ExpressVPN vs Mullvad (2026): Which Is Better?
Two premium products optimising for opposite things, at almost the same price — $4.99 against a flat €5. ExpressVPN is the better VPN in the ordinary sense: 9.1 to 8.0, the best apps of the ten, 13 of 14 streaming services against Mullvad's 5, and eight devices against five. Mullvad is the better VPN if the word means something narrower. It never learns who you are — signup produces a 16-digit number, no email, no password, and you can post cash in an envelope — and in 2023 Swedish police executed a search warrant and left with nothing. ExpressVPN is owned by Kape Technologies; Mullvad by a Swedish company with one product. Neither of those is a score, and for this pair they are the decision.
Who wins each category
- Privacy & securityMullvadExpressVPN 9.4 · Mullvad 9.9
- SpeedExpressVPNExpressVPN 9.0 · Mullvad 8.7
- StreamingExpressVPNExpressVPN 9.3 · Mullvad 6.2
- Apps & easeExpressVPNExpressVPN 9.8 · Mullvad 8.2
- ValueExpressVPNExpressVPN 8.2 · Mullvad 7.0
Sub-scores from this month's tests; weights are privacy & security 30%, speed 25%, streaming 15%, apps & ease 15%, value 15%. Methodology
Choose ExpressVPN if…
- Apps rated 9.8, the highest we award, across every platform including routers and Fire TV
- 13 of 14 streaming services against Mullvad's 5 — Mullvad essentially does not do this
- 598 Mbps, eight devices, and 24/7 live chat
Choose Mullvad if…
- An account never connected to you: 16-digit number, no email, cash accepted by post
- A no-logs claim tested by a police search that produced nothing
- Flat pricing with no intro rate and no renewal jump, and open-source apps audited yearly
ExpressVPN vs Mullvad: the numbers
 ExpressVPN |  Mullvad | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 9.1 | 8.0 |
| Rank · badge | #3 · Easiest apps | #8 · Privacy purist |
| 2-year price / mo | $4.99 | $5.40 |
| 1-year price / mo | $6.67 | $5.40 |
| Monthly price | $12.95 | $5.40 |
| Renewal | renews at the 1-year rate | flat price |
| Money-back | 30 days | 30 days |
| Simultaneous devices | 8 | 5 |
| Avg download speed | 598 Mbps | 590 Mbps |
| Jurisdiction | British Virgin Islands | Sweden |
| Owner | Kape Technologies | Amagicom AB |
| No-logs audit | KPMG no-logs audit, 2024 | Assured AB infrastructure audit, 2024 |
| Servers | 3,000+ in 105 countries | 650+ in 49 countries |
| Protocols | Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | WireGuard, OpenVPN |
| Torrenting | P2P allowed on all servers | P2P allowed on all servers |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Support | 24/7 live chat, email, help centre | email, help centre |
| Visit ExpressVPN | Visit Mullvad |
Full reviews: ExpressVPN · Mullvad
What each one actually costs
The advertised rate covers the first term only. These are the totals once the renewal is counted.
| ExpressVPN | Mullvad | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan priced | 24-month plan | 24-month plan |
| Intro rate / mo | $4.99 | $5.40 |
| Then renews at / mo | $6.67 (+34%) | $5.40 — no jump |
| First term, up front | $119.76 | $129.60 |
| Total over 3 years | $199.80 | $194.40 |
| True cost / mo over 3 years | $5.55 | $5.40 |
| Money-back | 30 days — refunded in 2 days | 30 days — refunded (card payments only) |
| Check ExpressVPN price | Check Mullvad price |
The cheaper sticker price is not the cheaper VPN here. ExpressVPN has the lower introductory rate, but over three years Mullvad costs $5.40 less once both renewals are counted — which is the number you actually pay. Same arithmetic as our price calculator: the first term at the advertised rate, every month after it at the rate the provider publishes for renewals.
Speed by region
Download on a 940 Mbps line, 3 runs per server, median reported. Highlighted cell = fastest.
| ExpressVPN | Mullvad | |
|---|---|---|
| US East | 650 Mbps | 660 Mbps |
| UK | 622 Mbps | 640 Mbps |
| Singapore | 560 Mbps | 520 Mbps |
| Australia | 558 Mbps | 540 Mbps |
| Added latency | +7 ms | +8 ms |
Streaming, service by service
| ExpressVPN | Mullvad | |
|---|---|---|
| Unblocked | 13 of 14 | 5 of 14 |
| Netflix US | ||
| Netflix UK | ||
| Netflix JP | ||
| Netflix CA | ||
| Netflix AU | ||
| Prime Video | ||
| Disney+ | ||
| Hulu | ||
| Max | ||
| Paramount+ | ||
| Peacock | ||
| BBC iPlayer | ||
| ITVX | ||
| DAZN |
Security features
| ExpressVPN | Mullvad | |
|---|---|---|
| Kill switch | ||
| Split tunnelling | ||
| Obfuscation / stealth | ||
| Port forwarding | ||
| Dedicated IP | ||
| Ad & tracker blocking | ||
| Multi-hop (double VPN) | ||
| RAM-only servers | ||
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Apple TV, browser extensions, Aircove router | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, browser extensions, routers |
Has the no-logs promise ever been tested?
Every VPN on this page says it keeps no logs. The claim only means something once someone has demanded the data — a police raid, a court order, a subpoena. Here is what happened to each of these two when that came up, and what it means if it never has.
- ExpressVPNHeld
2017 server seizure in Turkey. The claim held — there was nothing useful to hand over. That is the one form of proof no audit can give you, because it happened under real pressure rather than on a scheduled visit.
Audit: KPMG no-logs audit, 2024 · British Virgin Islands
- MullvadHeld
2023 Swedish police search warrant. The claim held — there was nothing useful to hand over. That is the one form of proof no audit can give you, because it happened under real pressure rather than on a scheduled visit.
Audit: Assured AB infrastructure audit, 2024 · Sweden
What each one is our top pick for
One of these scores higher overall, which does not make it the right buy for every job. These are the use cases where each one comes first on its own list.
- ExpressVPN2 categories
The most reliable always-on behaviour on iOS, instant reconnects between Wi-Fi and cellular, and the same app on Apple TV.
- Mullvad1 category
In April 2023 Swedish police executed a search warrant at Mullvad's office and left with nothing, because there was nothing — no account names, no emails, RAM-only servers, and a 2024 audit by Assured. The strongest demonstration of a no-logs claim any provider can offer, and one no audit can match.
Questions
Is Mullvad better than ExpressVPN?
Only on privacy, where it is the best we rate at 9.9 against 9.4. On everything else ExpressVPN wins clearly — apps, streaming, speed, device count and support. They cost the same, so this is a straight choice about what you want the money to buy.
Can I use Mullvad for Netflix?
Mostly not. It unblocked 5 of the 14 services we test, against ExpressVPN's 13, and it does not treat streaming as a problem worth solving. If watching something is any part of your reason for buying, this pair resolves to ExpressVPN without much argument.
Which is more private, and does it matter?
Mullvad, and the difference is structural rather than a matter of degree: it has no email address to hand over, no account name, and no payment record if you send cash. ExpressVPN's privacy record is strong and audited, but it knows who you are. Whether that matters depends entirely on what you are protecting yourself from.
We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. Scores and the winner are decided by the tests before any commercial consideration. Disclosure