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Mullvad vs PIA
Cash Payments vs. Unlimited Devices & Streaming Access
Fact-checked and maintained by Softplorer Research
Privacy
Security
Streaming
Speed
Apps
Devices
Value
Quick pick
→ Mullvad makes more sense when cash payment support is a payment choice you specifically want.
→ PIA makes more sense when paid plans that do not make you count simultaneous devices and confirmed access to major streaming platforms line up with everyday use.
PIA and Mullvad are easier to separate by picturing the routine around the VPN. One side favors household convenience and streaming; the other gives you a different payment option.
Mullvad: when how you pay matters
Cash is a real payment route
Mullvad supports cash payment. PIA does not currently support cash payment. It is niche, but if you deliberately want that option, an unlimited-device plan cannot substitute for it.
Open clients are a shared strength
Mullvad's client apps are open source across the supported platform set. PIA's client apps are open source across the supported platform set. Both sides already give you open client code, so that feature stays a tie here.
PIA: when household friction and streaming matter
The paid plan does not make you ration devices
PIA's paid plans do not make you count simultaneous devices. Mullvad uses a connection cap rather than an unlimited-device model. If the VPN is supposed to disappear into the background across a pile of devices, this is an everyday advantage rather than an exotic feature.
Mainstream streaming is also better supported
PIA currently supports access to major streaming platforms. Reliable major-platform streaming is not confirmed for Mullvad. If streaming is a normal use case, that difference belongs in the decision before more specialized privacy tools.
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