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Mullvad vs StrongVPN sets maximum privacy against maximum convenience at home. Mullvad lets you sign up with no email, pay in cash and rely on more than 10 audits in our table. StrongVPN, launched in 2005 and now owned by Ziff Davis, has no audit in our table but includes Smart DNS for consoles, allows 12 devices and had the lowest local ping of 59 VPNs in Top10VPN’s 2026 tests.
This guide compares privacy, home devices, speed, streaming, cost and fit.
Privacy or Convenience
StrongVPN’s monthly plan carries no refund, so test on a yearly plan.
Neither approach is wrong; they serve different people.
Mullvad’s choices, from account numbers to memory-only servers and DAITA, all serve privacy, even when they cost convenience. StrongVPN’s choices, such as Smart DNS and a WireGuard configuration generator, serve home devices and gaming.
Decide which matters more before comparing features.
Mullvad vs StrongVPN on Evidence
Mullvad publishes its audit reports on its own site.
An audit checks systems against the policy; without one, you rely on the company’s word.
Mullvad has more than 10 audits in our table, and Swedish police left its office with nothing in 2023, CyberInsider reported. Our table lists no audit for StrongVPN; Top10VPN adds that its apps have not been audited and do not use post-quantum encryption.
For proof of privacy claims, Mullvad is far ahead. Our VPN audit tracker compares records.
Consoles and TVs
Mullvad’s Android TV app covers Google TV devices directly.
If you want encryption for the console too, run Mullvad on the router instead.
StrongVPN’s Smart DNS lets a games console or smart TV reach streaming services without a VPN app, and it has a Fire TV app. Mullvad has an Android TV app but no Smart DNS, so consoles need a router running Mullvad over WireGuard.
Smart DNS adds no encryption, so it suits streaming rather than privacy.
Speed and Ping
Run both tests at the same hour so the comparison stays fair.
Ping matters most in games and calls; download speed matters most for streaming.
Top10VPN found StrongVPN had the lowest local ping of 59 VPNs in 2026. Mullvad kept about 95% of connection speed on UK servers in Comparitech’s tests, though its DAITA feature costs speed when switched on.
Gamers will notice StrongVPN’s ping; for browsing, both are quick.
Streaming
Test first.
Mullvad’s privacy-first approach means it does not chase streaming access at all.
Test the services you use within any refund window.
StrongVPN works best for US services, Top10VPN found, unblocking HBO Max on the first attempt. Mullvad does not try to unblock streaming, and testers often found services blocked.
For streaming, StrongVPN is the better choice.
Cost Over Two Years and Devices
Mullvad costs €5 a month, €120 over two years, with a 14-day refund except for cash and crypto. StrongVPN’s yearly plan costs $47.69 and then $89.99, about $137.68 over two years, and refunds only yearly plans within 30 days.
The two-year costs are similar; Mullvad’s never rises. Our renewal price guide compares.
List every phone, laptop, television and games console in the house before choosing.
StrongVPN allows 12 devices; Mullvad allows five. A router running Mullvad counts as one device and can cover a whole home.
Large households fit StrongVPN without extra setup.
Owners, Jurisdiction and Kill Switch
Ziff Davis’s media brands also review VPNs, so weigh their verdicts on their own products with care.
Mullvad is an independent Swedish company. Ziff Davis owns StrongVPN alongside IPVanish and publications such as PCMag and CNET, from the US.
Our VPN ownership guide explains why owners matter.
Who Each Is For
Count how many of your devices need coverage and how much proof you need.
Mullvad suits people who want anonymity and proof, and accept fewer devices and weak streaming. StrongVPN suits gamers, console owners and streamers who want Smart DNS, low ping and 12 devices, and accept no audit.
Pick by what you do online most often.
Mullvad’s lockdown mode blocks all traffic if the tunnel drops. StrongVPN ships with its kill switch switched off, Top10VPN notes, and offers split tunnelling only on Android.
Switch the kill switch on yourself, then test it by dropping Wi-Fi briefly.
Protocols
WireGuard is the fast default at home on either service.
Mullvad has run WireGuard only since removing OpenVPN in January 2026. StrongVPN uses WireGuard by default and also offers OpenVPN and IKEv2, plus a WireGuard configuration generator for routers.
Older routers that need OpenVPN or IKEv2 work with StrongVPN but not Mullvad.
Two Long Histories
Both now serve very different audiences.
StrongVPN launched in 2005, Top10VPN notes, and Mullvad told reporters in 2023 that the police visit was its first in more than 14 years of operation. Both have outlasted many younger rivals. For a head-to-head, see our TunnelBear vs StrongVPN comparison.
A long history reassures, but audits say more about current practice.
How We Research
This page draws on CyberInsider’s report on Mullvad’s 2023 police visit, Top10VPN’s StrongVPN review, Comparitech’s streaming tests and our Mullvad and StrongVPN tables. We cross-checked these sources against each other, and where they conflict or something can’t be verified, we say so in the text rather than guessing. We checked time-sensitive figures, including prices in US dollars, on 8 October 2026. The main source we relied on is Top10VPN’s StrongVPN review. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
Mullvad vs StrongVPN FAQ
Mullvad for privacy; StrongVPN for home devices, gaming and streaming.
No; StrongVPN does.
Not in our table; Mullvad has more than 10 audits.
StrongVPN, with 12 against five.
StrongVPN, in Top10VPN’s tests.
The Verdict
Mullvad vs StrongVPN: Mullvad for anonymous, audited privacy; StrongVPN for Smart DNS, low ping and a houseful of devices.