Which VPN Ought to You Select?

Mullvad VPN is a fan favourite amongst privateness lovers for its emphasis on anonymity and transparency. However, NordVPN constantly ranks as a high VPN choice for its intensive server community, further safety capabilities and polished software.

With this in thoughts, it could be troublesome to resolve which VPN is greatest to your wants. Fortuitously, we’ve rounded up all of the necessary information and information you want to select which VPN is the appropriate selection for you and your online business.

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

• Mullvad VPN: Finest for people who prioritize privateness and absolute anonymity with their private info and looking information.
• NordVPN: Finest for many companies, massive or small, that want an all-around VPN with dependable speeds, a strong server community and vast 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. Other than the standard one-month and one-year subscriptions, Mullvad VPN additionally provides a novel one-decade subscription choice.

• 1 month: $5.40 per 30 days.
• 1 12 months: $5.40 per 30 days.
• 1 decade: $5.40 per 30 days.

If you wish to be taught extra, learn our full Mullvad VPN evaluation.

Sadly, Mullvad VPN doesn’t provide a free trial of its paid VPN. Whereas it offers prospects with a 30-day money-back assure, I hope Mullvad considers providing a free trial on any one among its VPN purchasers, particularly since different VPNs, like NordVPN, provide free trial entry — even when a few of them are solely by their cell software.

NordVPN pricing

NordVPN categorizes its paid plans into three tiers: Primary, Plus and Final. NordVPN provides 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 software. Whereas I want Nord gave Apple and desktop customers the identical entry to a free trial, it’s nonetheless loads higher in comparison with Mullvad VPN, which doesn’t provide any form of take a look at trial entry. Fortunately, you should utilize NordVPN on desktop after accessing the free trial through its Android cell app.

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

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

If you wish to be taught extra, take a look at our full NordVPN evaluation.

Mullvad VPN vs NordVPN: Function comparability

Safety protocols and encryption

Winner: Tie

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

I respect how each VPNs don’t sacrifice consumer flexibility in selecting to incorporate each OpenVPN and WireGuard/NordLynx. With these protocols, companies can simply change 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 joyful 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 shield 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 international locations in its server community. This covers places within the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Center East.

On the flipside, Mullvad VPN provides 680+ servers from 44 international locations 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 massive server pool benefit advantages potential VPN customers who wish to unblock geo-restricted content material present in different international locations. 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 Totally different Sorts of VPNs & When to Use Them (TechRepublic)

That being stated, I respect how Mullvad VPN offers an in depth view of its server community on its official web site. It exhibits the obtainable 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 your online business is searching for a VPN with a various and strong server fleet.

Third-party audits and monitor document

Winner: Mullvad VPN

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

Mullvad VPN has audits on totally different points of its service courting again to 2017, all of which can be found on its official web site. Additionally it is fully open-source, and its supply code is offered for public viewing and evaluation.

SEE: 6 Finest 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 places of work 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 places of work empty-handed. With this, Mullvad confirmed it isn’t bluffing when it says it doesn’t document any form of buyer info.

That’s to not say NordVPN lacks within the third-party testing division — removed from it. NordVPN has its service usually 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 nasty factor.

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

Efficiency and velocity

Winner: NordVPN

For velocity 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 velocity exams, recording solely a 5.80% lower in obtain velocity and a 16.2% drop in add velocity in comparison with my web service supplier.

However, 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: How one can Begin a Profession in Cybersecurity (TechRepublic Premium)

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

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

Standout safety features

Winner: Tie

Whereas NordVPN comes with a big quantity of further 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 prospects don’t want to offer an e-mail tackle, 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 through nameless fee strategies like money, bodily vouchers or cryptocurrencies. This reduces customers’ digital footprint to a minimal, additional enhancing the nameless looking expertise we would like with a VPN service.

In fact, I can’t low cost the quantity of further safety features NordVPN consists of with its consumer. It has a built-in risk safety system that blocks adverts, malware and trackers. It additionally consists of its Meshnet personal networking system, permitting for safe file sharing and machine 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 consumer interface.

Whereas NordVPN carries a number of options, I by no means felt overwhelmed as every part was cleanly organized. I additionally appreciated Nord’s modern 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 ordinary VPN options have been the place I anticipated them to be.

I additionally like how Mullvad VPN lets customers make a custom-made checklist of their favourite or most used VPN servers. This makes it pretty straightforward to shortly hook up with your online business’ high server location.

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

Simultaneous machine connections

Winner: NordVPN

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

If your online business plans to have a number of gadgets linked to a VPN server, NordVPN might be a greater match with its 10 simultaneous machine connections.

Mullvad VPN execs and cons

Professionals

• Nameless consumer account quantity system for elevated privateness.
• Constant third-party safety audits.
• Reasonably priced month-to-month subscription.

Cons

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

NordVPN execs and cons

Professionals

• Bigger server community of 6,400 servers in 111 international locations.
• Quick and dependable VPN speeds.
• Polished and intuitive consumer expertise.
• Abundance of further safety capabilities.

Cons

• Month-to-month plan is on the costly finish.
• Free trial is through 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 international locations and consists of quite a lot of further safety features apart from the VPN. It additionally offers 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 machine 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 every part else. It’s additionally an excellent decide for customers who wish to depart as little a digital footprint as attainable by its random account system and nameless fee choices.

Sadly, Mullvad VPN’s much less developed server community, poorer velocity take a look at efficiency and smaller allowable simultaneous machine 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 have been scored on every part, from their safety protocols to pricing. Specifically, I took into consideration 5 foremost pillars, every having corresponding weights:

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

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

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