Disclosure: VPNFin is reader-supported. If you buy a VPN through links on this page, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never affects our ratings — here’s our full disclosure.
Is Mullvad safe? Few VPNs have had their privacy claims tested this directly. In April 2023, at least six Swedish police officers arrived at its Gothenburg office with a warrant to seize computers holding customer data; Mullvad showed how the service works, and they left after consulting a prosecutor, taking nothing, reports from CyberInsider and The Nordic Times say. Mullvad also has more than 10 audits in our table, needs no email to sign up and runs servers from memory.
This guide covers the 2023 visit, the audits, account design, Swedish jurisdiction and Mullvad’s limits.
The 2023 Police Visit
On 18 April 2023, officers from Sweden’s National Operations Department came with a search warrant for computers with customer data. Mullvad argued that seizing equipment would be illegal because no such data existed, and after a demonstration and a call to the prosecutor the police left empty-handed, the reports say.
Mullvad said it was the first such visit in more than 14 years of operation, The Nordic Times reported. Some later articles claim police seized servers; the original reports do not support that.
Is Mullvad Safe? The Audit Record
Our table records more than 10 independent audits, including Cure53 reviews of its apps and infrastructure. Assured Security Consultants tested its web application in August 2025, and an app audit in late 2024 found a high security level, TechRadar reported.
Mullvad publishes the reports, and its apps are open source. Our no-logs guide explains what audits prove.
Designed to Hold Little Data
Signing up gives you a random 16-digit account number, with no email or name. You can pay with cash by post or cryptocurrency, and servers run from memory, so nothing persists on disk.
That design is why the 2023 visit found nothing: Mullvad never collected the data the warrant sought.
Is Mullvad Safe in Sweden, the 14 Eyes and Under Its Owners?
Sweden is in the Fourteen Eyes intelligence-sharing group, which some users see as a drawback. Its data retention law covers telecoms and internet providers but does not apply to VPN operators in its current form, a 2026 review explains.
Our Five Eyes VPN guide explains what these alliances mean in practice.
Mullvad is an independent Swedish company rather than part of a larger VPN group, unlike Kape’s or Nord Security’s brands. There are no affiliate deals or review sites tied to it, which keeps its incentives simple.
Our ExpressVPN safety guide shows how ownership questions can weigh on another provider.
Mullvad’s Limits
Safety is not the same as convenience. Mullvad runs WireGuard only, does not try to unblock streaming, and is closing its public encrypted DNS service on 2 November 2026. Its in-app DNS and blocking keep working.
For streaming, other providers fit better, as testers’ results with Netflix and BBC iPlayer show. Our Mullvad vs Proton VPN page compares two privacy-first options.
Keeping Mullvad Safe on Your Devices
Turn on lockdown mode so traffic stops if the tunnel drops, keep the apps updated and run a leak test after setup on every device. DAITA adds protection against traffic analysis at some cost in speed.
Mullvad costs a flat €5 a month for five devices.
Paying Without Leaving a Trail
Mullvad accepts cash sent by post and cryptocurrency, so you can pay without linking a name or card to the account number. If you pay by card instead, the payment processor knows who paid, though Mullvad still does not tie it to your activity.
Choose the payment method that matches how private you need to be.
Compared With Other Providers, and What Would Change Our View
Few providers have had no-logs claims tested outside an audit. Windscribe’s held when an Athens court dismissed charges against its CEO in 2025, while IPVanish handed data to US authorities in 2016 under previous owners. Mullvad’s 2023 visit sits with the first group.
Our Windscribe safety guide covers that case.
A change of ownership, a new Swedish law requiring VPNs to keep logs, or an audit finding hidden data collection would all matter. None has happened as of October 2026.
We will update this page if any of them does.
Extra Layers: DAITA and Multihop
DAITA adds padding traffic to make it harder to identify sites from traffic patterns, and multihop routes through two servers. Both add protection for higher-risk users at a cost in speed. Our Mullvad vs FastestVPN comparison sets the two side by side.
For everyday browsing, a single WireGuard connection with lockdown mode is enough.
Devices and Account Numbers
Each account covers five devices, and you can see and remove them in your account. Because the account number is the only login, keep it somewhere safe; anyone with it can use your time. We put the two side by side in our Mullvad vs Norton VPN comparison.
If you think it has leaked, contact Mullvad’s support about your options.
How We Research
This page draws on CyberInsider’s and The Nordic Times’ reports on the 2023 police visit, a 2026 Mullvad review on Swedish law, TechRadar’s audit coverage and our Mullvad 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 CyberInsider’s report on the 2023 visit. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
Is Mullvad Safe FAQ
Its audits and the 2023 police visit make a strong case.
No; they left in 2023 without taking anything.
It is in the 14 Eyes, but its data retention law does not cover VPNs today.
No; it uses a random account number.
Little streaming support and WireGuard only.
The Verdict
Is Mullvad safe? Its tested record says yes, as clearly as any VPN can show. Choose it for privacy, not for streaming.