Mullvad VPN vs ExpressVPN Pricing (2026)
Compare / Mullvad VPN vs ExpressVPN
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Team size
25 seats

Mullvad VPN vs ExpressVPN

VPN pricing comparison · 2026

Mullvad VPN pricing ranges from $5.5–$5.5/month, while ExpressVPN ranges from $2.49–$22.99/month. Both products are similarly priced at comparable tiers.

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See pricing on each vendor's site
Above-the-fold path — each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit ExpressVPN pricing Affiliate partner — does not affect ranking.
Compare
2 products · VPN
Side-by-side · live
Mullvad VPN
Mullvad VPN is a Swedish VPN service that has earned a reputation as one of the most priva
verified 11w ago
$120 $180
View pricing →
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a premium VPN service owned by Kape Technologies, known for its speed, relia
verified 9w ago
$120 $180
View pricing →
Recorded annual contract medians
Mullvad median is $60 less than ExpressVPN · different customer contracts; not a quote
Cheapest $120
Spread 33%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
Standard (Flat Rate)
$66/yr
year 1 license · flat plan price
Basic (1-Year)
$48/yr
year 1 license · flat plan price
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
↓ Lowest median
Median annual
$120/yr
Vendr · n=5 · limited data
Median annual
$180/yr
Vendr · n=35
REF · 01

Sources & confidence

Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.

Where this data comes from
Vendr · TrustRadius · Reddit · BBB · official docs
Sources 22 sourced facts
16 hidden-cost · 4 contract · Vendr median · 1 review platform
Last verified 2mo ago
Confidence High confidence
Sources 14 sourced facts
8 hidden-cost · 3 contract · Vendr median · 2 review platforms
Last verified 2mo ago
Confidence Medium confidence
REF · 02

Plans at a glance

Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.

Tier ladder
Click a tier to lock the cost row to it. Locking surfaces a tier-specific Visit CTA.
REF · 03

Hidden costs

Each cost is severity-ranked, with the dollar range quoted from its source (Vendr, Reddit, TrustRadius, BBB, official docs) — never our estimate.

Beyond the sticker
Severity-ranked, sourced
5 documented
  • No Long-Term Discount — Flat Rate Only
    $5-$6/user/month
    3 sources
  • No Port Forwarding — Limits Torrenting Use Case
    0%
    3 sources
  • Currency Exchange Variation
    5-15% of license costs
    3 sources
  • Slow Email-Only Support
    0%
    3 sources
  • No Account Recovery
    0%
    1 source
4 documented
  • Renewal Price Increases
    15-30% of license costs
    1 source
  • Auto-Renewal Billing Without Adequate Notice
    $47.88-$191.76
    4 sources
  • Dedicated IP Add-on at Increased Cost
    5-15% of license costs
    1 source
  • Strict 30-Day Refund Window With Partial Settlements Only
    60-80% of remaining subscription value forfeited
    2 sources
REF · 04

Contract terms

The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.

Mullvad
ExpressVPN
Auto-renewal
No
Yes
Cancellation
No contract — time-based prepay with no auto-renewal
30-day money-back guarantee; cancellations after that take effect at end of current subscription period with no pro-rata refund
Commitment
1 month (or less — users can add as little as needed)
Monthly (no lock-in required, but 1-year and 2-year plans require upfront payment)
Price escalation
No price increases reported; price has remained €5/month since 2009 according to community sources
No published uplift schedule; add-on prices (e.g., dedicated IP) have reportedly doubled for existing multi-year subscribers
Can downgrade
Yes
REF · 05

What users say

Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.

User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
Trustpilot
2.5out of 5 (24)
Best for
Privacy purists who value simplicity, anonymity, and transparent pricing
Watch out
Slow or unresponsive email support
TrustRadius
8.8out of 5 (22)
Trustpilot
1.9out of 5 (24)
Best for
Users who want to try ExpressVPN's core VPN protection with no long-term commitment
Watch out
Unauthorized or unexpected billing charges and difficulty obtaining refunds
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit ExpressVPN pricing Affiliate partner — does not affect ranking.
License cost is computed from publicly listed plans (real math, list price × seats). Median annual cost is from Vendr's deal flow when available — see source badges. Hidden costs and contract terms each cite their own sources. We do not invent composite scores.
VPN

Mullvad VPN

$5.5–$5.5
/month
1 plan
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
VPN

ExpressVPN

$2.49–$22.99
/month
9 plans
Full pricing breakdown →

Mullvad VPN and ExpressVPN both operate in the vpn category. This page compares their list pricing.

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan Mullvad VPN ExpressVPN
Standard (Flat Rate) $5.50 /month $15.99 /month
Basic (1-Year) $3.99 /month
Basic (2-Year) $2.49 /month
Advanced (Monthly) $16.99 /month
Advanced (1-Year) $4.99 /month
Advanced (2-Year) $2.99 /month
Express Pro (Monthly) $22.99 /month
Express Pro (1-Year) $6.99 /month
Express Pro (2-Year) $5.49 /month

Cost at Scale

Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.

Mullvad VPN

5 scenarios
5 EUR/mo (~$5.50 USD). Pay with cryptocurrency for an additional 10% discount (~$4.95/mo). No price changes, no surprises.
Privacy Purist - Standard Usage
5 EUR/mo paid with cash by mail or cryptocurrency. Completely anonymous account with a 16-digit number. Use across 5 devices.
Developer or Journalist - Anonymous Access
60 EUR/year ($66 USD) or 600 EUR/decade ($660 USD). Same rate guaranteed -- Mullvad has never raised prices since 2009.
Long-Term Privacy User - Multi-Year Prepay
See all 5 scenarios →

ExpressVPN

7 scenarios
$3.99/mo ($59.85 for the first 15 months including 3 bonus months, then autorenews at $99.95/year)
Streaming Enthusiast - Basic 1-Year Plan
ExpressVPN consistently ranks top for streaming reliability.
$2.99/mo ($83.72 for the first 28 months including 4 bonus months, then autorenews at $119.95/year)
Security-Focused Professional - Advanced 2-Year Plan
Bundles VPN + password manager + identity tools, replacing multiple subscriptions.
$6.99/mo ($104.85 for the first 15 months including 3 bonus months, then autorenews at $199.95/year)
Business Traveler - Pro 1-Year Plan
Dedicated IP included (normally a $3-5/mo add-on elsewhere), plus 5 days of free eSIM data per month.
See all 7 scenarios →

Market Intelligence

Mullvad VPN

Median annual cost
$120
Based on
5 deals

ExpressVPN

Median annual cost
$180
Based on
35 deals

What Users Say

Mullvad VPN

Trustpilot
2.5out of 5 (24)
Top complaints
  • Slow or unresponsive email support
  • Servers blocked by streaming services (Netflix, BBC iPlayer, etc.)
  • No port forwarding for torrenting

ExpressVPN

Trustpilot
1.9out of 5 (24)
TrustRadius
8.8out of 10 (22)
Top complaints
  • Unauthorized or unexpected billing charges and difficulty obtaining refunds
  • No phone support; chat-only support described as unhelpful, rude, or dismissive
  • Shared IP addresses frequently blacklisted by websites, rendering the VPN ineffective

Hidden Costs

Beyond the sticker price — what catches buyers off guard.

Mullvad VPN 6 hidden costs

low
No Long-Term Discount — Flat Rate Only $5-$6/user/month
medium
No Port Forwarding — Limits Torrenting Use Case 0%
low
Currency Exchange Variation 5-15% of license costs
medium
Slow Email-Only Support 0%
medium
No Account Recovery 0%
See all Mullvad VPN hidden costs →

ExpressVPN 4 hidden costs

medium
Renewal Price Increases 15-30% of license costs
high
Auto-Renewal Billing Without Adequate Notice $47.88-$191.76
medium
Dedicated IP Add-on at Increased Cost 5-15% of license costs
medium
Strict 30-Day Refund Window With Partial Settlements Only 60-80% of remaining subscription value forfeited
See all ExpressVPN hidden costs →

Contract Terms

Term Mullvad VPN ExpressVPN
Auto-renewal No Yes
Cancellation No contract — time-based prepay with no auto-renewal 30-day money-back guarantee; cancellations after that take effect at end of current subscription period with no pro-rata refund
Minimum commitment 1 month (or less — users can add as little as needed) Monthly (no lock-in required, but 1-year and 2-year plans require upfront payment)
Price escalation No price increases reported; price has remained €5/month since 2009 according to community sources No published uplift schedule; add-on prices (e.g., dedicated IP) have reportedly doubled for existing multi-year subscribers
Can downgrade Yes

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