Surfshark vs Mullvad VPN
VPN pricing comparison · 2026
Surfshark pricing ranges from $2.49–$20.85/month, while Mullvad VPN ranges from $5.5–$5.5/month. Mullvad VPN is typically 53% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.
Surfshark
Surfshark is a consumer VPN service now owned by Nord Security (the same parent company as
verified 9d ago
$120
$180
Mullvad VPN
Mullvad VPN is a Swedish VPN service that has earned a reputation as one of the most priva
verified 17d ago
$120
$180
Verdict · Vendr median · year 1
Mullvad
saves
$60
vs
Surfshark
· 25 seats
Cheapest
$120
Spread
33%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
Starter (1-Year)
$957/yr
year 1 license · $3/seat
Standard (Flat Rate)
$1.6K/yr
year 1 license · $6/seat
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
Median annual
$180/yr
Vendr · n=53
↓ Lowest median
Median annual
$120/yr
Vendr · n=5 · limited data
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
7 sourced facts
3 hidden-cost · 2 contract · Vendr median · 1 review platform
Last verified
1w ago
Confidence
High confidence
Sources
22 sourced facts
16 hidden-cost · 4 contract · Vendr median · 1 review platform
Last verified
2w ago
Confidence
High 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 · 04
Contract terms
The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.
Surfshark
Mullvad
Auto-renewal
Yes
✓
No
Cancellation
30 days for money-back guarantee
No contract — time-based prepay with no auto-renewal
Commitment
✓
Monthly, 1-year, or 2-year options available
1 month (or less — users can add as little as needed)
Price escalation
Promotional pricing applies only to first term; renewal at standard rates
No price increases reported; price has remained €5/month since 2009 according to community sources
Can downgrade
No
✓
Yes
REF · 05
What users say
Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.
User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit Surfshark 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.
VS
Surfshark and Mullvad VPN both operate in the vpn category. This page compares their list pricing.
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | Surfshark | Mullvad VPN |
|---|---|---|
| Starter (Monthly) | $15.45 /user/month | $5.50 /month |
| Starter (1-Year) | $3.19 /user/month | — |
| Starter (2-Year) | $2.49 /user/month | — |
| One (Monthly) | $17.95 /user/month | — |
| One (1-Year) | $3.39 /user/month | — |
| One (2-Year) | $2.79 /user/month | — |
| One+ (Monthly) | $20.85 /user/month | — |
| One+ (1-Year) | $5.09 /user/month | — |
| One+ (2-Year) | $4.49 /user/month | — |
Cost at Scale
Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.
Surfshark
4 scenarios$1.99/mo ($53.73 for 27 months)
Large Household - Starter 2-Year Plan
Unlimited devices means every family member is covered, making it the cheapest per-device VPN option.
$2.49/mo ($59.13 for 27 months)
Security-Focused Individual - One 2-Year Plan
Replaces separate antivirus (~$40/year) and breach monitoring (~$10/mo) subscriptions.
$5.09/mo ($76.35/year for 15 months)
Privacy Maximalist - One+ 1-Year Plan
Includes Incogni, which would cost $6.49/mo if purchased separately.
Mullvad VPN
5 scenarios5 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
Market Intelligence
Surfshark
- Median annual cost
- $180
- Based on
- 53 deals
Mullvad VPN
- Median annual cost
- $120
- Based on
- 5 deals
Contract Terms
| Term | Surfshark | Mullvad VPN |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-renewal | Yes | No |
| Cancellation | 30 days for money-back guarantee | No contract — time-based prepay with no auto-renewal |
| Minimum commitment | Monthly, 1-year, or 2-year options available | 1 month (or less — users can add as little as needed) |
| Price escalation | Promotional pricing applies only to first term; renewal at standard rates | No price increases reported; price has remained €5/month since 2009 according to community sources |
| Can downgrade | No | Yes |