ExpressVPN

VS

Mullvad VPN

VPNs Comparison

ExpressVPN vs Mullvad VPN: Side-by-Side Comparison

ExpressVPN
Mullvad VPN
Rating
★★★★★★★★★★
4.6/5
★★★★★★★★★★
4.5/5
Free Tier
No
No
Trial Days
30-day trial
30-day trial
Pricing
1-month plan $12.95/month. 6-month plan $9.99/month. 12-month plan from $6.67/month.
Flat rate €5/month (~$5.50). No annual discount. No free tier.
Company
Kape Technologies
Mullvad VPN AB
Founded
2009
2009
Best For
Travelers to restrictive countries needing guaranteed VPN access with premium connection speed
Journalists, activists, and privacy extremists needing maximum anonymity with no account trail

Pros & Cons

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ExpressVPN

Lightway protocol delivers the fastest and most stable connections of any VPN
Works reliably in restrictive countries like China and UAE where others fail
MediaStreamer unblocks streaming services even on devices that cannot run VPN apps
Independent audits by Cure53 confirm no-logs policy and app security
Router app allows VPN protection across entire home network from one device
One of the more expensive VPNs with no major discount on short-term plans
Only 8 simultaneous device connections compared to competitors offering unlimited

Mullvad VPN

Account number system requires no email or personal information to sign up
Accepts cash and cryptocurrency for truly anonymous account creation
RAM-only servers ensure no data persists after server reboots
DAITA technology defeats traffic analysis attacks invisible to standard VPNs
Flat €5/month pricing with no long-term contracts or discount tricks
No streaming-optimized servers - not designed for Netflix or content unblocking
Only 5 simultaneous device connections on a single account

Use Case Analysis

Which is better for Privacy?

Both ExpressVPN and Mullvad VPN support Privacy workflows. ExpressVPN has a slight edge with a 4.6 rating and Most reliable VPN in censored regions like China with MediaStreamer for non-VPN devices. If Privacy is your primary use case, ExpressVPN is the safer pick.

Which is better for Encryption?

Both ExpressVPN and Mullvad VPN support Encryption workflows. ExpressVPN has a slight edge with a 4.6 rating and Most reliable VPN in censored regions like China with MediaStreamer for non-VPN devices. If Encryption is your primary use case, ExpressVPN is the safer pick.

Which is better for No Logs?

Both ExpressVPN and Mullvad VPN support No Logs workflows. ExpressVPN has a slight edge with a 4.6 rating and Most reliable VPN in censored regions like China with MediaStreamer for non-VPN devices. If No Logs is your primary use case, ExpressVPN is the safer pick.

Which is better for Kill Switch?

Both ExpressVPN and Mullvad VPN support Kill Switch workflows. ExpressVPN has a slight edge with a 4.6 rating and Most reliable VPN in censored regions like China with MediaStreamer for non-VPN devices. If Kill Switch is your primary use case, ExpressVPN is the safer pick.

Verdict

ExpressVPN edges out Mullvad VPN with a 4.6 vs 4.5 rating. ExpressVPN's main advantage: Most reliable VPN in censored regions like China with MediaStreamer for non-VPN devices. That said, Mullvad VPN may still be the better choice if Journalists, activists, and privacy extremists needing maximum anonymity with no account trail.

Try Them Yourself

The best way to choose is to trial both. See full details on each:

Get ExpressVPN Try Mullvad
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