Mullvad VPN vs IVPN
Both are alternatives to NordVPN. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as IVPN vs Mullvad VPN — same comparison, one verdict.
Mullvad VPN
TOP PICKThe privacy gold standard — flat price, no account, fully audited.
Mullvad is the privacy purist's VPN. There's no email or personal detail at signup — you get a random account number — and the price is a flat €5/month with no tiers or upsells (unchanged since 2009). Its apps are open-source, its no-logs policy has been independently audited many times (Cure53 and Assured), and it accepts cash and Monero for genuinely anonymous payment. It isn't built for streaming gymnastics; it's built so that no one, including Mullvad, can tie your traffic to you. Notably, Mullvad refuses to run an affiliate program — so no site earns a commission recommending it, including us. We still rank it first.
IVPN
Open-source, anonymous signup, a true privacy purist.
IVPN is a small, privacy-first provider with fully open-source apps, a multi-year audit record with Cure53, and a publicly named owner. Signup is anonymous — no email required — and it accepts cash and crypto. It keeps no connection, traffic, timestamp, or bandwidth logs, and deliberately stays lean rather than chasing streaming features. A close cousin of Mullvad in philosophy, for people who want maximum transparency.
Side by side
| Mullvad VPN | IVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty Score | 88 | 85 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Local-first | No | No |
| License | GPL-3.0 (apps) | GPL-3.0 (apps) |
| Pricing | Flat €5/month, no tiers; anonymous 16-digit account number, no email | From about $6/month; anonymous account, no email required |
Mullvad VPN is Macrostack's recommended NordVPN alternative, so it's our pick here.
Mullvad VPN
Strengths
- +No email or personal info — just a random account number
- +Open-source apps, repeatedly audited (Cure53, Assured)
- +Flat €5/month, no price games or renewal hikes
- +Anonymous payment options including cash and Monero
Trade-offs
- −Not focused on streaming unblocking
- −A VPN service you don't self-host (you trust the no-logs audits)
- −Fewer flashy extras than the big commercial VPNs
IVPN
Strengths
- +Fully open-source apps, audited by Cure53
- +Anonymous signup, cash/crypto accepted
- +Publicly named owner and clear trust page
- +Strict no-logs (no connection or bandwidth data)
Trade-offs
- −Pricier than the cheap commercial VPNs
- −Not built for streaming unblocking
- −Smaller server network
More NordVPN head-to-heads
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Facts verified 2026-07-14. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.