Hotspot Shield vs Mullvad
A data-driven head-to-head of Hotspot Shield and Mullvad for 2026: long-term pricing, privacy, audit history, streaming unblock, and trust signals, so you can pick the right VPN for what you actually do online.
Hotspot ShieldWinner
Verdict: which is better?
On the data, Hotspot Shield comes out ahead overall, but the right pick depends on what you weight most.
- Best long-term price
- Countries
- Streaming unblocks
- Money-back window
- Free trial
- Overall rating
- Audited no-logs
- Trustpilot
Hotspot Shield vs Mullvad: head-to-head
| Feature | Hotspot Shield | Mullvad |
|---|---|---|
| Best long-term price | $2.99/mo on the 24-month plan | $5.72/mo on the 1-month plan |
| Overall rating | 3.40 / 5 | 4.40 / 5 |
| Server count | 1800+ | 650+ |
| Countries | 80 | 44 |
| Streaming unblocks | 4 services | 1 services |
| Audited no-logs | 1 audit | 4 audits |
| Jurisdiction | United States | Sweden |
| 14 Eyes alliance | Yes | Yes |
| Trustpilot | 3.5 (4,100) | 4.4 (6,800) |
| Money-back window | 45 days | 30 days |
| Free trial | Yes | No |
Pricing and specs are pulled from our latest data for each provider. Verify current pricing on the provider site before purchase.
Hotspot Shield vs Mullvad FAQ
Is Hotspot Shield cheaper than Mullvad?
Hotspot Shield is the more affordable option at $2.99/mo on the 24-month plan, compared with $5.72/mo on the 1-month plan for Mullvad. Both prices reflect the longest published term; check the monthly rate for short-term signups.
Which is rated higher, Hotspot Shield or Mullvad?
Mullvad scores higher on our 18-dimension rubric (4.40/5 vs 3.40/5 for Hotspot Shield). The breakdown is in the table above, with weights published on /how-we-rank.
Which unblocks more streaming services, Hotspot Shield or Mullvad?
Hotspot Shield unblocks 4 services in our tests, while Mullvad unblocks 1. Streaming unblock performance changes frequently; verify before relying on it for a specific service.
Has Hotspot Shield or Mullvad been independently audited?
Mullvad has been independently audited 4 times. Hotspot Shield has 1 on record. Audit count and recency are weighted heavily in our privacy scoring.
Hotspot Shield vs Mullvad: which should I pick?
Choose Hotspot Shield if best streaming speeds on us servers; choose Mullvad if maximum privacy and minimum identifying data. The head-to-head above covers price, privacy, streaming, and trust signals so you can match the winner to your use case.