NordVPN vs Mullvad (2026): Which Is Better?
This is not a better-and-worse comparison, which is why the scores mislead. NordVPN takes 9.7 and Mullvad 8.0, and yet Mullvad holds the highest privacy score we award at 9.9 against NordVPN's 9.6. The explanation is that our overall score measures how many jobs a VPN does, and Mullvad refuses most of them: it unblocked 5 of 14 streaming services against NordVPN's 14, covers five devices against ten, has no live chat, and costs more at a flat €5. What it does instead is decline to know who you are — signup produces a 16-digit number with no email, and in 2023 Swedish police left its offices with nothing because there was nothing to take. Buy NordVPN if you want a VPN that does everything. Buy Mullvad if the point is that nobody, including Mullvad, can connect the account to you.
Who wins each category
- Privacy & securityMullvadNordVPN 9.6 · Mullvad 9.9
- SpeedNordVPNNordVPN 9.8 · Mullvad 8.7
- StreamingNordVPNNordVPN 9.8 · Mullvad 6.2
- Apps & easeNordVPNNordVPN 9.5 · Mullvad 8.2
- ValueNordVPNNordVPN 9.4 · 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 NordVPN if…
- You want one subscription that also handles streaming — 14 of 14 services against Mullvad's 5
- The fastest of the ten at 712 Mbps, adding only 4 ms of latency
- Ten devices, 118 countries, 24/7 live chat, and $3.39/mo on the 2-year plan
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 evidence available — a 2023 police raid that produced nothing
- Flat pricing with no intro rate and no renewal jump, and open-source apps audited yearly
NordVPN vs Mullvad: the numbers
 NordVPN |  Mullvad | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 9.7 | 8.0 |
| Rank · badge | #1 · Top rated overall | #8 · Privacy purist |
| 2-year price / mo | $3.39 | $5.40 |
| 1-year price / mo | $4.99 | $5.40 |
| Monthly price | $12.99 | $5.40 |
| Renewal | renews at the 1-year rate | flat price |
| Money-back | 30 days | 30 days |
| Simultaneous devices | 10 | 5 |
| Avg download speed | 712 Mbps | 590 Mbps |
| 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 | 24-month plan |
| Intro rate / mo | $3.39 | $5.40 |
| Then renews at / mo | $4.99 (+47%) | $5.40 — no jump |
| First term, up front | $81.36 | $129.60 |
| Total over 3 years | $141.24 | $194.40 |
| True cost / mo over 3 years | $3.92 | $5.40 |
| Money-back | 30 days — we got ours in 4 days | 30 days — refunded (card payments only) |
| Check NordVPN price | Check Mullvad price |
NordVPN is cheaper both ways — lower to start and $53.16 less across three years once the renewals are counted. 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.
| NordVPN | Mullvad | |
|---|---|---|
| US East | 771 Mbps | 660 Mbps |
| UK | 742 Mbps | 640 Mbps |
| Singapore | 668 Mbps | 520 Mbps |
| Australia | 667 Mbps | 540 Mbps |
| Added latency | +4 ms | +8 ms |
Streaming, service by service
| NordVPN | Mullvad | |
|---|---|---|
| Unblocked | 14 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
| 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?
For privacy, on the available evidence, yes — 9.9 against 9.6, and a police raid that found nothing is stronger proof than any audit. For everything else, no, and not narrowly: NordVPN is faster, unblocks nearly three times as many streaming services, covers twice the devices and costs less.
Why does Mullvad rank 8th if it is the most private?
Because the overall score measures how many jobs a VPN does, and Mullvad deliberately does few of them. Privacy is one of five weighted criteria; it also scores streaming at 6.2 and value at 7.0. Its rank is a statement about breadth, not about trustworthiness.
Which is cheaper, NordVPN or Mullvad?
NordVPN, at $3.39 a month on the two-year plan against Mullvad's flat €5. But the comparison flatters NordVPN slightly: Mullvad has no intro rate and no renewal jump, so €5 is what you pay in year one and year five, while NordVPN's rate rises when the introductory term ends.
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