Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Brave VS Mullvad

Compare Brave VS Mullvad and see what are their differences

Brave logo Brave

Fast and secure, ad and tracker blocking browser.

Mullvad logo Mullvad

Mullvad is a Swedish virtual private network (VPN) provider.
  • Brave Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-29
  • Mullvad Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-22

Brave

Website
brave.com
$ Details
Release Date
2015 January
Startup details
Country
United States
State
California
Founder(s)
Brendan Eich
Employees
100 - 249

Brave features and specs

  • Privacy
    Brave blocks trackers and ads by default, providing users with increased privacy and preventing third-party companies from collecting their data.
  • Speed
    Due to its ad-blocking capabilities, Brave loads pages faster compared to browsers that display ads, enhancing the user experience.
  • Ad Blocking
    Brave automatically blocks intrusive ads, which not only helps with privacy but also reduces page clutter.
  • BAT Rewards
    Users can earn Basic Attention Tokens (BAT) by opting into Brave’s privacy-respecting ads, providing an incentive for users to view ads.
  • Security
    Brave includes features such as HTTPS Everywhere, ensuring secure connections, and a built-in password manager.
  • Open Source
    The Brave browser is open-source, allowing anyone to inspect the code and contribute to its development, fostering transparency and community involvement.
  • Chromium-Based
    Being based on Chromium, Brave supports a wide range of extensions available from the Chrome Web Store.

Possible disadvantages of Brave

  • Extension Compatibility
    While Brave supports many Chrome extensions, there are occasional compatibility issues with certain extensions.
  • Syncing Data
    Brave's data sync feature is still maturing and may not be as reliable or comprehensive as competitors’ syncing services.
  • Advertising Model
    Some users might find the BAT ad model confusing or may not be interested in participating, preferring traditional ad-free browsing.
  • New Ecosystem
    Brave is relatively new compared to other browsers like Chrome and Firefox, which might make users hesitant due to its less established ecosystem.
  • Customization
    While Brave offers various customization options, it may still lack certain features and settings that power-users expect from more established browsers.

Mullvad features and specs

  • Privacy
    Mullvad does not require any personal information for account creation and has a strict no-logs policy, ensuring user privacy is maintained.
  • Security
    It offers robust security features such as AES-256 encryption, WireGuard protocol, and IPv6 leak protection.
  • Transparency
    Mullvad is open about its practices and security measures, and the source code for its apps is publicly available for auditing.
  • Performance
    Mullvad provides competitive speeds and reliable performance across its network of servers.
  • Ease of Use
    The service offers a straightforward setup process and a user-friendly interface suitable for both beginners and advanced users.
  • Ethical Stance
    Mullvad actively donates to privacy and internet freedom causes and maintains a strong ethical stance on internet privacy.

Possible disadvantages of Mullvad

  • Limited Extra Features
    Unlike some competitors, Mullvad does not offer additional features such as an ad blocker or dedicated streaming servers.
  • Price
    Mullvad’s flat rate pricing can be considered slightly expensive compared to others offering long-term subscription discounts.
  • No Mobile Apps During Account Creation
    The process of creating an account can't be completed within the mobile apps, which might be inconvenient for some users.
  • No Live Customer Support
    Mullvad does not offer live chat support, which can be an inconvenience for users needing immediate assistance.
  • Fewer Server Locations
    Mullvad has fewer server locations compared to some leading competitors, which may affect connection options.

Analysis of Brave

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Brave is generally considered a good web browser.

Why this product is good

  • Brave is recognized for its strong privacy features, fast browsing speed, and built-in ad and tracker blocking. It also offers innovative features like Brave Rewards, which allow users to earn cryptocurrency for viewing select ads, and its integration with the Tor network for enhanced privacy.

Recommended for

  • Privacy-conscious users who want enhanced control over their data and browsing activity.
  • Individuals looking for a faster browsing experience by blocking ads and trackers.
  • Users interested in earning cryptocurrency through passive activities like viewing ads.
  • People who appreciate open-source software.

Analysis of Mullvad

Overall verdict

  • Mullvad is a highly reputable VPN service, particularly praised for its commitment to privacy and security, making it a recommended choice for users prioritizing these aspects.

Why this product is good

  • ["security", "Mullvad uses robust encryption protocols and provides features like a kill switch and DNS leak protection to enhance security."]
  • ["ease_of_use", "The service is straightforward and easy to use, with applications available for multiple platforms."]
  • ["privacy_focus", "Mullvad is known for its strong emphasis on user privacy. It does not require personal information to create an account and accepts anonymous payment methods like cash and cryptocurrency."]
  • ["no_logs_policy", "They maintain a strict no-logs policy, meaning they do not track or store user activity, which is independently audited."]

Recommended for

  • Privacy-conscious users who want to stay anonymous online.
  • Individuals who do not want to provide personal information when signing up.
  • Users looking for a straightforward and user-friendly VPN.
  • People who want a transparent and independently audited VPN service.

Brave videos

Brave browser review

More videos:

  • Review - Brave Browser Review 2020: Why You NEED To Switch!
  • Review - Does the Brave Browser Really Beat Fingerprinting? Let's Test!
  • Demo - This Is Brave
  • Demo - song

Mullvad videos

5 Reasons Not to Buy Mullvad VPN!

More videos:

  • Review - Mullvad VPN COMPLETE Review! The MOST Underrated?!
  • Review - Mullvad Updated VPN Review - Which Tier Is It?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Brave and Mullvad)
Web Browsers
100 100%
0% 0
VPN
0 0%
100% 100
Security & Privacy
88 88%
12% 12
Cloud VPN
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Brave and Mullvad

Brave Reviews

The 7 best web browsers in 2025
Unlike ad blockers, though, Brave doesn't just ban advertisements: it replaces them with its own, far less intrusive and private promotions. Every time you browse Brave and see its ads, it rewards you with points, which you can then use to compensate your favorite publishers and creators. For this to work, the website must be a Brave partner. Many popular ones, like The...
Source: zapier.com
Brave Alternative - 8 Privacy-Focused and Reliable Options
Performance-wise, I found it to be a bit better than the Brave browser, but it doesn’t receive as frequent updates as Brave.
Source: mspoweruser.com
Best Tor Browser Alternative for Risk-Free Web Surfing
Brave Browser is a relatively newer entrant in the world of privacy-conscious browsers. Known for its aggressive approach to blocking advertisements and trackers, Brave Browser aims to deliver a fast and secure browsing experience. Additionally, Brave Browser supports Basic Attention Token (BAT), a cryptocurrency reward system for viewing privacy-respecting ads.
5 Most Privacy Focused Web Browsers
Brave features numerous privacy-centric settings, like the ability to sync browser data securely, without needing to create an account. The browser effectively blocks trackers to give you a private web experience.
Source: itsfoss.com
Avoid The Hack: 6 Best Privacy Browser Picks for Windows
Brave has a native adblocker ("shields") enabled by default. Brave proxies all/any requests to Google, effectively substituting Google Services with "Brave Services." For example, when "Safe Browsing" is enabled, Brave proxies the request to the Google Safe Browsing service.

Mullvad Reviews

The Best NordVPN Alternatives in 2022
This Swedish VPN provider guarantees its users anonymity and privacy as proven by independent audit reports regarding Mullvad VPN’s anti-tracking feature. The only downside to this service is that there are only 820 servers available for choosing.
Source: www.alphr.com
Mullvad, IVPN, and Mozilla VPN Top Consumer Reports’ VPN Testing
Mullvad stands out for stating in its documentation that it does not collect user data, deletes or destroys outdated or unnecessary information, and sets itself reasonable deadlines for doing so. Its approach to preventing unauthorized access to data is a novel one—the company doesn’t keep any unnecessary data at all, and the user ID is not linked with any user information....
The 10 Best Open Source VPN Apps
Users whose top priority is to have their location, identity, and online activity private should consider giving a shot to this free and open-source VPN. Apart from essential VPN functions like allowing you to visit restricted websites and not leave a trace while browsing the Internet, Mullvad also comes with a plethora of other advanced features. All thanks to this VPN,...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Brave should be more popular than Mullvad. It has been mentiond 585 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Brave mentions (585)

  • Useful Sites for Privacy and Security
    Brave - Privacy-focused browser with ad-blocking. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Google Being Forced to Sell Chrome Is Not Good for the Web
    We can always use Chromium https://www.chromium.org/chromium-projects/ This is like if Microsoft was forced to sell Edge or Apple sold Safari. I am thinking of switching from Chrome to Brave https://brave.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • uBlock Origin is no longer available on the Chrome Store
    Https://brave.com/ Ignore the crypto; enjoy the integrated ad-blocking. Most seamless ad-blocking I've ever experienced. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • uBlock Origin is no longer available on the Chrome Store
    If you are in tech do your friends and family and a favor: Download and setup Brave browser on their device. I haven't seen an ad in years. https://brave.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Personal TODO list on how I set up my dev machine
    I install: Discord, Brave, [Telegram(https://desktop.telegram.org/) and VSCode, which then I sync with my github profile to pull down my settings. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
View more

Mullvad mentions (86)

  • The 10 tools I install on every new Mac I get
    Other essentials are a VPN (I use Mullvad and ProtonVPN), but that's about it. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Google gets its way, bakes a user-tracking ad platform directly into Chrome
    > But this is not my field. > Would a VPN do what I need? Where are instructions that a n00b can follow? Never used them myself but lots of HN commenters think highly of the VPN services offered by Mullvad [0]. In fact, right now, Mullvad is currently on the HN frontpage [1], from a blog post by Tailscale. 0: https://mullvad.net/en 1: - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Why people use VPN on torrent and which torrent software should i use ?
    If you end up finding out that you need a VPN, then bind it to qbittorent with this guide. Recommended VPNs are ProtonVPN and Mullvad. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Yubico is merging with ACQ Bure and intends to go public
    If you are looking for a tiny, Swedish company working in a similar area as Yubico, there is Tillits AB. Tillitis is a spin off from the Swedish VPN provider Mullvad. In contrast to Yubikeys, The Tillitis TKey as well as tools, device verification etc is 100% open source. https://tillitis.se/ https://github.com/tillitis (Full disclosure: I work for Tillitis.). - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Best Simple Security Practices for Protecting Self and Tendies - Final Repost for Visibility!
    - VPNS? Sure. They can be useful. Don't just download and use any free VPN though! They can steal/collect just as much data as an unprotected WiFi network. ProtonVPN is a newer service offered by the world class ProtonMail team. It has a free tier and is easy to use. Even if you don't pay for one, definitely use it whenever you're on any open WiFi connections such as sitting at Starbucks or the airport. You'd be... Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Brave and Mullvad, you can also consider the following products

Mozilla Firefox - Get the browsers that put your privacy first — and always have

ProtonVPN - ProtonVPN is a security focused FREE VPN service, developed by CERN and MIT scientists. Use the web anonymously, unblock websites & encrypt your connection.

Google Chrome - Google Chrome is a fast, secure, and free web browser, built for the modern web. Give it a try on your desktop today.

Windscribe - Windscribe is a desktop application and browser extension that work together to block ads and trackers, restore access to blocked content and help you safeguard your privacy online.

Vivaldi - Vivaldi is a free, fast web browser designed for power-users. You decide how you browse. Download Vivaldi's fully customisable browser now and browse your way.

Psiphon - Psiphon is circumvention software for Windows and Mobile platforms that provides uncensored access to Internet content. Read more about Psiphon.