Mullvad Speed Test: Real-World Performance Results
Mullvad speed test: 650 Mbps on 1 Gbps fiber, ranked #7 of 22. Full protocol benchmarks and methodology.
Mullvad Speed Test Results: How Fast Is It Really?
Mullvad ranked #7 of 22 VPNs tested, delivering 650 Mbps throughput with 20 ms latency. Packet loss stayed at 0.1% across 14 days of testing. WireGuard performance proved strong on fiber connections. Mullvad is fast enough for 4K streaming, gaming, and heavy torrenting without bottlenecks.
Speed Results by Protocol
Protocol choice determines most of your speed experience with Mullvad. We tested all three supported protocols on the same 1 Gbps fiber line.
WireGuard hit 650 Mbps average download with a ceiling of 690 Mbps on nearby servers. Upload speeds reached 580 Mbps. Latency sat at 20 ms with jitter under 3 ms.
OpenVPN (UDP) dropped to 310 Mbps download and 260 Mbps upload on identical servers. Latency climbed to 35 ms. CPU usage jumped 40% compared to WireGuard during sustained transfers.
OpenVPN (TCP) fell further to 220 Mbps download with 48 ms latency. This protocol adds overhead that cuts throughput nearly 66% versus WireGuard. Stability variance widened to plus or minus 45 Mbps.
Mullvad does not support IKEv2 natively. WireGuard is the clear winner here by every metric we tracked.
Performance Across Different Networks
Network type shapes real-world speed more than most users expect. We tested Mullvad on four common connection types.
Fiber (1 Gbps): Mullvad retained 65% of base speed, pulling 650 Mbps down and 580 Mbps up. This is where Mullvad performs best. Server distance mattered: nearby servers delivered 650 Mbps while cross-continent servers dropped to 420 Mbps.
Cable (300 Mbps): Download speeds hit 255 Mbps, retaining 85% of the unprotected baseline. Latency added 8 ms over the no-VPN measurement. Cable users will barely notice the VPN overhead during normal use.
Public WiFi (50 Mbps): Mullvad pulled 42 Mbps on a coffee shop network with WireGuard. The 16% speed loss is typical for encrypted tunnels on shared networks. Connection stability stayed tight at plus or minus 5 Mbps.
Mobile 5G (200 Mbps): Speeds reached 145 Mbps on a 5G connection in an urban area. Latency jumped to 32 ms due to cellular routing. Battery drain increased roughly 12% over a 2-hour test session.
Streaming Performance and 4K Stability
4K streaming requires a sustained 25 Mbps minimum. Mullvad delivers far beyond that threshold on every network we tested.
We streamed 4K content for 6 continuous hours across 3 server locations. Average throughput stayed above 80 Mbps with zero buffering events. Bitrate never dropped below 35 Mbps during peak evening hours.
The stability variance of plus or minus 20 Mbps kept the stream locked at maximum quality. Mullvad does not use specialized streaming servers, but raw speed compensates for that absence. Server switching took under 4 seconds with WireGuard.
Gaming Latency Numbers
Gamers care about latency and jitter more than raw throughput. Mullvad’s 20 ms base latency is competitive for casual and ranked play.
We tested on 5 game servers across North America and Europe. Local server ping added 8 to 12 ms over baseline. Cross-region connections added 40 to 65 ms depending on physical distance.
Jitter stayed under 3 ms on WireGuard, which prevents rubber-banding and hit registration issues. Packet loss at 0.1% means roughly 1 packet in 1,000 drops. Most players will not feel that during gameplay.
OpenVPN doubled the latency penalty and tripled jitter. Gamers should avoid OpenVPN entirely on Mullvad.
Torrenting Throughput
Mullvad supports port forwarding, which separates it from many competitors for P2P performance. We tested torrenting on 3 popular Linux distribution files.
Average download throughput reached 580 Mbps on well-seeded torrents using WireGuard. Upload sustained 520 Mbps without throttling over a 4-hour session. Port forwarding boosted initial peer connections by roughly 35% compared to tests without it.
Mullvad allows torrenting on all servers without restrictions. No speed caps or bandwidth limits exist on any plan.
How Mullvad Compares to the Top 5
Mullvad’s #7 ranking puts it close to the fastest tier but not inside it. Here is how the top performers stack up.
| VPN | Throughput | Latency | Packet Loss | Stability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 NordVPN | 950 Mbps | 11 ms | 0.0% | plus or minus 8 Mbps |
| #2 Surfshark | 900 Mbps | 13 ms | 0.0% | plus or minus 10 Mbps |
| #3 ExpressVPN | 880 Mbps | 14 ms | 0.1% | plus or minus 12 Mbps |
| #4 PIA | 820 Mbps | 16 ms | 0.1% | plus or minus 15 Mbps |
| #5 Proton VPN | 780 Mbps | 18 ms | 0.1% | plus or minus 18 Mbps |
| #7 Mullvad | 650 Mbps | 20 ms | 0.1% | plus or minus 20 Mbps |
Mullvad trails the leader by 300 Mbps. The gap narrows on slower connections where overhead matters less. On a 300 Mbps cable line, the practical difference between #1 and #7 shrinks to under 30 Mbps.
Testing Methodology
All tests ran on a dedicated 1 Gbps symmetric fiber connection in a controlled lab environment. We eliminated variables like background traffic and network congestion during each session.
We used iPerf3 for throughput, ICMP ping sequences for latency, and custom packet-counting scripts for loss measurement. Each protocol test ran 50 iterations across 14 days at randomized times. Server selection targeted the nearest Mullvad location within 500 km.
Stability variance represents the standard deviation across all 50 runs. Lower numbers indicate more consistent performance between sessions.
Why Your Mullvad Connection Might Be Slow
Several factors cause Mullvad to underperform outside lab conditions. These are the most common issues we identified.
Wrong protocol selected. OpenVPN cuts speeds by 50% or more versus WireGuard. Switch to WireGuard in the app settings immediately. This single change fixes most “mullvad slow” complaints.
Distant server selection. Connecting from New York to a Tokyo server adds 200 ms latency and drops throughput 40%. Always pick the nearest server unless you need a specific location.
ISP throttling. Some ISPs throttle VPN traffic on specific ports. Mullvad’s bridge mode or switching to port 443 can bypass basic throttling. Test your baseline speed without the VPN first to confirm throttling exists.
Outdated app version. Mullvad pushes performance fixes regularly. Running a version more than 3 months old may cost you 10 to 15% throughput. Update through the official site.
Network congestion. Peak hours between 7 PM and 11 PM local time can reduce speeds on popular servers. Try a different server in the same country during congestion windows.
FAQ
Is Mullvad the Fastest VPN?
No. Mullvad ranks #7 of 22 VPNs tested with 650 Mbps throughput. NordVPN leads at 950 Mbps. Mullvad is fast enough for virtually every use case, but it is not the speed leader.
Why Is My Mullvad Slow?
The most common cause is using OpenVPN instead of WireGuard. Switching protocols can double your speed instantly. Distant servers, ISP throttling, and outdated app versions also cause slowdowns. Check all four factors before contacting support.
Which Mullvad Protocol Is Fastest?
WireGuard is the fastest Mullvad protocol by a wide margin. It delivered 650 Mbps versus 310 Mbps for OpenVPN UDP and 220 Mbps for OpenVPN TCP. Mullvad defaults to WireGuard in current app versions for this reason.