Mullvad

Privacy-first flat-price VPN with anonymous account numbers

NOT REALLY · consider alternatives
price $5.78/mosubscription / year $69.36estimated build time not a true replacement; consolation build in one to two daysreplaced by 0 people

Do not mistake the interface for the product. Mullvad's durable value is security, infrastructure, trust, which a solo one-shot build cannot reproduce responsibly. The prompt therefore builds only the closest honest personal consolation tool.

Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability

What you give up

  • global network or redundant storage infrastructure
  • identity, credit, or broker-removal operations
  • recovery guarantees and regulated trust
  • bank, payment, tax, and reconciliation integrations
  • audited cryptography and incident response

Why people still pay

Mullvad: Security subscriptions buy professional operations, audits, response capacity, redundancy, and accountability when something goes wrong.

Your build guide

The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.

Before you start

  • desktop development machine
  • user-controlled storage target
  • documented threat-model limits
  • Explicit README warning that this is a consolation build, not a production replacement
01
Use exactly this stack: Go 1.24 + SQLite.
02
Model authorized targets, source observations, findings, review decisions, and exports; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.
03
Interface for this VPN service workflow: a focused VPN service input, review, and export interface.
engineering roadmap

Implementation plan

1

Phase 1, architecture and data

Use exactly this stack: Go 1.24 + SQLite. Model authorized targets, source observations, findings, review decisions, and exports; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.

2

Phase 2, implement

For VPN service, configure one user-owned VPN endpoint, peer identity, and permitted routes.

3

Phase 3, implement

Create or import the supported tunnel configuration and bring it up through the operating system API.

4

Phase 4, review and output

Show connected state, route, DNS resolver, and disconnect control without claiming a global VPN network.

5

Phase 5, recovery and acceptance

Verify this invariant with a saved fixture: After disconnect, the original route and resolver must be restored; a failed handshake must never display connected state. State the practical limit: global network or redundant storage infrastructure.

the pro prompt
Build me a focused VPN service workflow for the personal core of Mullvad. Requirements:

- Use exactly this stack: Go 1.24 + SQLite. Model authorized targets, source observations, findings, review decisions, and exports; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.
- Paid product context: Privacy-first flat-price VPN with anonymous account numbers. Build only this DIY scope: Build a local diagnostic or backup companion for VPN service; do not claim to replace audited security, identity, VPN, or cloud-storage infrastructure.
- For VPN service, configure one user-owned VPN endpoint, peer identity, and permitted routes.
- Create or import the supported tunnel configuration and bring it up through the operating system API.
- Show connected state, route, DNS resolver, and disconnect control without claiming a global VPN network.
- Use a focused VPN service input, review, and export interface. Required input or access: user-controlled storage target; documented threat-model limits.
- Acceptance: with one labelled sample, show the input, saved intermediate state, and exported result; verify this invariant: After disconnect, the original route and resolver must be restored; a failed handshake must never display connected state.
- Out of scope: global network or redundant storage infrastructure; identity, credit, or broker-removal operations. Keep this a personal, inspectable workflow.
- Include a README with setup, a sample input, required keys or permissions, data location, and the supported scope.

$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy AGENTS.md · generated from this app's build plan

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Alternatives to building your own

RiseupVPNA no-account, donation-funded VPN; fewer exits and no iPhone app, but no subscription either.$0free↗

no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real

Mullvad pricing

planmonthlyannual (per mo)what you get
mullvad vpn$5.78$5.78Up to 5 devices; 1 account numberOfficial price is €5/month, shown by Mullvad as about $5.78 on the verification date; the same monthly rate applies regardless of prepaid duration.

free tierno free tier; 14-day money-back guarantee except for cash payments

billingflat monthly rate with no annual discount; users can prepay from 1 month to long durations

hidden costsCryptocurrency payments receive a 10% discount; exchange-rate movement changes the USD equivalent, and refunds are not available for cash payments

pricing sources checked 2026-08-14 · pricing source ↗

Questions about Mullvad

Can you build your own Mullvad with AI?

A full replacement is not the recommended project. Do not mistake the interface for the product. Mullvad's durable value is security, infrastructure, trust, which a solo one-shot build cannot reproduce responsibly. The prompt therefore builds only the closest honest personal consolation tool.

What does the Mullvad build prompt cover?

The prompt starts with this scope: Build a local diagnostic or backup companion for VPN service; do not claim to replace audited security, identity, VPN, or cloud-storage infrastructure. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: global network or redundant storage infrastructure; identity, credit, or broker-removal operations; recovery guarantees and regulated trust. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.

How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?

Start with the Mullvad prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.

How long will this Mullvad project take?

The catalogue estimate is not a true replacement; consolation build in one to two days for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.

What would I give up by replacing Mullvad?

global network or redundant storage infrastructure; identity, credit, or broker-removal operations; recovery guarantees and regulated trust; bank, payment, tax, and reconciliation integrations; audited cryptography and incident response. Mullvad: Security subscriptions buy professional operations, audits, response capacity, redundancy, and accountability when something goes wrong.

What price is this guide comparing against?

The recorded Mullvad VPN plan is $5.78/mo (monthly), checked 2026-08-14. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.

What can I use instead of building Mullvad?

RiseupVPN: A no-account, donation-funded VPN; fewer exits and no iPhone app, but no subscription either. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.

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