Mullvad Pricing: One Plan, One Flat Monthly Cost
Mullvad pricing is simple: one plan at €5 per month, no annual discounts, no renewal hikes, and no add-ons. See exactly what you pay before you sign up.
Compare VPN Pricing
How Much Does Mullvad Cost?
Mullvad charges a flat €5 per month (~$5.40 USD) with no annual or multi-year plans. Every user pays the same price regardless of subscription length. There are no introductory discounts, no renewal price hikes, and no tiered plans. You get one product at one price.
Mullvad’s Single-Plan Structure Explained
Mullvad offers exactly one plan. That plan costs €5 per month, billed monthly. There are zero alternatives, zero upgrades, and zero add-ons.
This is unusual in the VPN industry. Most providers push 2-year or 3-year commitments to lock in lower monthly rates. Mullvad rejected that model entirely and keeps pricing transparent.
Your account gets a random 16-digit number instead of an email address. You load time onto that number in 30-day increments. Each 30-day block costs €5.
Intro vs. Renewal Pricing: No Surprises
Most VPN providers advertise $2-3/month rates that require 2-3 year prepayments. When those plans expire, renewal prices jump 200-400%. NordVPN’s $3.09/month plan renews at $14.99/month. Surfshark’s $2.19/month plan renews near $15.95/month.
Mullvad charges €5 in month 1 and €5 in month 37. The price never changes. There is no contract, no auto-renewal trap, and no hidden fee schedule.
This flat structure means Mullvad costs more than competitors in year 1 but often costs less by year 3. Over 36 months, Mullvad totals €180 (~$194). NordVPN’s 2-year plan plus 1 year renewal totals roughly $233.
Which User Type Gets the Best Value?
Casual Users (1-3 Months per Year)
Mullvad is ideal for short-term use. You pay €5 only for months you need. No commitment locks you into 24 months of payments for occasional airport WiFi protection.
A casual user spending 3 months on Mullvad pays €15 total. The same user on NordVPN’s cheapest plan prepays $80+ for 2 years upfront.
Power Users (Always-On VPN)
Power users who run a VPN 12 months per year pay €60 annually. That is more than NordVPN’s $99.63 for 2 years but less than monthly rates from most competitors.
Mullvad supports WireGuard natively and runs 5 simultaneous connections. Power users get full-speed servers in 40+ countries without paying extra for premium tiers.
Families and Multi-Device Households
Mullvad allows 5 simultaneous connections per account. Families needing more must buy a second account at another €5/month. That totals €10/month for 10 devices.
Surfshark offers unlimited devices on one account for ~$2.19/month (2-year prepay). Families with 6+ devices save more on Surfshark during the initial term.
Payment Methods Available
Mullvad accepts more anonymous payment options than nearly any competitor. Here is the full list:
- Credit/debit card processed through Stripe
- PayPal linked to your existing PayPal account
- Bitcoin sent directly to a generated address
- Bitcoin Cash for lower transaction fees
- Monero for maximum transaction privacy
- Cash by mail in EUR, USD, GBP, SEK, DKK, NOK, CHF, or CAD
- Bank wire for EU-based SEPA transfers
- Swish for Swedish users
- Voucher codes purchased from resellers
Cash by mail is Mullvad’s most private option. You stuff bills into an envelope with your account number and mail it to their Swedish office. They credit your account upon receipt.
Seasonal Discount Patterns
Mullvad does not run seasonal discounts. There are no Black Friday deals, no holiday promotions, and no coupon codes. The price has been €5/month since 2009.
This is confirmed on their official website and verified across 15 years of pricing history. If you see a “Mullvad discount code” advertised elsewhere, it is not legitimate.
The company has publicly stated they will not adopt discount pricing. Their philosophy ties flat pricing to user trust and transparency.
Mullvad vs. Competitor Pricing Comparison
| Provider | Monthly Rate | Best Annual Rate | 2-Year Total | 3-Year Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mullvad | €5 (~$5.40) | €5/mo (no discount) | ~$130 | ~$194 |
| NordVPN | $13.99 | $4.59/mo | $99.63 + renewal | ~$280 |
| Surfshark | $15.45 | $2.19/mo | $59.13 + renewal | ~$250 |
| ExpressVPN | $12.95 | $6.67/mo | $159.96 + renewal | ~$316 |
| PIA | $11.99 | $2.19/mo | $56.94 + renewal | ~$200 |
Mullvad looks expensive at first glance. But the 3-year column tells the real story. Competitors spike at renewal, and Mullvad stays flat.
Mullvad also includes no upsells. NordVPN charges extra for Threat Protection Plus ($4.19/mo). Surfshark charges extra for Surfshark One ($1.49/mo add-on). Mullvad bundles ad blocking and tracker blocking at no additional cost.
Money-Back Guarantee and Refund Process
Mullvad does not offer a traditional money-back guarantee or free trial. Instead, it operates a pay-as-you-go refund system. Unused account time is refundable upon request.
If you load 30 days and use 5 days, you can request a refund for the remaining 25 days. Refunds are processed to the original payment method when possible. Cash payments are refunded via bank transfer.
To request a refund, email support@mullvad.net with your account number. Mullvad typically processes refunds within 3-5 business days. There is no refund form or automated system.
This model gives more flexibility than a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can test the service for 2 days and get 28 days back. Most competitors require you to cancel within the guarantee window or lose everything.
Hidden Costs and Gotchas
Mullvad has no hidden costs. There are no data caps, no bandwidth throttling, no premium server tiers, and no feature gates behind higher-priced plans.
The only potential extra cost is currency conversion. Mullvad prices in euros, so USD, GBP, or other currency users may pay 1-3% in conversion fees depending on their bank or payment processor.
Bitcoin and Monero payments carry network transaction fees. These typically range from $0.50-$3.00 depending on network congestion at the time of payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Mullvad actually cost per month?
Mullvad charges a flat $5.50/month, its only price point, whether you sign up for one month or renew for years. There are no annual or multi-year discount tiers to compare, unlike most competitors that reward longer prepayments with lower rates. You load 30-day blocks onto an anonymous account number rather than choosing between plan levels.
Will Mullvad’s price jump after an introductory period like other VPNs?
No. Mullvad has held its rate at $5.50/month since 2009, with no promotional first-term pricing and no renewal spike. Providers like NordVPN advertise a discounted long-term rate that rises sharply at renewal, but Mullvad’s account number simply gets charged the same amount every 30-day cycle, indefinitely, with no contract to auto-renew into a higher tier.
Does Mullvad offer a money-back guarantee?
Not in the traditional sense. Mullvad has no free trial and no fixed refund window; instead it runs a pay-as-you-go model where unused account days are refundable on request. Email support@mullvad.net with your account number and refunds typically process within 3 to 5 business days, back to your original payment method where possible.
How many devices does Mullvad’s single plan cover?
One Mullvad account covers 5 simultaneous devices at the flat $5.50/month rate, with no higher tier to access more. Larger households needing additional coverage must purchase a second account for another $5.50/month, effectively $11/month combined for two accounts, since Mullvad has no family or multi-account discount structure.
How does Mullvad’s flat rate compare to NordVPN and ProtonVPN over time?
Mullvad’s $5.50/month never changes, while NordVPN starts from $3.49/month and ProtonVPN from $2.49/month on their longest-term plans before renewing higher. Mullvad also ranks #7 of 22 in our Speed Lab, aggregated from independent labs, behind NordVPN’s #1 rank and ahead of ProtonVPN’s #12, despite its smaller 700+ server, 50+ country network.
Is Mullvad’s anonymous signup worth paying a flat rate for?
Yes, if anonymity matters more than discounts. Mullvad assigns a random 16-digit account number instead of requiring an email address, operates under Swedish jurisdiction, and supports payment by cash mailed to its office alongside card, PayPal, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Monero. That anonymity infrastructure comes bundled into the single $5.50/month plan with no premium tier.
What payment methods let me pay Mullvad without revealing my identity?
Mullvad accepts cash by mail in EUR, USD, GBP, SEK, DKK, NOK, CHF, or CAD, plus Monero, Bitcoin, and Bitcoin Cash for crypto users. Cash by mail is the most private option since it never touches a bank or card processor. Bank wire, Swish, and voucher codes round out the list for less anonymity-focused users.
How do I pay for Mullvad using cash for maximum anonymity?
Mail bills in an accepted currency (EUR, USD, GBP, SEK, DKK, NOK, CHF, or CAD) along with your 16-digit account number to Mullvad’s Swedish office. They credit your account manually upon receipt, with no email or personal ID required at any step. This sits alongside Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Monero, PayPal, Swish, and card payments as options.
What happens if I stop using Mullvad partway through a 30-day block?
Unused time is refundable rather than forfeited. If you load 30 days and only use 5, you can email support@mullvad.net with your account number to reclaim the remaining 25 days, processed within 3 to 5 business days. This differs from fixed money-back windows, since there’s no deadline tied to a calendar guarantee.
Does Mullvad’s flat-rate plan include reliable streaming access?
Partially. Mullvad supports BBC iPlayer, 9Now, and Channel 4 without a dedicated streaming feature, so results vary by server since it lacks the auto-routing tech some competitors use. Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video are frequently blocked. The $5.50/month price includes no separate streaming tier, so performance depends on which of its 700+ servers you land on.
Is Mullvad’s flat price justified by its actual speed performance?
Reasonably, yes. Mullvad ranks #7 of 22 in our Speed Lab, a solid mid-pack result for a provider running 700+ servers across 50+ countries at a single $5.50/month price with no speed-gated tiers. That’s behind NordVPN’s #1 rank but ahead of ProtonVPN’s #12, despite Proton’s much larger 15,000+ server network.
Does Mullvad offer a free tier or trial before I pay?
No. Mullvad has no free trial and no free tier; every account starts by paying for time in 30-day blocks at $5.50/month. Instead of a trial period, Mullvad refunds unused days if you cancel early, so a user who tries it for 2 days can request a refund for the remaining 28.
Are there any hidden fees on top of Mullvad’s flat monthly rate?
Essentially none, though currency conversion can add 1 to 3% for USD, GBP, or other non-euro payers, since Mullvad prices in euros ($5.50/month equivalent). Bitcoin and Monero payments also carry standard network transaction fees that vary with congestion. There are no data caps, throttling, or feature-gated tiers hidden behind the base price.