OpenNavo

Mullvad VPN

Mullvad VPN AB · Mullvad’s macOS VPN client, offered here through the beta Homebrew cask.

CaskNetworkingApple silicon · Intel
Homepage
From homebrew/cask
30-day installs4#2089 in App
1-year installs94Last 365 days
Latest version2026.5Oct 7 · Oct 7
Download size254MBarm64 / x86_64 · pkg
Release cadenceEvery 2 weeks1 release in 30 days

Mullvad VPN is Networking software for Mac. It needs macOS 12 or later.

About

Mullvad VPN is a desktop client for connecting to Mullvad’s VPN service. The supplied Homebrew package is the mullvad-vpn@beta cask; it installs the macOS app package, not Mullvad Browser or a separate VPN service.

Mullvad describes its VPN as encrypting internet traffic and masking the user’s IP address. The service advertises no logging and anonymous accounts, and says it can help circumvent censorship and counter AI-guided traffic analysis. These are service-level descriptions; this cask provides the client software.

To install, run brew install --cask mullvad-vpn@beta. This cask requires macOS 12 or later. It conflicts with the mullvad-vpn cask, so both casks cannot be installed together. The package includes the Mullvad VPN app and associated command-line and shell-completion artifacts.

Mullvad’s homepage also lists clients for other operating systems, but this Homebrew cask is specifically the macOS package.

Sources: Mullvad · Homebrew cask

New What’s new in 2026.5 Oct 7 · OpenNavo editorial

  • CLIAdd off/error/warn/info/debug/trace log levels.
  • FixesReject invalid DAITA fraction limits before tunnel startup.
See all 33 releases

Install and uninstall

Homebrew runs the MullvadVPN-2026.5.pkg installer, which asks for an administrator password.

Install without Homebrew

Download the same file Homebrew uses: cdn.mullvad.net/app/desktop/releases/2026.5/MullvadVPN-2026.5.pkg

SHA-256 only checks that the download is complete; it is not a security certification. See the SHA-256 and download address

Uninstall command
$ brew uninstall --cask \mullvad-vpn@beta

A regular uninstall removes the app and keeps its settings and caches.

Deep clean (optional)
$ brew uninstall --zap --cask \mullvad-vpn@beta

--zap also deletes the settings, caches and other files listed in the Homebrew definition. They can include data shared with other apps and cannot be restored, and it does not guarantee that nothing is left.See which files are removed

Facts and sources

Version 2026.5
Recorded by Homebrew on Sep 14Released by the vendor on Oct 7

Questions

Is Mullvad VPN safe?

Mullvad VPN is in Homebrew’s official catalog and has not been disabled. Since September 2026, Homebrew disables apps that fail macOS Gatekeeper checks. When installing, Homebrew checks the download from cdn.mullvad.net against its SHA-256 checksum. It was installed 4 times through Homebrew in the last 30 days.

How do I completely uninstall Mullvad VPN on a Mac?

Run brew uninstall --cask mullvad-vpn@beta. It quits the app, stops 1 background service, and forgets 1 installer receipt. To delete its settings and caches as well, run brew uninstall --zap --cask mullvad-vpn@beta. That also deletes 6 files and folders, including ~/Library/Application Support/Mullvad VPN.

Does Mullvad VPN run on Apple silicon (M1 and later) Macs?

Homebrew installs it on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs, from the same download. It needs macOS 12 or later.

Where does Mullvad VPN store its settings and data?

Its settings are in ~/Library/Preferences/net.mullvad.vpn.plist. Its data is in ~/Library/Application Support/Mullvad VPN. These locations come from Homebrew’s clean-up list.

What is the latest version of Mullvad VPN?

The latest version is 2026.5, added to Homebrew on Sep 14. Run brew upgrade --cask mullvad-vpn@beta to update it.

What else does installing Mullvad VPN add?

It installs through a .pkg installer, which asks for an administrator password. It cannot be installed alongside mullvad-vpn.