What Is Mozilla VPN? Features, Privacy, and How to Verify It
What Is Mozilla VPN?
Mozilla VPN is a subscription virtual private network built by Mozilla, the nonprofit-backed organization behind Firefox. It encrypts traffic at the device level, replaces your real IP address with one from a shared server, and routes that traffic through infrastructure operated by the Swedish VPN provider Mullvad. If you have seen the name and wondered whether it is the same thing as the VPN button inside Firefox, the short answer is no — and that distinction matters more than most explainers admit.
This article covers what Mozilla VPN actually is, how it works under the hood, what it does and does not protect, and how to confirm with free browser-based tests that it is doing its job.
Mozilla VPN in one paragraph
What Is Mozilla VPN? Features, Privacy, and How to Verify It - Mozilla VPN in one paragraph.
Mozilla VPN is an open-source VPN client developed by Mozilla. It launched in beta in September 2019 as Firefox Private Network, was rebranded and released as Mozilla VPN on 15 July 2020, and now runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. A single subscription covers up to five devices, and the client is licensed under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, so the code is publicly auditable.
The service uses the WireGuard protocol and relies on Mullvad's server network — more than 500 servers across 30+ countries. Mozilla handles the client, the account, and the billing; Mullvad supplies the tunnel infrastructure.
How Mozilla VPN works
What Is Mozilla VPN? Features, Privacy, and How to Verify It - How Mozilla VPN works.
When you turn the VPN on, three things happen in sequence:
- Your traffic is encrypted on your device before it reaches your internet service provider. Your ISP still carries the packets, but it can no longer read what is inside them.
- Your traffic travels to a VPN server in the location you selected, wrapped in that encrypted tunnel.
- The VPN server makes the request on your behalf, so websites see the server's IP address instead of yours.
The practical consequence is that the sites you visit cannot easily infer your city, your employer's network, or your home ISP from your connection. Because many users share the same exit IP, your browsing is also harder to stitch into a single advertising profile.
Device-level, not browser-level
This is the key difference from the built-in VPN that ships inside Firefox. The browser-level feature only masks traffic that originates inside Firefox and comes with a monthly data cap. Mozilla VPN is a standalone application that protects the whole device — every app, every browser, every background sync — not just one browser's tabs.
App exclusion
Because the tunnel covers everything, Mozilla VPN includes an App Exclusion feature. You can pull a specific application out of the VPN tunnel — useful for a banking app that blocks VPN connections, or a game where the extra hop adds latency — without disabling protection for the rest of the device.
Multi-hop and custom DNS
Mozilla VPN supports multi-hop connections, which chain your traffic through two servers instead of one, and lets you set custom DNS servers rather than relying on the provider's defaults. Both options trade a little speed for a narrower trust surface.
What Mozilla VPN protects — and what it doesn't
What Is Mozilla VPN? Features, Privacy, and How to Verify It - What Mozilla VPN protects — and what it doesn't.
| Protected | Not protected |
|---|---|
| Your real IP address from the sites you visit | What you do after you log into an account |
| Traffic contents from your ISP | Data collected by the sites themselves |
| Your approximate location inferred from IP | Malware already on your device |
| Traffic from apps outside the browser | Your identity if you sign in with a real name |
A VPN changes the network layer. It does not make you anonymous, and it does not stop a website from identifying you through your browser fingerprint — the combination of user agent, screen size, fonts, canvas rendering, and dozens of other signals that stay consistent even when your IP changes.
That is why a VPN is best understood as one layer, not a complete privacy solution. If you want to see what a site can still learn about you after the VPN is on, a browser fingerprint analysis is the honest way to find out.
How to verify Mozilla VPN is actually working
A VPN that connects successfully can still leak. Misconfigured DNS, a WebRTC path that bypasses the tunnel, or an IPv6 route that ignores it will expose your real address while the client shows a green connected state. Here is a short verification routine you can run in a browser in under two minutes.
Step 1: Check your visible IP address
With the VPN disconnected, note your public IP and its approximate location. Connect to a server in a different country, then run an IP address detection check. The result should show the VPN server's IP and its country — not your home connection. If the country still matches your real location, the tunnel is not carrying your traffic.
Step 2: Test for DNS leaks
Your DNS queries reveal which sites you visit even when the traffic itself is encrypted. A DNS leak test shows which resolver is answering your lookups. If the resolver belongs to your ISP rather than the VPN, your browsing history is still visible to your provider. This is exactly the scenario custom DNS settings in Mozilla VPN are meant to prevent.
Step 3: Test for WebRTC leaks
WebRTC is the browser technology behind video calls and in-page chat. It can expose local and public IP addresses outside the VPN tunnel. A WebRTC leak test will show whether your real address is visible to a page that requests it.
Step 4: Confirm the server location
If you specifically chose a server for its country, confirm that the exit IP actually belongs there. An IP to location lookup shows the geolocation, ISP, and network owner associated with the address you are currently using — useful for spotting the difference between a server's advertised country and where its IP is actually registered.
Step 5: Check for proxy and VPN detection flags
Some services actively flag known VPN ranges. An IP data lookup that includes proxy and VPN detection can tell you whether your exit address is already on a blocklist, which explains otherwise confusing login failures or CAPTCHAs.
Mozilla VPN vs. the Firefox built-in VPN
These two products are frequently confused, so here is the clean split:
| Mozilla VPN | Firefox built-in VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Entire device | Firefox traffic only |
| Cost | Paid subscription | Free with a monthly data limit |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Firefox browser |
| Protocol | WireGuard via Mullvad | Browser-managed |
If you need one browser protected occasionally, the built-in option may be enough. If you want every app on your laptop covered, you need the standalone client.
Who Mozilla VPN is a good fit for
- People who want an auditable client. The code is open source, and Mozilla has commissioned independent security audits from Cure53, publishing the reports.
- Firefox users who want consistency. The client integrates with Firefox container features and the official extension.
- Households with several devices. Five simultaneous connections covers a typical family.
- Users who want a recognizable operator. Mozilla is a well-known organization with a public privacy stance, which some people find easier to trust than an unfamiliar VPN brand.
It is a weaker fit if you need a very large server count, specialized streaming-unblocking features, or a free tier — Mozilla VPN is subscription-only.
Common questions
Is Mozilla VPN the same as Mullvad?
No. Mozilla VPN is Mozilla's client and service; the underlying network infrastructure is provided by Mullvad. They are separate products with separate pricing and separate apps.
Does Mozilla VPN hide my IP address?
Yes, it replaces your visible IP with the VPN server's address for traffic that passes through the tunnel. You can confirm this with an IP detection test before and after connecting.
Can Mozilla VPN stop browser fingerprinting?
No. Fingerprinting happens above the network layer, using signals like canvas rendering, fonts, and user agent strings. A VPN changes your IP; it does not change your fingerprint. You need to test and, where possible, normalize those signals separately.
How many devices can I connect at once?
Up to five simultaneous connections per subscription.
Does Mozilla VPN log my activity?
Mozilla states that it does not log your network activity. Because the client is open source and has been independently audited, you can review the claims and the audit reports yourself rather than taking a marketing page at face value.
Why does my IP still show my real location after connecting?
Usually one of three causes: the VPN is not actually connected, DNS or WebRTC is leaking outside the tunnel, or the site is using a cached or previously stored location. Run a leak test, then reconnect and re-check.
Bottom line
Mozilla VPN is a WireGuard-based, open-source VPN client from Mozilla, running on top of Mullvad's server network, protecting up to five devices at the system level rather than just inside a browser. Its strengths are transparency, auditability, and full-device coverage; its limits are the same as any VPN's — it changes your network identity, not your browser identity.
The most useful habit is not choosing a VPN and assuming it works, but verifying it. Connect, then check your IP, your DNS resolver, and your WebRTC exposure. If all three come back clean, the tunnel is doing what you paid for. If any one of them shows your real address, you have found a leak before someone else did.
Related reading
- IPWHOIS.io Setup Guide: API, Python & Verification - Learn IPWHOIS.io setup for the REST API and the Python ipwhois library, with curl examples, RDAP lookups, and free privacy verification tools.
- OpenVAS Scanner: How the Open Vulnerability Assessment Scanner Works - OpenVAS Scanner explained: what it is, how the Greenbone feed works, authenticated vs unauthenticated scans, setup options, and how to verify your own exposure.
Sources and further reading
- Client Challenge - A required part of this site couldn’t load. This may be due to a browser extension, network issues, or browser settings. Please check your connection, disable any ad blockers, or try using a different browser.
- Mozilla VPN - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- What Does a VPN Do? - A VPN encrypts all of your traffic online so that even your ISP can’t spy on what you are doing, and it disguises your IP address so that the websites you visit can’t determine your geographical location.