Mullvad VPN

Mullvad VPN is the Windows client for a commercial VPN service operated from Sweden. It encrypts the machine's internet traffic and routes it through one of the operator's servers, so the sites and services contacted see the server's address rather than the connection assigned by the local internet provider. The same client is also published for macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, and one account covers a handful of devices at once.

The distinctive part is the account model. Signing up produces a random account number with no email address, name or other identifying detail attached, and time is added to that number by paying for it, including by methods that do not tie back to an identity such as cryptocurrency or cash sent by post. The operator states that it does not log user activity. This design is the main reason people choose the service, and it also means there is no password recovery or support channel tied to a personal identity.

On the technical side the client connects over WireGuard and can wrap that traffic in several obfuscation layers when a network blocks VPN connections outright. It offers multihop routing through two servers, optional post-quantum key exchange, split tunnelling so chosen applications bypass the tunnel, custom DNS servers, and built-in blocking of advertising, tracking and malware domains at the DNS level. A newer feature adds cover traffic intended to make encrypted connections harder to fingerprint by their timing and size. Defaults are set to block traffic when the tunnel is not up rather than let it leak.

The client source code is published under the GPL-3.0 licence, which is why it is often listed as open source, but the service behind it is not free to use and there is no permanently free tier. It is a good fit for people who want a privacy-focused VPN with a plain flat price and minimal account data. It is a poor fit for anyone looking for a free VPN, for streaming-catalogue unblocking, which the operator does not promise, or for a corporate deployment that needs central management and named user accounts.