ExpressVPN vs Mullvad

ExpressVPN is the easier fit when mainstream streaming access is the priority. Mullvad pulls the other way if open client code and more privacy-focused routing choices matter more to you.

Major-platform access is the cleaner separator

ExpressVPN currently supports access to major streaming platforms. Reliable major-platform streaming is not confirmed for Mullvad. If streaming is a normal part of why you want a VPN, that difference is easier to act on than a long list of shared technical features.

The jurisdictional picture points this way too

ExpressVPN is registered outside the Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes surveillance alliances. Mullvad is registered in a Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes member country. That matters only if the registered jurisdiction is part of your own trust checklist, but here it is a real difference rather than a tie.

The client code is open across the supported set

Mullvad's client apps are open source across the supported platform set. Not all of ExpressVPN's client apps are open source. If you like being able to inspect the client side instead of treating the app as a black box, this is one of the clearest reasons to lean this way.

Multi-hop and cash payment are both confirmed

Mullvad has a confirmed multi-hop route in the current feature set. Built-in multi-hop is not part of ExpressVPN's confirmed feature set. Mullvad supports cash payment. ExpressVPN does not currently support cash payment. Neither feature matters to everyone, but both are concrete options that the other side does not currently offer.