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 5 of 68 in the register
Malaysia · Commercial VPN
Exits in 57 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
No demand on the public record
Notes
On the record as a whole.
Pricing has no plain 12-month tier; the closest analogue to an annual plan is a 13-month term (12 months plus 1 bonus month) billed 54.99 USD, recorded in U04b with this note per the schema's first-term rule. A 26-month term (24+2 bonus months) also exists at 69.99 USD but is not the annual plan the field asks for. C05_payment_anonymous also lists Visa/Mastercard/Amex/PayPal on the same page; only the Coinpayments crypto option is anonymous-adjacent.
C07b_site_trackers is a self-hosted/proxied Plausible-style analytics script served from hide.me's own domain (data-api https://hide.me/api/event) rather than a third-party domain; coded as analytics since it is still a distinct analytics product, not a first-party log.
U07_protocols refresh (2026-09-14) found SoftEther added to the protocol list alongside WireGuard, IKEv2, SSTP and OpenVPN; SoftEther is third-party open-source software (not hide.me's own protocol) with a published, reviewable implementation, so it is coded vendor_open rather than proprietary.
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.
Recent changes
1 change logged, on 14 Sep 2026
Open questions
Still open on this record.
Ultimate beneficial owner. eVenture Ltd. is named and registered (Malaysia, LL09685) with a street address, but no individual owner or parent structure is disclosed anywhere in the provider's own documents; M09, M11 and the owner-jurisdiction channel stay unknown.
Seizure and court-record history. The transparency report states law-enforcement requests received nothing to hand over every year since 2013, which supports P02_disclosure_history, but no single dated seizure or court order is documented with its own record, so P01_seizure_event and P03_court_record stay unknown rather than the favourable none_known/unable_to_produce a P12 event would earn.
Mandate-country hosting. hide.me offers exit locations in three countries this catalogue's mandate table flags (AE, TR, VN); none of the three country pages state whether the hardware there is physical or virtual, so C09b_mandate_hosting is unknown.
Circumvention and streaming claims. The pricing page advertises undifferentiated "Streaming Support" and the site offers no measured circumvention evidence, so U06_censorship_circumvention, U12a_p2p_allowed and U12b_streaming_works stay unknown rather than resting on marketing copy.
Audit history before 2024. The provider's own pages assert an audit "back in 2015" and describe audits as routine, but only the 2024 Securitum PDF could be located and opened; V09_audit_regularity and V10_audit_count are scored on the one document actually read, not the claimed series.
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.
14 Sep 20261 changes
Protocols offeredU07_protocols
wireguard, ikev2, sstp, openvpn changed to wireguard, ikev2, sstp, openvpn, vendor_open
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
hide.me and Mullvad VPN were assessed by the HushFleet team: hide.me scores 28/100 for security, in the Insufficient band, and Mullvad VPN 60/100, in the Acceptable band. They share an independent audit and independent ownership. The 32-point gap opens widest on Retention — “Does a record exist that links traffic to a person, and who checked?” — taking 52% from hide.me and 22% from Mullvad VPN.
| ChannelPressure taken from what was left | hide.meDominant 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? | 0.518 | 0.218 |
| IgnoranceHow much of this did nobody establish? | 0.149 | 0.103 |
| HygieneWhat identifying material is collected in passing, and can the client be checked at all? | 0.146 | 0.050 |
| JurisdictionCan someone compel what exists, without the provider getting a say? | 0.125 | 0.050 |
| ArchitectureWho operates the exit, and what does it do to the traffic? | 0.050 | 0.050 |
| IntegrityHas it been caught saying one thing and doing another? | 0.040 | 0.000 |
| DisclosureHas it already handed something over? | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| SilenceTen years, millions of users and nothing on record? | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| What is left of 100The channels multiply: each one takes a share of what the one before it left standing | 28 | 60 |
By circumstance
| hide.me | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Torrenting | — not established | — not established |
| Streaming | — not established | — not established |
| Devices at once | 10 | 5 |
| Under censorship | — not established | Claimed to work claimed |
| Exits in mandate countries | 3 United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Vietnam | 1 Turkey |
| Hosting in those countries | — not established | — not established |
| Company under a mandate | No such mandate no | No such mandate no |
| Secret orders | — not established | Orders go through a judge judicial_only |
| hide.me | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Security | 28 insufficient · rank 5 of 68 | 60 acceptable · rank 2 of 68 |
| Usability | 81 out of 100 | 64 out of 100 |
| Record completeness | 77% usability 75% | 87% usability 75% |
| hide.me | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Who operates the exit | Run by the provider itself provider_operated | Run by the provider itself provider_operated |
| Retention as declared | Session metadata session_metadataBhide.me · | Nothing that links traffic to a person none_linkableBmullvad.net · |
| RAM-only diskless servers | Yes, checked by someone independent yes_verifiedAhide.me · | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declaredBmullvad.net · |
| IP allocation model | Dedicated address offered as an option dedicated_optionBhide.me · | Exit address shared between users sharedBmullvad.net · |
| Signup without email | No, an email address is required noBhide.me · | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declaredBmullvad.net · |
| Anonymous payment options | Cryptocurrency through a processorBhide.me · | Cash · Cryptocurrency paid directly · Prepaid voucher or gift cardBmullvad.net · |
| Own DNS inside the tunnel | Yes, checked by someone independent yes_verifiedAhide.me · | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declaredBmullvad.net · |
| 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 | Analytics analyticsBhide.me · | No third-party tracker noneBmullvad.net · |
| Who owns the hardware | Owned by the provider ownedBhide.me · | Owned and rented both mixedBmullvad.net · |
| Offered countries that sit under a logging mandate | 3 United Arab Emirates, Turkey, VietnamBhide.me · | 1 TurkeyBmullvad.net · |
| Hosting in the mandate countries it offers | — not established | — not established |
| Incorporation country mandates retention | No such mandate no | No such mandate no |
| Beneficial owner sits under a retention regime | — not establishedno source published | No such regime noCmullvad.net · |
| Persistent device identifier | None held none | None held none |
| Weakest protocol still offered | SSTP sstpBhide.me · | — the question does not ariseBmullvad.net · 2 sources · |
| What the exit does to passing traffic | — not established | — not established |
| hide.me | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| At least one independent audit | Yes, and the report was read yes_verified | Yes, and the report was read yes_verified |
| How the report is published | The full report is published full_pdf | The full report is published full_pdf |
| Subject of the audit | The no-logs claim itselfAhide.me · | The protocol · The app's securityAassured.se · 2 sources · |
| Server fleet coverage | A sample of servers sampleAhide.me · | — the question does not ariseno source published |
| Auditor name | Securitum (Pawel Rozanski, Maciej Szymczak) |
| hide.me | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Server seizure by law enforcement | — not establishedno 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 | — not establishedno source published | No court record none_knownBmullvad.net · |
| Response to a national logging mandate | Pulled its servers out rather than comply withdrew_physicalBhide.me · | Was never present in that country no_presence |
| hide.me | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Documented gap between claim and behaviour | — not establishedno source published | No documented lie noneCgithub.com · |
| Marketing against audit findings | No gap on record none | No gap on record none |
| Ownership structure transparency | Ownership is stated and checkable clear | Ownership is stated and checkable clear |
| Adverse events on the owner group record | — not establishedno source published | Nothing adverse on record cleanCmullvad.net · |
| How the service is paid for | A free tier funded by the paid one freemium_fundedBhide.me · |
| hide.me | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | eVenture Ltd. (eVenture Limited), registered in Malaysia under registration number LL09685Bhide.me · | Mullvad VPN AB, Box 53049, 400 14 Gothenburg, SwedenBmullvad.net · |
| Where the company sits | Malaysia MYBhide.me · | Sweden SEBmullvad.net · |
| Year the service launched | 2012Bhide.me · | 2009Bmullvad.net · |
| hide.me | Mullvad VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms with a client | 10 Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Browser extension, RoutersBhide.me · | 5 Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, WindowsBmullvad.net · |
| Countries with an exit | 57 countriesBhide.me · | 50 countriesBmullvad.net · |
| Paying monthly | $11.99 per monthBhide.me · | $5.69 per monthBmullvad.net · |
| 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 | A security specialist security_specialist | A security specialist security_specialist |
|---|
| Assurance standard | Another standard other | Another standard other |
|---|
| Date of latest report | 2024-06-07Ahide.me · | 2026-02-17Aassured.se · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Audit cadence | One-off one_offAhide.me · 2 sources · | Repeated, at no fixed interval repeated_irregularBgithub.com · |
|---|
| Total published audits | 1Ahide.me · 2 sources · | 8Bgithub.com · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Retention as the report states it | Nothing that links traffic to a person none_linkableAhide.me · | The report does not address retention not_statedBgithub.com · |
|---|
| Client source code published | Some clients partialBgithub.com · | Every client allBgithub.com · |
|---|
| 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 |
|---|
| Transparency report | Current, with request numbers fresh_with_numbersAhide.me · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Reported numbers plausible for this scale | — not establishedno source published | — the question does not ariseno source published |
|---|
| Warrant canary discipline | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| Requests received | 9Ahide.me · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Requests that produced data | 0Ahide.me · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Secret-order regime | — not establishedno source published | Orders go through a judge judicial_onlyBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| Chronology of documented enforcement events | 0 No demand on the public recordAhide.me · 2 sources · | 1 documented demandBmullvad.net · |
|---|
Paid subscriptions only paid_onlyBmullvad.net · |
| Claims of 100% anonymity or military-grade crypto | Claims total anonymity or military-grade encryption yesBhide.me · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Aggressive lifetime subscriptions | Does not no | Does not no |
|---|
| Coverage exists only on affiliate sites | — not establishedno source published | Covered outside affiliate sites too noBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| Security incident and how it was disclosed | No incident on record none_knownBhide.me · | Disclosed by the provider, promptly self_disclosed_promptBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| Affiliate programme and payout tier | A high payout high_payoutBhide.me · | No affiliate programme noneBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| Owner-run review media discloses the tie | — not establishedno source published | — the question does not ariseno source published |
|---|
| 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) | Mass: 10 million users or more massBhide.me · | Mid: a million users or more midBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| Ultimate beneficial owner as written | — not establishedno source published | 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 | — not establishedno source published | SEBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| Owner group | independent | independent |
|---|
| Date the current owner took control | 2012Bhide.me · 2 sources · | — the question does not ariseno source published |
|---|
| 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 | $54.99 a year at renewal, billed onceBhide.me · | $69.60 a year at renewal, billed onceBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| Usable free tier | A free tier with limits limited_freeBhide.me · | No free tier noneBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| Works under active censorship | — not establishedno source published | Claimed to work claimedBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| Protocols offered | 5 WireGuard, IKEv2, SSTP, OpenVPN, A vendor protocol with published sourceBhide.me · | 1 WireGuardBmullvad.net · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Kill switch coverage | On every platform all_platformsBhide.me · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Split tunneling available | Available yes | Available yes |
|---|
| Simultaneous connections | 10Bhide.me · | 5Bmullvad.net · |
|---|
| Friction to start using it | An email address only email_onlyBhide.me · | No account needed no_accountBmullvad.net · |
|---|
| P2P allowed | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| Major streaming services reachable | — not established | — not established |
|---|
