Mullvad VPN vs Windscribe
We give Mullvad VPN a 1.8 GPA and Windscribe a 2.6, out of 4.0. Windscribe grades higher on the free plan, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Windscribe
VPN with a 10GB free plan and pay-per-location pricing
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAMullvad VPNWeak | 2.6GPAWindscribeGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CPro is $69 a year and stays at that price, so two years cost $138, about $5.75 a month, above the middle of the pack. Build A Plan starts at $3 a month for 3 locations, but each adds only 10GB of data. |
| Free plan and 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. | C10GB a month free once you confirm an email, with servers in 10 countries including the US, UK and Germany. Plenty for café Wi-Fi, but streaming will burn through it, and most locations are Pro only. |
| Features | 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. | BUnlimited devices, the R.O.B.E.R.T blocker for ads, trackers and malware, double hop, split tunneling, a firewall and config generators for routers, across 69+ countries on Pro. It covers the whole job. |
| Ease of use | 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. | BNo App Store rating on record, but you install the app, confirm an email and connect, with nothing else to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, with open-source apps. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and browser extensions, plus config files for routers. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | a VPN with no email or name attached | a free VPN with room to grow |
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: Mullvad VPN and Windscribe. How we grade
Price against what you get
Mullvad VPN starts at about $5.60 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Windscribe starts at $3 a month and scores 3.0.
Windscribe scores higher and starts $2.60 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 8 score higher than Mullvad VPN for less, and none scores higher than Windscribe 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 starts at €5 per month, the same rate for any length paid ahead. Windscribe starts at $3 per month for 3 locations (Build A Plan).
- Windscribe has a free plan. Mullvad VPN does not.
- Only Windscribe lists a browser extension.
At a glance
| Mullvad VPN | Windscribe | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | €5 per month, the same rate for any length paid ahead | $3 per month for 3 locations (Build A Plan) |
| Free plan | None | 10GB of data a month once you confirm an email address, with servers in 10 countries including the US, Canada, the UK and Germany. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Mullvad VPN AB | Windscribe Limited |
| Price read from | mullvad.net | windscribe.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Windscribe
- Light users who can live within 10GB a month for free
- People who only need one or two countries and want to pay per location
- Households connecting many devices to one account
Worth knowing
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.
Windscribe
- The free plan stops at 10GB a month and needs a confirmed email; most locations are Pro only.
- Build A Plan locations each add only 10GB a month rather than unlimited data.
- Static IPs and team accounts are sold separately, and their prices are not on the plans page.
- Account sharing is prohibited by the plan terms.
Key features
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.
Windscribe
- Free plan
- 10GB a month once your email is confirmed, with servers in 10 countries. Pro locations stay locked.
- Build A Plan
- Pay $1 a month per Pro location you want, from a $3 minimum and up to 7 locations, each adding 10GB of data.
- R.O.B.E.R.T
- A customizable server-side blocker for ads, trackers and malware, included with Pro.
- Unlimited connections
- Use one account on as many devices at once as you like, with apps and browser extensions for each platform.
- Config generators
- Generate OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard configurations for routers and devices without an app.
- Double hop, split tunneling and firewall
- Route through two servers, choose which apps skip the VPN, and block traffic outside the tunnel.
Plans
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.
Windscribe
Free$0
10GB a month with a confirmed email, and servers in 10 countries: the US, Canada, UK, Hong Kong, France, Germany and four more.
Build A Plan$3
per month for 3 locations, then $1 per extra location
$1 per Pro location per month, from 3 up to 7 locations; each adds 10GB to your monthly data. For more, the page points to Pro.
Pro Yearly$69
per year
$5.75 a month. Unlimited data, every location in 69+ countries, R.O.B.E.R.T and config generators.
Pro Monthly$9
per month
The same Pro features as yearly, billed $9 every month.
Ways to pay less
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.
Windscribe
- Annual discount
About 36% off with yearly billing
Pro Yearly costs $69 a year, against $108 for twelve months of Pro Monthly at $9.
