Skip to content
Independently verified · Quarterly re-audit
EU VETTED
Head-to-head

Surfshark vs Mullvad VPN

How Mullvad VPN, a European VPN tool, compares with Surfshark on the signals a privacy-conscious buyer actually checks: who owns it, where it hosts, and its exposure to the US CLOUD Act.

In short

Mullvad (Sweden — EU-owned, open source, independently audited no-logs, flat €5/mo) is the privacy-maximalist pick against Surfshark. This is a comparison of philosophies more than jurisdictions: both operate inside the EU and within Eyes-alliance countries (Surfshark in the Netherlands, Mullvad in Sweden), so neither wins on jurisdiction. Mullvad's edge is radical data minimisation — no email or personal details to sign up, anonymous account numbers, cash and Monero accepted, and a flat price with no tiers. Surfshark's edge is features and value: unlimited devices, a large server network, and antivirus/ID-monitoring bundles.

DISCLOSURE   Some links on this site are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Editorial signals and rankings are never influenced by affiliate relationships.

Side-by-side

Surfshark vs Mullvad VPN, on jurisdiction & transparency

Ownership, jurisdiction, and independently audited no-logs — side by side. The right column is pulled live from our verified dataset.

Surfshark vs Mullvad VPN, on the sovereignty signals
Signal Surfshark Mullvad VPN
Jurisdiction Netherlands EU · 9-Eyes member Sweden EU · 14-Eyes member
Owner Nord Security (merged 2022) Mullvad / Amagicom AB (Sweden)
No-logs, audited Audited Audited
Servers / countries 4,500 / 100 548 / 50
Devices Unlimited 5
Price from from $2.19/mo from €5/mo
Visit Mullvad VPN → Read the Mullvad VPN profile →
Verdict

Surfshark vs Mullvad VPN: which should you pick?

This is a contest of philosophies, not jurisdictions — both operate inside EU Eyes-alliance countries (Surfshark in the Netherlands, Mullvad in Sweden), so neither wins on legal geography. Surfshark offers features and value: unlimited devices, a large network, and security bundles, now under the Nord Security group. Mullvad (Sweden — EU-owned, open source, audited, flat €5/mo) offers radical data minimisation: no email or personal details, anonymous account numbers, cash/Monero payment, and flat pricing.

Both publish audited no-logs results, so the trust question is settled at the policy level. What differs is how much the provider knows about you and how many features you want.

Pick Surfshark if unlimited devices, a security suite, and the lowest long-plan price are decisive. Pick Mullvad if minimal data exposure, anonymous sign-up, open-source apps, and predictable flat pricing matter more — the right choice for privacy-maximalists who want the provider to know as little about them as possible.

Switching

Migrating from Surfshark to Mullvad VPN

Switching is quick, and Mullvad's anonymous sign-up makes it unusually painless.

  1. Create a Mullvad account number. No email or personal details are required — Mullvad generates a random account number. Save it securely; it is your only credential. Add time with a card, PayPal, cash, or Monero.
  2. Install the apps and set your defaults. Install Mullvad on your devices, enable the kill switch (lockdown mode), and select WireGuard. Mullvad's app is intentionally simple.
  3. Test your connections. Confirm the servers and use cases you rely on work, including P2P if you use it.
  4. Cancel Surfshark. Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back window; request a refund if you are within it, and remove the Surfshark apps once Mullvad is running everywhere.
FAQ

Surfshark vs Mullvad VPN — frequently asked questions

Does Mullvad really not need an email or personal details?
Correct — that is its defining feature. Mullvad issues a random account number instead of asking for an email, name, or any personal identifier, and it accepts cash and Monero alongside cards. The design goal is that Mullvad holds as little information about you as technically possible. Surfshark uses a conventional email-based account. For users whose threat model includes the provider itself holding identifying data, Mullvad's no-account model is the substantive difference.
Is jurisdiction a reason to pick one over the other?
Not strongly here. Surfshark operates from the Netherlands (a 9-Eyes member) and Mullvad from Sweden (a 14-Eyes member), so both are inside Eyes-alliance countries and neither offers an offshore-jurisdiction advantage. Mullvad's privacy case rests on data minimisation and audited no-logs rather than jurisdiction; Surfshark's rests on features and value. If avoiding Eyes-alliance jurisdictions is your priority, a Swiss provider would fit better than either.
Who owns Surfshark and Mullvad?
Surfshark merged with Nord Security in 2022, so it shares ownership with NordVPN under the Nord Security group. Mullvad is operated by Amagicom AB, an independent Swedish company that has remained privately held with a consistent privacy-first mission since 2009. For buyers who value an independent, single-purpose operator, Mullvad's ownership is simpler; Surfshark benefits from the scale of the Nord Security group.
Which has more features?
Surfshark, clearly. It offers unlimited simultaneous devices, a large server network, and add-ons like antivirus, alternative ID, and data-breach alerts (Surfshark One). Mullvad is deliberately minimal: a solid, fast WireGuard-first VPN with no bundles, no upsells, and no tiers. If you want an all-in-one security suite for many devices, Surfshark; if you want a lean, no-nonsense privacy VPN, Mullvad.
Which is cheaper?
It depends on commitment style. Surfshark's headline price is very low on long plans but rises at renewal, and it limits the cheapest pricing to multi-year commitments. Mullvad charges a flat €5 per month with no discounts, no tiers, and no renewal trickery — you pay the same whether you stay a month or years. For predictable, commitment-free pricing, Mullvad; for the lowest long-plan sticker price, Surfshark.
Are both audited and open source?
Both publish independently audited no-logs results, which is the meaningful bar. Mullvad goes further on openness: its apps are open source and it has commissioned repeated public audits of its infrastructure and apps. Surfshark publishes audits but is not fully open source. For verifiable transparency, Mullvad leads; for audited no-logs plus a broad feature set, Surfshark is still credible.
Keep comparing

Related comparisons

All Surfshark alternatives See the full European shortlist, ranked Google Forms vs Tally Head-to-head comparison Dropbox vs Nextcloud Head-to-head comparison Google Analytics 4 vs Matomo Head-to-head comparison Typeform vs Tally Head-to-head comparison Mailchimp vs Brevo Head-to-head comparison Asana vs Stackfield Head-to-head comparison Calendly vs Doodle Head-to-head comparison Slack vs Element (Matrix) Head-to-head comparison DocuSign vs Yousign Head-to-head comparison Zendesk vs Crisp Head-to-head comparison Notion vs Anytype Head-to-head comparison Confluence vs Nuclino Head-to-head comparison HubSpot vs centralstationCRM Head-to-head comparison LastPass vs Proton Pass Head-to-head comparison 1Password vs Proton Pass Head-to-head comparison Google Drive vs Proton Drive Head-to-head comparison Microsoft OneDrive vs Tresorit Head-to-head comparison Apple iCloud vs kDrive (Infomaniak) Head-to-head comparison NordVPN vs Proton VPN Head-to-head comparison ExpressVPN vs Proton VPN Head-to-head comparison NordVPN vs Mullvad VPN Head-to-head comparison
METHODOLOGY

How we verified each row above.

For every product we read the public DPA, sub-processors document, hosting region declaration, and corporate ownership records. Each is timestamped. Signals are editorial, re-verified quarterly. We never accept self-attestation.

Reviewed by the EU Vetted editorial team · Editorial guidelines

Last verified June 2026

Read methodology →