REVIEWS / COMPARE

Mullvad VPN vs Surfshark VPN

Mullvad VPN edges ahead at 9.1 vs 6.5 — but read the trade-offs below; Surfshark VPN may still be the better fit for you.

Mullvad VPN Surfshark VPN
RATING 9.1 / 10 6.5 / 10
CONFIDENCE high high
USER VOICES 987 366
POSITIVE 72% 40%
PRICE
RECOMMENDED ✓ Yes ✓ Yes

Mullvad VPN

★ STRENGTHS

  • Real-world no-logs proof: 2023 police raid seized zero customer records (USER + VIDEO)
  • 9 published audits and up-to-date open-source clients (USER)
  • Anonymous numbered accounts; no email required; cash-by-mail accepted (USER)

✗ WATCH OUT

  • VPN ≠ anonymity: browser fingerprinting, captchas, Cloudflare/Google blocks persist (USER)
  • Sweden jurisdiction skepticism; users doubt tech can beat state power (USER)
  • Streaming support claims are anecdotal and possibly inconsistent (VIDEO)
Not recommended Full review →

Surfshark VPN

★ STRENGTHS

  • Split tunneling works well in real use (Spotify outside tunnel, per Tutorial Stack commenter)
  • Unlimited device support highlighted as standout
  • CleanWeb feature repeatedly noted

✗ WATCH OUT

  • Geo-spoofing reportedly defeated by site-side detection ('website on other side can see where you are')
  • APAC virtual servers physically in Europe → high latency for India/Nepal/Bangladesh/Myanmar/Bhutan/Pakistan
  • Android app quality criticized on brand's own video
Not recommended Full review →

HOW THIS COMPARISON WAS BUILT

Both verdicts are synthesised from real user voices on Reddit, YouTube, Hacker News, ProductHunt, Trustpilot and editorial sources — 987 for Mullvad VPN, 366 for Surfshark VPN. No paid placement; ratings come from raw sentiment, not our opinion. Read the methodology.