most countries, and the pricing page does not state it.
- Server selection, ad blocking and use on up to 5 devices need Pro.
- By default Lantern protects only blocked and sensitive traffic; Full Tunnel has to be switched on to cover everything.
- Payment depends on where the app came from: Google Play and the App Store use in-app purchases, while desktop and direct Android downloads use cards or UnionPay through Stripe.
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
Lantern
- Smart Routing
- Sends blocked and sensitive traffic through Lantern and lets everything else connect directly. A Full Tunnel mode routes all traffic.
- Censorship circumvention
- Supports several protocols and switches automatically when one is blocked, which is what the product is built for.
- Private Server mode
- Lets you run Lantern on your own hardware or cloud account, paying only your own server costs.
- Built-in ad blocking
- Pro includes blocking of ads and trackers inside the app.
- Open source
- The code is public on GitHub, and the vendor says it keeps no logs of browsing activity and has been reviewed by independent security experts.
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
Lantern
Free$0
Secure VPN with a daily data allowance and the anti-censorship protocols, on all five platforms.
Pro, 1 month$12
per month
Server location choice, faster speeds and unlimited bandwidth, premium servers, up to 5 devices and built-in ad blocking.
Pro, 1 year$4
per month, billed yearly
The same Pro plan billed once a year; the page shows the yearly total as a calculated amount, not a fixed figure.
Pro, 2 years$3.63
per month, billed every 2 years
The same Pro plan billed every 2 years. The page does not say whether it renews at the same 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
Lantern
- Annual discount
Longer Pro terms cost less per month
Pro is $12 a month, $4 a month billed yearly and $3.63 a month billed every 2 years.
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, Lantern or Mullvad VPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Lantern is cheaper to start with: $3.63 a month, against about $5.59 a month for Mullvad VPN. Lantern starts at $3.63 per month on the 2-year Pro plan, billed every 2 years, and Mullvad VPN starts at €5 per month, the same rate for any length paid ahead.
Which has a free plan, Lantern or Mullvad VPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Lantern 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.