Mullvad vs ExpressVPN: Privacy Comparison
In this comprehensive privacy comparison, we analyze Mullvad and ExpressVPN across six critical dimensions: data collection practices, encryption implementation, third-party data sharing, user privacy controls, transparency, and historical track record. Both services serve similar needs, but their approaches to user privacy differ significantly. Our analysis reveals that Mullvad offers a meaningfully better privacy experience overall, though each service has relative strengths and weaknesses worth understanding in detail.
Scorecard Summary
Here is the result of weighing both services across the dimensions that decide real-world privacy. Across the six privacy dimensions we score, Mullvad finishes ahead of ExpressVPN, 53/60 to 36/60. That total reflects a privacy face-off in which one service is consistently the more privacy-respecting choice, even though both cover the same functional ground.
The largest single-dimension gap is in Data Collection, where Mullvad leads by 3 points -- Mullvad 9/10 to ExpressVPN 6/10. The tightest race is Third-Party Sharing, separated by just 2 points (Mullvad 10/10, ExpressVPN 8/10). Keep reading to see exactly how the gap was earned, category by category.
Data Collection Practices
The starting point for judging privacy is always how data is collected. The amount of user data a service captures, keeps, and works with is the single biggest factor behind its privacy exposure. Mullvad shows more discipline on this front, collecting nothing beyond the bare minimum needed for the service to run. The competing option reaches for a much wider set of data, including behavioral patterns, device identifiers, and usage analytics that stretch beyond the essentials. In this category we rated Mullvad 9/10 and ExpressVPN 6/10. The gap comes down to more than raw volume -- it is about the intent behind each piece of data and whether collecting it was ever justified.
Encryption Standards
Encryption protects user data both in transit and at rest, and the implementation quality varies dramatically between services. Mullvad implements stronger encryption measures, including more robust protocols for data in transit and better protection for stored data. The specific encryption implementations differ in their coverage (which data is encrypted), their strength (which algorithms and key lengths are used), and whether end-to-end encryption is employed (preventing even the service provider from accessing user content). Mullvad scored 10/10 while ExpressVPN scored 7/10 for encryption.
Sharing Data With Outside Parties
A service's willingness to hand data to outside parties is a make-or-break privacy factor. That covers advertising networks, analytics providers, business partners, and what happens when governments come asking. Mullvad keeps a tighter lid on who can reach user data. These sharing habits shape security as much as privacy, since every extra party granted access becomes one more way a breach could happen. Scores: Mullvad 10/10, ExpressVPN 8/10.
User Privacy Controls
The availability and effectiveness of user-facing privacy controls determine how much agency individuals have over their own data. This includes settings for data collection opt-out, download and deletion capabilities, granular permission controls, and the ease with which users can exercise their rights under applicable privacy regulations. Mullvad provides more comprehensive and accessible privacy controls. Scores: Mullvad 7/10, ExpressVPN 4/10.
Openness About Data Practices
At its core, transparency is about how clearly a service tells users what happens to their data. That means how understandable the privacy policy is, whether transparency reports exist, how promptly privacy inquiries are addressed, and whether changes to policy are flagged proactively. Mullvad is the stronger performer on transparency overall. Without clear and accessible privacy communication, informed consent and trust are impossible. Scores: Mullvad 8/10, ExpressVPN 5/10.
What Their History Reveals
The record of privacy incidents, regulatory run-ins, and how a service answers vulnerabilities offers context you cannot ignore. Mullvad holds the stronger track record here, with a smaller count of incidents and a more responsible response to the problems that did surface. More often than not, what a service did in the past is the best guide to its future privacy conduct. Scores: Mullvad 9/10, ExpressVPN 6/10.
Our Bottom-Line Call
Our comprehensive analysis gives Mullvad a total score of 53/60 and ExpressVPN a total score of 36/60. The overall winner for privacy is Mullvad. While both services serve similar functional needs, the winner demonstrates a more privacy-respecting approach across the dimensions that matter most. That said, no service is perfect, and users should always configure privacy settings actively regardless of which option they choose. We recommend supplementing your choice with additional privacy tools, a VPN, DNS-level ad blocker, and privacy-focused browser, to build a comprehensive privacy posture. If your threat model requires the strongest possible privacy, consider whether an even more privacy-focused alternative exists in this category beyond the two compared here.