Is IVPN or Mullvad better?

Mullvad scores higher overall, 85.5 against 82.5, a gap of 3 points out of 100. That is close enough that the deciding factor should be which criteria matter to you rather than the total.

Which is cheaper, IVPN or Mullvad?

Mullvad, at $5.50/mo against $6.00/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 IVPN’s 2022.

Does jurisdiction differ between them?

Yes. IVPN operates from Gibraltar and Mullvad from Sweden. IVPN is outside the Fourteen Eyes agreement; the other is not.

Head to head · Updated August 13, 2026

IVPN vs Mullvad

Mullvad takes it by 3 points, 85.5 against 82.5. That margin is worth reading past — IVPN wins 1 of the seven criteria outright.

IVPN

82.5

A deliberately small, transparent operation that costs more than the market and makes no attempt to hide it.

From: $6.00/mo
Based in: Gibraltar
Devices: 7
Audits: 1

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We earn nothing from IVPN. This link is included because the ranking says it belongs here.

Mullvad

85.5

The 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

Visit Mullvad

We earn nothing from Mullvad. This link is included because the ranking says it belongs here.

Criterion by criterion

IVPN wins 1, Mullvad wins 3, 3 tied. Each row shows the raw score out of ten and the weighted contribution to the total.

Criterion	Weight	IVPN	Mullvad	Winner
Independent audit	20	8/10 (16.0)	10/10 (20.0)	Mullvad
Jurisdiction and ownership	15	9/10 (13.5)	6/10 (9.0)	IVPN
Protocol and crypto stack	15	9/10 (13.5)	9/10 (13.5)	Tied
Leak protection	15	9/10 (13.5)	10/10 (15.0)	Mullvad
Transparency	15	10/10 (15.0)	10/10 (15.0)	Tied
Price and refund terms	10	5/10 (5.0)	7/10 (7.0)	Mullvad
Platform coverage	10	6/10 (6.0)	6/10 (6.0)	Tied
Total	100	82.5	85.5	Mullvad

Where each one actually wins

IVPN is ahead on

Jurisdiction and ownership. Gibraltar sits outside the Fourteen Eyes agreement and the operating company is named publicly.

Mullvad is ahead on

Independent audit. Recurring published audits by Assured AB and Cure53 covering infrastructure, apps and extension.
Leak protection. Kill switch is always on by design across desktop and mobile, with IPv6 and DNS resolved in-tunnel.
Price and refund terms. Flat €5/month with no discount tiers: more expensive than 2-year deals, cheaper than most monthly plans.

Choose IVPN if

Readers who value published reasoning and anonymous signup over network size.

Choose Mullvad if

Readers who want the least possible account data held about them.

Reasons to pick neither

Skip IVPN if: You want a large server network or the lowest possible price. IVPN is explicitly not competing on either.

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 IVPN or Mullvad better?: Mullvad scores higher overall, 85.5 against 82.5, a gap of 3 points out of 100. That is close enough that the deciding factor should be which criteria matter to you rather than the total.
Which is cheaper, IVPN or Mullvad?: Mullvad, at $5.50/mo against $6.00/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 IVPN’s 2022.
Does jurisdiction differ between them?: Yes. IVPN operates from Gibraltar and Mullvad from Sweden. IVPN 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.