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Mullvad vs Astrill comes down to where you are. Mullvad, run by Amagicom AB in Sweden, has more than 10 audits in our table, charges a flat price of about $5.40 a month and allows five devices. It needs no email to sign up. Astrill, run by Astrill Systems Corp. since 2009, has no independent audit but leads for China: GreatFirewallGuide rated its StealthVPN at 98% on China Telecom’s CN2 GIA network, while vpnpicked found Mullvad failed more than three-quarters of its China attempts. Astrill costs $30 a month or $180 a year.
This guide compares them on privacy, China, price and fit.
Mullvad vs Astrill on Privacy
Mullvad’s 10+ audits and anonymous accounts set the bar in our table. Astrill has no independent audit; VPN.com reports it stores IP, connection time, device type and app version during a session and says it deletes them afterwards. Sources place Astrill in the Seychelles or Liechtenstein. Our Astrill review covers the details.
China and Restrictive Networks
GreatFirewallGuide rated Astrill’s StealthVPN 98% on CN2 GIA and 96% on China Unicom, and vpnpicked found it connected on every attempt. vpnpicked found Mullvad failed more than 75% of attempts there. In Russia, Mullvad has held on through Shadowsocks bridges with interruptions, our tables record. Our China VPN guide compares options.
Price
Mullvad charges about $65 a year, flat. Astrill charges $30 a month, $180 a year or $300 for two years, plus VIP add-ons from $10 a month. Over four years, our tables put Mullvad near $260 and Astrill’s two-year route at $600. Our Astrill price guide covers its add-ons.
Astrill’s Protocols
Astrill offers OpenVPN, StealthVPN, OpenWeb and WireGuard. VPN.com found OpenWeb the fastest and StealthVPN slower but harder to block. Our Astrill WireGuard guide covers when each fits.
Mullvad’s Approach
Mullvad dropped OpenVPN on 15 January 2026 and runs WireGuard with post-quantum key exchange by default on desktop. It accepts anonymous account numbers instead of emails.
Speed
Security.org found Astrill’s download speeds held up but latency rose sharply, and VPN.com measured large upload losses on Windows. Test either on your own line at your usual time.
Several Devices
Mullvad’s five devices suit a couple or a small household. Check Astrill’s current device rules before buying for a family, since sources disagree.
Kill Switch and Leaks
Astrill’s App Guard acts as a kill switch for chosen apps on desktop, TechRadar notes, but mobile apps rely on auto-reconnect. Mullvad’s apps include a kill switch. Run our DNS leak guide on either.
Router Support
Astrill supports DD-WRT, Tomato and AsusWRT-Merlin routers, its listings say, which helps expats cover a home in China. Mullvad publishes WireGuard configuration files for routers.
Testing Before You Commit
Mullvad refunds within 14 days of payment. Astrill’s refund policy is disputed, and Wizcase mentions a free trial by email, so ask before paying.
Is Mullvad vs Astrill a Fair Fight?
Only partly. The Mullvad vs Astrill choice depends on geography: in China, Astrill’s StealthVPN is the specialist; almost everywhere else, Mullvad’s audits and lower price make it the stronger pick.
Mullvad vs Astrill for Expats
An expat in China may want a second VPN for trips home. Astrill handles the mainland; Mullvad covers privacy elsewhere at a low flat price. Install both before entering China, since provider sites can be blocked there.
Streaming Outside China
Neither is a streaming specialist. Astrill reaches Netflix US but mostly redirects other libraries to it, and Mullvad does not market streaming. Our Netflix VPN guide lists stronger options.
Quick Check
Whichever you pick, confirm the kill switch works and run a leak test before relying on it on a restrictive network.
Payment
Astrill accepts cards, PayPal, Bitcoin, Monero and bank transfer, its pricing page notes, and asks for a name and email. Mullvad uses anonymous account numbers instead of emails.
Keeping It Updated
Update both apps before travelling, since provider sites can be hard to reach from China. After updating, recheck protocol settings.
Who Each Suits
Students, workers and frequent visitors to mainland China suit Astrill. Privacy-minded users in Europe, the Americas and most of Asia suit Mullvad, at about a third of the price.
Support
Check each provider’s support channels before travelling, since help may be harder to reach once inside China.
Devices and Refunds
Mullvad allows five devices and refunds within 14 days of payment. Astrill’s page claims unlimited devices in a household, while Security.org and VPN.com counted five; sources also disagree on whether it refunds at all.
Streaming
Astrill reaches Netflix US, but other libraries mostly redirect to the US, as our Astrill Netflix guide explains. Mullvad does not market streaming.
Who Should Pick Which
Pick Mullvad for audited, anonymous privacy at home and in most countries. Pick Astrill if you live in or travel to China and need a connection that works daily.
How We Research
This page draws on our Astrill, Mullvad, audit, price and four-year cost tables, GreatFirewallGuide’s and vpnpicked’s China testing, VPN.com and Security.org. We cross-checked these sources against each other, and where they conflict or something can’t be verified, we say so in the text rather than guessing. We checked time-sensitive figures, including prices in US dollars, on 8 October 2026. The main source we relied on is GreatFirewallGuide. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
Mullvad vs Astrill FAQ
Mullvad for audited privacy; Astrill for China.
vpnpicked found it failed more than 75% of attempts.
No; all sources we read agree.
Mullvad, about $65 a year against Astrill’s $180.
Sources disagree; some say none, others seven days.
The Verdict
Mullvad vs Astrill: Mullvad for proof and price, Astrill for China. Most users outside China should choose Mullvad.