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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteNordVPN is the better fit for most people who want streaming access, more simultaneous connections and a broader feature set; Mullvad is the better fit for people who prioritize minimizing signup identifiers, cash payment and a simple flat price. That is a decision by priorities, not a universal test winner. The available reviews and lab results point in different directions depending on what they measure, and the sources here do not document 12 tests performed for this article.
NordVPN vs Mullvad at a glance
| Decision point | NordVPN | Mullvad |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Streaming, broader features and more simultaneous connections, according to Tom’s Guide’s review: Tom’s Guide NordVPN review. | Privacy-focused signup and a straightforward flat price, according to RTINGS and Mullvad’s official pricing page: RTINGS comparison; Mullvad pricing. |
| Account identifiers | RTINGS lists an email requirement. | RTINGS lists no email requirement and says signup can be anonymous. |
| Simultaneous connections | 10, as listed by Tom’s Guide. | 5, as listed by Tom’s Guide. |
| Price model | Promotional first-term pricing and renewal pricing vary by market; check the live offer for your country. | €5 per month including VAT, whether paying monthly or topping up for a longer period, per Mullvad’s official page accessed in 2026. |
| Review-based streaming | Tom’s Guide reports broader streaming success in its review testing. | Tom’s Guide says streaming improved but still lagged NordVPN in its review testing. |
| Leak checks | No leaks detected in the IP/DNS and kill-switch scenarios displayed by RTINGS. | No leaks detected in the same RTINGS display; those checks do not guarantee results on every device or app version. |
What these 12 comparison areas show
The 12 areas below organize the available evidence, not a claim that 12 new tests were run. Published results depend on the reviewer’s method, location, configuration and date. Treat them as evidence for a buying decision, not a promise of what either service will do on your network.
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1. Privacy and account creation
Mullvad exposes fewer signup identifiers in RTINGS’ comparison: it lists no email requirement for Mullvad and an email requirement for NordVPN. RTINGS also assesses Mullvad more favorably on privacy policy and company practices. These are the publisher’s evaluations, not a numerical guarantee that one provider can never identify a user. See RTINGS’ comparison.
2. Payment options
Mullvad’s official pricing page lists cash alongside digital payment methods, making it a distinctive option for readers who prefer not to pay by card or through a conventional online checkout. Cash payments are excluded from its stated 14-day refund guarantee. See Mullvad’s pricing and payment details.
#1 Best Overall
- 【Five Gigabit Ports】1 Gigabit WAN Port plus 2 Gigabit WAN/LAN Ports plus 2 Gigabit LAN Port. Up to 3 WAN ports optimize bandwidth usage through one device.
- 【One USB WAN Port】Mobile broadband via 4G/3G modem is supported for WAN backup by connecting to the USB port. For complete list of compatible 4G/3G modems, please visit TP-Link website.
- 【Abundant Security Features】Advanced firewall policies, DoS defense, IP/MAC/URL filtering, speed test and more security functions protect your network and data.
- 【Highly Secure VPN】Supports up to 20× LAN-to-LAN IPsec, 16× OpenVPN, 16× L2TP, and 16× PPTP VPN connections.
- Security - SPI Firewall, VPN Pass through, FTP/H.323/PPTP/SIP/IPsec ALG, DoS Defence, Ping of Death and Local Management. Standards and Protocols IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3ab, IEEE 802.3x, IEEE 802.1q
3. Audit and policy evidence
RTINGS rates Mullvad more favorably in its privacy-policy, no-log, audit and company-practices categories. Tom’s Guide reports that NordVPN underwent a fifth Deloitte Lithuania audit in December 2025 and a sixth in February 2026, but the review summary does not establish the scope of those audits. Audit counts alone are not a like-for-like measure: the scope and the underlying reports matter. Consult the linked reviews for their descriptions: RTINGS comparison and Tom’s Guide NordVPN review.
4. IP, DNS and kill-switch checks
RTINGS’ displayed checks detected no IP/DNS leaks for either VPN and no leaks in its listed kill-switch scenarios. That is a pass under RTINGS’ particular test conditions, not proof that leaks are impossible on every operating system, network or future app release. For the results and test display, see RTINGS’ comparison.
Rank #2
- 【AC1200 Dual-band Wireless Router】Simultaneous dual-band with wireless speed up to 300 Mbps (2.4GHz) + 867 Mbps (5GHz). 2.4GHz band can handles some simple tasks like emails or web browsing while bandwidth intensive tasks such as gaming or 4K video streaming can be handled by the 5GHz band.*Speed tests are conducted on a local network. Real-world speeds may differ depending on your network configuration.*
- 【Easy Setup】Please refer to the User Manual and the Unboxing & Setup video guide on Amazon for detailed setup instructions and methods for connecting to the Internet.
- 【Pocket-friendly】Lightweight design(145g) which designed for your next trip or adventure. Alongside its portable, compact design makes it easy to take with you on the go.
- 【Full Gigabit Ports】Gigabit Wireless Internet Router with 2 Gigabit LAN ports and 1 Gigabit WAN ports, ideal for lots of internet plan and allow you to connect your wired devices directly.
- 【Keep your Internet Safe】IPv6 supported. OpenVPN & WireGuard pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers. Cloudflare encryption supported to protect the privacy.
5. Speed
RTINGS displayed download results of 233 Mbps for NordVPN and 224 Mbps for Mullvad. The small difference applies to RTINGS’ setup, not to every connection; another test can produce a different ranking. Artifact Security’s June 2026 comparison, as summarized in an August 10, 2026 NordVPN article, gave NordVPN 91 points and Platinum and Mullvad 70 points and Silver. Artifact Security said its “round 1” weighted throughput, stability, latency and connection time across 55 routes from Frankfurt, London, Singapore, New York and San Francisco. The summary also reported NordVPN averages of 271.9 Mbps and a median of 568.4 Mbps for Windows downloads. These are test-specific figures reported by NordVPN, not expected speeds for an individual subscriber. See NordVPN’s summary of Artifact Security’s test and RTINGS’ displayed measurements.
6. Streaming access
Tom’s Guide reports broader streaming success for NordVPN in its review tests. Its Mullvad review says streaming performance improved but still lagged NordVPN. Streaming access changes by service, country, server and time, so a review result does not guarantee that a particular catalog will work for you. See Tom’s Guide’s NordVPN review and Tom’s Guide’s Mullvad review.
Rank #3
- New-Gen WiFi Standard – WiFi 6(802.11ax) standard supporting MU-MIMO and OFDMA technology for better efficiency and throughput.Antenna : External antenna x 4. Processor : Dual-core (4 VPE). Power Supply : AC Input : 110V~240V(50~60Hz), DC Output : 12 V with max. 1.5A current.
- Ultra-fast WiFi Speed – RT-AX1800S supports 1024-QAM for dramatically faster wireless connections
- Increase Capacity and Efficiency – Supporting not only MU-MIMO but also OFDMA technique to efficiently allocate channels, communicate with multiple devices simultaneously
- 5 Gigabit ports – One Gigabit WAN port and four Gigabit LAN ports, 10X faster than 100–Base T Ethernet.
- Commercial-grade Security Anywhere – Protect your home network with AiProtection Classic, powered by Trend Micro. And when away from home, ASUS Instant Guard gives you a one-click secure VPN.
7. Server and country reach
RTINGS says NordVPN offers more country options. The comparison does not establish a complete, consistently defined server-count comparison, so country reach is the supported distinction here; do not infer a specific current server total from it. See RTINGS’ comparison.
8. Simultaneous devices
Tom’s Guide lists 10 simultaneous connections for NordVPN and five for Mullvad. If you expect to connect several household devices at once, that difference may matter; confirm the current terms before subscribing. See NordVPN review and Mullvad review.
Rank #4
- 【DUAL BAND WIFI 7 TRAVEL ROUTER】Products with US, UK, EU, AU Plug; Dual band network with wireless speed 688Mbps (2.4G)+2882Mbps (5G); Dual 2.5G Ethernet Ports (1x WAN and 1x LAN Port); USB 3.0 port.
- 【NETWORK CONTROL WITH TOUCHSCREEN SIMPLICITY】Slate 7’s touchscreen interface lets you scan QR codes for quick Wi-Fi, monitor speed in real time, toggle VPN on/off, and switch providers directly on the display. Color-coded indicators provide instant network status updates for Ethernet, Tethering, Repeater, and Cellular modes, offering a seamless, user-friendly experience.
- 【OpenWrt 23.05 FIRMWARE】The Slate 7 (GL-BE3600) is a high-performance Wi-Fi 7 travel router, built with OpenWrt 23.05 (Kernel 5.4.213) for maximum customization and advanced networking capabilities. With 512MB storage, total customization with open-source freedom and flexible installation of OpenWrt plugins.
- 【VPN CLIENT & SERVER】OpenVPN and WireGuard are pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers (active subscription required). Simply log in to your existing VPN account with our portable wifi device, and Slate 7 automatically encrypts all network traffic within the connected network. Max. VPN speed of 100 Mbps (OpenVPN); 540 Mbps (WireGuard). *Speed tests are conducted on a local network. Real-world speeds may differ depending on your network configuration.*
- 【PERFECT PORTABLE WIFI ROUTER FOR TRAVEL】The Slate 7 is an ideal portable internet device perfect for international travel. With its mini size and travel-friendly features, the pocket Wi-Fi router is the perfect companion for travelers in need of a secure internet connectivity on the go in which includes hotels or cruise ships.
9. Platform support
Feature availability varies by operating system. Tom’s Guide notes Mac limitations for NordVPN’s split tunneling and system-wide kill switch. Its Mullvad review lists split tunneling on Windows, Linux and Android. Check the feature list for the particular device you plan to use rather than assuming the desktop and mobile apps match. See NordVPN review and Mullvad review.
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10. Protocol choices
Tom’s Guide lists NordLynx, which is based on WireGuard, and OpenVPN for NordVPN; it lists WireGuard and OpenVPN for Mullvad. NordVPN describes NordLynx as its WireGuard-based option and default in most apps, OpenVPN as its stable option, and NordWhisper as intended for restrictive networks. Those characterizations of NordVPN protocols come from the provider, not an independent comparative finding. See NordVPN protocol information, NordVPN review and Mullvad review.
Best Value
- Next-Gen Gigabit Wi-Fi 6 Speeds: 2402 Mbps on 5 GHz and 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz bands ensure smoother streaming and faster downloads; support VPN server and VPN client¹
- A More Responsive Experience: Enjoy smooth gaming, video streaming, and live feeds simultaneously. OFDMA makes your Wi-Fi stronger by allowing multiple clients to share one band at the same time, cutting latency and jitter.²
- Expanded Wi-Fi Coverage: 4 high-gain external antennas and Beamforming technology combine to extend strong, reliable, Wi-Fi throughout your home.
- Improved Battery Life: Target Wake Time helps your devices to communicate efficiently while consuming less power.
- Improved Cooling Design: No heat ups, no throttles. A larger heat sink and redefined case design cools the WiFi 6 system and enables your network to stay at top speeds in more versatile environments.
11. Extra features and limitations
Tom’s Guide notes that NordVPN lacks port forwarding and has the Mac limitations described above. Its Mullvad review highlights Lockdown Mode and built-in anti-censorship connection methods. These are different feature sets, not a simple count of which VPN has more useful features for every reader. Check the reviews for the current platform-specific details: NordVPN review and Mullvad review.
12. Total price, including renewal
Mullvad’s official page states a flat €5 monthly rate including VAT, whether you pay monthly or top up for a year or decade. It also states a 14-day refund guarantee except for cash payments. NordVPN’s official pricing varies by market and distinguishes first-term offers from higher renewal pricing. A localized Australia offer appeared during the October 5, 2026 check, but its figures are not a universal price and may change; check NordVPN’s live pricing page for your country before comparing totals. Mullvad’s current terms are on its pricing page.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which VPN should you choose?
Choose NordVPN if streaming and convenience come first
- You want the stronger streaming record in Tom’s Guide’s review testing.
- You need more simultaneous connections than Mullvad’s five.
- You value NordVPN’s broader reviewed feature set and more country options reported by RTINGS.
- You are comfortable checking the live price and renewal terms for your market.
Choose Mullvad if minimizing signup identifiers matters most
- You prefer signup without an email requirement, as listed by RTINGS.
- You want the option to pay in cash and prefer a flat €5 monthly rate including VAT.
- You value Mullvad’s stronger RTINGS assessment on privacy-policy and company-practices dimensions.
- You can accept fewer simultaneous connections and a weaker streaming record in Tom’s Guide’s tests.
How to interpret the security add-on test
AV-TEST’s 2024 report compared additional network-threat protection features, not the core VPN tunnels. NordSec commissioned the work, which AV-TEST performed on Windows 10 in Germany from September 3 through October 28, 2024. On a corpus of 3,209 malicious samples, the report recorded malicious-link detection of 83.42% for NordVPN and 4.02% for Mullvad—2,677 and 129 detections, respectively—and also reported false positives. Those results apply to the tested threat-blocking configurations and corpus; they do not show that one VPN tunnel is inherently safer overall. See AV-TEST’s report archive.
Quick Recap
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