I trust Mullvad because it does security audits like this. And it stores no data and has a history of police showing up without any data compromised [1].
[1] https://mullvad.net/en/blog/mullvad-vpn-was-subject-to-a-sea...
If you want a Mercedes of VPNs, likely Astrill is the choice. If privacy is your main concern, there are many options. Dont mistake privacy for anonymity. If in doubt, pay with Bitcoin and use TOR to connect to your VPN.
For my current application, AirVPN is more than enough. Two years: are 79 €, if they have a special, it is 49 euro. If you are cost sensitive, Mullvad is double the price already, but at least only less than half of the Astrill price.
There main slogan is "Fast, Secure & Anonymous VPN"
meanwhile they require name and email unlike Mullvad which pioneered the concept of random account IDs for login years ago.
>If in doubt, pay with Bitcoin and use TOR to connect to your VPN.
Bitcoin is not and never will be private or anonymous. Use monero or cash.
Not true. There are enough places where you can buy BTC for cash. In Austria, you can buy at gas stations or in the post office. As long as you use a fresh wallet and only one time, I don't see who this could identify you. It may be backtracked to Austria, of which I am not a citizen.