Mullvad was our top choice as the most private VPN for years, but there was always a catch: the Swedish VPN provider did not offer a mobile client app.

Instead, users had to download a third-party OpenVPN Android or iOS app and configure it with Mullvad's configuration script. This somewhat tricky procedure quickly became a pain and contrasted sharply with the ease of the Mullvad desktop application on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

That has finally changed. Last week, the company officially released its Mullvad iOS app, which had been in beta for over a year. The new iOS app uses the lightweight, fast, and simple WireGuard VPN protocol instead of the OpenVPN protocol; instead of going to Mullvad's website, users can also sign up for the service through the app.

Meanwhile, the Mullvad Android beta app, available starting in September 2019, also currently uses only WireGuard; unlike the iOS app, users must obtain an account on the Mullvad website before using the Android beta version.

Mullvad is unique among VPN services in that no username or password is required to use it.

Instead, the Mullvad server spits out a randomly generated 16-digit account number when you sign up. Use this account number to log in to the service. (You can also sign up for the Mullvad service via the anonymization protocol Tor.)

The company does not need to know your name, e-mail address, or any other personal information. Fees for the service can be paid in cash "in any valid currency. Simply mail the money to Mullvad's PO Box in Gothenburg, Sweden, and enclose a piece of paper with your account number.

Mullvad also accepts credit cards and PayPal, for which you must provide personal information. It also accepts Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, its own Mullvad coupons, wire transfers, and the Swedish mobile payment service Swish.

After a three-hour trial period, the Mullvad service costs €5 (about $5.50) per month. Unfortunately, there is no discount for paying for more than one month at a time. However, even at about $65 per year, Mullvad is a fairly reasonable price for a VPN service.