Mullvad and Surfshark are like Mercedeze and Porshe. The two VPNs have exciting features when you view them individually, though when stacked against each other, you’ll notice the clear difference. The developers of both VPNs have made an outstanding effort to ensure that they create remarkably. They’ve also successfully maximized the quality of the different features.
This Mullvad Vs. The surfshark comparison article will help you decide when choosing your next VPN. And by comparing Mullvadn Vs. Surfshark head-to-head, we’ve divided the primary evaluation components into four-factor groups. You should be okay with these factors from their main differences, features, what makes them tick, and their similarities.
Main Difference Between Mullvad Vs. Surfshark
| Mullvad | Surfshark |
| A typical VPN is for anyone who wants to bypass different geo-blocked contents and hide their IP details. | Surfhsark is ideal for people who wish to connect to unlimited devices simultaneously through a single account. |
| Works on Android, Linux, iPhone, and iPad | Works well on Android, SaaS, Linux, iPad, and iPhone |
| Great for privacy | A perfect VPN service for streaming |
| Requires zero-knowledge DNS | Not an effective VPN service for China-based contents |
| It has no DNS leaks | It has a native app that works well on all the major platforms. |
| The main objective of designing Mullvad is to let users own free internet for all users while offering secure online space and strong encryption without any logs. | Sulfshark has bank-grade encryption with fantastic speed, a strict zero-logging policy, and practical features. |
| It has an internet kill switch | P2P works well on all its servers |
| It has more than 800 servers | You can connect five devices simultaneously |
» MORE: Which Is Better for You, PureVPN or Surfshark?
Features and Capabilities of Mullvad Vs. Surfshark
Mullvad
Servers and Server Locations
Mullvad’s servers are in 38 countries as we speak. That’s quite impressive, though it still falls far below the average number of countries we’ve seen among other VPNs – with the average number standing at 49 countries across the globe. And when you talk about country diversity, Mullvad is also lacking, with one country being in South America and none in Africa.
In total, it has just 762 servers all over the world. By comparison, most other VPNs have thousands of servers. For instance, CyberGhost boasts the most extensive collection with over 6,800 servers, and NordVPN has close to 5,500.
Speed and Performance
VPNs make traffic jump through different hoops, which means there’ll be a bit of lag on the browsing speed. Interestingly, Mullvad reduces upload speed by 47% and has an increased latency of 33%. Mullvad can also be configured to use WireGuard. This, in summary, means that Mullvad won’t go overboard with the throttling of your browsing speed.
Mullvad Protocols
When it comes to creating a strong VPN connection, there are different ways to go about it. OpenVPN has been the perfect choice in the VPN industry for decades, though the newest version of the WireGuard protocol has a broader adoption.
Similar to OpenVPN, WireGuard is also open-source. Therefore, it can be picked over all potential vulnerabilities. But WireGuard uses the newer encryption technology, unlike OpenVPN. As a result, it (WireGuard) has less impact on your internet speeds when surfing the internet.
Privacy
The VPN you opt for has access to your web traffic. Therefore, knowing a VPN’s policy should be one of the major determinants when choosing your next VPN. Meanwhile, Mullvad doesn’t appear to be malicious – but you can’t put a definite judgment on this.
Surfshark
Kill Switch
The Surfshark’s kill switch is automatically triggered when your internet gets disconnected or the VPN connection you previously executed drops. When the kill switch feature is turned on, you won’t be able to gain access to the internet, to begin with. Although the Surshark kill switch protects you during an internet session, it isn’t active once you’ve disconnected.
Netflix and Streaming
Streaming on BBC iPlayer can be more challenging, though that’s not the case with Surfshark. Surfshark can easily bypass the VPN blocking, thus, giving you the needed access. The exciting thing about the Surfshark is that you can access Disney Plus and Amazon Prime.
Privacy and logging
The company behind the VPN started its privacy and logging features with the basics, including a secure protocol such as WireGuard, OpenVPN UDP, and TCP. There’s also the kill switch designed to block all internet access whenever the connection fails.
The “No Logs” page indicates that the service doesn’t’ obtain your browsing history, IP address, session information, used bandwidth, connection timestamps, or network traffic.
Reasons to Choose Mullvad
One of the reasons you’d quickly find the Mullvad VPN appealing is that it doesn’t require an email or any other account information to access its features. In addition, it is radically transparent, extremely affordable, and has exciting features such as multi-hop connections.
At a relatively low price, you’ll get to connect five of your devices simultaneously with one Mullvad account. In addition, Mullvad’s multi-hop connection feature allows your data to travel via two different servers before moving through the internet. With this feature, you can circumvent most (if not all) VPN blocking.
Reasons to Choose Surfshark
Surfshark has unlimited simultaneous connections. In addition, there’s WireGuard on all the applications. It can also unblock iPlayer, Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.
The customer support team is helpful – especially when you contact them through their live chat. They have a designated support site with valuable tutorials such as installation, troubleshooting, and setup guides to make things easy for you. There are several FAQs, too, in case you are confused and don’t know how to navigate your way through the different interfaces. The guides published on the support site are well-formatted and organized.
VPNs with vague descriptions of their unblocking abilities shouldn’t be taken seriously. And if you’re tired of that trick, you’ll find Surfshark appealing. The company behind the VPN talk about the fact that Surfshark unblocks Netflix. But that’s not all – it also names the twenty countries where this unblocking feature works, including Japan, Australia, France, the U.S., and Italy, to name a few.
» MORE: How Reliable & Secure Is Surfshark?
Mullvad Vs. Surfshark – The Alternatives
Windscribe
Windscribe is a powerful and efficient ad blocker that offers adequate security and safety while surfing the internet. In addition, it ensures that your data (including entertainment content, ads, and browsing activity) is encrypted.
IPVanish VPN
IPVanish is an impressive VPN tool, perfect for users who wish to mask their online activities and browse the net with utmost anonymity. It transcends the typical private internet browser and makes your actual IP address disappear simultaneously.
» MORE: Which Is Better for You, Surfshark or ExpressVPN?
Final Verdict
We believe Surfshark is way better than Mullvad. After carefully analyzing both VPNs, we noticed that comparing Mullvad to Surfshark is like comparing a Chevrolet to a Bentley. It is not going to be a fair fight. Overall, we’ll recommend going for Surfhsark instead.
» MORE: Hotspot Shield vs ExpressVPN: Which Is Best For You?
FAQs
Why do I need a VPN?
It would be best if you had a VPN to help mask your IP address when surfing the internet. It shields your delicate information from the prying eyes of hackers. Meanwhile, a top-quality VPN will ensure that your personal information isn’t leaked or logged. It also lets you freely access most or all geo-blocked content on the major streaming sites.
How do I choose the best VPN?
Quickly picking the ideal VPN isn’t possible, especially if you want quality. But it doesn’t have to be this tough. With our comparison articles, you should be able to choose the right VPN with ease.
» MORE: How secure is Mullvad VPN? Really, How Trustworthy & Legit Are They?