Surfshark vs Hotspot Shield (2026): One Costs Less and Does More
Most comparisons involve a trade-off. This one does not. Surfshark costs less across four years and comes out ahead on every criterion except raw speed on nearby servers.
VPN Comparisons
Head-to-head VPN comparisons that go beyond spec sheets. We line up audit records, independent speed results, features, and pricing side by side — and name a winner for your specific needs.
Surfshark vs TunnelBear (2026): Both Unlimited, and That Settles Nothing
Both allow unlimited simultaneous connections, which removes the argument that normally settles this kind of comparison. What is left is streaming, coverage, and a refund window one of them does not have.
NordVPN vs TunnelBear (2026): One of Them Cannot Refund You
TunnelBear gives unlimited devices and has published an audit every year since 2017. It also has no refund window, which makes its free tier the only trial you get.
NordVPN vs Hotspot Shield (2026): Two Fast VPNs, One Verifiable
Both are genuinely fast. One has six independent no-logs audits, a transparency report every month and servers that store nothing. The other has none of those, for roughly the same price.
Mullvad vs ExpressVPN (2026): Seven Dollars Apart Over Four Years
Across four years these two cost $267 and $260. Both have had no-logs claims tested by police rather than by auditors. Price settles nothing here, which is unusual.
Mullvad vs Surfshark (2026): Five Devices Against All of Them
Surfshark allows unlimited devices and costs $55 less across four years. Mullvad allows five and never learns your email address. No pair we have compared splits this widely.
Mullvad vs Proton VPN (2026): The Privacy Choice That Isn’t About Privacy
Both are independent, both publish every audit, both open-source their apps. What separates them is whether you need a VPN that also streams, covers ten devices and forwards ports.
Mullvad vs NordVPN (2026): One of Them Knows Your Email
NordVPN wins on speed, streaming and device count. Mullvad refuses to learn your email address, publishes every audit report, and costs $75 less over four years.
PureVPN vs Proton VPN (2026): One Was Caught, One Never Was
PureVPN costs $92 less across four years and submits to surprise audits Proton does not face. It also handed logs to the FBI in 2017. Both facts are true.
CyberGhost vs Proton VPN (2026): The Renewal That Looks Flat and Isn’t
CyberGhost costs about $88 less across four years and refunds for 45 days. Proton audits itself every year and publishes the reports. Both renew at 2.3 times the intro rate.