Head to head
The gap
The security score is not a total of good things. It starts at 100 and eight channels each take a share of what is left, so one channel can settle a record on its own. Both records are drawn here on the same scale — the model’s own cap of 0.9 — rather than on a scale fitted to this pair, which would make every comparison look equally dramatic.
Line by line
Every field the contract publishes about a provider, in the contract’s own groups, including the rows where the two agree — a table that printed only differences would invent a disagreement, and one that printed only the interesting rows would be us choosing what is interesting. Open a group to read its rows; each one says how many it holds and how many of them the two records answer differently.
A green cell means the methodology itself prices that value below the other one, not that we prefer it. Rows the model does not price carry no mark at all: price is never marked, because nothing in the model says cheaper is safer, and neither is coverage, platform count or devices. Where a value was never established the cell says so instead of showing a zero.
What actually happened
Other pairs
Pairs within the top ten get a page — 80 comparisons in all. Records below that are not paired here: a comparison earns a page where the choice between the two is a real one, and that choice is made near the top of the register.
Security
Usability
Rank 4 of 68 in the register
Italy · Commercial VPN
Exits in 23 countries
Security
Usability
Rank 2 of 68 in the register
Sweden · Commercial VPN
Exits in 50 countries
1 documented demand, none of which produced data
1 documented demand, none of which produced data
Open questions
Still open on this record.
Retention, unchecked by anyone. No independent audit has ever been commissioned (V01=no, based on consensus among reviewers and the absence of any AirVPN announcement of one, rather than a primary AirVPN denial) — retention (C01) rests entirely on the provider's own privacy notice, never checked by an outside party.
No transparency report, no canary. No transparency report of government/legal requests and no warrant canary could be found on airvpn.org (P05, P07 unknown) — the site does publish periodic 'mission' reports, but those cover donations to NGOs, not law-enforcement requests, so they do not establish P05.
What the forum threads show. Forum threads show users repeatedly asking AirVPN for a warrant canary with no confirmation from staff that one exists, which is suggestive but not a primary denial, so P07 stays unknown rather than 'none'.
Counts nobody publishes. Request/data-handover counts are consequently also unknown (P08, P09), and total subscriber count is never disclosed (M08 unknown) — AirVPN publishes only a live concurrently-connected-users counter, not a registered-user or subscriber total, so silence/ignorance carry real weight here.
Builds and pentests. Reproducible builds are not documented on AirVPN's own build-from-source page (eddie.website/support/build/), and no dedicated client/infrastructure pentest could be found (V13, V14 unknown). Kill switch scope and split-tunneling behaviour are sourced to a third-party review rather than AirVPN's own documentation (U08, U09 at confidence C) because the relevant FAQ pages could not be reached directly through the site's routing (they render via JavaScript and returned only a loading shell to a plain fetch).
Coverage outside the affiliates. Press coverage is not affiliate-only: BleepingComputer, a mainstream outlet outside the affiliate-aggregator list, has published an independent review carrying its own affiliate-disclosure notice rather than being confined to affiliate directories (X08=no). Its same review also found AirVPN failed every streaming service it tried — Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, ABC, NBC, CBS — which is why U12b_streaming_works now reads no rather than the addictivetips.com-sourced partial it carried before that host was ruled forbidden.
The yearly price. U04b_price_yearly=4.08 is the EUR effective-monthly rate of the one-year plan (49 EUR/year) on airvpn.org/buy/, flat on renewal like every AirVPN term.
The wordmark. AirVPN serves its wordmark only as PNG (/static/img/logo/web_header.png, logo_horiz.png) and has no press or brand page, so logos/airvpn.svg is left absent per AUDITOR.md §1 rather than tracing a raster.
Still open on this record.
The audit cadence. Mullvad publishes an audit index in the app repository and it is honest about cadence: the index states outright that the main app audits happen every two years, with extras in between, which is why regularity is recorded as repeated at no fixed interval rather than as an annual series — no annual cadence is claimed by anyone.
Two reports, one date. Two separate engagements share 2026-02-17 and the record names both: Assured's code review of GotaTun, the userspace WireGuard implementation (no critical, high or medium issues; two low and nine notes), and Leviathan's Mobile App Profile assessment of the Android app, whose compliance report gives February 17, 2026 as its date of evaluation and AL2 as its assurance level. One date, two reports, no contradiction.
Why the count reads eight. The audit count is eight because the GotaTun review sits outside the app repository's own list. Before them, a 30 person-day X41 D-Sec review across all five platforms found six vulnerabilities — three high, two medium, one low, none critical.
What no engagement covers. What none of these engagements covers is the server fleet: every one of them examines the app or the tunnel protocol, which is why fleet coverage is recorded as not applicable rather than as a sample. The no-logs claim on the infrastructure side therefore rests on the April 2023 search warrant — Swedish police came for customer data and left without it — and not on any audit.
Reproducible builds, Android only. Reproducible builds are Android-only, from version 2025.2 onward, so the field stays partial; the desktop and iOS builds are not verifiable bit-for-bit. Turkey is the one mandate country on the offered list and the hosting behind it is not established.
Nothing published about demands. Nothing on record rests on anything the provider publishes about demands it receives: there is no transparency report and no warrant canary, so the April 2023 seizure carries that ground alone. Kill-switch coverage and P2P policy are unestablished; the latest audit is a protocol code review, not a no-logs engagement, so V11 is silent and retention leans on the declaration.
Recent changes
Notes
On the record as a whole.
AirVPN is a sole proprietorship ("AirVPN di Paolo Brini") registered in Perugia, Italy, and explicitly refuses service to residents of Italy (stated on every page footer and in the Terms of Service §1) — the practical effect is that its own home jurisdiction cannot compel it to log its own resident customers, though this is not evidence of a broader logging-mandate exemption.
AirVPN prices only in EUR (airvpn.org/buy/): 7.00 EUR/month, 49 EUR/year (4.08 EUR/month), flat on renewal. U04_price_monthly (8.11) is 7.00 EUR/month and U04b_price_yearly (56.74) is the 49 EUR/year total, both converted to USD at 1.158 EUR/USD — the rate Mullvad publishes on its own pricing page for the same date, where 5 EUR is shown as 5.79 USD — hence confidence C and a second source for the rate. Multi-year plans drop as low as 2.75 EUR/month.
A notable practice data point: public US federal court transcripts in United States v. Klyushin (D. Mass., docket 61629108, documents #183 and #217, found via CourtListener/RECAP) show a law-enforcement pen register was placed directly at the hosting company (DediPath), not at AirVPN, to monitor an AirVPN server's IP from Jan–Feb 2020; AirVPN's own staff, replying on their forum, confirmed the company had no knowledge of or involvement in the tap and that the device had to be installed outside AirVPN's own systems.
This is recorded in P12_case_history as a court_order/nothing_produced event, sourced to AirVPN's own forum confirmation (not to the PACER PDFs themselves, which returned 403 to automated fetches and were read only via a secondary summary).
On the record as a whole.
The April 2023 search warrant is the strongest single item in this record: police attended the office and left with nothing, which is practice evidence rather than paper and ages far more slowly than an audit. Pricing is a flat 5 EUR/month on every term; U04_price_monthly carries 5.80 (the USD equivalent Mullvad states on its own page); U04b_price_yearly is 69.60, the full year at that rate.
12 Sep 20265 changes
Major streaming services reachableU12b_streaming_works
partial changed to no
Usability scoreusability.score
60 changed to 57
Security scoresecurity.score
40 changed to 37
Monthly price USD, month-to-month plan, as chargedU04_price_monthly
8.11 changed to 8.12
Yearly plan price USD, first term as chargedU04b_price_yearly
56.74 changed to 56.84
25 Sep 20261 changes
Monthly price USD, month-to-month plan, as chargedU04_price_monthly
5.8 changed to 5.69
12 Sep 20264 changes
Security scoresecurity.score
65 changed to 64
Security scoresecurity.score
64 changed to 60
Works under active censorshipU06_censorship_circumvention
none changed to claimed
Usability scoreusability.score
55 changed to 64
| ChannelPressure taken from what was left | AirVPNDominant channel: Retention0 to 0.9, longer is worse | Mullvad VPNDominant channel: Retention0 to 0.9, longer is worse |
|---|---|---|
| RetentionDoes a record exist that links traffic to a person, and who checked? | 0.349 | 0.218 |
| SilenceTen years, millions of users and nothing on record? | 0.240 | 0.000 |
| IgnoranceHow much of this did nobody establish? | 0.162 | 0.103 |
| HygieneWhat identifying material is collected in passing, and can the client be checked at all? | 0.066 | 0.050 |
| JurisdictionCan someone compel what exists, without the provider getting a say? | 0.000 | 0.050 |
| ArchitectureWho operates the exit, and what does it do to the traffic? | 0.050 | 0.050 |
| DisclosureHas it already handed something over? | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| IntegrityHas it been caught saying one thing and doing another? | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| What is left of 100The channels multiply: each one takes a share of what the one before it left standing | 37 | 60 |
By circumstance
| AirVPN | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Torrenting | Allowed yes | — not established |
| Streaming | Not reachable no | — not established |
| Devices at once | 5 | 5 |
| Under censorship | Claimed to work claimed | Claimed to work claimed |
| Exits in mandate countries | None | 1 Turkey |
| Hosting in those countries | — the question does not arise | — not established |
| Company under a mandate | No such mandate no | No such mandate no |
| Secret orders | Orders go through a judge judicial_only | Orders go through a judge judicial_only |
AirVPN and Mullvad VPN were assessed by the HushFleet team: AirVPN scores 37/100 for security, in the Weak band, and Mullvad VPN 60/100, in the Acceptable band. They share independent ownership and sign-up without an account. The 23-point gap opens widest on Silence — “Ten years, millions of users and nothing on record?” — taking 24% from AirVPN and 0% from Mullvad VPN.
| AirVPN | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Security | 37 weak · rank 4 of 68 | 60 acceptable · rank 2 of 68 |
| Usability | 57 out of 100 | 64 out of 100 |
| Record completeness | 82% usability 100% | 87% usability 75% |
| AirVPN | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Who operates the exit | Run by the provider itself provider_operated | Run by the provider itself provider_operated |
| Retention as declared | Nothing that links traffic to a person none_linkable | Nothing that links traffic to a person none_linkable |
| RAM-only diskless servers | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declared | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declared |
| IP allocation model | Exit address shared between users shared | Exit address shared between users shared |
| Signup without email | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declared | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declared |
| Anonymous payment options | Cryptocurrency paid directlyBairvpn.org · | Cash · Cryptocurrency paid directly · Prepaid voucher or gift cardBmullvad.net · |
| Own DNS inside the tunnel | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declared | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declared |
| Worst third-party SDK category in the app | No third-party SDK none | No third-party SDK none |
| Worst third-party tracker category on the site | No third-party tracker none | No third-party tracker none |
| Who owns the hardware | Rented from third parties rentedCairvpn.org · | Owned and rented both mixedBmullvad.net · |
| Offered countries that sit under a logging mandate | NoneBairvpn.org · | 1 TurkeyBmullvad.net · |
| Hosting in the mandate countries it offers | — the question does not ariseno source published | — not establishedno source published |
| Incorporation country mandates retention | No such mandate no | No such mandate no |
| Beneficial owner sits under a retention regime | No such regime no | No such regime no |
| Persistent device identifier | None held none | None held none |
| Weakest protocol still offered | — the question does not arise | — the question does not arise |
| What the exit does to passing traffic | — not established | — not established |
| AirVPN | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| At least one independent audit | No independent audit noCbleepingcomputer.com · | Yes, and the report was read yes_verifiedBgithub.com · |
| How the report is published | — the question does not ariseno source published | The full report is published full_pdfBgithub.com · |
| Subject of the audit | — the question does not ariseno source published | The protocol · The app's securityAassured.se · 2 sources · |
| Server fleet coverage |
| AirVPN | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Server seizure by law enforcement | No seizure on record none_knownno source published · | Seized, and nothing usable was on it seizure_no_dataBmullvad.net · |
| Actual disclosure history | No disclosure on record none_known | No disclosure on record none_known |
| Court record of compelled production | No court record none_known | No court record none_known |
| Response to a national logging mandate | Was never present in that country no_presence | Was never present in that country no_presence |
| Transparency report | — not established | — not established |
| Reported numbers plausible for this scale | — the question does not arise | — the question does not arise |
| Warrant canary discipline |
| AirVPN | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Documented gap between claim and behaviour | No documented lie none | No documented lie none |
| Marketing against audit findings | — the question does not ariseno source published | No gap on record noneCgithub.com · |
| Ownership structure transparency | Ownership is stated and checkable clear | Ownership is stated and checkable clear |
| Adverse events on the owner group record | Nothing adverse on record clean | Nothing adverse on record clean |
| How the service is paid for | Paid subscriptions only paid_only | Paid subscriptions only paid_only |
| Claims of 100% anonymity or military-grade crypto | Makes no such claim noCairvpn.org · |
| AirVPN | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | AirVPN di Paolo Brini — Via Sagittario 4, Perugia (PG), Italy. VAT ID IT03297800546, REA PG-279011 (individual/sole-proprietor enterprise)Bairvpn.org · | Mullvad VPN AB, Box 53049, 400 14 Gothenburg, SwedenBmullvad.net · |
| Where the company sits | Italy ITBairvpn.org · | Sweden SEBmullvad.net · |
| Year the service launched | 2010Bairvpn.org · | 2009Bmullvad.net |
| AirVPN | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms with a client | 8 Android, Android TV, Fire TV, iOS, Linux, macOS, Routers, WindowsBairvpn.org · | 5 Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, WindowsBmullvad.net · |
| Countries with an exit | 23 countriesBairvpn.org · | 50 countriesBmullvad.net · |
| Paying monthly | $8.11 per monthCairvpn.org · 2 sources · | $5.69 per monthBmullvad.net · |
| — the question does not arise |
| — the question does not arise |
| Auditor name | — the question does not ariseno source published | Assured Security Consultants (GotaTun code review) and Leviathan Security Group (Android Mobile App Profile assessment) — two engagements, both reports dated 2026-02-17Aassured.se · 3 sources · |
|---|
| Auditor category | — the question does not ariseno source published | A security specialist security_specialistBgithub.com · |
|---|
| Assurance standard | — the question does not ariseno source published | Another standard otherBgithub.com · |
|---|
| Date of latest report | — the question does not ariseno source published | 2026-02-17Aassured.se · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Audit cadence | — the question does not ariseno source published | Repeated, at no fixed interval repeated_irregularBgithub.com · |
|---|
| Total published audits | 0Cbleepingcomputer.com · | 8Bgithub.com · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Retention as the report states it | — the question does not ariseno source published | The report does not address retention not_statedBgithub.com · |
|---|
| Client source code published | Every client all | Every client all |
|---|
| Reproducible builds | — not establishedno source published | On some platforms partialBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| Separate pentest | — not establishedno source published | Yes, and the report was read yes_verifiedAx41-dsec.de · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Strength of the assurance opinion | — the question does not arise | — the question does not arise |
|---|
| — not established |
| — not established |
| Requests received | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| Requests that produced data | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| Secret-order regime | Orders go through a judge judicial_only | Orders go through a judge judicial_only |
|---|
| Chronology of documented enforcement events | 1 documented demandBairvpn.org · | 1 documented demandBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| — not establishedno source published |
| Aggressive lifetime subscriptions | Does not no | Does not no |
|---|
| Coverage exists only on affiliate sites | Covered outside affiliate sites too no | Covered outside affiliate sites too no |
|---|
| Security incident and how it was disclosed | No incident on record none_knownno source published · | Disclosed by the provider, promptly self_disclosed_promptBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| Affiliate programme and payout tier | A standard payout standardBairvpn.org · | No affiliate programme noneBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| Owner-run review media discloses the tie | — the question does not arise | — the question does not arise |
|---|
| App store declaration | The store form matches the published policy matches_policy | The store form matches the published policy matches_policy |
|---|
| User base scale (mass >=10M, mid >=1M, niche <1M) | — not establishedno source published | Mid: a million users or more midBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| Ultimate beneficial owner as written | Paolo Brini, sole owner/operator trading as 'AirVPN di Paolo Brini'. The service began in 2010 as a project of a small group of Rome-based activists/hacktivists (initially operated by a company called Iridium), and was formalized under a dedicated company with Brini as owner in November 2012.Bairvpn.org · 2 sources · | Amagicom AB, 100% owned by founders Fredrik Stromberg and Daniel BerntssonBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| Other businesses of the owner group | None disclosed | None disclosed |
|---|
| Country of the ultimate beneficial owner | ITBairvpn.org · | SEBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| Owner group | independent | independent |
|---|
| Date the current owner took control | — the question does not arise | — the question does not arise |
|---|
| Role of this brand inside the group | The group's principal brand principal | The group's principal brand principal |
|---|
| Infrastructure shared with cluster siblings | Separate infrastructure separate | Separate infrastructure separate |
|---|
| Paying yearly | $56.74 a year at renewal, billed onceCairvpn.org · 2 sources · | $69.60 a year at renewal, billed onceBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| Usable free tier | No free tier none | No free tier none |
|---|
| Works under active censorship | Claimed to work claimed | Claimed to work claimed |
|---|
| Protocols offered | 3 WireGuard, OpenVPN, An obfuscated protocolBairvpn.org · | 1 WireGuardBmullvad.net · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Kill switch coverage | On some platforms partialCeddie.website · 2 sources · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Split tunneling available | Not available noCbleepingcomputer.com · | Available yesBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| Simultaneous connections | 5 | 5 |
|---|
| Friction to start using it | No account needed no_account | No account needed no_account |
|---|
| P2P allowed | Allowed yesBairvpn.org · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Major streaming services reachable | Not reachable noCbleepingcomputer.com · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
