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Mullvad vs hideme compares services you can use without giving an email address. Mullvad does it on a paid plan: a random account number, cash or crypto payments and more than 10 audits, at a flat €5 a month. Hide.me, often searched as hideme, does it on a free plan with no data cap since May 2026, and adds port forwarding and multi-hop on its paid tier.
This guide compares anonymity, evidence, ports, price, streaming and fit.
Mullvad vs Hideme: Using a VPN Without an Email
Mullvad issues a 16-digit account number at sign-up and accepts cash by post or cryptocurrency, so even paying need not identify you at all. Hide.me’s free plan needs no email or card, but a paid plan means a normal checkout with your details.
For anonymous paid use, Mullvad is the stronger design; for anonymous free use, hide.me is the option to start with.
Mullvad vs Hideme on Evidence
Mullvad has more than 10 independent audits in our table, and Swedish police left its office empty-handed in 2023. Hide.me had a no-logs audit in 2024, with sources naming different auditors, and holds VPN Trust Initiative accreditation.
Both run privacy-focused infrastructure: Mullvad’s servers run from memory, while hide.me owns its servers. Our VPN audit tracker compares records.
Ports and Torrenting
Hide.me includes dynamic port forwarding on paid plans. Mullvad removed port forwarding in 2023, citing abuse, so torrent clients cannot accept incoming connections through it.
Torrent users who need open ports for seeding should choose hide.me’s paid plan. Our torrenting guide covers others.
What Each Costs, and Trying Each
Mullvad costs €5 a month whatever the term, for five devices, with a 14-day refund except for cash and crypto. Hide.me’s free plan costs nothing; its paid plan costs about $2.69 a month on 26 months for 10 devices, with 30 days for refunds.
Hide.me is cheaper on a long plan and free to start, while Mullvad never discounts.
Censored Networks, Streaming and Jurisdiction
Hide.me offers a Stealth protocol and multi-hop. Mullvad offers multihop and DAITA, which pads traffic to hide patterns, and runs WireGuard only.
Both target surveillance-heavy settings, but in quite different ways.
Mullvad does not try to unblock streaming, and testers found BBC iPlayer and US Netflix often blocked. Hide.me’s Netflix US access depended on the server in a 2026 review.
Neither is a streaming-first choice; test within any refund or free window before relying on it.
Mullvad is in Sweden, part of the Fourteen Eyes, whose data retention law does not apply to VPNs in its current form, a 2026 review notes. Hide.me is run by eVenture Ltd from Labuan, Malaysia.
Our Five Eyes guide explains the alliances.
Protocols
Mullvad has run WireGuard only since removing OpenVPN in January 2026, our tables record. Hide.me supports WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN, SSTP and SoftEther plus its Stealth protocol, which gives more fallbacks when a network blocks one.
Routers or devices that need OpenVPN or IKEv2 will work with hide.me but not with Mullvad.
Devices, Accounts and Platforms
Mullvad allows five devices per account number, and you can remove old ones from your account page. Hide.me allows 10 on paid plans and one on its free plan.
A router counts as one device on both, which helps Mullvad’s tighter limit.
Mullvad has no free trial; its 14-day refund covers card payments but not cash or crypto. Hide.me’s free plan lets you test its apps with no account details at all, then 30 days for refunds if you upgrade.
Hide.me is the easier of the pair to try out first.
Mullvad has open-source apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and Android TV. Hide.me covers those plus Fire TV and routers, our tables record.
For Fire TV sticks, hide.me has the more direct route without a router.
Staying Safe on Each, and Who Runs Each
Mullvad’s lockdown mode stops traffic if the tunnel drops; turn it on in settings. With hide.me, look for the equivalent setting in its app and test it by turning Wi-Fi off and on while connected.
Run a DNS leak test after setup on either service.
Mullvad is an independent Swedish company with no affiliate deals or sister brands. Hide.me has been run by eVenture Ltd from Labuan, Malaysia, since 2012 and is not part of a larger VPN group.
Both sit outside Kape, Nord Security and Ziff Davis. Our VPN ownership guide explains why that matters.
Who Each Is For
Choose Mullvad if you want to pay without revealing who you are and value the longest audit record here. Choose hide.me if you want a free plan without an email, or port forwarding on a paid plan.
Both suit privacy-minded users; your budget and torrenting needs decide between them.
How We Research
This page draws on reports on Mullvad’s 2023 police visit and port forwarding change, Comparitech’s and Top10VPN’s streaming tests, and our Mullvad, hide.me, audit and price 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 on Mullvad’s 2023 visit. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
Mullvad vs Hide.me FAQ
Mullvad for anonymous paid use and audits; hide.me for a free plan and port forwarding.
Yes: Mullvad on paid plans, hide.me on its free plan.
Not since 2023; hide.me does.
Mullvad, with more than 10.
Hide.me, with a free plan and about $2.69 a month on 26 months.
The Verdict
Mullvad vs hideme: Mullvad for anonymous, heavily audited paid privacy; hide.me for free anonymous use and port forwarding when you pay.