[Omniscient]

Let's get this debate started.

Are you a Proton or Mullvad VPN user?

Or if you use something else, what is it?

Mullvad vs Proton VPN - Which VPN Deserves Your Trust?

VPNs have become almost mandatory for privacy-conscious users, but not all VPN providers operate with the same philosophy.

Two names that constantly come up in the privacy community are Mullvad and Proton VPN. Both have strong reputations, but they take very different approaches.

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🔒 Mullvad VPN

Mullvad has built its entire identity around one simple idea:

"Know as little about the customer as possible."

Pros:

• No email required to register
  
• Random account number system instead of usernames
  
• Cash payments accepted by mail
  
• Flat pricing with no marketing gimmicks
  
• Strong no-logs reputation
  
• Open-source apps
  
• Independent security audits
  
• WireGuard support
  
• Anonymous payment options including crypto
  

Cons:

• No long-term discounts
  
• Smaller server network
  
• No free plan
  
• Streaming support is not a major focus
  
• Fewer extra features compared to competitors
  

Mullvad feels designed for people who care about privacy first and convenience second.

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🛡️ Proton VPN

Proton VPN comes from the creators of Proton Mail and takes more of a complete privacy ecosystem approach.

Pros:

• Based in Switzerland
  
• Strong no-logs policy
  
• Free tier available
  
• Open-source apps
  
• Independent security audits
  
• Larger server network
  
• Secure Core multi-hop servers
  
• Good streaming support
  
• Includes extras like NetShield ad/tracker blocking
  
• Integrates with Proton Mail, Drive, Pass, and Calendar
  

Cons:

• Requires an account/email
  
• More traditional subscription model
  
• More user information involved compared to Mullvad
  
• Full ecosystem features require higher priced plans
  

Proton feels designed for people who want privacy tools that replace mainstream services.

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⚔️ Direct Comparison

Privacy:
Mullvad wins. The account-number model is difficult to beat.

Features:
Proton wins. More servers, more options, better ecosystem.

Ease of Use:
Proton wins slightly. More beginner-friendly.

Anonymity:
Mullvad wins. Paying cash without an email is rare.

Streaming:
Proton wins.

Price Transparency:
Mullvad wins. One simple price.

Company Ecosystem:
Proton wins. VPN is only one part of their privacy suite.

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🏆 Final Thoughts

Both are excellent choices, but they appeal to different users.

Choose Mullvad if:

• You want maximum anonymity
  
• You dislike accounts and subscriptions
  
• You care mainly about hiding your identity
  

Choose Proton VPN if:

• You want a full privacy ecosystem
  
• You want more features
  
• You care about convenience and performance
  

Personally, I see Mullvad as the VPN for privacy purists and Proton as the VPN for people trying to escape Big Tech.

Which one do you trust more, HF?

[Artisan]

For me, its a tie between Proton and N-o-r-d. I use both from time to time.

[Omniscient]

I've used PIA because they take crypto and you get 3 years for $52.

🔐 loading encrypted image…

Personally, I think it's strange they aren't mentioned more in VPN debates.


They have a full no-logs policy and I've never heard a bad word about them.

https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/vp...o-logs-vpn

[HerrWinston]

I've used PIA because they take crypto and you get 3 years for $52.
Personally, I think it's strange they aren't mentioned more in VPN debates.


They have a full no-logs policy and I've never heard a bad word about them.

https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/vp...o-logs-vpn

I havent heard about them either before this, does look interesting and the price seems alright aswell.
Tbh the whole reason mullvads no log policy is so trusted is because of certain events like the raid on their server where to police actually left with nothing.
Which is why I would also choose them if the need of privacy is so big.
Personally I use both tho, mullvad when I have the money to spend and Proton when I have no money, but I do dislike proton much more because they feel somewhat slow for me.

[Omniscient]

I havent heard about them either before this, does look interesting and the price seems alright aswell.
Tbh the whole reason mullvads no log policy is so trusted is because of certain events like the raid on their server where to police actually left with nothing.
Which is why I would also choose them if the need of privacy is so big.
Personally I use both tho, mullvad when I have the money to spend and Proton when I have no money, but I do dislike proton much more because they feel somewhat slow for me.

I've never used Proton's VPN or Mullvad. TOR can be slow and also often exit-nodes are blocked. So sometimes, you just need a reliable VPN.

PIA has been around a very long time.

Actually got a nice response about PIA from AI.

AI Quote: Yes, but interestingly most of the law-enforcement related press around Private Internet Access (PIA) has actually been positive for their privacy reputation, not negative.

The main controversies are different:

### ✅ Law enforcement / subpoenas: PIA actually passed tests

There are at least two famous cases where authorities wanted user information:

2016 FBI subpoena
The FBI requested information connected to a PIA VPN IP.
PIA responded, but they reportedly had no useful logs to provide because they did not store activity logs. ([TorrentFreak][1])

2018 court case
A PIA representative testified about their logging practices.
Again, the point highlighted was that PIA did not retain customer activity logs that could identify usage. ([TorrentFreak][2])

So unlike some VPN providers, there is no known major case where PIA advertised "no logs" and then handed over identifying VPN usage logs.

A contrast often brought up is providers like PureVPN and IPVanish, which received criticism after cases where logs were reportedly available despite privacy marketing. ([VPN Testing: The VPN Test Site][3])

---

### ⚠️ The biggest PIA controversy: Kape Technologies acquisition

This is the main reason privacy purists left PIA.

In 2019, PIA was purchased by Kape Technologies. ([TechRadar][4])

Why people cared:
Kape was formerly known as Crossrider.
Crossrider had a bad reputation because its software platform had been associated with adware/malware concerns. Privacy communities questioned whether a VPN should be owned by a company with that history. ([Reddit][5])

PIA supporters counter:

The company changed direction. PIA's apps became open source.
Its no-log claims continued. No public evidence has shown PIA started logging users after the acquisition.

---

### ⚠️ Jurisdiction concerns

Another criticism:

PIA is based in the United States. The US is part of the Five Eyes.

Some privacy users prefer services like:

Mullvad VPN (Sweden, anonymous account numbers)
* Proton VPN (Switzerland)

because they dislike US jurisdiction.

---

For an HF-style VPN trust ranking, I'd probably frame it like:

Privacy Extremist: Mullvad
Privacy + Ecosystem: Proton
Court-Tested Veteran: PIA

PIA's biggest stain is ownership optics, not a known betrayal of users. Their actual subpoena history is one of the stronger ones in the VPN industry. ([TorrentFreak][1])

[1]: https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-providers-n...hatgpt.com "VPN Provider's No-Logging Claims Tested in FBI Case"
[2]: https://torrentfreak.com/private-interne...hatgpt.com "Private Internet Access' “No-Logging” Claims Proven True ..."
[3]: https://vpntesting.com/no-logs/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "VPN \"No-Logs\" Policies Tested in Court: Who Can You Trust?"
[4]: https://www.techradar.com/news/[censored]-owner-buys-pia-for-dollar955m-to-create-vpn-giant?utm_source=chatgpt.com "[censored] owner buys PIA for $95.5m to create VPN giant"
[5]: https://www.reddit.com/r/PrivateInternet...hatgpt.com "Our Merger with Kape Technologies - Addressing Your ..."

[MadScientist]

I've used PIA because they take crypto and you get 3 years for $52.

🔐 loading encrypted image…

Personally, I think it's strange they aren't mentioned more in VPN debates.


They have a full no-logs policy and I've never heard a bad word about them.

https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/vp...o-logs-vpn

I was always with PIA until BitPay went KYC and they dont have other crypto options, just wish you could pick a static port for forawrding/services rather than randomly given one each reconnect/restart

[Charlie Sheen]

I use Proton. I would've gone Mullvad but Proton had faster speeds when I researched it. Both are solid VPNs.

[Omniscient]

I use Proton. I would've gone Mullvad but Proton had faster speeds when I researched it. Both are solid VPNs.

I do like the bundling that Proton has done. They absolutely make it easier to leave Google services. That one aspect is attractive to me.

[Omniscient]

I was always with PIA until BitPay went KYC and they dont have other crypto options, just wish you could pick a static port for forawrding/services rather than randomly given one each reconnect/restart

Yes, whenever I see Bitpay checkout I get a bit upset.

They should all be replaced by BTCpay servers. It drives me crazy.

[Prawnster]

I've used PIA because they take crypto and you get 3 years for $52.

🔐 loading encrypted image…

Personally, I think it's strange they aren't mentioned more in VPN debates.


They have a full no-logs policy and I've never heard a bad word about them.

https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/vp...o-logs-vpn

+1 for PIA, I use them over Mullvad.

They are cheaper, have good no-logs policy/enforcement and have been around for a long time so I feel comfortable buying a few years at a time because they will likely stick around.

[7]

Mullvad over proton but building your own is very very easy and dedicated IP.

[Omniscient]

Mullvad over proton but building your own is very very easy and dedicated IP.

Private tunnels are indeed imho the way to go if you're going to be a blackhat. Even better you Home ISP->TOR->Tunnel->Internet.

You can get VPS's with crypto and no KYC then build a very easy tunnel.

Lots of ways to be anonymous. Usually though the people caught by Law Enforcement for Cybercrime are because of money trails.

[Charlie Sheen]

I do like the bundling that Proton has done. They absolutely make it easier to leave Google services. That one aspect is attractive to me.

Besides potentially their VPN and their email services have you used any of their other services? I've only used their email and VPN but I'm open to making a complete switch to them.

[Biggy_Asian]

Which one do you trust more, HF?

ANY organism that has self preservation including preserving ones own privacy should or would 100% pick mullvad over latters. A good reason is because mullvad has as little information on you as possible, also because of their blog informing the public they was subject to a SW (Search warrant) : https://mullvad.net/en/blog/mullvad-vpn-...ompromised

I would only ever pay mullvad for their services when it comes to internet privacy via external networks like vpns. They even let you pay by shipping an envolope to them with your account ID, accept xmr and other coins including discounts and are very flexible with their payments. Support is also good as shit.

They are a very dedicated company and truly are the privacy vpn.

[7]

Private tunnels are indeed imho the way to go if you're going to be a blackhat. Even better you Home ISP->TOR->Tunnel->Internet.

You can get VPS's with crypto and no KYC then build a very easy tunnel.

Lots of ways to be anonymous. Usually though the people caught by Law Enforcement for Cybercrime are because of money trails.

https://hackforums.net/showthread.php?tid=6272921

https://hackforums.net/showthread.php?tid=6303716

Take mins. But yeah your right follow the finance