Detailed side-by-side comparison based on our March 2026 testing. Which VPN comes out on top?
| Feature | NordVPN | Mullvad |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 9.7/10 | 8.5/10 |
| Price (Best Plan) | $3.39/mo | $5.00/mo |
| Servers | 6,300+ | 800+ |
| Countries | 111 | 43 |
| Simultaneous Devices | 10 | 5 |
| Download Speed | 890 Mbps | 840 Mbps |
| Upload Speed | 480 Mbps | 440 Mbps |
| Latency | 12 ms | 13 ms |
| Protocols | NordLynx (WireGuard), OpenVPN, IKEv2 | WireGuard, OpenVPN |
| Encryption | AES-256-GCM | AES-256-GCM / ChaCha20 |
| Kill Switch | Yes | Yes |
| Split Tunneling | Yes | No |
| No-Logs Policy | Verified | Verified |
| Streaming Support | Yes | No |
| Torrenting | Yes | Yes |
| Jurisdiction | Panama | Sweden |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
In our March 2026 speed tests, NordVPN achieved download speeds of 890 Mbps compared to Mullvad's 840 Mbps. This gives NordVPN a clear speed advantage, although both VPNs are fast enough for 4K streaming and gaming.
Upload speeds tell a similar story: NordVPN at 480 Mbps versus Mullvad at 440 Mbps. For latency-sensitive tasks like gaming, NordVPN's 12 ms average ping beats Mullvad's 13 ms.
Both NordVPN and Mullvad offer AES-256-GCM encryption and maintain no-logs policies. NordVPN is based in Panama while Mullvad operates from Sweden. Both passed our DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leak tests without issues.
While both are excellent VPNs, NordVPN edges ahead with a 9.7/10 rating compared to Mullvad's 8.5/10. NordVPN offers faster speeds, and better value at $3.39/mo.
That said, Mullvad is still a strong choice, especially if you value most anonymous. You cannot go wrong with either option.