Head to head · Updated August 13, 2026
ExpressVPN vs Mullvad
Mullvad takes it by 11.5 points, 85.5 against 74.0. That margin is worth reading past — ExpressVPN wins 2 of the seven criteria outright.
ExpressVPN
74.0Polished software and a genuine router firmware, at a price the rest of the market has moved away from.
- From
- $4.99/mo
- Based in
- British Virgin Islands
- Devices
- 8
- Audits
- 2
We earn nothing from ExpressVPN. This link is included because the ranking says it belongs here.
Mullvad
85.5The strongest privacy posture of any provider in this dataset, and the only one we cannot earn a commission from.
- From
- $5.50/mo
- Based in
- Sweden
- Devices
- 5
- Audits
- 2
We earn nothing from Mullvad. This link is included because the ranking says it belongs here.
Criterion by criterion
ExpressVPN wins 2, Mullvad wins 5. Each row shows the raw score out of ten and the weighted contribution to the total.
| Criterion | Weight | ExpressVPN | Mullvad | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent audit | 20 | 9/10 (18.0) | 10/10 (20.0) | Mullvad |
| Jurisdiction and ownership | 15 | 7/10 (10.5) | 6/10 (9.0) | ExpressVPN |
| Protocol and crypto stack | 15 | 7/10 (10.5) | 9/10 (13.5) | Mullvad |
| Leak protection | 15 | 9/10 (13.5) | 10/10 (15.0) | Mullvad |
| Transparency | 15 | 5/10 (7.5) | 10/10 (15.0) | Mullvad |
| Price and refund terms | 10 | 5/10 (5.0) | 7/10 (7.0) | Mullvad |
| Platform coverage | 10 | 9/10 (9.0) | 6/10 (6.0) | ExpressVPN |
| Total | 100 | 74.0 | 85.5 | Mullvad |
Where each one actually wins
ExpressVPN is ahead on
- Jurisdiction and ownership. British Virgin Islands sits outside the Fourteen Eyes agreement, but ownership sits with Kape Technologies, which also owns three competitors.
- Platform coverage. Apps across all major platforms plus purpose-built router firmware, with 8 simultaneous connections.
Mullvad is ahead on
- Independent audit. Recurring published audits by Assured AB and Cure53 covering infrastructure, apps and extension.
- Protocol and crypto stack. WireGuard and OpenVPN only, with no proprietary protocol in the stack.
- Leak protection. Kill switch is always on by design across desktop and mobile, with IPv6 and DNS resolved in-tunnel.
- Transparency. All clients are open source, signup issues a random account number with no email, and cash payment is accepted by post.
- Price and refund terms. Flat €5/month with no discount tiers: more expensive than 2-year deals, cheaper than most monthly plans.
Choose ExpressVPN if
Readers who want a router-level install with vendor-supported firmware.
Choose Mullvad if
Readers who want the least possible account data held about them.
Reasons to pick neither
Skip ExpressVPN if: You are price-sensitive, or you want your provider to be independent of a group that owns several apparent competitors.
Skip Mullvad if: Your main reason for buying a VPN is watching a specific streaming catalogue. Mullvad does not chase streaming platforms and does not claim to.
Questions
- Is ExpressVPN or Mullvad better?
- Mullvad scores higher overall, 85.5 against 74.0, a gap of 11.5 points out of 100. The strongest privacy posture of any provider in this dataset, and the only one we cannot earn a commission from.
- Which is cheaper, ExpressVPN or Mullvad?
- ExpressVPN, at $4.99/mo against $5.50/mo. Both rates require committing to the provider’s longest term; the monthly rates are considerably higher.
- Which one has been audited more recently?
- Mullvad, most recently in 2024 against ExpressVPN’s 2023.
- Does jurisdiction differ between them?
- Yes. ExpressVPN operates from British Virgin Islands and Mullvad from Sweden. ExpressVPN is outside the Fourteen Eyes agreement; the other is not.
Related comparisons
Comparison generated from the same dataset as the ranking. Emphasis criterion definitions are on the rubric page. Criterion labels: Independent audit, Jurisdiction and ownership, Protocol and crypto stack, Leak protection, Transparency, Price and refund terms, Platform coverage.