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Windscribe vs Mullvad matches two of the most private sign-ups in the market: both work without an email and accept cryptocurrency and cash. Windscribe, based in Toronto, offers a free plan with 10 GB a month, no device limit and Pro at $69 a year with no renewal jump. It adds Stealth and WStunnel for blocked networks, and its no-logs claim held when an Athens court dismissed charges against its CEO in 2025. Its refund window is only seven days, and void after 10 GB of use, its help article says. Mullvad, run from Sweden, has more than 10 audits in our table and charges a flat €5 a month for five devices. It uses WireGuard only, with DAITA and multihop, and gives a 14-day refund on card payments, its terms say.
This guide compares them on privacy, devices, price, features, free use and fit.
Privacy Records
Mullvad has more than 10 audits in our table, and police who visited its office with a warrant left with nothing. Windscribe’s claim held in an Athens court in 2025; Security.org found no audit of its no-logs policy, while Windscribe cites a 2024 PacketLabs infrastructure audit.
In 2021, a Ukrainian seizure exposed a Windscribe encryption key, though no user data, which Windscribe disclosed and fixed. Our Windscribe safety guide covers that record.
Sign-Up and Payment
Both let you sign up without an email. Mullvad issues an account number, and Windscribe makes the email optional, though confirming one raises free data from 2 GB to 10 GB. Both accept cryptocurrency and cash, our tables record.
Mullvad’s terms exclude cash and cryptocurrency from refunds, so card payments keep the 14-day window. Windscribe’s seven days, under 10 GB of use, apply whichever way you pay. Windscribe’s refund window is seven days for any payment, under 10 GB of use, its help article says.
Devices and Price
Windscribe sets no device limit and costs $69 a year with no renewal jump, or $9 a month, or Build-a-Plan from $3. Mullvad allows five devices for a flat €5 a month, about $65 a year.
For a large household, Windscribe works out cheaper; for one or two people who want strong evidence, Mullvad’s flat price is simple. Neither raises its price at renewal. Our Windscribe price guide covers Build-a-Plan.
Features
Mullvad offers DAITA against traffic analysis, multihop with automatic modes, and quantum-resistant tunnels, all on WireGuard. It dropped OpenVPN in January 2026 and port forwarding in 2023. Windscribe offers WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, Stealth and WStunnel, R.O.B.E.R.T. blocking and port forwarding on Pro.
Windscribe also has TV apps for Fire TV, Android TV and Apple TV; Mullvad has none, and a router running WireGuard is its only TV route. Our Mullvad Apple TV guide covers the router workaround.
Free Use
Windscribe has a free plan: 10 GB a month with a confirmed email, servers in 10 countries, no device limit, and Stealth included. Mullvad has no free plan or trial; its 14-day refund on card payments is the nearest equivalent, and a single €5 month keeps the risk small.
Our Mullvad free guide covers what Mullvad gives away, such as its browser and extension; its public encrypted DNS closes on 2 November 2026.
Blocked Networks
Windscribe offers Stealth and WStunnel, which wrap OpenVPN to look like web traffic, even on its free plan. Mullvad offers anti-censorship settings for WireGuard, including Shadowsocks obfuscation on desktop and Android, Gizmodo notes.
Both work on many restrictive networks. Windscribe gives more protocol choices, and Mullvad keeps everything on WireGuard with fewer settings to manage. Our obfuscation guide explains the methods.
Jurisdiction
Windscribe operates from Toronto, Canada, a Five Eyes member. It said it would leave Canada rather than log under a 2026 metadata-retention proposal, our tables record. Mullvad is Swedish, a Fourteen Eyes member.
Both rely on evidence rather than location: a court case for Windscribe, audits and a police visit for Mullvad. Both publish their no-logs policies in plain terms. Our Five Eyes guide explains why that matters more.
Streaming and Torrenting
Neither is a streaming specialist: Security.org reported Netflix problems on Windscribe, and Mullvad does not market streaming support. For torrents, Windscribe Pro offers port forwarding, while Mullvad offers a SOCKS5 proxy for connected users but no port forwarding. Seeders will notice the difference, since forwarded ports help uploads reach other peers.
Our port forwarding guide lists providers that still offer it.
Windscribe vs Mullvad: Who Should Pick Which
Pick Mullvad for the strongest audit record, DAITA and a flat price that never changes. Pick Windscribe for a free plan, unlimited devices, TV apps, port forwarding and protocols for blocked networks, all at a price that does not jump. Neither is a streaming specialist. We put the two side by side in our ExpressVPN vs Windscribe comparison.
Many privacy-minded people try Windscribe Free first and buy a single month of Mullvad later, then keep whichever fits. Neither locks you into a long contract or a renewal jump, so switching later stays easy. Our Mullvad review covers Mullvad in depth.
How We Research
This page draws on Mullvad’s terms, Windscribe’s plans and no-logs pages, TechRadar and Security.org on Windscribe and our Mullvad and Windscribe tables. 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 Mullvad’s terms of service. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
Windscribe vs Mullvad FAQ
Mullvad has more audit evidence; both allow no-email sign-up.
For many devices, Windscribe; Mullvad’s flat €5 suits one or two people.
Only Windscribe, with 10 GB a month.
Pro Windscribe plans do; Mullvad removed it in 2023.
Windscribe does; Mullvad has none.
The Verdict
In short, Mullvad suits maximum evidence and simplicity, and Windscribe suits flexibility, free use and households.