Mullvad or Proton VPN Alternatives: Self-Host it with Mynymbox

If you’re reading this, you’re probably already past the “free VPN” stage.

You’ve looked at reputable privacy-first providers like Mullvad and Proton VPN, and you understand why they’re popular: strong privacy positioning, mature apps, and a track record of taking user privacy seriously. Mullvad states it “never stores any activity logs of any kind” and aims for minimal data retention. Proton VPN similarly emphasizes a strict no-logs policy.

But there’s still an uncomfortable question that doesn’t go away no matter how good a VPN provider is:

Do you want to trust a VPN company… or do you want to reduce trust by controlling the VPN server yourself?

That’s where Mynymbox is different. It isn’t “yet another VPN provider.” It’s a personal, self-hosted VPN server installed on a VPS you choose, combining:

• WireGuard VPN
• Pi-hole ad/tracker blocking
• Unbound recursive DNS with DNSSEC
• A zero-log configuration (logging disabled where possible; system journal in RAM; automatic cleanup)

This article compares the two approaches (commercial privacy VPNs vs self-hosted), and explains when a setup like Mynymbox can be the better alternative. 

The two VPN models: “privacy policy” vs “privacy architecture”

Most VPN comparison articles focus on features:

• number of countries
• streaming support
• app UX
• “no logs” marketing

Those are real factors, but they miss the biggest difference:

Commercial VPNs (Mullvad, Proton VPN)

You’re outsourcing privacy to a provider’s infrastructure.

• You trust their server fleet
• You trust their internal access controls
• You trust their logging practices
• You trust their operational security when things get difficult (legal pressure, abuse handling, incidents)

Both Mullvad and Proton VPN build their brands on minimizing that trust burden through policy, transparency, and jurisdiction.

• Mullvad: “never store any activity logs of any kind” is central to their positioning. Their public messaging emphasizes privacy and anonymous accounts.
• Proton VPN: emphasizes a strict no-logs policy, and highlights Swiss jurisdiction benefits in their explanation of logging obligations.

Self-hosted VPN with Mynymbox

You’re changing the trust model. Instead of routing your traffic through a VPN company’s servers, you route it through your own VPS running a hardened VPN + DNS + ad-blocking stack.

That does not magically solve every problem but it does materially reduce one of the largest trust assumptions in VPN usage: someone else’s VPN infrastructure.

What Mullvad and Proton VPN do extremely well (and why people love them)

Before we talk about alternatives, it’s worth being fair: Mullvad and Proton VPN are strong options if you want a privacy-focused provider with convenience.

Mullvad’s privacy posture

Mullvad’s “no-logging of user activity” policy is blunt and clear: they state they don’t store activity logs and aim for minimal data retention. Their marketing and product positioning emphasize privacy for everyday users, with “no logging” and “anonymous accounts” as core ideas.

They also publish clarifications about what “no logging” means to reduce confusion. That could be useful because VPN logging debates often get muddy.

Proton VPN’s privacy posture

Proton VPN similarly emphasizes a strict no-logs policy (“We do not collect, store, or track your online activity.”). Proton also highlights advantages of Swiss jurisdiction in the context of forced logging obligations. They additionally point to third-party audits of their no-logs claims, and discuss a legal case where they say they could not provide logs because they didn’t exist.

In short: if you want a well-known provider with mature apps, broad infrastructure, and a strong public privacy stance, these are leading choices.

The hidden privacy issue most VPN users don’t think about: DNS

Even people who pick privacy VPNs often overlook DNS.

A VPN tunnel is great, but DNS is where your browsing intent lives (the domains you look up). If DNS requests leak outside the tunnel (or if DNS is handled by a third party you don’t fully trust) your “VPN privacy” can be weakened.

Commercial VPNs typically handle DNS on their side (still within the VPN provider’s trust boundary). That’s not inherently bad, but it’s still “someone else’s system.”

Mynymbox takes a different approach: it includes Unbound recursive DNS (so your server resolves DNS directly rather than relying on third-party resolvers) and DNSSEC validation for authenticity checks. It also includes Pi-hole with logging disabled at the strictest privacy setting (privacy level 4), so DNS query logging isn’t retained.

This is a major differentiator if your goal is: reduce dependency on third parties and not just encrypt traffic.

What the VPN of Mynymbox actually is and what it includes

The "VPN" of Mynymbox is actually a deployment that installs a privacy-hardened VPN stack on a VPS server of your choice. You get:

A dedicated VPN server you control

• Installed on your own VPS
• Dedicated IP address (your server’s IP)
• WireGuard on 51820/UDP
• WireGuard Pre-Shared Keys (PSK) for additional key material on top of standard WireGuard

Built-in privacy utilities that most VPNs treat as add-ons

• Pi-hole ad/tracker/malware domain blockingconfigured with enhanced blocklists
  configured for privacy level 4 (query logging disabled)
• Unbound recursive DNSno third-party DNS resolver
  DNSSEC validation

Security hardening

• Fail2Ban SSH protection
• Pi-hole admin UI accessible only via VPN

"Zero-log configuration” choices

The design goal is to avoid retaining logs:

• Pi-hole query logging disabled
• Unbound logging disabled
• web server access logs disabled
• system journal configured in volatile/RAM-only mode
• automatic hourly cleanup of temporary logs
• installation logs deleted after setup

This approach is also honest about trade-offs: if you disable logging everywhere, troubleshooting becomes harder (because there’s less historical data to inspect).

Mullvad/Proton VPN compared to Mynymbox

Here’s the comparison that actually matters in real life.

The biggest difference: shared privacy vs personal control

Commercial VPNs are built for:

• one-click usability
• many server locations
• shared exit IPs (good for blending in)
• support teams + standardized infrastructure

Mynymbox is built for:

• controlling the VPN endpoint (your server, your rules)
• controlling DNS behavior (recursive resolution + DNSSEC)
• controlling log retention at the system level
• adding network-wide blocking (Pi-hole) without relying on a vendor feature toggle

Who should choose a commercial privacy VPN (Mullvad/Proton) instead?

A self-hosted VPN is not automatically the right choice. You should strongly consider Mullvad or Proton VPN if you need:

• Multiple exit countries for travel, content access, or latency optimization
• Shared IP blending (your traffic shares the same public IP as many users)
• Maximum convenience (apps, quick server switching, easy recovery)
• Provider support for troubleshooting and configuration

If you don’t want to manage a VPS at all, a commercial VPN is usually the better fit but it comes with the risk that you don't know 100% what is happening behind the curtains.

Who should choose Mynymbox as an alternative?

Mynymbox makes the most sense when your priority is control and minimized trust, especially if you’ve ever thought:

• “I don’t want to bet everything on a provider’s promises.”
• “I want my VPN endpoint to be mine.”
• “I want DNS handled on my own server, not by a third-party resolver.”
• “I want network-wide tracker blocking that I control.”
• “I’m okay trading some convenience for stronger privacy architecture.”

It’s also a great fit if you want a personal VPN for daily use:

• public Wi‑Fi protection
• travel security
• consistent setup across devices
• a predictable, dedicated endpoint you manage

The honest trade-offs of a self-hosted VPN (read this before you switch)

A self-hosted VPN isn’t “better” in every way—it’s different. Here are the trade-offs you should go in expecting:

Dedicated IP can be a pro and a con

A dedicated IP is great for control and consistency. But it’s not the same as sharing an IP with thousands of users.

If your goal is to “blend into a crowd,” commercial VPN shared exits can be advantageous.

Your privacy now depends on your VPS choices

With Mynymbox, you choose where the server lives. That means:

• you choose the jurisdiction
• you choose the hosting provider
• you choose the operational setup

This is empowering, but it also means you should pick your VPS provider thoughtfully.

Troubleshooting is harder by design

Mynymbox is configured to minimize retained logs. That’s great for privacy, but if something breaks, you may need to temporarily enable logging or rely on active monitoring and current system status to diagnose problems.

The “best alternative” isn’t another VPN

Mullvad and Proton VPN represent the best version of the commercial privacy VPN model. They emphasize strong no-logs positions and Mullvad explicitly states it doesn’t store activity logs while Proton VPN emphasizes strict no-logs plus Swiss jurisdiction benefits.

But if what you want is less trust and more control, the most meaningful alternative is not “VPN Provider C.”

It’s a different model entirely:

• Your own server
• Your own DNS resolution path
• Your own log retention choices
• Your own blocking rules
• Your own security posture

That’s the category Mynymbox is built for.