Mullvad VPN

ApplicationMullvad

Also called mullvad, mullvad windows

MullvadSecurity

An account-number VPN. You do not need an email. The process is mullvad.exe. It is not Mullvad Browser.

What you need to know

mullvad.exe is the VPN. Mullvad Browser is a different download.

Mullvad VPN uses an account number and no email. mullvad.exe is the Windows client. Mullvad Browser is not this product. Mozilla VPN is a Mozilla-branded client powered by Mullvad, not this exe.

What is it?: Account-number VPN. No email required
Same as Mullvad Browser?: No. Different download
Same as Mozilla VPN?: No. Mozilla wraps Mullvad in another app

Feex says

If you opened Mullvad Browser looking for a country map, I would send you to mullvad.exe. The browser is a separate download. Mozilla VPN is Mullvad-powered and still a different app from Mozilla.

What is Mullvad VPN?

Mullvad VPN is a privacy-oriented VPN you pay by account number. mullvad.exe is the Windows client. Mullvad Browser is a different product.

If you have never used it

If you want a VPN that logs you in with an account number, this is Mullvad VPN, not Mullvad Browser. Download it from mullvad.net/en/download/vpn/windows. mullvad.exe is the VPN. The browser is a separate download. No email is required. This is not NordVPN and not Mozilla VPN, even though Mozilla VPN is powered by Mullvad.

What is it used for?

Account-number VPN

You generate a number and pay. There is no Nord-style email account requirement.

WireGuard in the official app

The Windows app speaks WireGuard. That is still mullvad.exe, not the bare wireguard.exe client with a config you wrote.

Not the browser

Mullvad Browser is a Firefox-based browser. It does not replace this VPN exe.

Who is it for?

People who want no email on the VPN account
Users who installed Mullvad Browser and wondered where Connect went
Anyone using Mozilla VPN who should know that is a branded Mullvad path, not this exe

Current status

Actively developed. This article is the Windows VPN app, not Mullvad Browser.

How old is it?

Mullvad started in 2009 in Sweden. The account-number model is the point. Mullvad Browser came later with the Tor Project. Current Windows VPN builds are the official app, not a 2010 OpenVPN config zip only.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Windows VPN app

Mullvad Browser (other product)

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	Windows 10 or Windows 11, per Mullvad VPN Windows download
RAM	Light client

Resource profile

CPU demand: WireGuard while connected
Network demand: All traffic while the tunnel is up

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
mullvad.exe	Mullvad VPN client. Not Mullvad Browser
mullvad-daemon.exe	Background service on Windows

Startup components

The Mullvad service can start with Windows. The Connect at boot toggle is in the app.

File locations

Common Mullvad VPN locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\Mullvad VPN\

Common problems

Browser installed instead of the VPN

Mullvad Browser will not create the system tunnel. Install the VPN from the /download/vpn/windows page.

People treat Mozilla VPN as this exe

Mozilla VPN.exe is Mozilla's app. It uses Mullvad's network. It is not mullvad.exe.

Getting unstuck

Download the VPN, not only the browser

mullvad.net/en/download/vpn/windows is this product. The browser page is a different tile.

Enter the account number in mullvad.exe

There is no password reset email. The number is the login.

Do not paste a WireGuard config into this app unless Mullvad documented that path

The official app already talks to Mullvad. wireguard.exe is for your own server.

Alternatives

Mozilla VPN if you want a Mozilla account on Mullvad's network. NordVPN or ExpressVPN for email-account VPNs. Tailscale if you wanted a mesh.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	mullvad.net/en/download/vpn/windows Official installer or vendor page
Help	mullvad.net/en/help Vendor support
Official site	mullvad.net/ Start here, not a random exe host

Related hardware

The client is light. Encryption uses CPU while connected.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

Mullvad VPN official site · Vendor product page
Mullvad VPN help · Vendor support
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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