The best argument for the Firefox browser (besides it just being a good browser) has always been that it has no profit motive. Mozilla, the company that owns Firefox and associated projects, is a nonprofit and can, in theory, put user privacy first and fight back against surveillance capitalism. That independence is a major selling point of Mozilla VPN, a thoughtful repackaging of Mullvad's excellent VPN. With Mozilla VPN, you get strong privacy protection and advanced privacy tools, and your fee supports one of the internet's good guys in the process. The catch? It costs significantly more than Mullvad VPN. Still, if what you need is a guilt-free, easy-to-use VPN, Mozilla VPN is a worthy choice.
We have several Editors' Choice-winning VPNs, and anyone interested in Mozilla VPN may also be interested in IVPN, Mullvad VPN, or Proton VPN.
How Much Does Mozilla VPN Cost?
Mozilla VPN does what all VPNs do: Encrypts all your internet traffic and securely pipes it to a remote server. This means anyone watching your online activities, including your ISP, won't be able to see what you're up to. VPNs also help preserve your privacy by hiding your IP address (and thus your physical location), which makes it harder for advertisers to track your movements online.
But although Mozilla VPN is a capable VPN it is not, strictly speaking, wholly a Mozilla project like Firefox. Instead of building and maintaining the infrastructure required for a consumer VPN, Mozilla partnered with Mullvad VPN. Mozilla is not alone in making this kind of arrangement. Bitdefender, for example, partnered with Hotspot Shield VPN for its VPN product.
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A monthly subscription with Mozilla VPN costs $9.99 per month. That's a good price coming in just a smidge above the $9.84 per month average we've seen across the VPNs we've tested. It's still a bit too pricey to be considered one of the best cheap VPNs, however. Froot VPN and Kaspersky Secure Connection are tied for the most affordable for-pay monthly subscription, at $4.99 per month. As noted, Mozilla costs quite a bit more than Mullvad VPN's 5 euro price tag ($5.44 at the time of writing).
Most VPNs offer a discount for longer subscriptions, and Mozilla is no different. A one-year subscription is just $59.88. That's less than the $64.89 per year we've seen across the services we've reviewed. We advise against starting out with a long-term subscription and instead suggest readers try a short-term plan to make sure the VPN will work with all the sites and services they frequently use.
There are some free VPNs worth considering. Most, like the Editors' Choice-winning TunnelBear VPN, place a data limit on free subscribers. Proton VPN, on the other hand, places no data limit on free users and has an affordable, tiered pricing system that takes some of the pain out of upgrading.
Purchasing a Mozilla VPN subscription is a bit different than with other VPNs. First, you'll need a Firefox account, even if you don't plan on ever using that vulpine browser. Editors' Choice winners Mullvad VPN and IVPN don’t require any personal information and use randomly generated numbers to identify accounts for added privacy. Those services also let you purchase a subscription anonymously, with cash sent to their respective HQs, while Mozilla VPN limits you to major credit cards and Paypal. Mozilla also does not support payments made via cryptocurrency.
What Do You Get for Your Money With Mozilla VPN?
A Mozilla VPN subscription lets you use up to five devices simultaneously. That's the average across the services we've reviewed, but a growing number of services are doing away with this limitation entirely. Atlas VPN, Avira Phantom VPN, IPVanish VPN, as well as Editors' Choice winners Surfshark VPN and TunnelBear VPN place no limit on the number of simultaneous connections.
(Editors' Note: IPVanish is owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag's parent company.)
When it launched, Mozilla VPN had few features beyond the basic VPN. It has since added multi-hop connections to its list of features. This routes your web traffic through a second VPN server to ensure your data's security, albeit at a performance cost. Many VPNs use preselected routes, but Mozilla allows you to mix and match your route. As of this writing, this feature is being rolled out to Mozilla's various apps.
Mozilla VPN supports split tunneling in its Android, Linux, and Windows apps. This lets you define which apps send their traffic through the VPN connection and which do not. It's useful for high-bandwidth, but low-security activities like streaming media or gaming. Notably, Editors' Choice winners NordVPN and Proton VPN are the only VPNs we've reviewed that offer multi-hop, split tunneling, and access to Tor via VPN.
Along with split tunneling, Mozilla has also introduced a feature that detects when the network you're on is attempting to load a captive portal login screen. You mostly see these on public Wi-Fi networks, especially at hotels or on airplanes. Because VPNs can sometimes block these pages, Mozilla's solution is to trigger a notification letting you know you need to sign in. We haven't been able to test the efficacy of this feature, however.
Like most VPNs, Mozilla VPN boasts ad- and malware-blocking abilities. We did not test these options extensively, but we did note no ads didn't appear when it was enabled. We recommend using both the privacy features of your browser and a stand-alone tracker blocker in addition to whatever ad-blocking a VPN provides.
Increasingly, VPN companies are expanding their offerings into larger suites of security and privacy products. Surfshark VPN and NordVPN, for instance, now offer antivirus tools in addition to several other privacy services. Mozilla has always emphasized open-source standards and respecting customer privacy, even in non-security projects like the storied Thunderbird mail client and the Hubs VR meeting space. After Firefox and Mozilla VPN, the company's most explicitly security-focused products are the Lockwise password manager and Firefox Monitor, which warns you if your personal information appears in data breaches.
It's important to remember that while VPNs are useful tools for protecting your privacy, they aren't the solution to every problem. We highly recommend enabling multi-factor authentication wherever it's available, using a password manager to create unique and complex passwords for every site and service, and installing standalone antivirus software on your machines.
What VPN Protocols Does Mozilla VPN Offer?
VPNs are not a new technology, and several methods for creating a VPN connection have been developed over the years. The OpenVPN protocol has long been our preferred VPN protocol as it is open-source and can thus be scrutinized for vulnerabilities. The latest open-source hotness is the WireGuard VPN protocol, which has newer technology and promises faster speeds. We're glad to see this innovation in the VPN space.
Mullvad VPN has fully embraced WireGuard and Mozilla VPN likewise supports WireGuard on all platforms.
Where Are Mozilla VPN's Servers Located?
Mullvad VPN, and, by extension, Mozilla VPN, has VPN servers in 43 countries. That's below the 52-country average among services we've examined, and the list of locations isn't as varied as we'd like to see. Mullvad VPN recently expanded its server options and we're happy to see that reflected in Mozilla VPN as well. There are now two server locations in South America and one in Africa—two entire continents frequently ignored by other VPN companies. However, we'd like to see even more servers in these regions.
Mozilla VPN has servers in Hong Kong, but not other countries with repressive internet policies such as Russia, Turkey, and Vietnam. ExpressVPN does a far better job covering the globe with its server fleet.
The Mozilla VPN product site refers you to Mullvad's list of servers, which is an excellent decision. This interactive list shows every server, where it's located, whether it's owned or leased, and much more. It's a simple act of transparency other VPN companies should emulate.
Virtual servers are software-defined, meaning a single hardware server can play host to numerous virtual ones. A virtual location is any server that's been configured to appear as if it were somewhere other than where it is physically located. Neither is inherently problematic, but we prefer services that are transparent about where their infrastructure is located. Mullvad VPN told us it only uses dedicated servers, not virtual ones, and that none of its locations are virtual.
Mullvad VPN has begun transitioning to RAM-only servers (also called diskless servers). As the name implies, these are servers that do not store any information to disk. Mozilla VPN uses the same infrastructure so it too is in the midst of that transition. Other companies, such as NordVPN and ExpressVPN, made the transition on the grounds that these servers are resistant to tampering.
How Does Mozilla VPN Protect Your Privacy?
If a VPN company desired, it could intercept all the information that passes through its servers and then hand that information over to the highest bidder, or it could be compelled to give it to law enforcement. That's why it's so important to understand the privacy protections of any VPN service you're considering using.
When we reviewed Mullvad VPN, we wrote, "Mullvad tackles the thorny issue of privacy with radical transparency, setting an example for others to follow in its privacy policy." This is still true, and it speaks to the quality of privacy and transparency customers should expect from Mozilla VPN, as well.
What's more obscure is how these services work together. For example, Mullvad VPN has virtually no information about its customers because of its account system that requires no personal information, it just issues you an account number. Mozilla VPN builds on Firefox Accounts, which requires a verified email address and retains such information as the devices where you are using any Mozilla service connected to your Firefox account. The company's privacy policy also says it does store IP addresses used for logging in with your Firefox account, in order to prevent abuse. We would like to see the company seek a means to gather less personal information.
It's possible that in a few areas at least, you should expect more privacy from using Mullvad VPN on its own than with Mozilla VPN, but many other VPNs use systems similar to Mozilla VPN's. NordVPN, for instance, now has a suite of products available under Nord accounts.
But the difference between Mozilla VPN and Mullvad VPN may be negligible since Mozilla is no slouch when it comes to privacy. A company representative told us Mozilla does not gather or share customers' network activity. Nor does it sell customer data. That's as it should be.
In its privacy policy, Mozilla explains that user IP addresses are received during account creation and when customers use Mozilla VPN. This is to find the user's approximate location because Mozilla VPN is not available in every country. A Mozilla representative told PCMag, "GeoIP results are not stored and are computed at run time using a Geo-IP database." We appreciate Mozilla's transparency and that it explains how this temporary information is used.
Mozilla VPN is owned by the Mozilla Corporation, which is part of the non-profit Mozilla Foundation. It is based in the US and operates under US law. Mullvad VPN is owned by Amagicom AB, is based in Sweden and operates under Swedish law. Because the Mozilla Foundation is a nonprofit, it publishes extensive information on its internal process and governance.
Mozilla issues a transparency report for all its products and does acknowledge providing some information to government and law enforcement when legally compelled to, but not voluntarily. While it's disappointing any information is provided, it's a handful of instances over the eight years covered in the report. That's far less than other major tech companies. A representative described the information retained by Mozilla as scant. "As Mozilla VPN does not log, track, or share your online activity, the information that we do collect only allows us to provision the service to our customers and understand how our customers as a whole interact with the product." This is similar to other VPN products.
Many VPN companies have begun issuing the results of third-party audits to establish their security and privacy bona fides. TunnelBear VPN is a stand-out example, issuing extensive audits annually. Audits are imperfect tools, but we believe they are a valuable demonstration of a company's commitment to privacy. In September 2021, Mozilla released an audit of its apps carried out by Cure53 and in 2022 Mullvad VPN released an audit of its infrastructure from Assured AB. We're glad to see this effort and hope both Mozilla and Mullvad continue to release regular audits.
Hands On With Mozilla VPN on Windows
We had no trouble installing Mozilla VPN on an Intel NUC 11 (NUC11PHKi7C, 'Phantom Canyon') desktop running the latest version of Windows 11. Getting started with Mozilla VPN required first logging into our Firefox Account. That's very different from Mullvad VPN, which uses a randomly generated code to identify users and doesn't bother with a password. Mozilla tells us its VPN is available for Android, iOS, macOS, Ubuntu Linux, and Windows.
The Mozilla VPN Windows app has been tastefully refreshed since the last time we reviewed it. It's now more vertically oriented—smartphone style—with a white background and a handy string of three buttons across a purple strip at the bottom. It feels very modern, and we're glad to see the bold pinks, purples, and oranges of the old design remain even if they've been downplayed a bit. It's a simple setup and a first-time user will have no problem getting started. That said, TunnelBear VPN still has the market cornered on friendly design with its simple interface, bold yellows, and friendly bears.
A toggle in the center of the window gets you online quickly. Once you're connected, the center of the app transforms into a striking purple card with a pulsing globe, so it's easy to tell when the VPN is active. You can also view your current IP address as well as run a quick speed test on your connection.
Clicking on Select Location brings up a list of available server locations is organized by country, and you can expand each option to see the available cities. You can't choose a specific server—just a region—which is disappointing. Mullvad VPN does allow you to drill down to individual servers. Tabs at the top let you choose between single-hop and multi-hop connections. Mozilla thoughtfully includes an explanation of multi-hop right in the Settings panel, and lets you choose both your entrance and exit location.
Split tunneling is handled well in the Windows app. A clean interface makes it easy to select which applications should run outside the VPN connection. We confirmed the feature worked as expected by excluding Microsoft Edge from the VPN connection and observing the results.
One quirk is that the app displays all the devices where you've logged into Mozilla VPN. Most VPNs limit you to simultaneous connections, but Mozilla limits the overall number of installations. We're not fans of this model but it's easy to free up slots and does allow you to easily log out of devices remotely.
The Privacy Features portion of Settings now lets you filter out ads, trackers, and malware. With these all enabled, we did notice there were no ads on PCMag.com. We did not have the means to evaluate its malware-blocking abilities. Although we always appreciate these features, we still prefer stand-alone tracker blocking and antivirus software as part of a layered approach to security.
From Settings, you can also enable custom DNS, although most people can ignore this feature. Strangely, some features we noted in our last review—enabling IPv6 and Local Network Access—appeared to be missing in this version of the app. Also not present is any option to manually select a VPN protocol. A new and welcome addition is a series of videos and tutorials.
Netflix is notorious for blocking access from VPNs, presumably to protect its regional streaming arrangements. In our testing, we had no trouble watching Seinfeld on Netflix while connected to a Mozilla VPN server in the US. Keep in mind that this could change at a moment's notice. Streaming Netflix over a VPN is tricky.
A VPN that leaks your information isn't very useful, which is why we use the DNS Leak Test Tool to ensure DNS and IP address information are protected. Mozilla VPN passed both tests, although we only tested one server.
Hands On With Mozilla VPN on Android
We last tested the Mozilla Android VPN app in 2022 on a Samsung A71 running Android 11. The app’s interface is very simple, with a lot of white space surrounding a hot pink globe above a connection toggle centered at the top of the screen. After choosing a VPN city location from a list below the connection toggle, the top half of the app screen turns purple and teal, signifying a successful connection. When you tap the icon in the top left corner of the colorful connection box, you see your current IP address, and a line graph and numbers showing your current upload and download speeds.
Mozilla VPN’s Android app is light on features. When you tap the gear on the top right side of the connection interface, and then tap App Permissions, you can choose to enable split tunneling for specific apps on the device. Unlike Bitdefender Premium VPN, the app does not have an Auto-Connect feature or an Internet Kill Switch.
We tested the split tunneling feature on Android by first noting our IP address, indicating the Chrome browser should skip the VPN, and then activating Mozilla VPN. When we checked our IP address in Chrome again, the location didn't change, signaling the split tunneling was successful.
A VPN can help you protect yourself while you browse online, but whenever you use a new service, it’s a good idea to make sure it’s actually working. We went to DNSLeakTest.com and ran an extended test while connected to a server in Madrid. From our testing, it was clear the VPN was not leaking our information.
To test the reliability of the VPN, we navigated to YouTube.com and watched a few videos while still connected to the server in Madrid. The videos all loaded quickly and played at a high resolution without any issues.
Hands On With Mozilla VPN on the iPhone
We tested the Mozilla iPhone VPN app in 2022 on an iPhone XS running iOS 14.6. The app has a simple design, featuring a hot pink globe at the top of the screen surrounded by a lot of white space, with a toggle below to connect to the VPN server. When you tap the toggle, the top half of the app’s screen turns purple and the globe becomes teal and blue, signifying a successful connection. You can choose the city where your VPN is located by tapping the list of cities below the connection toggle.
The app is just a VPN, nothing more. Apple doesn’t like it when third-party services try to access or manipulate apps on their devices. That said, Mozilla VPN for iOS is missing features other competitors like Bitdefender have for their iOS apps, such as auto-connect, an internet kill switch, or split tunneling for web traffic.
Keeping your information safe online should be a top priority, so you should make sure a VPN is masking your real IP address and protecting your DNS information. DNSLeakTest.com showed Mozilla VPN was not leaking information while connected to a server in Amsterdam during testing.
While connected to the same server, we went to Twitch and watched a broadcaster stream a popular video game. The stream loaded quickly at the highest quality setting, and it did not buffer or stutter
Hands On With Mozilla VPN on macOS
We downloaded the Mozilla macOS VPN client from the company’s website and installed it on a MacBook Air (2020) running Big Sur 11.2.2 in 2022. The installation process was handled by an installer application, and we had to give the app permission to make VPN connections on the computer.
The macOS app looks exactly like the iOS and Android versions. It’s a small window with tons of white space and a small pink globe in the top center of the window. Below the connection toggle button is a list of cities where the servers are located, and below that is a list of devices using the VPN service.
Like the iOS version, the macOS version lacks additional privacy features beyond the VPN itself when we tested it. Mozilla VPN does not have an internet Kill Switch or auto-connecting capabilities, nor does it offer split tunneling (a feature offered on Windows).
To test a Copenhagen-based VPN server’s security, we went to DNSLeakTest.com and ran an extended test. The results showed that our public IP address and DNS information were not being leaked.
While connected to the same server, we visited YouTube and watched a couple of videos. They loaded instantly and played without any interruptions.
Hands On with Mozilla VPN on Chrome OS
We downloaded the Mozilla VPN Android app onto a Dell Chrome 3100 with an Intel Celeron Processor in 2022. Mozilla VPN on Chrome OS is an attractive VPN application with a couple of helpful features. Split tunneling is a major option found via the app permissions button in the main menu.
The Advanced DNS Settings menu allows you to change your DNS to block ads and block domains. When compared with other VPN apps at a similar price point, Mozilla VPN doesn’t have many features, but the app’s interface makes it easy to connect to a VPN server.
How Fast Is Mozilla VPN?
Using a VPN will almost certainly reduce your upload and download speeds and increase your latency. To get a sense of that impact, we run a series of Ookla Speedtest tests with and without the VPN running. We then find the percent change between the median result of each set. You can read more about our processes in our article on How We Test VPNs.
(Editors' Note: Speedtest by Ookla is owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag's parent company.)
While Mozilla VPN now includes its own speed test option to evaluate your connection, we did not use that in our testing.
We found that Mozilla VPN reduced download speeds by 16.1%. That's a very good score, but not as eye-popping as our last round of testing with Mozilla VPN. We also found that Mozilla VPN reduced upload speeds by an impressive 6%. Those are both good scores. Its latency performance is also impressive: Mozilla VPN increased latency by just 5.3%.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we decided to move to a rolling testing model and update readers with a running list of results as we test VPNs. You can see the latest results in the table below, as well as the current median result for each category.
Keep in mind speeds can vary greatly, depending on location, time of day, and many other factors. Our speed testing is intended as a snapshot for comparison between services, not as an overall evaluation of a service's performance. We also discourage readers from focusing on speed. Features, price, and privacy protections are far more valuable.
A Good VPN for a Worthy Cause
Mozilla VPN is eminently accessible to anyone. It's cheaper per month than a nice glass of wine and has a straightforward design. With features including split tunneling and multi-hop connections, it competes with some of the best products on the market.
The fact that Mozilla VPN is powered by Mullvad VPN makes both companies look good, but it also invites comparisons between the two that rarely favor Mozilla VPN. For example, Mozilla VPN opts for a simpler, traditional account system rather than Mullvad's strange but extremely private account codes. It also gathers more, albeit little, user information than Mullvad VPN. Mozilla VPN certainly has an edge over Mullvad VPN on ease of use and design, but it is hard to square that metaphorical price over the actual, literal price tag.
While it is assuredly an excellent VPN, Mozilla VPN's best qualities lie in its associations. For decades, Mozilla has been an outspoken proponent of privacy, open-source technology, web standards, and the concept that the benefits of the internet should be shared by everyone. It's also a nonprofit, removing it (somewhat) from the muck and grime of both big tech and the VPN industry. Like all companies, Mozilla is not perfect and has received fair criticism at times. Still, it's as close as you can get to knowing that the money you spend on a VPN is going toward a good cause.
Our current Editors' Choice winners for VPNs are IVPN, Mullvad VPN, NordVPN, Proton VPN, Surfshark VPN, and TunnelBear VPN.
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