2 Best European ExpressVPN Alternatives in 2026

Mullvad is a Swedish VPN provider built on a single principle: no logs, no accounts, no personal data. Instead of requiring an email address, it issues anonymous 16-digit account numbers — meaning there is no identity to subpoena, even under a court order. Priced at a flat €5/month with no discounts, free trials, or upsells.

The client supports WireGuard and OpenVPN across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. Mullvad Browser — built with the Tor Project — extends privacy protections to web browsing by reducing browser fingerprinting. Multihop routes traffic through two servers in different countries, and DAITA counters AI-guided traffic pattern analysis.

Key benefits:

• No accounts required — anonymous 16-digit numbers replace email-based login
• WireGuard and OpenVPN support on all major desktop and mobile platforms
• Multihop routing through two servers in separate jurisdictions
• DAITA — defence against AI-based traffic pattern and timing analysis
• Mullvad Browser (built with Tor Project) to reduce browser fingerprinting
• Flat €5/month with no annual lock-in discounts or upsell tiers
• Own servers in Germany, Sweden, France, Finland, and other EU countries
• Multiple independent audits — no critical issues found in 2025 NCC Group and Assured audits

Mullvad VPN AB is based in Gothenburg, Sweden, where law does not require VPN providers to retain logs. In April 2023, Swedish police executed a search warrant at Mullvad's office and left empty-handed — confirming the no-logs policy holds in practice. All owned servers are in EU jurisdictions and the service is fully GDPR-compliant.

Founded in 2009 by Amagicom AB, Mullvad has been independently audited multiple times with no critical findings — one of the most consistently trusted privacy tools in Europe.

Proton VPN is the VPN service from Proton, the Swiss privacy company founded by CERN scientists in 2014. It protects internet connections with AES-256 / ChaCha20 encryption and a strict zero-logs policy verified by independent audits — with a free tier offering unlimited data, making it the only major VPN with a genuinely unrestricted free plan.

The network spans 15,000+ servers in 120+ countries, with 10 Gbps servers and VPN Accelerator technology that improves speeds by up to 400%. Secure Core routes traffic through hardened servers in Iceland, Switzerland, and Sweden before exiting — protecting against network-level surveillance even if an exit server is compromised. NetShield blocks ads and trackers at the DNS level.

Key benefits:

• Free tier — unlimited data, no logs, no speed caps on one device
• 15,000+ servers across 120+ countries with 10 Gbps capacity
• Secure Core — double-hop routing through hardened servers in privacy-friendly countries
• NetShield — DNS-level ad, tracker, and malware blocking
• Stealth protocol to bypass VPN blocks in censored or restricted networks
• Tor over VPN for accessing .onion sites with a single click
• Kill switch and always-on VPN for leak-proof connection protection
• 100% open-source apps with published independent security audits

Proton VPN is operated by Proton AG, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland — outside U.S. and EU jurisdiction, protected by Swiss privacy law and a non-profit foundation structure. Zero-logs policies have been independently audited, and all core servers are managed directly by Proton. Fully GDPR-compliant for EU customers.

Part of the Proton ecosystem used by 100M+ people — including journalists, activists, and businesses requiring genuine, legally-grounded privacy protection.