Which VPN Ought to You Select?

Mullvad VPN is a fan favourite amongst privateness fans for its emphasis on anonymity and transparency. Alternatively, NordVPN constantly ranks as a high VPN choice for its in depth server community, additional safety capabilities and polished utility.

With this in thoughts, it might be tough to resolve which VPN is greatest on your wants. Thankfully, we’ve rounded up all of the essential information and information you should select which VPN is the appropriate selection for you and what you are promoting.

Let’s dive in and see whether or not Mullvad VPN or NordVPN is the perfect match for you.

• Mullvad VPN: Greatest for people who prioritize privateness and absolute anonymity with their private info and looking information.
• NordVPN: Greatest for many companies, giant or small, that want an all-around VPN with dependable speeds, a strong server community and extensive platform help.

Mullvad VPN vs NordVPN: Comparability

Mullvad VPN vs NordVPN: Pricing

Mullvad VPN pricing

Mullvad VPN is the one VPN I’ve tried that has a flat charge for all its contract choices. Except for the same old one-month and one-year subscriptions, Mullvad VPN additionally presents a novel one-decade subscription choice.

• 1 month: $5.40 monthly.
• 1 yr: $5.40 monthly.
• 1 decade: $5.40 monthly.

If you wish to study extra, learn our full Mullvad VPN assessment.

Sadly, Mullvad VPN doesn’t supply a free trial of its paid VPN. Whereas it supplies clients with a 30-day money-back assure, I hope Mullvad considers providing a free trial on any one in every of its VPN purchasers, particularly since different VPNs, like NordVPN, supply free trial entry — even when a few of them are solely by their cellular utility.

NordVPN pricing

NordVPN categorizes its paid plans into three tiers: Fundamental, Plus and Final. NordVPN presents characteristic upgrades as you progress as much as the Final plan, with all three subscription tiers providing a month-to-month, annual and two-year subscription.

NordVPN has a seven-day free trial by its Android utility. Whereas I want Nord gave Apple and desktop customers the identical entry to a free trial, it’s nonetheless so much higher in comparison with Mullvad VPN, which doesn’t supply any kind of check trial entry. Fortunately, you need to use NordVPN on desktop after accessing the free trial by way of its Android cellular app.

SEE: NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: Which VPN Is Greatest? (TechRepublic)

Like Mullvad, NordVPN additionally supplies a 30-day money-back assure to its clients, permitting them to refund their subscription throughout the interval in the event that they discover it isn’t an excellent match.

If you wish to study extra, take a look at our full NordVPN assessment.

Mullvad VPN vs NordVPN: Function comparability

Safety protocols and encryption

Winner: Tie

Each Mullvad VPN and NordVPN include the high-quality safety protocols we wish out of modern-day VPNs. Mullvad VPN makes use of the OpenVPN and WireGuard tunneling protocols. Alternatively, NordVPN carries OpenVPN and NordLynx — its in-house VPN protocol based mostly on WireGuard.

I admire how each VPNs don’t sacrifice person flexibility in selecting to incorporate each OpenVPN and WireGuard/NordLynx. With these protocols, companies can simply swap between having the sturdy safety of OpenVPN or the quick speeds of WireGuard/NordLynx when connecting to a VPN server from both supplier.

SEE: Surfshark vs NordVPN: Which VPN Is Higher in 2024? (TechRepublic)

For encryption, I’m completely satisfied to see that each Mullvad VPN and NordVPN use the industry-standard AES-256 encryption algorithm. AES encryption is extraordinarily safe, with banks and authorities businesses alike utilizing it to encrypt and defend their information.

With each Mullvad VPN and NordVPN utilizing AES-256, I’m glad to report a tie within the encryption spherical of this match-up.

VPN server community and places

Winner: NordVPN

For server suites, NordVPN takes the decisive win over Mullvad VPN. As of July 2024, NordVPN has over 6,400+ servers throughout 111 nations in its server community. This covers places within the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Center East.

On the flipside, Mullvad VPN presents 680+ servers from 44 nations and 81 cities. That is considerably smaller than NordVPN and is on the decrease finish in comparison with the common 2,000–4,000 servers we see in different VPN suppliers as nicely.

The big server pool benefit advantages potential VPN customers who need to unblock geo-restricted content material present in different nations. Theoretically, this may additionally assist with connection speeds because you’ll have extra choices to decide on servers nearer to your space — diminishing latency and lag.

SEE: 4 Completely different Sorts of VPNs & When to Use Them (TechRepublic)

That being stated, I admire how Mullvad VPN supplies an in depth view of its server community on its official web site. It exhibits the out there servers on its community, its respective suppliers and, extra critically, server possession.

This stage of transparency doesn’t go unnoticed, and I commend Mullvad for not being afraid to reveal which servers they’re renting and which of them they really personal.

Regardless of this, it’s nonetheless clear that NordVPN is the higher selection if what you are promoting is searching for a VPN with a various and strong server fleet.

Third-party audits and monitor report

Winner: Mullvad VPN

Mullvad VPN wins when it comes to third-party testing and general monitor report. With Mullvad’s heavy emphasis on transparency, it has proven a robust dedication to common impartial exams carried out by third-party consultants. In actual fact, Mullvad’s most up-to-date infrastructure audit outcome was revealed on June 28, 2024.

Mullvad VPN has audits on completely different features of its service relationship again to 2017, all of which can be found on its official web site. It is usually utterly open-source, and its supply code is accessible for public viewing and assessment.

SEE: 6 Greatest Nameless (No-Log) VPNs for 2024 (TechRepublic)

One other huge indicator of its sturdy safety is an incident in April 2023, the place Swedish Cops visited Mullvad VPN workplaces searching for buyer information. As a result of Mullvad VPN was a no-logs VPN and truly held true to this declare, the cops left its workplaces empty-handed. With this, Mullvad confirmed it isn’t bluffing when it says it doesn’t report any kind of buyer info.

That’s to not say NordVPN lacks within the third-party testing division — removed from it. NordVPN has its service often audited as nicely, with its most up-to-date audit outcome revealed in January 2024. It’s additionally closed-source software program, which isn’t essentially a foul factor.

However should you worth third-party testing and staunch firm transparency, I discover Mullvad VPN to have a slight edge over NordVPN.

Efficiency and pace

Winner: NordVPN

For pace and real-world efficiency, NordVPN earns the win. Throughout my testing, NordVPN gave me constant and quick speeds with my common workflow as a author. This concerned doing work on Google apps like Docs and Drive; attending on-line video conferences; doing analysis on a number of browser tabs; and streaming the occasional 1080p movies.

It additionally carried out exceptionally nicely with pace exams, recording solely a 5.80% lower in obtain pace and a 16.2% drop in add pace in comparison with my web service supplier.

Alternatively, I had a constructive expertise with Mullvad VPN’s servers. I didn’t expertise any severe slowdown whereas doing the identical duties and was pretty impressed with the general reliability of Mullvad VPN’s servers.

SEE: The right way to Begin a Profession in Cybersecurity (TechRepublic Premium)

Nevertheless, Mullvad VPN is let down by its pace check outcomes. For downloads, Mullvad VPN had a 40.8% drop in pace, whereas it had an 89.8% lower for uploads — a lot bigger deficits in comparison with what NordVPN supplied.

Whereas pace exams don’t essentially inform the entire story, this may be an indicator that Mullvad may have much less constant outcomes throughout connection-intensive duties. Due to this, NordVPN will get the win for pace and efficiency.

Standout safety features

Winner: Tie

Whereas NordVPN comes with a big quantity of extra safety features, I believe Mullvad VPN holds its personal with its distinctive, privacy-focused value-adds.

First, Mullvad VPN makes use of a definite nameless account numbering system for all its paid customers. Which means that Mullvad clients don’t want to offer an e mail deal with, password or username to have a Mullvad VPN account — including an additional layer of privateness to the top customers.

It additionally lets customers pay for a Mullvad VPN subscription by way of nameless cost strategies like money, bodily vouchers or cryptocurrencies. This reduces customers’ digital footprint to a minimal, additional enhancing the nameless looking expertise we wish with a VPN service.

After all, I can’t low cost the quantity of extra safety features NordVPN contains with its shopper. It has a built-in risk safety system that blocks adverts, malware and trackers. It additionally contains its Meshnet personal networking system, permitting for safe file sharing and gadget entry by their VPN.

NordVPN additionally has security-focused server sorts, with obfuscated servers, double VPN capabilities and optimized P2P servers.

Regardless of NordVPN’s abundance of additional safety features, I believe Mullvad VPN’s complete method to buyer privateness helps it stand on equal floor with the favored VPN supplier.

Ease of use and design

Winner: NordVPN

Relating to ease of use and general app design, I decide NordVPN. Personally, I believe NordVPN succeeds in having each an aesthetically pleasing design and an intuitive person interface.

Whereas NordVPN carries a whole lot of options, I by no means felt overwhelmed as all the pieces was cleanly organized. I additionally appreciated Nord’s glossy and minimalist design, which helps elevate the general UI expertise.

To Mullvad VPN’s credit score, I had zero points utilizing its app as nicely. It was user-friendly and all of the settings and common VPN options had been the place I anticipated them to be.

I additionally like how Mullvad VPN lets customers make a personalized record of their favourite or most used VPN servers. This makes it pretty straightforward to rapidly connect with what you are promoting’ high server location.

Subjectively talking, nevertheless, I nonetheless want NordVPN’s extra polished UI design over Mullvad VPN’s interface. Whereas Mullvad VPN could be very intuitive, its desktop utility is on the extra dated and cartoon-y aspect in comparison with NordVPN.

Simultaneous gadget connections

Winner: NordVPN

NordVPN permits extra simultaneous gadget connections than Mullvad VPN. Proper now, customers can have as much as 10 simultaneous gadget connections with the NordVPN app. Whereas I’d have most well-liked limitless gadget connections, that is considerably greater than Mullvad VPN’s present five-device restrict.

If what you are promoting plans to have a number of units linked to a VPN server, NordVPN will likely be a greater match with its 10 simultaneous gadget connections.

Mullvad VPN execs and cons

Professionals

• Nameless person account quantity system for elevated privateness.
• Constant third-party safety audits.
• Inexpensive month-to-month subscription.

Cons

• Small server community and nation unfold.
• Lack of a devoted free trial.
• Solely 5 simultaneous gadget connections.

NordVPN execs and cons

Professionals

• Bigger server community of 6,400 servers in 111 nations.
• Quick and dependable VPN speeds.
• Polished and intuitive person expertise.
• Abundance of extra safety capabilities.

Cons

• Month-to-month plan is on the costly finish.
• Free trial is by way of Android app solely.

Ought to your group use Mullvad VPN or NordVPN?

Total, NordVPN is the extra well-rounded VPN resolution. It carries a strong server community of 6,400 servers throughout 111 nations and contains a wide range of additional safety features other than the VPN. It additionally supplies extremely constant VPN speeds and efficiency.

NordVPN is greatest for many companies, huge or small, that desire a full-featured VPN that may assist unblock geo-restricted content material, simply change gadget IP addresses and strengthen safety and privateness throughout the group.

Mullvad VPN is greatest for particular person customers or particular person enterprise homeowners who prioritize anonymity above all the pieces else. It’s additionally an incredible decide for customers who need to depart as little a digital footprint as doable by its random account system and nameless cost choices.

Sadly, Mullvad VPN’s much less developed server community, poorer pace check efficiency and smaller allowable simultaneous gadget connections maintain it again from getting the win over NordVPN.

Methodology

My comparability of Mullvad VPN and NordVPN concerned real-world analysis of each VPNs and an in depth evaluation of every VPN’s options, worth and efficiency.

To evaluate every VPN, each providers had been scored on all the pieces, from their safety protocols to pricing. Specifically, I took into consideration 5 primary pillars, every having corresponding weights:

• Pricing (20%).
• Core VPN options (30%).
• Ease of use (15%).
• Buyer help (30%).
• Knowledgeable evaluation (5%).

I additionally took into consideration actual person suggestions and respected critiques to spherical out my closing suggestions for each Mullvad VPN and NordVPN.

For pace and efficiency, I examined each VPNs on my private Home windows laptop and ran them by Ookla’s public Speedtest. Lastly, I considered which kinds of companies or particular person customers would greatest profit from both NordVPN or Mullvad VPN.