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 2 of 68 in the register
Sweden · Commercial VPN
Exits in 50 countries
Security
Usability
Rank 1 of 68 in the register
Switzerland · Commercial VPN
Exits in 147 countries
2 documented demands, none of which produced data
1 documented demand, none of which produced data
Open questions
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.
Still open on this record.
What the audit actually checked. The no-logs finding is strong and narrow at once. Securitum inspected production servers in person in August 2025 and has done so annually since 2022.
The limits the report states itself. It is a point-in-time check, a guided review of systems demonstrated by Proton's engineers rather than an unsupervised forensic examination, and a representative sample rather than the whole fleet. CI/CD, source code and the account-management systems were explicitly out of scope, so nothing here speaks to what the billing side holds.
The appeal, and what it does not settle. The 22 October 2021 appeal is cited here with a caveat worth stating plainly: the Federal Administrative Court ruled that email services are not telecommunications providers, and neither the judgment coverage nor Proton's own account of it mentions the VPN.
What actually settles the two fields. What settles C10 and C11 is that Switzerland carries no mandate basis in the catalogue's own country list; the appeal corroborates how Swiss authorities treat Proton and is not by itself a finding about Proton VPN. A ruling on a sibling service is thinner ground than the citation makes it look.
The single largest open item. Proton offers exit locations in eight countries that impose a logging mandate. Whether hardware actually sits in any of them is not established: Proton withdrew physical servers from India in 2022 and documents Smart Routing for locations it serves from elsewhere, which points to virtual, but that was verified for India alone. Establishing C09b_mandate_hosting is the single largest open item on this record.
Notes
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.
On the record as a whole.
The 2021 Swiss order that compelled prospective logging targeted Proton Mail, not the VPN, and is deliberately absent from P12: charging the VPN for a sibling product's order would be a fact about Proton AG, not about this service.
U08 is all_platforms because the support document gives enabling steps for Windows, macOS, Linux (GUI and CLI), Android and iOS/iPadOS — every platform with an app. The same document states two limitations that the value cannot carry and this note can: on macOS the real IP may be exposed briefly while switching servers, and on iOS some Apple service DNS requests can bypass the tunnel with the kill switch on.
U04b_price_yearly records the first-term charge on the 1-year VPN Plus plan: $53.88 for the first 12 months ($4.49/month), stated on the pricing page beside its own renewal line — "then renews at $83.88 every 12 months" ($6.99/month) — which is not the field's value.
Recent changes
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
12 Sep 20265 changes
Security scoresecurity.score
75 changed to 70
Security verdictsecurity.verdict
strong changed to acceptable
Platforms with a clientU01_platforms
android, android-tv, apple-tv, fire-tv, ios, linux, macos, windows changed to android, android-tv, apple-tv, browser-extension, fire-tv, ios, linux, macos, windows
Friction to start using itU11_signup_friction
no_account changed to email_only
Usability scoreusability.score
80 changed to 78
Mullvad VPN and Proton VPN were assessed by the HushFleet team and both placed in the Acceptable band: Mullvad VPN scores 60/100 for security, Proton VPN 70/100. They share an independent audit and independent ownership. The 10-point gap opens widest on Retention — “Does a record exist that links traffic to a person, and who checked?” — taking 22% from Mullvad VPN and 8% from Proton VPN.
| Mullvad VPN | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Security | 60 acceptable · rank 2 of 68 | 70 acceptable · rank 1 of 68 |
| Usability | 64 out of 100 | 78 out of 100 |
| Record completeness | 87% usability 75% | 89% usability 83% |
| Mullvad VPN | Proton 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_declaredBmullvad.net · | No, servers write to disk noCprotonvpn.com · |
| 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 | Cash · Cryptocurrency paid directly · Prepaid voucher or gift cardBmullvad.net · | Cash · Cryptocurrency through a processorCprotonvpn.com · |
| 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 noneBmullvad.net · | — not establishedno source published |
| Who owns the hardware | Owned and rented both mixed | Owned and rented both mixed |
| Offered countries that sit under a logging mandate | 1 TurkeyBmullvad.net · | 8 United Arab Emirates, Belarus, India, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey, VietnamDprotonvpn.com · |
| 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 | 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 |
| Mullvad VPN | Proton 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 protocol · The app's securityAassured.se · 2 sources · | The no-logs claim itselfAsecuritum.com · |
| Server fleet coverage | — the question does not ariseno source published | A sample of servers sampleCsecuritum.com · |
| Auditor name | Assured Security Consultants (GotaTun code review) and Leviathan Security Group (Android Mobile App Profile assessment) — two engagements, both reports dated 2026-02-17 |
| Mullvad VPN | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Server seizure by law enforcement | Seized, and nothing usable was on it seizure_no_dataBmullvad.net · | No seizure on record none_knownCswissinfo.ch · 2 sources · |
| Actual disclosure history | No disclosure on record none_known | No disclosure on record none_known |
| Court record of compelled production | No court record none_knownBmullvad.net · | Told a court it had nothing to produce unable_to_produceBprotonvpn.com · |
| Response to a national logging mandate |
| Mullvad VPN | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Documented gap between claim and behaviour | No documented lie none | No documented lie none |
| 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 | Nothing adverse on record clean | Nothing adverse on record clean |
| How the service is paid for | Paid subscriptions only paid_onlyBmullvad.net · | A free tier funded by the paid one freemium_fundedCprotonvpn.com · |
| Claims of 100% anonymity or military-grade crypto | — not established |
| Mullvad VPN | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | Mullvad VPN AB, Box 53049, 400 14 Gothenburg, SwedenBmullvad.net · | Proton AG, Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, SwitzerlandCen.wikipedia.org · 2 sources · |
| Where the company sits | Sweden SEBmullvad.net · | Switzerland CHCen.wikipedia.org · 2 sources · |
| Year the service launched | 2009Bmullvad.net · | 2017Cen.wikipedia.org |
| Mullvad VPN | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms with a client | 5 Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, WindowsBmullvad.net · | 9 Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Browser extension, Fire TV, iOS, Linux, macOS, WindowsBprotonvpn.com · |
| Countries with an exit | 50 countriesBmullvad.net · | 147 countriesDprotonvpn.com · |
| Paying monthly | $5.69 per monthBmullvad.net · | $9.99 per monthBprotonvpn.com · |
By circumstance
| Mullvad VPN | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Torrenting | — not established | — not established |
| Streaming | — not established | — not established |
| Devices at once | 5 | 10 |
| Under censorship | Claimed to work claimed | Claimed to work claimed |
| Exits in mandate countries | 1 Turkey | 8 United Arab Emirates, Belarus, India, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey, Vietnam |
| Hosting in those countries | — not established | — 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 |
| ChannelPressure taken from what was left | Mullvad VPNDominant channel: Retention0 to 0.9, longer is worse | Proton VPNDominant channel: Hygiene0 to 0.9, longer is worse |
|---|---|---|
| RetentionDoes a record exist that links traffic to a person, and who checked? | 0.218 | 0.079 |
| IgnoranceHow much of this did nobody establish? | 0.103 | 0.071 |
| HygieneWhat identifying material is collected in passing, and can the client be checked at all? | 0.050 | 0.088 |
| JurisdictionCan someone compel what exists, without the provider getting a say? | 0.050 | 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 |
| 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 | 60 | 70 |
| Securitum (Martin Matyja, Maciej Szymczak)Asecuritum.com · |
| Auditor category | A security specialist security_specialist | A security specialist security_specialist |
|---|
| Assurance standard | Another standard other | Another standard other |
|---|
| Date of latest report | 2026-02-17Aassured.se · 2 sources · | 2026-05-27Cprotonvpn.com · |
|---|
| Audit cadence | Repeated, at no fixed interval repeated_irregularBgithub.com · | An annual series annual_seriesCprotonvpn.com · |
|---|
| Total published audits | 8Bgithub.com · 2 sources · | 5Cprotonvpn.com · |
|---|
| Retention as the report states it | The report does not address retention not_statedBgithub.com · | Nothing that links traffic to a person none_linkableAsecuritum.com · |
|---|
| Client source code published | Every client all | Every client all |
|---|
| Reproducible builds | On some platforms partialBmullvad.net · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Separate pentest | Yes, and the report was read yes_verifiedAx41-dsec.de · 2 sources · | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declaredCprotonvpn.com · |
|---|
| Strength of the assurance opinion | — the question does not arise | — the question does not arise |
|---|
Was never present in that country no_presenceBmullvad.net · |
Pulled its servers out rather than comply withdrew_physicalBprotonvpn.com · |
| Transparency report | — not establishedno source published | Current, with request numbers fresh_with_numbersBprotonvpn.com · |
|---|
| Reported numbers plausible for this scale | — the question does not ariseno source published | The numbers are plausible at this scale plausibleBprotonvpn.com · |
|---|
| Warrant canary discipline | — not establishedno source published | Never had one noneBprotonvpn.com · |
|---|
| Requests received | — not establishedno source published | 458Bprotonvpn.com · |
|---|
| Requests that produced data | — not establishedno source published | 0Bprotonvpn.com · |
|---|
| Secret-order regime | Orders go through a judge judicial_only | Orders go through a judge judicial_only |
|---|
| Chronology of documented enforcement events | 1 documented demandBmullvad.net · | 2 documented demandsCswissinfo.ch · 2 sources · |
|---|
| 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 | Disclosed by the provider, promptly self_disclosed_promptBmullvad.net · | No incident on record none_knownCen.wikipedia.org · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Affiliate programme and payout tier | No affiliate programme noneBmullvad.net · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| 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) | Mid: a million users or more midBmullvad.net · | Mass: 10 million users or more massCen.wikipedia.org · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Ultimate beneficial owner as written | Amagicom AB, 100% owned by founders Fredrik Stromberg and Daniel BerntssonBmullvad.net · | Proton Foundation (Swiss non-profit, controlling shareholder since 06/2024); employees; FONGITCen.wikipedia.org · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Other businesses of the owner group | None disclosedBmullvad.net · | A portfolio of other appsCen.wikipedia.org · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Country of the ultimate beneficial owner | SEBmullvad.net · | CHCen.wikipedia.org · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Owner group | independent | independent |
|---|
| Date the current owner took control | — the question does not ariseno source published | 2024-06Cen.wikipedia.org · 2 sources · |
|---|
| 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 | $69.60 a year at renewal, billed onceBmullvad.net · | $53.88 a year at renewal, billed onceBprotonvpn.com · |
|---|
| Usable free tier | No free tier noneBmullvad.net · | A free tier with limits limited_freeBprotonvpn.com · |
|---|
| Works under active censorship | Claimed to work claimed | Claimed to work claimed |
|---|
| Protocols offered | 1 WireGuardBmullvad.net · 2 sources · | 4 WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, An obfuscated protocolBprotonvpn.com · |
|---|
| Kill switch coverage | — not establishedno source published | On every platform all_platformsBprotonvpn.com · |
|---|
| Split tunneling available | Available yes | Available yes |
|---|
| Simultaneous connections | 5Bmullvad.net · | 10Bprotonvpn.com · |
|---|
| Friction to start using it | No account needed no_accountBmullvad.net · | An email address only email_onlyBaccount.protonvpn.com · 2 sources · |
|---|
| P2P allowed | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| Major streaming services reachable | — not established | — not established |
|---|
