Mullvad vs NordVPN (2024): Which VPN Ought to You Select? – Uplaza

Mullvad VPN is a fan favourite amongst privateness fanatics for its emphasis on anonymity and transparency. Then again, 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 could be troublesome to determine which VPN is finest to your wants. Luckily, we’ve rounded up all of the necessary data and information it is advisable select which VPN is the suitable selection for you and your small business.

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 data and shopping information.
• NordVPN: Greatest for many companies, massive or small, that want an all-around VPN with dependable speeds, a sturdy server community and broad platform assist.

Mullvad VPN vs NordVPN: Comparability

	Mullvad VPN	NordVPN
Our ranking	3.7 out of 5 stars	4.7 out of 5 stars
Safety protocols	OpenVPN, WireGuard	OpenVPN, NordLynx (primarily based on WireGuard)
No. of servers	680+	6,400+
VPN server areas	44 nations	111 nations
Simultaneous machine areas	5	10
Supported platforms	Home windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, routers	Home windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Android TV, Apple TV, routers, recreation consoles
Free trial	None	7-day free trial through Android (can check in on different platforms afterwards)
Beginning worth (annual)	$5.40 per thirty days	$4.99 per thirty days

Mullvad VPN vs NordVPN: Pricing

Mullvad VPN pricing

Mullvad VPN is the one VPN I’ve tried that has a flat price for all its contract choices. Apart from the same old one-month and one-year subscriptions, Mullvad VPN additionally affords a singular one-decade subscription choice.

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

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

Sadly, Mullvad VPN doesn’t provide a free trial of its paid VPN. Whereas it offers clients 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 way of their cell utility.

NordVPN pricing

NordVPN categorizes its paid plans into three tiers: Primary, Plus and Final. NordVPN affords function 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.

	Primary	Plus	Final
Month-to-month plan	$12.99 per thirty days	$13.99 per thirty days	$15.99 per thirty days
1-year plan	$4.99 per thirty days	$5.99 per thirty days	$7.99 per thirty days
2-year plan	$3.99 per thirty days	$4.99 per thirty days	$6.99 per thirty days
Characteristic variations	Most important VPN service plus Risk Safety	All Primary options plus malware safety, tracker and advert blocker and information breach scanner	All Plus options plus 1TB encrypted NordLocker cloud storage

NordVPN has a seven-day free trial by way of its Android utility. Whereas I want Nord gave Apple and desktop customers the identical entry to a free trial, it’s nonetheless quite a bit higher when put next with Mullvad VPN, which doesn’t provide any form of check 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 Greatest? (TechRepublic)

Like Mullvad, NordVPN additionally offers 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 match.

If you wish to be taught extra, try our full NordVPN assessment.

Mullvad VPN vs NordVPN: Characteristic 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. Then again, NordVPN carries OpenVPN and NordLynx — its in-house VPN protocol primarily based on WireGuard.

I recognize 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 robust 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 companies 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 areas

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 areas within the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Center East.

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

The big server pool benefit advantages potential VPN customers who wish to unblock geo-restricted content material present in different nations. Theoretically, this could 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 Varieties of VPNs & When to Use Them (TechRepublic)

That being stated, I recognize how Mullvad VPN offers an in depth view of its server community on its official web site. It exhibits the accessible 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 small business is in search of a VPN with a various and sturdy 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 powerful dedication to common unbiased checks carried out by third-party specialists. In reality, Mullvad’s most up-to-date infrastructure audit consequence was printed on June 28, 2024.

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

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

One other massive indicator of its robust safety is an incident in April 2023, the place Swedish Law enforcement officials visited Mullvad VPN places of work in search of buyer information. As a result of Mullvad VPN was a no-logs VPN and really 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 report any form of buyer data.

That’s to not say NordVPN lacks within the third-party testing division — removed from it. NordVPN has its service usually audited as effectively, with its most up-to-date audit consequence printed 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 effectively with pace checks, recording solely a 5.80% lower in obtain pace and a 16.2% drop in add pace in comparison with my web service supplier.

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

SEE: Learn how 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 offered.

Whereas pace checks 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 further safety features, I feel 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. Because of this Mullvad clients don’t want to supply an e-mail tackle, password or username to have a Mullvad VPN account — including an additional layer of privateness to the tip customers.

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

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

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

Regardless of NordVPN’s abundance of additional safety features, I feel 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 feel NordVPN succeeds in having each an aesthetically pleasing design and an intuitive person interface.

Whereas NordVPN carries plenty 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 effectively. 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 checklist of their favourite or most used VPN servers. This makes it pretty simple to shortly hook up with your small business’ high server location.

Subjectively talking, nonetheless, I nonetheless choose NordVPN’s extra polished UI design over Mullvad VPN’s interface. Whereas Mullvad VPN may be very intuitive, its desktop utility 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 popular limitless machine connections, that is considerably greater than Mullvad VPN’s present five-device restrict.

If your small business plans to have a number of units related to a VPN server, NordVPN can be a greater match with its 10 simultaneous machine connections.

Mullvad VPN professionals and cons

Execs

• 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 machine connections.

NordVPN professionals and cons

Execs

• Bigger server community of 6,400 servers in 111 nations.
• Quick and dependable VPN speeds.
• Polished and intuitive person 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 sturdy server community of 6,400 servers throughout 111 nations and contains a wide range of additional safety features apart from the VPN. It additionally offers extremely constant VPN speeds and efficiency.

NordVPN is finest for many companies, massive 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 finest for particular person customers or particular person enterprise house owners who prioritize anonymity above all the pieces else. It’s additionally a terrific decide for customers who wish to go away as little a digital footprint as doable by way of 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 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 companies had been scored on all the pieces, from their safety protocols to pricing. Specifically, I took into consideration 5 predominant pillars, every having corresponding weights:

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

I additionally took into consideration actual person suggestions and respected evaluations to spherical out my last 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 way of Ookla’s public Speedtest. Lastly, I considered which varieties of companies or particular person customers would finest profit from both NordVPN or Mullvad VPN.