ExpressVPN and Mullvad represent two distinct philosophies in the VPN market, and their tested scores reflect those differences clearly. ExpressVPN earned an overall score of 68% compared to Mullvad's 63%, but the aggregate numbers obscure some important contrasts worth examining before making a decision.
On performance, ExpressVPN is the stronger choice by a significant margin. It achieved a perfect 100% in speed testing, while Mullvad scored only 30% in the same category. For users who prioritize fast connections for streaming, gaming, or large file transfers, this gap is meaningful. ExpressVPN also earned a perfect score in streaming, suggesting reliable access to geo-restricted content across platforms, whereas Mullvad scored just 29% there, indicating limited effectiveness for streaming purposes.
Privacy and security tell a very different story. Mullvad earned an 85% score in privacy audits compared to ExpressVPN's 23%, a substantial difference that privacy-conscious users should weigh carefully. Mullvad also achieved a perfect 100% in ethics, while ExpressVPN scored 67% in that category. Mullvad is based in Sweden, a jurisdiction with robust privacy laws but also membership in international intelligence-sharing alliances, while ExpressVPN operates from the British Virgin Islands, which sits outside the Five Eyes framework. Both providers support WireGuard, kill switch functionality, split tunneling, and P2P torrenting, giving them comparable feature sets at the application level.
ExpressVPN scored 73% in application quality and 90% in graphical interface design, compared to Mullvad's 67% and 80% respectively. This suggests ExpressVPN delivers a more polished user experience overall. ExpressVPN also achieved a perfect 100% in customer support, a notable advantage over Mullvad's 50% score, which may matter to users who expect responsive assistance when issues arise. ExpressVPN includes a Bug Bounty Program among its listed features, which Mullvad does not, indicating a formal mechanism for identifying security vulnerabilities.
Mullvad holds an edge in pricing value, scoring 64% compared to ExpressVPN's 55%. Mullvad has long maintained a flat, transparent pricing structure with no long-term commitment required, and its pricing score reflects that straightforward approach. Pricing information for both providers was unavailable at time of publication, so prospective subscribers should verify current rates directly.
In summary, ExpressVPN is better suited to users who prioritize speed, streaming access, interface quality, and customer support. Mullvad is the stronger option for users whose primary concern is privacy, ethical transparency, and independent audit verification.