Mullvad Browser is Tor Browser without the Tor Network - that allows anyone to take advantage of all the privacy features Tor created.
If people want to connect the browser with a VPN they trust, they can easily do so.
The browser's 'out-of-the-box' configurations and settings will mask many parameters and features commonly used to extract information from a person's device, including fonts, rendered content, and several hardware APIs.
By default, Mullvad Browser has private mode enabled, blocks third-party trackers and cookies.
The browser is free and open-source and was developed by the Tor Project in collaboration with Mullvad VPN.
It is distributed by Mullvad and can be downloaded on their website.
Mullvad Browser is free and open-source software that connects to the internet (if you use it together with Mullvad VPN) through the encrypted VPN tunnels and VPN servers of Mullvad.
You can use it without or with any VPN, but you should make sure to use a VPN provider you can trust.
Aside from the way that both browsers connect users to the internet (Tor network vs trusted VPN connection) the differences between both browsers are very small and come down to individual preference and use cases for the end-user.
As a benefit of connecting to the internet using the Tor network, various Tor specific features are closely integrated with our own browser that Mullvad Browser does not offer, including:
- Circuit isolation and the integration with new-identity
- Access to Onion Services (i.e. onionsites, Onion-Location redirects, onion authentication, and SecureDrop integration)
- Built-in censorship circumvention with a unique UX found in Tor Browser's connection settings and connection assist
Our objective with this collaboration is to provide more choice for online privacy (e.g., minimize fingerprinting and try to prevent linkability) to users at all levels.
You should use Mullvad Browser if you are looking for a privacy enhanced browser solution to connect with your trusted VPN.
Its default settings and features are intended to combat mass surveillance, data mining and tracking, or other privacy violations that are commonly employed by big tech companies.
While Mullvad Browser offers similar privacy protections to Tor Browser, it is best suited for the threat model of corporate mass-surveillance by big tech companies.
Unlike other browsers on the market, Mullvad Browser's business model does not rely on capitalizing on users' behavioral data.
Mullvad makes money by selling their VPN, they are not in the business of selling user data from the browser.
Mullvad Browser was developed by the Tor Project who have a proven track record of building and deploying free and open-source privacy preserving technologies such as Tor Browser, Onion Services, the Tor network etc. that have helped millions of people from at-risk communities defend their right to privacy and anonymity online.
Mullvad has been part of the Tor community for many years now.
They are a Shallot Level member (highest membership tier) of the Tor Project membership program and have been a founding member of the Tor Project's Membership Program.
When Mullvad approached us to jointly develop a browser, we said yes because there is great value alignment between our two organizations in our efforts to make privacy-enhancing technologies more widely available and make mass-surveillance impractical.
Mullvad Browser fills a gap in the market for those who want to run a privacy-focused browser as good as Tor Browser but with a trusted VPN instead of the Tor Network.
This partnership contributes to providing people with more free privacy options for web browsing while challenging the current business model of exploiting people's data.
It demonstrates that it is possible to develop free technology solutions that prioritize the protection of user privacy.
Mullvad shares the same values around internet privacy and freedom and is dedicated to making privacy-enhancing technologies more widely available and rendering mass-surveillance impractical.
This joint project with Mullvad has contributed to addressing legacy code issues for Tor Browser and allowed the allocation of dedicated resources to make necessary improvements that benefit both Tor and Mullvad Browsers.
Over the last couple of years, the Tor Project has launched a number of initiatives to increase adoption of our technologies and made significant improvements to the usability of our own products.
No, Tor Browser is here to stay.
We know that millions of users around the world rely on Tor Browser and other solutions that the Tor Project offers to safely connect to the internet, to browse anonymously online and to circumvent censorship.
Therefore Tor Browser will continue to exist.
There are a lot of reasons to continue to maintain and improve Tor Browser, it is still one of the few solutions that provides anonymity online because of its use of the Tor network.
This combination is a powerful one and sometimes one of the few options that censored and surveilled users have in their region to freely and safely access the internet.
This is also a free solution for all, making it an affordable solution for people at risk.
The development of Mullvad Browser will actually help make Tor Browser stronger because it allows us to continue to address legacy issues and code, and fix vulnerabilities.
Not at all, we are continuing to invest on improving the usability of Tor Browser, as we have done in the last 5 years with major releases that included user experience improvements.
We are also working hard on bringing Tor Browser for Android up to par with the desktop version's features.
The development of Mullvad Browser has helped us address legacy issues and code, and fix vulnerabilities.
It has not affected our attention and dedication to Tor Browser.
Two years ago we started a project to bring a VPN-like app that connects to the Tor network for Android users.
We know that many of the sites and services a user connects to via browser on desktop become an app when they are using the internet on mobile.
It is important for us to address this use case as the majority of people around the world only use a mobile device to connect to the internet, especially those in the Global South and at risk situations.
Offering a browser that connects to the internet with a trusted VPN as opposed to the Tor network is an important step in offering more alternatives when it comes to free privacy-focused browsers and can benefit Tor Browser in the future when our 'VPN-like' app has launched.
Tidak.
Please contact Mullvad Browser user support for any further questions: [email protected].
Yes, here are the full list of requests Mullvad Browser makes by default:
- Browser update (Mullvad)
- Mullvad Browser Extension update (Mullvad)
- Mullvad DoH (Mullvad)
- NoScript/Ublock Origin update (Mozilla)
- Certificates & Domains update (Mozilla)
- Ublock Origin filter lists update (various lists)