Analysis: What is the best VPN for the mobile operating system postmarketOS

Which VPN is best for postmarketOS? A geeky, practical review

postmarketOS is the delightfully opinionated, minimal Linux distro for phones — Alpine-based, musl libc, OpenRC-friendly, and designed to run for years on a single battery cycle if you whisper nice things to your init. That same minimalism, however, means some of the convenience-layer tooling you expect on desktop Linux (systemd units, polished GUI clients) may be missing or non-ideal. So if you want a VPN that plays nicely with postmarketOS, you need one that respects minimal environments, offers straightforward WireGuard/OpenVPN configs, and has documentation that won’t make you weep into an SSH session.

Short answer: for most postmarketOS users I recommend Mullvad. It nails the WireGuard workflow, provides easy-to-download configs, and doesn’t force a systemd-dependent black box on you. But the right choice depends on what you prioritize — absolute privacy, GUI comfort, multi-device cheapness, or corporate-friendly IPsec. Below I explain the criteria and compare the best contenders.

What matters on postmarketOS?

• WireGuard-first support: Lightweight and kernel-native where available — fewer dependencies than OpenVPN.
• Systemd-free friendly: Providers that require systemd-managed daemons for their Linux apps are inconvenient on postmarketOS. You want providers that supply raw WireGuard/OpenVPN configs or simple CLI tools that don’t assume systemd.
• Small footprint clear docs: Minimal packages, clear manual setup steps (wg-quick, ip, nftables/iptables examples).
• Privacy logging: No-logs policies and jurisdiction matter to many users.
• Performance reliability: Good throughput and many WireGuard endpoints.

Top candidates — quick take

Deep dive — why Mullvad tends to win for postmarketOS

Mullvad is my recommendation because it checks all the boxes for a minimal Linux/mobile-first environment:

• Clean WireGuard support: Mullvad’s website will generate WireGuard configuration files you can download and drop into /etc/wireguard/ — no GUI required. See their WireGuard help pages on how to generate and use configs.
• Privacy-first: anonymous account numbers, straightforward privacy policy, and a track record of being friendly to privacy-minded users.
• Lightweight setup: you can run wg-quick or use the kernel device directly with ip/wg commands. No systemd dependency required.
• Good documentation: practical instructions that don’t assume NetworkManager GNOME.

Links: Mullvad — https://mullvad.net. Their WireGuard help: https://mullvad.net/en/help/wireguard/.

Other solid options

ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is excellent on privacy and also supports WireGuard. Their official client is fine, but some Linux packaging is oriented toward systemd systems. Fortunately Proton provides WireGuard configuration support and CLI-friendly docs — so manual WireGuard is the recommended postmarketOS route. Link: https://proton.me, WireGuard docs: https://proton.me/support/wireguard.

IVPN

IVPN is small and privacy-focused, offers WireGuard configs, and is friendly to manual setups. Good for users who want an audit-friendly provider with easy raw configs. Link: https://www.ivpn.net.

OVPN

A Swedish provider that emphasizes privacy, offers WireGuard configs and clear tutorials. Their setup is straightforward if you’re comfortable with wg-quick. Link: https://www.ovpn.com.

NordVPN / PIA / Surfshark

These large players offer WireGuard and excellent performance, but their official Linux clients tend to be systemd-dependent daemons and/or unwrap various extras. You can still use manual WireGuard configurations with them, but if you want the absolute smoothest experience on postmarketOS without packaging hacks, the smaller privacy-focused providers that explicitly supply raw configs and docs are easier.

Practical setup notes for postmarketOS

Here are actionable tips to get a reliable WireGuard-based VPN on postmarketOS without a GUI:

• Install kernel module or wireguard-tools: postmarketOS packages WireGuard install wireguard-tools or the equivalent package for your device.
• Use your provider’s WireGuard config generator/download. Place the config at /etc/wireguard/wg0.conf (or wherever you prefer).
• Bring it up with: sudo wg-quick up wg0. Bring it down with sudo wg-quick down wg0.
• Kill-switch: WireGuard itself doesn’t provide one implement a simple nftables/iptables rule to block traffic not from the tun device. Example concept: block all outbound traffic except via wg0 and loopback allow DNS to provider or encrypted DNS.
• DNS: configure /etc/resolv.conf to point to a privacy-preserving resolver or the provider’s DNS (some distributions use resolvconf or resolvectl — on postmarketOS you may manage resolv.conf directly or with the distro’s tools).

Useful docs: WireGuard quickstart — https://www.wireguard.com/quickstart/. postmarketOS VPN page — https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/VPN. postmarketOS init system info — https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/OpenRC.

Firewall / kill-switch example (concept)

Here’s a high-level nftables idea to prevent accidental leaks (adapt to your setup):

• Allow loopback.
• Allow traffic out via wg0 to providers endpoint IP/port (so handshake can proceed).
• Allow established/related.
• Drop everything else outbound.

This is intentionally schematic — specific rules depend on whether you use nftables or iptables, how DHCP is handled, and whether your DNS must be reachable pre-WireGuard handshake. The WireGuard quickstart and your provider docs cover specifics for safe kill-switch rules.

Final recommendations

• If you want the path of least friction: Mullvad. Raw WireGuard configs, excellent privacy stance, tiny friction on a minimal distro.
• If you prioritize a large provider with strong privacy research: ProtonVPN — use manual WireGuard configs for postmarketOS.
• If you want auditability and small-team ethos: IVPN or OVPN are great choices.
• Avoid relying on systemd-only clients: If a VPN requires a proprietary systemd-managed daemon to function, plan on using raw WireGuard/OpenVPN configs instead or pick a provider with simpler options.

Sources and further reading

• postmarketOS VPN docs — https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/VPN
• WireGuard quickstart — https://www.wireguard.com/quickstart/
• Mullvad WireGuard help — https://mullvad.net/en/help/wireguard/
• ProtonVPN WireGuard support — https://proton.me/support/wireguard
• IVPN docs — https://www.ivpn.net
• OVPN WireGuard — https://www.ovpn.com

Conclusion: postmarketOS rewards simplicity. Pick a VPN that offers raw WireGuard configs, good docs, and a serious privacy stance — and you’ll have a secure, low-overhead VPN experience that fits the ethos of the platform. If you like tinkering and minimal dependencies, Mullvad is the friendliest — and also the one least likely to make your init scream in binary.