We frequently get asked about our stance on third-party reviews of our VPN service and whether or not we engage in affiliate marketing. This topic is complicated, so here is an explanation of how it works and our position on the matter.
We never pay for reviews
It may come as a surprise that many product reviews found on the Internet are actually paid ads disguised as unbiased reviews. Sometimes, the more a company pays, the more favorable its product or service is reviewed.
From a consumer's standpoint, this makes it hard – if not impossible – to know when a review is genuine and when it's a biased advertisement.
We do not have affiliates, and do not pay for influencers
In other words, we do not pay anyone to write about Mullvad – good or bad. We don't even pay for links back to our website.
We do not allow third-party ads on our website
We are also not in the business of exchanging money to use our website as a platform for third-party blog posts, product mentions, or links.
If we mention another product or service, it is always our own opinion.
We do advertise
and we make it a point to ensure that our ads look like ads and nothing else.
Where we advertise
We pay for ads on Google, Twitter, and Facebook. You can check yourself! If you search for "VPN" on Google, one of our ads might show up in your results.
Sometimes we pay for banner placement on external sites. It's easy to discern that it's a paid ad:
We also advertise by sponsoring events and conferences when the mission is in line with our values.
Privacy is our focus
There are a variety of reasons for why a customer would use a VPN. Given a particular use case, Mullvad might (correctly or not) not always be at the top of that list. Our service might not be the ideal choice for all, but we resonate with those who put a high value on privacy, and we strive to protect that.
A selection of reviews about Mullvad
Since we choose to refrain from paid reviews, we rely on the few independent reviewers out there who provide a thorough, unbiased write-up. Here are a few mentions that we are particularly proud to have received:
Thank you, customers
Of equal or perhaps even greater importance are the word-of-mouth recommendations from our satisfied customers who share our values. We strongly believe this will pay off in the long run.