Mullvad VPN vs ExpressVPN
Mullvad VPN is a European alternative to ExpressVPN: same vpn & privacy use case, headquartered in Sweden and operating under GDPR by default, while ExpressVPN (Kape Technologies) is based in VG.
By the EU Alternatives team Last updated
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- Jurisdiction
- EU / EEA
- GDPR by default
- Yes
- US CLOUD Act exposure
- No
- Open source
- No
- Free tier
- Yes
ExpressVPN by Kape Technologies.
- Jurisdiction
- VG
- GDPR by default
- Requires DPA + TIA
- US CLOUD Act exposure
- Possible
Mullvad VPN vs ExpressVPN at a glance
| Mullvad VPN | ExpressVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Sweden | VG |
| Data jurisdiction | EU / EEA | VG law applies |
| GDPR by default | Yes | Requires DPA + transfer assessment |
| US CLOUD Act exposure | No | Possible |
| Open source | No | — |
| Free tier | Yes | — |
| Best for | Teams that need vpn & privacy with EU data residency | Teams already invested in the Kape Technologies ecosystem |
Choose Mullvad VPN if…
- You want your data to stay under EU law without extra legal paperwork
- GDPR compliance or public-sector requirements apply to you
- You want to start free and scale up later
- You'd rather back the European tech ecosystem
Stick with ExpressVPN if…
- You depend on integrations only available in the Kape Technologies ecosystem
- Your organisation has no EU data-residency constraints
- Migration costs outweigh the jurisdiction benefits for now
About Mullvad VPN
Mullvad is a Swedish VPN provider built on a single principle: no logs, no accounts, no personal data. Instead of requiring an email address, it issues anonymous 16-digit account numbers, meaning there is no identity to subpoena, even under a court order. Priced at a flat €5/month with no discounts, free trials, or upsells.
The client supports WireGuard and OpenVPN across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. Mullvad Browser, built with the Tor Project, extends privacy protections to web browsing by reducing browser fingerprinting. Multihop routes traffic through two servers in different countries, and DAITA counters AI-guided traffic pattern analysis.
Key benefits:
- No accounts required since anonymous 16-digit numbers replace email-based login
- WireGuard and OpenVPN support on all major desktop and mobile platforms
- Multihop routing through two servers in separate jurisdictions
- DAITA defends against AI-based traffic pattern and timing analysis
- Mullvad Browser (built with Tor Project) to reduce browser fingerprinting
- Flat €5/month with no annual lock-in discounts or upsell tiers
- Own servers in Germany, Sweden, France, Finland, and other EU countries
- Multiple independent audits with no critical issues found by NCC Group and Assured in 2025
Mullvad VPN AB is based in Gothenburg, Sweden, where law does not require VPN providers to retain logs. In April 2023, Swedish police executed a search warrant at Mullvad's office and left empty-handed, confirming the no-logs policy holds in practice. All owned servers are in EU jurisdictions and the service is fully GDPR-compliant.
Founded in 2009 by Amagicom AB, Mullvad has been independently audited multiple times with no critical findings, and remains one of the most consistently trusted privacy tools in Europe.
Why choose Mullvad VPN over ExpressVPN?
The decisive argument is data jurisdiction. ExpressVPN is headquartered in VG, which means personal data processed through it can be subject to non-EU legal regimes: the US CLOUD Act, FISA 702, or similar laws depending on the provider. After the 2020 Schrems II ruling, EU organisations must carry out a transfer impact assessment for every such data flow.
Mullvad VPN removes that overhead. As a Sweden-based provider, it operates natively under GDPR, and data stays inside the EU/EEA by default. For regulated sectors such as health, public administration, and finance, that's not a nice-to-have but a requirement. For everyone else, it's concentration-risk insurance: you avoid depending on a single non-EU jurisdiction that can change the rules without warning.