NordVPN vs Mullvad (2026): Which Is Better?
NordVPN scores 8.7 overall to Mullvad's 6.7, and on our published privacy sub-score NordVPN is ahead too — 9.5 against 7.8 — despite Mullvad's stronger anonymity design: no email, no account name, cash accepted by post, and a 2023 police raid that came away with nothing. NordVPN has never faced that kind of test but has been through four separate audits and covers ten devices to Mullvad's five, 118 countries to Mullvad's 49, and 24/7 live chat where Mullvad has none. Mullvad's flat €5 has never changed since 2009; NordVPN's headline $3.49 renews at $11.59, the steepest jump we track. We have not measured speed or streaming for either — Mullvad does not try to compete on streaming at all.
Who wins each category
- Privacy & securityNordVPNNordVPN 9.5 · Mullvad 7.8
- SpeedTieNordVPN 0.0 · Mullvad 0.0
- StreamingTieNordVPN 0.0 · Mullvad 0.0
- Apps & easeNordVPNNordVPN 9.4 · Mullvad 7.3
- ValueNordVPNNordVPN 6.5 · Mullvad 3.7
Sub-scores are provisional for NordVPN and Mullvad — published audits, jurisdiction and public record rather than our own measurement; see the review; weights are privacy & security 30%, speed 25%, streaming 15%, apps & ease 15%, value 15%. Methodology
Choose NordVPN if…
- You want one subscription that covers everything, including streaming servers and a wide feature set
- Ten devices, 118 countries and 24/7 live chat
- You want a provider audited four separate times, most recently by Deloitte in 2024
Choose Mullvad if…
- You want an account that was never tied to you: no email, no username, cash accepted by post
- The strongest no-logs pressure test on this site — a 2023 police raid that found nothing
- Flat pricing with no intro rate and no renewal jump, ever
NordVPN vs Mullvad: the numbers
 NordVPN |  Mullvad | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.7provisional — not tested by us | 6.7provisional — not tested by us |
| Rank · badge | Not ranked · Widest server network | Not ranked · Privacy purist |
| 2-year price / mo | $3.49 | $5.80 (1-year — no 2-year plan) |
| 1-year price / mo | $5.49 | $5.80 |
| Monthly price | $14.99 | $5.80 |
| Renewal | Billed $94.23 for the first 27 months, then renews at $139.08 a year | Flat €5 a month whatever the term, and the price has not changed since 2009 |
| Money-back | 30 days | 14 days |
| Simultaneous devices | 10 | 5 |
| Avg download speed | Not tested by us | Not tested by us |
| Jurisdiction | Panama | Sweden |
| Owner | Nord Security | Amagicom AB |
| No-logs audit | Deloitte no-logs audit, 2024 | Assured AB infrastructure audit, 2024 |
| Servers | 7,400+ in 118 countries | 650+ in 49 countries |
| Protocols | NordLynx (WireGuard), OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec, NordWhisper | WireGuard, OpenVPN |
| Torrenting | P2P allowed on dedicated P2P servers | P2P allowed on all servers |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Support | 24/7 live chat, email, help centre | email, help centre |
| Visit NordVPN | Visit Mullvad |
What each one actually costs
The advertised rate covers the first term only. These are the totals once the renewal is counted.
| NordVPN | Mullvad | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan priced | 24-month plan | 12-month plan |
| Intro rate / mo | $3.49 | $5.80 |
| Then renews at / mo | $11.59 (+232%) | $5.80 — no jump |
| First term, up front | $83.76 | $69.60 |
| Total over 2 years | $83.76 | $139.20 |
| Total over 3 years | $222.84 | $208.80 |
| True cost / mo over 3 years | $6.19 | $5.80 |
| Money-back | 30 days — 30 days, published — we have not claimed one yet | 14 days — 14 days, and none at all on cash payments — we have not claimed one yet |
| Check NordVPN price | Check Mullvad price |
The cheaper sticker price is not the cheaper VPN here. NordVPN has the lower introductory rate, but over three years Mullvad costs $14.04 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
Neither VPN has been speed-tested by us yet, so there is nothing to chart here.
NordVPN and Mullvad have not been through our speed rig yet, so there is no region-by-region chart for this pair. Speed figures other people have published are on the NordVPN and Mullvad review, attributed to whoever measured them.
Streaming, service by service
| NordVPN | Mullvad | |
|---|---|---|
| Unblocked | 0 of 0 reported (not tested by us) | 0 of 0 reported (not tested by us) |
| Netflix US | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix UK | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix JP | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix CA | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix AU | n/r | n/r |
| Prime Video | n/r | n/r |
| Disney+ | n/r | n/r |
| Hulu | n/r | n/r |
| Max | n/r | n/r |
| Paramount+ | n/r | n/r |
| Peacock | n/r | n/r |
| BBC iPlayer | n/r | n/r |
| ITVX | n/r | n/r |
| DAZN | n/r | n/r |
| n/r — no published result found | n/r — no published result found |
Security features
| NordVPN | 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, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, browser extensions, routers | 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.
- NordVPNNever tested
No police raid, court order or subpoena against NordVPN has been made public. That is not a mark against it — most providers have never been asked — but it does mean the policy has never had to hold up under pressure.
Audit: Deloitte no-logs audit, 2024 · Panama
- 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.
- NordVPN16 categories
- 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 NordVPN?
Not on our overall score — 6.7 against 8.7 — or even on our privacy sub-score, where NordVPN rates 9.5 to Mullvad's 7.8. What Mullvad has that no number captures well is a real pressure test: a 2023 police raid that found nothing, because there was nothing to find. For everything else — devices, countries, features, live chat — NordVPN is ahead by a wide margin.
Why does Mullvad rank 8th despite passing a real no-logs pressure test?
Because a pressure test is one input to the score, not the whole thing. Mullvad also scores lower than NordVPN on our privacy sub-score (7.8 against 9.5), and it does little beyond the tunnel itself — five devices, no port forwarding since 2023, no live chat, no streaming ambitions. Its rank reflects the full rubric, not a verdict on whether its no-logs claim holds up; the raid is still the strongest evidence any provider here has.
Which is cheaper, NordVPN or Mullvad?
Mullvad's flat €5 (about $5.80) against NordVPN's $3.49 long-plan rate — NordVPN looks cheaper up front, but that's an introductory price. Mullvad has no intro rate and no renewal jump, so €5 is what you pay in year one and year five. NordVPN renews at $11.59.
We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. Scores and the winner are decided by the scoring rubric before any commercial consideration. Disclosure