Surfshark vs. Mullvad 2025: There’s a Clear Winner

Between Surfshark and Mullvad, we found Surfshark took the lead for security features, speed performance, and support options. Surfshark is also user-friendly and provides several plans with comprehensive cybersecurity suites.

However, Mullvad's strengths lie in its fixed price that fits almost any budget. It also provides several account creation and payment options for enhanced anonymity. 

Learn more about Surfshark vs. Mullvad in our side-by-side comparison. 

Surfshark vs. Mullvad at a glance

• Surfshark: Best overall
• Mullvad: Best for limited time use

	Our Pick
Star rating	AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Price	From $1.99/mo	From €5.00/mo (about $5.78/mo)
Max # of connected devices	Unlimited	5
24/7 customer support
Compatibility	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Edge, Firefox	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
# of servers	4,500+ servers in 100 countries	600+ servers in 50 countries
VPN protocol	WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN	WireGuard, OpenVPN
No-logs policy
Unblocks Netflix?
Learn more	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review	Get Mullvad Read Mullvad Review

Surfshark VPN pros and cons

Surfshark offers unlimited simultaneous connections, a rare feature for most VPNs. It also has extras like CleanWeb, which keeps you safe from ads and trackers.

Surfshark ranges between $1.99–$20.65/mo and offers the most overall savings when you purchase longer-term plans.

Mullvad VPN pros and cons

Mullvad has only one price, €5.00/mo, which will stay unchanged no matter how long you use it. It offers necessary VPN features like split tunneling and has a strict no-logs policy.

Anonymity is a top priority for Mullvad, and its users tend to value it over any other feature.

Which VPN is the better value?

		Our Pick
Price range	$1.99–$20.65/mo	€5.00/mo
Best value plan	24-month Surfshark One plan for $2.19/mo	Mullvad monthly for €5.00/mo (about $5.78/mo)
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days	Yes — 30 days
Learn more	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review	Get Mullvad Read Mullvad Review

Surfshark ranges $1.99–$20.65/mo depending on your plan, how long of a term you purchase, and if you want any extras. We think the 24-month Surfshark One plan for $2.19/mo that includes antivirus is a great compromise between features and price.

Mullvad offers only one price, €5.00/mo, no matter how long you use the VPN. This can help you save money on a VPN if you only need one for a short time. 

While this simplifies things, it also means you miss out on features and services that other VPNs offer, like a live customer support representative.

Still, the simple pricing structure and adherence to strict anonymity make Mullvad a favorite of those who favor extreme privacy.

Payment options

In some parts of the world or for some customers, absolute anonymity is a must when using a VPN. However, all of Surfshark’s payment options can be tied to some form of identification, which might not sit well with a person in a region where VPNs are illegal (like Russia).

Even Surfshark’s crypto option has to be through CoinGate, which may keep some records of your identity.

Mullvad offers several options, including cash and vouchers, that lend themselves to complete anonymity.

Surfshark VPN payment options

• Credit or debit card
• PayPal
• Google Pay
• Amazon Pay
• Cryptocurrency through CoinGate (Bitcoin, Ethereum, and more)

Mullvad VPN payment options

• Cash
• Vouchers
• Cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and bitcoin cash
• Credit cards
• PayPal
• Other payment options include bank wire, Swish, GiroPay, EPS transfer, Bancontact, iDEAL, and Przelewy24

Which VPN is faster?

We test how VPNs impact our internet speeds to make sure the service you choose is usable. If you activate your VPN and it makes your connection worse than dial-up, you’ll likely turn it off and never use it again.

We compared the average impact both Surfshark and Mullvad have had on our download speeds over our history of testing. Anything under 10% is excellent, but you won’t notice a lag until it begins getting up around 30%.

Server location	Our Pick
Average speed change	8% slower	18% slower
Learn more	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review	Get Mullvad Read Mullvad Review

Historically, Surfshark and Mullvad are both fast VPNs that make it effortless to browse while keeping our internet traffic private. However, Surfshark edges ahead. It frequently improves our download speeds, as proved by our most recent testing. 

Mullvad still provided solid performance, but it's not the most consistent. In our latest tests, the U.S. server caused the slowest download speeds by far while the U.K. server increased our download speed by 5%. These might be due to its limited server network, which causes increased server load. 

Which VPN is more secure?

Feature	Our Pick
Number of servers	4,500+ servers in 100 countries	600+ servers in 50 countries
No-logs policy	No logs	No logs
VPN headquarters	Netherlands	Sweden
Encryption	AES-256-GCM	AES-256 or ChaCha20
VPN protocol	WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN	WireGuard, OpenVPN
Kill switch
Split tunneling
DNS leak protection
Ad blocker
Learn more	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review	Get Mullvad Read Mullvad Review

A lot of discourse online surrounding Mullvad says it offers strict anonymity, and considering its independent third-party audits, ability to pay anonymously, and tight security, we would agree.

But Mullvad is lacking in features due to its unreliable kill switch, limited protocols, and limited server locations.

Kill switches protect your personal information in the event the VPN connection drops. In our testing, Mullvad disabled our internet when we switched servers, but it created a massive glitch that caused us to troubleshoot our connection. It was definitely not a seamless kill switch.

Surfshark, on the other hand, worked seamlessly. It offered us at least one more VPN protocol, had an actual kill switch, and gave us plenty of server options.  Surfshark also offers plenty of extra tools like Surfshark CleanWeb, which blocks ads and trackers, Surfshark Alternative ID, for email masking, and more. 

Given that both protect us from DNS and WebRTC leaks, we prefer Surfshark for its greater transparency and cleaner security features.

Which VPN has the best compatibility and customer support?

	Our Pick
Windows
macOS
Android
iOS
Linux
Routers
Smart devices
Browser extensions	Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Edge	Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Edge
24/7 customer support
Customer support options	Live chat, email, online guides	Email, online guides
Learn more	Get Surfshark VPN Read Surfshark VPN Review	Get Mullvad VPN Read Mullvad VPN Review

Surfshark has a clean, modern look with easily accessible controls. If you bundle, your antivirus and data broker removal information are also housed in an easy-to-use dashboard that lets you toggle between features.

Mullvad’s features are easy to find and use, but we found its interface a bit more dated.

The biggest difference between these two regarding compatibility and support is Mullvad’s lack of accessible support options. Normally, we wouldn’t harp on this, but considering Mullvad gave us several glitches, it might become annoying to wait for an email response from support.

Surfshark at least has the option of a 24/7 live chat.

Surfshark vs. Mullvad alternatives

If you’ve compared Surfshark and Mullvad, but neither meets your needs, try one of our other suggestions below. These are some of the best VPNs available on the market, and we’ve tested each one for quality. Here's how Surfshark compares:

FAQs

Bottom line: Is Surfshark or Mullvad better?

Overall, Surfshark is the better VPN choice. It offers more servers, consistent speeds, 24/7 live support, and the option to use more features and services. 

Mullvad is great for anonymity, but its usability is sometimes hindered. Depending on the device you are using, the VPN services may create glitches or issues. For a cleaner and smoother experience, Surfshark is the better choice.