The best VPN services follow strict no-logging policies, meaning that they don't collect or monitor your browsing activity. But simply signing up for a VPN can leave a paper trail, as the service needs to keep some information to maintain a monthly subscription. Now, Mullvad VPN says it will eliminate that concern by only accepting one-time payments.
In other words, Mullvad VPN won't accept new subscriptions, and existing subscriptions will end within six months. Cutting monthly subscriptions will let Mullvad throw away payment data sooner, as it won't be needed to offer cancelations or refunds.
This policy sounds a bit weird, but it's consistent with Mullvad VPN's strategy---it's one of the few services that doesn't ask customers to make an account or provide an email address. It also accepts private payment methods, such as cash and cryptocurrency.
Subscriptions clearly offer a lot of convenience but as we've seen that convenience comes at a cost and we no longer think this is an acceptable trade-off. We care deeply about usability but when it comes down to it, privacy has to win.
Mullvad VPN is a rising star because of this emphasis on user privacy. It's also the provider for Firefox's built-in VPN, and like all notable services, it only supports the OpenVPN and WireGuard secure VPN protocols.
While you can never place 100% of your trust in a company (just look at DuckDuckGo), Mullvad VPN is a clear alternative to some of the most popular VPN services. Pricing for Mullvad is flat-rate, so while you can pay for multiple months at a time, each month costs €5 (approximately $5.25).
Mullvad VPN
The Sweden-based Mullvad VPN works without any accounts, email addresses, or subscriptions, giving you an extra layer of privacy that isn't available with other services. It only supports secure VPN protocols (OpenVPN and WireGuard) and has a strong no-logging policy.
Source: Mullvad VPN via PCMag