Best Mullvad Alternative in 2026: Pick the VPN by Why You’re Leaving

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With Proton VPN you keep open-source apps, WireGuard, audited no-logs claims and the option to pay in cash or Bitcoin. One thing changes: Mullvad gave you an account number and asked for no email, while Proton VPN needs a Proton account and PureVPN asks for an email.

Is Mullvad Good for Torrenting Without Port Forwarding?

Mullvad still works with torrent clients, but it removed port forwarding on July 1, 2023. Other peers can’t start a connection to you, so you can end up with fewer peers and weaker seeding, especially on small swarms.

Proton VPN gives paid plans a forwarded port on P2P servers. The port is random and usually changes when you reconnect, so you update it in your client or automate it. It works in the Windows and Linux apps, and in early access on macOS. PureVPN’s add-on can open all ports, or specific ports up to 15 at a time, in supported locations, which suits game servers and apps that need a fixed number.

More detail: what changed with Mullvad port forwarding, how to set up qBittorrent with Proton VPN and how PureVPN port forwarding works.

Mullvad Removed OpenVPN: What to Use on a Router

Mullvad finished removing OpenVPN by January 15, 2026. Routers and third-party apps set up with Mullvad’s OpenVPN stopped working, and Mullvad’s answer is to move to WireGuard. That leaves you stuck if your router only has an OpenVPN client.

Proton VPN still offers OpenVPN configuration files and router guides: DD-WRT and FreshTomato use OpenVPN, and OpenWrt, AsusWRT and pfSense have guides for both protocols. Among its apps, OpenVPN remains only on Linux. The Windows, macOS and mobile apps use WireGuard and Stealth, a protocol made for networks that block VPN traffic. PureVPN also has router guides, including ASUS, Netgear, TP-Link, DD-WRT, OpenWrt and pfSense, for routers with a WireGuard or OpenVPN client.

For a whole-home setup, see the best VPN for a router.

Does Mullvad Have a Dedicated or Static IP?

No. Every Mullvad address is shared, and Mullvad says dedicated IPs don’t fit its privacy approach. Shared addresses can bring blocks and CAPTCHAs: Mullvad’s FAQ calls CAPTCHAs a known issue on many sites using Cloudflare, and Reddit blocks shared VPN addresses too.

Proton VPN’s Plus plan has no dedicated IP, so this one is PureVPN’s job. Its add-on gives you an address only you use, in 10 countries, from $4.45 a month on a 2-year plan, and PureVPN says that means fewer CAPTCHAs and blocks. You choose the country once and can’t change it later. An address that’s yours alone is also easier to tie to you, the trade-off Mullvad avoids, so pick it to get past blocks, not for anonymity.

Mullvad Netflix and Streaming

Mullvad’s FAQ doesn’t mention Netflix or streaming, and its product pages make no such promise. Proton VPN lists streaming on its paid plans, and PureVPN lists it as a feature too. No VPN can promise every service all the time, so try the ones you watch during your refund window.

How Many Devices Does Mullvad Allow?

Mullvad allows up to 5 devices per account, and logging out of one frees its slot. Proton VPN Plus and PureVPN each allow 10, which leaves room for phones, laptops and a TV in the same home.

What Is the Mullvad Controversy?

In June 2026, the Swedish outlet Flamman reported that Mullvad co-founder and co-owner Daniel Berntsson had personally given 5 million SEK (about $514,000) to the Örebro Party, a Swedish political party, in 2025. Berntsson called it a donation from him personally.

Mullvad says it was private, isn’t part of its values or mission, and that the company took no part in it. Co-CEO Fredrik Strömberg told TechRadar, “I don’t like that he made this donation.” Strömberg and Berntsson still own Mullvad’s parent company. None of the reports we read say customer data or the no-logs policy was involved.

Mullvad also said on X in June that it would refund customers leaving over philosophical disagreements, so ask support if you’re past the usual 14 days. Whether the news matters is your call. If it does, Proton says its main shareholder is the non-profit Proton Foundation and that it has no venture capital investors.

What Changed at Mullvad: 2023 to 2026

Here are the main Mullvad changes in date order, so you can see which ones affect you.

What a Mullvad Alternative Costs Over 2 Years

Mullvad charges a flat €5 a month with no long-plan discount. Long plans cost less: about $51 less over 2 years on Proton VPN, and about $93 less over 27 months on PureVPN.

Public US prices on November 5, 2026; Mullvad’s figure uses the $5.62 on its pricing page. Seasonal deals, when running, show on the cards above. PureVPN’s add-ons cost extra: its port forwarding plan is $3.78 a month on 24 months ($90.75). Refunds don’t cover cash or bank transfer on Proton VPN, or crypto on PureVPN.

Mullvad Alternative on Reddit and Forums

Many threads that rank for this search are old. The r/mullvadvpn thread “Reasonable alternatives to Mullvad” is from 2023, and the Level1Techs thread with the same question is from April 2024. Both follow the port forwarding removal, so neither covers the OpenVPN removal or the 2026 donation news.

Newer threads give newer reasons. In one 2026 r/mullvadvpn thread, a poster’s ISP slows WireGuard, which left them no way to use Mullvad once OpenVPN went. A June 2026 Privacy Guides thread raises CAPTCHAs and blocks on shared IPs. PiunikaWeb’s round-up from June 30, 2026 says Proton VPN and IVPN are the names mentioned most after the donation news.

Proton VPN appears in both the 2024 thread and the 2026 round-up, which is one reason it’s our first pick.

How to Switch From Mullvad in 4 Steps

1. Install your new VPN first. Get Proton VPN Plus or PureVPN and connect while Mullvad is still installed, so your traffic is never left uncovered. You then have 30 days on Proton VPN or 31 days on PureVPN to try what you left Mullvad for: seeding, your router, streaming. See the 2 picks.
2. Cancel Mullvad and ask for a refund. Mullvad is prepaid, so most accounts have nothing to cancel: your time just runs out. Accounts with older auto-renewal can unsubscribe on the account page, and app store subscriptions are cancelled in the store. For a refund within 14 days of payment, email support@mullvadvpn.net with your account number and payment details, such as the payment token on your card statement or your PayPal invoice ID. Mullvad’s refund guide lists what each payment method needs. Cash, crypto and vouchers aren’t covered.
3. Turn off Lockdown mode and log out. If you turned on Lockdown mode in the Mullvad app, turn it off first, because it blocks your internet whenever Mullvad is disconnected. Then log out, which removes the device from your account, and uninstall the app.
4. Move your apps and router. Point your torrent client at the new VPN and enter the forwarded port. If Mullvad ran on your router, replace its configuration with a file from your new VPN. Then check that your public IP has changed. Use the NAT Checker homepage to see your address.

Mullvad Alternative FAQ