Windscribe vs Mullvad VPN
Two of the top three VPN services, compared rule by rule on published facts.
In short
- Windscribe has 79 points and Mullvad VPN 78, 1 apart on our VPN services rules.
- Windscribe earns more on apps and everyday use; Mullvad VPN earns more on security features.
- Price on a one-year plan: Windscribe $5.75/mo, Mullvad VPN $5.59/mo.
- Only Windscribe meets: transparency report.
- Only Mullvad VPN meets: app security audit since 2024 and post-quantum encryption.
Mullvad VPN78/100 #3 of 9
Best for: People who want to sign up without an email and pay one flat price.
Points by group
| Group | Windscribe | Mullvad VPN |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy and audits of 35 | 30 | 30 |
| Security features of 20 | 15 | 20 |
| Apps of 15 | 15 | 13 |
| Everyday use of 10 | 10 | 6 |
| Price of 20 | 9 | 9 |
| Total | 79 | 78 |
Rule by rule
What each vendor publishes, and the points it earns. Sources are on each product page.
| Rule (points) | Windscribe | Mullvad VPN |
|---|---|---|
| No-logs audit since 2024 (10) | Yes 10 | Yes 10 |
| App security audit since 2024 (5) | No 0 | Yes 5 |
| RAM-only servers (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| Open-source apps (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| Anonymous sign-up (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| Transparency report (5) | Yes 5 | Not published 0 |
| WireGuard (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| Kill switch (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| Post-quantum encryption (5) | Not published 0 | Yes 5 |
| Multi-hop (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| Apps (10) | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android 10 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android 10 |
| Browser extensions (3) | Chrome, Firefox, Edge 3 | Firefox 1 |
| Router setup (2) | Yes 2 | Yes 2 |
| Devices at once (5) | Unlimited 5 | 5 1 |
| Split tunnelling (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| Free plan with no data cap (5) | No 0 | No 0 |
| Price on a one-year plan (8) | $5.75/mo 2 | $5.59/mo 2 |
| Same price on renewal (7) | Yes 7 | Yes 7 |
Windscribe
Windscribe suits people who want to start free without an email address and use it on every device. Its apps are open source, its servers run from RAM, and Packetlabs audited the server stack in June 2024. The catch: the free plan is capped at 10 GB a month, and the latest app audits date from 2021 and 2022.
Mullvad VPN
Mullvad suits people who put privacy first: you sign up with an account number, can pay in cash or Monero, and pay €5 a month on any term. Its servers run without disks, had an outside audit in 2024, and its open-source apps were audited the same year. The catch is a 5-device limit and no free plan.
Both products are scored by the same rules: how we score VPN services.