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Mullvad vs Private Internet Access

Comparing
two VPNs
Decided by
Independent no-logs audits
Last reviewed
2026-08-26
MullvadTakes bitcoin

No email, no username, no password: a random account number, cash or Monero in an envelope, and a police raid that came away with nothing.

Private Internet AccessTakes bitcoin

The only service here whose no-logs claim has been tested in open court twice, sold cheaply from inside the Five Eyes.

Verdict: Mullvad

Mullvad carries more independent audits of its no-logs claim: 4 against 3 for Private Internet Access. We publish no rating for VPNs, so the audit count is the one criterion that decides.

Criterion
Independent no-logs audits
Mullvad
4
Private Internet Access
3

Mullvad and Private Internet Access, fact by fact

Every row is from the two reviews as of their review dates, with sources on each. A check marks the side a decidable criterion favours; rows without one are information, not a score.

Mullvad and Private Internet Access compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactMullvadPrivate Internet Access
Independent audits4, latest 2024 (favoured on this row)3, latest 2025
Real-world tests12
Incidents on record00
Market exits01
OwnerMullvad VPN ABKape Technologies
JurisdictionSwedenUnited States
Eyes allianceFourteen EyesFive Eyes
PriceFlat EUR 5/mo, any termFrom $2.03/mo on the 3yr plan
Money-back14 days30 days
Crypto acceptedbitcoin, bitcoin cash, monerobitcoin
Anonymous signupYesNo
Free tierNoneNone
ServersVendor publishes a live server list, running to roughly 550 servers, and marks which are owned rather than rentedVendor states RAM-only servers across 91 countries, including all 50 US states
Last reviewed2026-08-262026-08-26

No-logs evidence, side by side

Dated audits and real-world tests from each review. An empty column is a finding: the claim has not been independently checked.

Mullvad

  • 2024Audit by Cure53: fourth infrastructure audit, covering one OpenVPN and one WireGuard server plus the Ansible deployment code
  • 2023At least six officers from the Swedish police National Operations Department searched Mullvad's Gothenburg office with a warrant seeking customer data: Mullvad showed the data did not exist and the officers left without seizing equipment or obtaining any customer information
  • 2021Audit by Cure53: infrastructure audit that found no personally identifiable information or privacy leaks
  • 2020Audit by Cure53: penetration test and source code audit of the apps across Windows, Android and iOS
  • 2018Audit by Cure53: penetration test and source code audit of the VPN client app

Private Internet Access

  • 2025Audit by Deloitte Audit Romania: third no-logs assurance engagement
  • 2024Audit by Deloitte Audit Romania: second no-logs assurance engagement on the server network
  • 2022Audit by Deloitte Audit Romania: no-logs policy and server configuration as of 30 June 2022, under ISAE 3000 (Revised)
  • 2018A federal hacking trial in San Jose examined PIA IP addresses used to reach Embarcadero Media email accounts: PIA testified in open court that it keeps no logs of customer activity and could not tie any IP address to a person
  • 2016An FBI subpoena in a bomb-threat investigation demanded usage logs identifying a Private Internet Access user: PIA reported it held no identifying usage logs and could say only that the traffic came from a server cluster

Frequently asked questions

Is Mullvad or Private Internet Access better for privacy?

Mullvad carries more independent audits of its no-logs claim: 4 against 3 for Private Internet Access. We publish no rating for VPNs, so the audit count is the one criterion that decides. Audits, court and seizure records and incidents are dated on each review with their sources.

Can I pay Mullvad or Private Internet Access with bitcoin?

Mullvad takes bitcoin, bitcoin cash and monero (processor: In-house, on self-hosted full nodes). Private Internet Access takes bitcoin (processor: BitPay). Each review quotes the vendor's own refund sentence for crypto purchases verbatim.

Which is cheaper, Mullvad or Private Internet Access?

Mullvad: Flat EUR 5/mo, any term. Private Internet Access: From $2.03/mo on the 3yr plan. Money-back: Mullvad 14 days, Private Internet Access 30 days. Prices are from each vendor's own page as of the review date.

Where are Mullvad and Private Internet Access based?

Mullvad: Sweden (fourteen eyes member). Private Internet Access: United States (five eyes member). A jurisdiction matters less than a court record showing what the provider could hand over; the reviews carry those where they exist.

The full reviews: Mullvad and Private Internet Access, each with its sources, and every VPN we review.

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