Pevnost vs Mullvad vs Proton VPN: an honest comparison.
State of things on 19 October 2026: Pevnost is in private beta. The first server, prg1 in Hluboká nad Vltavou (WEDOS data centre), has been live since 18 October; a first short test measured around 300 Mbit/s. Every new account gets two free hours (one trial per connection, one device), then 120 CZK / €5 for 30 days or 1 200 CZK / €50 a year. Pay with Bitcoin on-chain (preferred), by card through Stripe or by bank transfer; Lightning is planned and Monero is coming. Windows app 0.3.1 beta, Android app 0.1.0 beta. Last reviewed 19 October 2026.
A comparison written by one of the compared is suspect by definition, so here are our rules. We compare Pevnost with Mullvad and Proton VPN because both are serious privacy services that people often weigh against each other. We state about them only what we are confident is true and what they publish themselves; prices and features change, so treat every competitor fact as “as of writing, check their site”. If we got something wrong, write to support@pevnost.net and we will correct it. And we say upfront: Mullvad and Proton are larger, independently audited, have far more servers and mature apps.
The table
| Pevnost | Mullvad | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator, law | Jan Faltýsek, sole trader, Czech Republic (EU) | Mullvad VPN AB, Sweden (EU) | Proton AG, Switzerland |
| Price | €5 / 30 days, €50 / year | €5 a month, one price | free tier; paid plans cheaper per month on longer terms |
| Account | random ID, no e-mail | random account number, no e-mail | Proton account (username, password) |
| Payment | Bitcoin, card (Stripe), bank transfer; Monero coming | among others cash by post, Monero, Bitcoin, card | among others card, PayPal, Bitcoin, cash |
| Protocols | WireGuard only | WireGuard; OpenVPN being retired | WireGuard, OpenVPN, Stealth |
| Servers | 1, in Czechia | hundreds, dozens of countries | thousands, many countries |
| Diskless servers | yes, image hash on status page | yes, all servers from RAM | see their site |
| Independent audits | none yet | yes, apps and infrastructure | yes, apps and no-logs policy |
| Open-source apps | not yet | yes | yes |
| Apps | Windows and Android betas; official WireGuard elsewhere | all major platforms | all major platforms |
| Multihop, obfuscation | no | yes | yes (Secure Core, Stealth) |
Mullvad
Mullvad is what we measure ourselves against. Same price, an account number instead of an e-mail, cash by post, servers running from RAM, open-source apps, regular audits. In 2023 Swedish police arrived with a search warrant for customer data and, as Mullvad reported, left with nothing, because nothing was there. That is the strongest kind of evidence a no-log provider can have, and we do not have it yet.
Proton VPN
Proton VPN suits a different need: a free tier with unlimited data, a large network, Secure Core routing through hardened servers, the Stealth protocol for networks that block VPNs, and an ecosystem of mail, storage and passwords under one account. Its apps are open source and its no-logs policy has been independently audited. Swiss law is a different framework from EU law; our jurisdiction comparison explains how, including the surveillance ordinance revision under discussion.
Where Pevnost differs
- Czech law and an operator you can find. One natural person in the public Trade Licensing Register, under EU law and the Czech Constitutional Court rulings described in VPN and the Czech courts.
- A short, published list of what exists, and nodes that boot a public image into RAM with its hash on the status page. Mullvad runs diskless too; we add the per-boot manual approval and the frankness about what the hash does not prove (see RAM-only servers).
- A Czech exit for people in Czechia: the shortest path to Czech sites.
Where we are weaker
One server in one country. No independent audit. Beta apps, the Android app not yet run on a real device, no own iOS or macOS app. No multihop and no obfuscation. One person behind it, which is transparency and a single point of failure at once. And we are new: we have no track record yet.
Who should pick which
Mullvad, if you want a mature privacy VPN with audits, many exits and cash payment at the same price. Proton VPN, if you want a free tier, many countries, obfuscation or the wider Proton ecosystem. Pevnost, if you want a Czech operator under Czech law, a Czech exit, and a small setup you can follow end to end, and you accept a beta. None of the three makes you anonymous. Try us for two hours free and compare.