Mudfish VPN Review in 2024

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Mudfish is marketed as a “network booster” for gamers who don’t need a conventional VPN (Virtual Private Network) service. It’s an alternative method of optimizing your online gaming experience and stabilizing the connection.

However, most gamers won’t benefit much from such a specialized and one-dimensional product. For starters, it doesn’t encrypt your traffic or keep your activities hidden from your ISP (Internet Service Provider). Furthermore, it won’t unblock bonus movies and TV shows on any streaming service.

As such, you should invest into a versatile and easy-to-use gaming VPN, such as NordVPN. You can use it in various ways to unblock content, secure your devices, and play video games privately.

Mudfish VPN overview

Mudfish lacks advanced security, a vast server fleet, and various features that boost your online activities. Going in line being a one-trick pony, it’s not suited for anything else besides online gaming. As most people are also concerned about their online privacy and security while gaming, we have a better solution in mind.

Best Mudfish alternatives

You can go for NordVPN or Surfshark, which are more powerful VPN providers and also work with various games. Thanks to their robust security features and extensive server fleets, you’ll have an excellent gaming experience without it costing a fortune.

Mudfish plans and pricing

Mudfish’s subscription options are different from regular VPN pricing conventions. Its pricing is calculated on a subscription or pay-per-traffic basis, which also depends on your chosen plan.

• MUDFISH – subscription or pay-per-traffic plan. The first one starts from $0.99/month and the latter costs $0.12/GB.
• FULL VPN – $2.99/month.

If you choose the pay-per-traffic scheme, $2.99 in credit (for about 27 GB) will last you about 6 months. However, some users have claimed to load up their Mudfish accounts with just $3 credit and, after two years of regular gaming, still have about 40 cents left in their account.

For their subscription plan, you subscribe to one game per month for $0.99/month. There are also speed caps on your “VPN” usage.

You can buy Mudfish credit with:

• Australian Dollar (AUD)
• Chinese Yuan (CNY)
• Japan Yen (JPY)
• South Korea Won (KRW)
• US Dollar (USD)

Mudfish offers a 1-week refund policy. Alternatively, you can use the test credits that are transferred after your email verification. There is no free version of Mudfish or even a trial version, which isn’t ideal.

As for payment methods Mudfish accepts various payment methods, such as Apple App Store In-App Payment, Bitcoin, Google Play In-App Payment, Paypal, Alipay, Apply In-App Payment, and Paymentwall.

Mudfish additionally runs a free VPN service called Muddog, which is completely separate from Mudfish VPN. We highly doubt its security and reliability, though, as it operates on a P2P principle.

Speed and performance

Are you asking yourselves, is Mudfish fast? Unfortunately, the answer is quite disappointing. This service facilitates one of the worst speeds we’ve ever come across. The server range, frankly speaking, is limited compared to other full-fledged VPNs like NordVPN or Surfshark. 640 nodes aren’t enough to mitigate potential overcrowdedness.

On top of that, there’s no information about what kind of tunneling protocol Mudfish utilizes. It is another factor that directly influences the VPN’s performance.

The only thing we’ve discovered is that Mudfish works with free public nodes and relies on UDP or TCP. Due to this, the general speeds that it has published on the official websites are 4 Mbps burst / 1 Mbps.

Mudfish servers

Again, Mudfish deviates from standard by offering nodes instead of servers as connection points. Currently, the service offers 640+ nodes across 52 regions. On their website, you can track each node’s system load, traffic, and congestion. However, there’s no information about what kind of technology is behind these nodes.

As far as global distribution goes, Mudfish seemingly tries to tackle every major region, having tons of connection points across Europe and Asia. Alas, there aren’t many nodes across the Americas, Africa, and Oceania.

Adding to that, there are no “specialized servers” as we call them. There’s no hardware optimized for streaming, torrenting, or simply extra untraceability. Using Mudfish to bypass any kind of firewall is also a bust.

Is Mudfish VPN safe?

No, Mudfish is not safe. In fact, it is one of the few VPN providers that lack necessary security features. More precisely, this VPN provider doesn’t encrypt your traffic, doesn’t have IP and DNS leak protection, and there is no kill switch. Due to this, your online privacy and security are at a high risk.

No encryption or tunneling protocols

As far as encryption and protocols go, it’s a bit difficult to say with Mudfish’s “Full VPN” offering. You see, they don’t really list what protocols they use, the encryption, industry standards, etc. That’s because Mudfish doesn’t seem to encrypt your traffic.

They’re mostly focused on gaming and are more concerned about latency and RTT (round-trip time) than security. Encrypting data slows down your speeds, and that’s not what Mudfish is about.

Their default mode is as a GPN, which means that it will only reroute your traffic through another server for the specific game you choose. So, for example, you choose Overwatch, then it will find the optimal server to connect to and you can play just that one game with this GPN.

No leak protection or kill switch

Adding salt to injury, you can barely call Mudfish a VPN service at all due to the lack of any sort of kill switch or anti-leak measures. These features are crucial for keeping your data from being exposed.

A kill switch shuts down your internet connection in case the secure VPN connection ever drops. This prevents your information, such as your real IP address, location, and online activities, from becoming visible to third parties, your ISP included.

Having reliable IP and DNS leak protection is another essential feature a proper VPN must have. It prevents your IP address and DNS queries from leaking. Which is what you want since these could be used to track you down.

Korean origins

Mudfish is based in South Korea, a country with strict online censorship. Surprisingly, the government doesn’t ban or restrict VPN usage, so it’s unlikely authorities have incentive to pressure VPN providers headquartered here to invade their users’ privacy.

But there might be a push for that from the Fourteen Eyes alliance, as S. Korea is a satellite partner of the United States. In other words, the Korean government retains intelligence sharing systems with Washington. Which is alarming since Mudfish doesn’t encrypt your traffic and actually collects some logs.

If you’re just looking for a ping boost for online gaming, that’s not much of an issue. But if you also want to keep what you’re doing online private, there are much better, safer alternatives to Mudfish, like Surfshark or NordVPN.

Does Mudfish keep logs?

As far as logging goes: yes, Mudfish logs some data. On their website, they may place “cookies, beacons, and similar technologies in your browser and on emails.” As far as the VPN/GPN services, they state that collect:

• Your true IP address
• Device-specific information
• Aggregate data about which websites you visit and which apps you use

There is no security and privacy with Mudfish, only speed for gamers. This is a big no-no for VPN providers as they may be forced to share this information with authorities. The purpose of VPN software is to keep your online activities anonymous, not to log what you’re doing on the internet. It’s a big privacy issue you shouldn’t overlook.

Other technical features

In terms of features, Mudfish doesn’t come with many perks either. Subscribers get:

• WAN optimization technology
• The Server Chain feature
• Web and SOCKS proxy support
• General modes
• Mudfish Node modes
• Expert Mode

The Server Chain feature routes your traffic via two Mudfish nodes. Once everything is set up, the nodes don’t change.

The general modes are as follow:

• Full VPN mode. All network traffic on your computer is passed to a Mudfish node you selected. Those with a PPT data plan should use it carefully as it uses up a lot of Mudfish credits.
• FastConnect mode. Mudfish works rather as a proxy server than a router. Mudfish intercepts all incoming traffic being routed to a specific destination and identifies itself as the intended destination server, lowering ping. However, this is only useful for TCP based games like WoW, Lineage, Guild Wars, etc.
• WFP Item mode. When enabled, the traffic for each process is processed using the WFP function. In some cases, this helps solve Amazon EC2, Twitch and Mudfish or CDN and Mudfish issues.

Then there’s Mudfish Node modes:

• Basic Mode. In this mode, your traffic reaches the destination server via one Mudfish node. Hence, it provides stable connections.
• Advanced Mode. Your internet traffic passes via two Mudfish nodes, but the first Mudfish node changes automatically depending on your ping. It helps achieve better RTT results but the probability of a ping spike occurring is also higher.
• Multi Path Mode. Your traffic is routed up to 4 Mudfish nodes. The nodes automatically change depending on your ping.

Finally, there’s Expert Mode which enables more advanced features of Mudfish. Turning it on additionally shows the CLI (Command Line Interface), Connection Protocols using other ports, Creating Custom Item, Packet Dump, and WPAD.

Is Mudfish good for streaming?

Mudfish is not even a decent choice for streaming. More precisely, this VPN is made for a better gaming experience, so unblocking Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Max, Disney+, or other popular streaming services is not in its nature. Which was surprising to learn during testing since Mudfish advertises itself as a streaming booster and lists “Bypassing firewalls” as one of its perks.

Our research has revealed that Mudfish VPN can’t get around the geo-restrictions of popular streaming platforms that are getting stronger and stronger each year. We can’t recommend it for streaming purposes at all.

Is Mudfish good for torrenting?

Due to torrenting’s notorious reputation concerning copyrighted content, it’s banned or heavily restricted in many countries. Those caught sharing files via P2P may even face huge fines or, depending on the region, jail time.

Using a VPN for torrenting helps get around these restrictions. Unfortunately, we don’t recommend Mudfish for torrenting simply because it lacks encryption that would shield your P2P activities from prying eyes. There’s simply no protection here for torrenters.

Even if Mudfish encrypted your traffic and was suitable for torrents, you’d be facing extremely slow download and upload rates. That’s why we suggest looking for better torrenting VPN alternatives. At least you’ll be sure that your traffic is undetectable and no one can read it.

Mudfish device support

For a VPN provider that has a lot of limitations and questionable security, Mudfish is compatible with quite a few devices. Mudfish can be installed on:

• Windows
• macOS
• Linux
• Android
• iOS
• Routers (ipTIME and OpenWRT based)
• Virtual machines (OpenWRT based)
• Steam Deck

Additionally, Mudfish offers a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox. However, Mudfish doesn’t work with gaming consoles such as PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo. Furthermore, it is also unavailable for users with Kindle tablets, Smart TVs, and Kodi.

Mudfish also supports only 1 connection per account. As the provider states on its own website, each device must have a separate Mudfish account for it. At least you can create a sub alias account and share Mudfish credits between separate accounts, but that’s just a hassle to do. Premium VPN services let users use the same account on multiple devices simultaneously.

Mudfish desktop apps: Windows, Linux, and macOS

Mudfish’s Windows, macOS, and Linux native apps are relatively easy to use. They don’t have many differences. The only thing that is slightly different is the placement of the features within the app.

However, as Mudfish is mainly a VPN for gamers, you may encounter some challenges when setting up your account. Regarding the visual look of the desktop apps, they seem a bit outdated, too. But at least you’re getting all the advertised features.

Mudfish mobile apps: Android and iOS

If you want to use the VPN service while gaming on mobile, Mudfish provides dedicated Android and iOS apps. Their appearance is starkly different from the desktop counterparts, but that doesn’t make using them confusing or hard. In fact, they are much more simplistic.

However, when it comes to features, the mobile apps aren’t as functional as the PC ones. For example, Android only has two modes: Full VPN mode and Per-app VPN mode, which lets you pick what apps you’d like to route through a node. But it at least has MTU configuration and Packet Dump.

As for iOS, it automatically works with Full VPN mode and you can’t disable it. And you can mostly just pick a different UDP port (TCP is not supported) and specify the MTU size. It’s not as functional as Mudfish’s Android app, leaving iPhone owners a bit in the dust.

Mudfish customer support

Mudfish offers the following customer support options:

• Email
• FAQs
• Mudfish Wiki
• Forums

While it may seem that there are decent help options in case you need assistance, they aren’t very helpful. Email support takes very long to answer and only responds to technical questions. The FAQ is very short and doesn’t include any useful questions that a regular person would ask about a service.

The Wiki mostly contains information about what games Mudfish is compatible with. And the forums are somewhat okay. Except for the fact that half of the discussions are solely in Korean. Most importantly, threads about potential features, technical issues, and payments & refunds are also in Korean.

Conclusion: should you get Mudfish?

Mudfish promotes itself as a network booster that will enhance your gaming experience. But while its main focus is to reduce the latency rates that interrupt online games, it seems like they forgot about much more important aspects. We’re talking about security, torrenting, overall speeds and performance, and even streaming.

Therefore, if you are looking for a VPN for streaming, torrenting, and any other activity that requires high-end safety, Mudfish might not be the most suitable choice.

We highly recommend utilizing NordVPN instead, which has numerous servers, breakneck speeds, next-level security features, and support for all your activities by providing additional features for a better experience. The choice is yours!

For more VPN alternatives, check out our Best VPN for Gaming list.

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You may also like to read:
NordVPN review
Surfshark VPN review
ExpressVPN review
CyberGhost review
Norton VPN review

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FAQ

Is Mudfish trustworthy?

No, Mudfish is not trustworthy. This VPN provider lacks crucial security measures that guarantee your identity, data, and online activity history remains hidden from prying eyes. Unfortunately, Mudfish doesn’t even provide a stable and reliable performance, which is one of the most vital aspects of any VPN service.

Does Mudfish have a free trial?

No, Mudfish does not have a free trial. While this provider lacks a free trial and a free version, you can benefit from its one-week policy, which allows you to test its services before finally purchasing it. On top of that, Mudfish has a VPN that is entirely free and is called Muddog. We wouldn’t recommend using it as it operates on P2P.

Does Mudfish hide browsing history?

No, Mudfish does not hide your browsing history. It seems like the VPN ignored its users’ safety at all and it only focused on the gaming experience and the latency rates. Mudfish comes without encryption and other robust security features.

How many devices can be connected to Mudfish?

Unfortunately, you can connect only one device on one Mudfish account. The VPN doesn’t support any simultaneous connections. If you want to connect to Mudfish from your PC and smartphone at the same time, you need to have two separate accounts.