Mullvad and NordVPN represent two distinct philosophies in the VPN market, and their tested scores reflect those differences clearly. Mullvad earns an overall score of 63%, while NordVPN scores considerably higher at 88%, though the gap between them is more nuanced than a simple number suggests.
Both providers share a strong foundation in privacy and security. Each supports WireGuard, includes a kill switch, offers split tunneling, and permits P2P and torrenting traffic. Their privacy audit scores are identical at 85%, indicating that both have subjected their infrastructure to independent verification. NordVPN adds a bug bounty program to its security posture, which allows external researchers to report vulnerabilities in exchange for compensation. Mullvad operates under Swedish jurisdiction, while NordVPN is based in Panama, a country with no mandatory data retention laws and no membership in intelligence sharing alliances.
Where the two providers diverge most sharply is in performance and usability. NordVPN achieved a perfect 100% in speed testing, while Mullvad scored only 30%, a significant difference that will be noticeable for users who prioritize throughput. Similarly, NordVPN scored 100% for streaming, compared to Mullvad's 29%, making NordVPN the clear choice for users who want to access geographically restricted content. NordVPN also received a perfect score for its graphical interface and customer support, while Mullvad scored 80% and 50% respectively in those areas.
Mullvad's strongest distinction is in ethics, where it earned a perfect 100% score compared to NordVPN's 67%. This reflects Mullvad's well-documented commitment to user anonymity, including its acceptance of cash payments and its decision to remove account numbers tied to personal information. These practices place Mullvad in a category of its own for users whose primary concern is minimizing their traceable relationship with a VPN provider.
Both providers scored equally in pricing at 64%, though specific monthly and annual figures were not available for direct comparison at the time of this review. Application scores favor NordVPN at 87% versus Mullvad's 67%.
In summary, NordVPN is the stronger all-around performer based on tested scores, excelling in speed, streaming, support, and interface quality. Mullvad appeals to a more privacy-focused audience willing to accept performance trade-offs in exchange for a provider with a principled, minimalist approach to user data.