CyberGhost VPN vs Mullvad

Compare CyberGhost VPN and Mullvad on capabilities, jurisdiction, assurance, and fit for European buyers.

Both listed as alternatives to: ExpressVPN

CyberGhost VPN

Romania· VPN Services

Needs review

Shortlist CyberGhost when you want a Romanian-entity consumer VPN with polished multi-device apps, streaming/P2P server profiles, NoSpy HQ servers, and repeated Deloitte no-logs assurance. Skip when you need holding-company independence, a published B2B DPA/subprocessor pack, or minimal US SaaS in the account path—consider Mullvad or Proton VPN instead.

Romanian entityWireGuard + OpenVPNNoSpy HQ serversDeloitte no-logs (claimed)7 simultaneous devicesStreaming/P2P profiles

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Mullvad

Sweden· VPN Services

Needs review

Shortlist when you need a Swedish founder-owned privacy VPN with numbered accounts, GPL clients, RAM-only relays, and a dense public audit trail. Skip when you need dedicated IPs, remote port forwarding, or productized enterprise SSO/ISO packaging—consider Proton VPN for suite/free-tier onboarding or AirVPN for inbound ports.

EU-operated (Sweden)Numbered accountsGPL-3 clientsWireGuard + multihopPublic security auditsRAM-only relays

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Highlighted rows differ between the two products.

CyberGhost VPN vs Mullvad: Snapshot
Feature	CyberGhost VPN	Mullvad
Country of origin	Romania	Sweden
Category	VPN Services	VPN Services
Open source	No	Yes
Self-hosted	No	No
Headquarters	Romania	Sweden
Legal entity	CyberGhost S.R.L. (J40/1278/2011; 68 Polona St., District 1, Bucharest)	Mullvad VPN AB (reg. no. 559238-4001); parent Amagicom AB
Governing law	Romania / EU (entity); group policies under Kape Technologies PLC (UK)	Swedish / EU law (GDPR); see Swedish legislation help page
US parent / control	No known US parent	No known US parent
CLOUD Act exposure (indicative)	Medium	Medium
Hosting / residency	VPN egress: vendor-operated NoSpy servers at Romanian HQ plus self-owned colocated servers in third-party data centers worldwide (100 countries marketed). Account/billing/support/analytics path per privacy policy includes Cleverbridge (DE), Stripe, PayPal/Braintree, Zendesk, Google Analytics, AppsFlyer, Mouseflow, Iterable, and related processors—several US-group. Full infra subprocessor register not published as a single procurement table.	Multi-region VPN exits (EU and outside EU, including USA) on owned and rented colo (public provider list: e.g. M247, DataPacket, xtom, Zenlayer, Blix). RAM-only VPN OS. Account/payment personal data claimed stored only in EU/EEA. Payment subprocessors include Stripe and PayPal (US-group) plus SEB for bank/Swish when those methods are used; support email self-hosted by Mullvad since 2024.
Summary	Romanian consumer VPN from CyberGhost S.R.L. with WireGuard/OpenVPN, NoSpy HQ servers, streaming/P2P profiles, and Deloitte no-logs audits—under Kape Technologies PLC.	Swedish privacy VPN with numbered accounts (no email), GPL-3 clients, RAM-only relays, and repeated third-party security audits—built for anonymity over enterprise packaging.
Tags	privacy vpn no-logs wireguard romania consumer	privacy vpn no-logs wireguard open-source sweden

At a glance: CyberGhost VPN vs Mullvad
At a glance	CyberGhost VPN	Mullvad
HQ / entity	CyberGhost S.R.L., Bucharest, Romania	Gothenburg, Sweden — Mullvad VPN AB (parent Amagicom AB)
Parent group	Kape Technologies PLC (UK)	Not listed
Protocols	WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2	WireGuard (primary), OpenVPN; bridges/obfuscation
Network (vendor)	100 countries, 120+ locations	Not listed
Devices	Up to 7 simultaneous	Not listed
Open source / self-host	No (proprietary apps; not self-hosted)	Not listed
Commercial model	Subscription; optional Dedicated IP; money-back window on long-term plans	Prepaid access; no free tier; cash/crypto/card/PayPal (see site)
Ownership	Not listed	100% founders Fredrik Stromberg and Daniel Berntsson
Clients	Not listed	GPL-3 apps (Win/macOS/Linux/Android/iOS); WireGuard configs + CLI
Sessions	Not listed	Five simultaneous connections; shared exits only
Infrastructure	Not listed	RAM-only VPN relays; multi-region colo (owned + rented)
Independent audits	Not listed	Multiple public app/infra audits (Cure53, ROS, Assured, X41, …)
B2B packaging	Not listed	Self-serve consumer ToS; no productized enterprise pack found

Key capabilities: CyberGhost VPN vs Mullvad
Key capabilities	CyberGhost VPN	Mullvad
Romanian entity	Yes	Not listed
WireGuard + OpenVPN	Yes	Yes
NoSpy HQ servers	Yes	Not listed
Deloitte no-logs (claimed)	Yes	Not listed
7 simultaneous devices	Yes	Not listed
Streaming/P2P profiles	Yes	Not listed
EU-operated (Sweden)	Not listed	Yes
Numbered accounts	Not listed	Yes
GPL-3 clients	Not listed	Yes
Public security audits	Not listed	Yes
RAM-only relays	Not listed	Yes

CyberGhost VPN

NoSpy servers inside Romanian HQ
Self-owned servers CyberGhost says it operates end-to-end at its Bucharest headquarters with staff-only physical access—for higher physical-control privacy than third-party facilities. Colocated self-owned servers elsewhere cover non-RO egress. NoSpy access may depend on plan length (not monthly-only).
Streaming, P2P, and gaming server profiles
Labeled optimized servers for streaming, torrenting, and gaming across a network marketed at 100 countries and 120+ locations. Reduces trial-and-error for households; unblocking success still varies by platform and changes over time.
WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 with kill switch
Choose WireGuard for speed, OpenVPN for flexibility, or IKEv2 on supported platforms. Automatic kill switch, DNS leak protection, RAM-only server claims, and split tunneling address common tunnel-failure and mixed-app workflows.
Multi-platform apps and seven simultaneous devices
Native apps for major desktops and mobiles, extensions, selected TVs/Fire Stick, and router setup. One subscription covers up to seven concurrent connections—fit for mixed family fleets, not unlimited-device competitors.
Token-based Dedicated IP add-on
Optional static IP sold separately; company describes a token design so operational systems do not map the fixed address to the account the way naive dedicated-IP setups do. Useful against CAPTCHA-heavy sites; still a paid add-on, not core anonymity.
Published Deloitte no-logs audits and transparency reports
Repeated Deloitte Audit Romania ISAE 3000-style reviews of no-logs configuration (including dedicated-IP token handling), with public report links, plus quarterly legal-request transparency reports. Assurance scope is configuration/operations—not a guarantee of absolute anonymity.

Mullvad

Numbered accounts (no email required)
Signup generates a random account number with prepaid time remaining—no username, password, or email by default. Multiple people can share a number; recovery without the number is intentionally hard. Best when identity linkage is a risk; use cash or self-hosted crypto payments if you also want to avoid card/PayPal trails.
WireGuard-first apps with multihop and obfuscation
Official clients for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS use WireGuard with multihop, quantum-resistant tunnel options, DAITA traffic-analysis resistance, and bridge/obfuscation modes (Shadowsocks, UDP-over-TCP, QUIC, LWO on selected servers) for censored networks. Kill switch and tunnel DNS are on by default. Up to five simultaneous connections per account.
GPL-3 open-source clients
Desktop and mobile client code is published under GPL-3 (github.com/mullvad/mullvadvpn-app) with public audit reports in-repo. WireGuard config export and a CLI support non-GUI deployments. iOS App Store distribution uses Apple's EULA rather than GPL for the shipped binary.
RAM-only relays and public audit trail
VPN infrastructure completed migration to diskless/RAM-only operation so reboots discard volatile state. Multiple independent infrastructure and app assessments (Cure53, Radically Open Security, Assured, X41, and others) publish findings; Cure53's work explicitly looked for privacy-impacting flaws on sample relays.
DAITA and quantum-resistant tunnels
DAITA (Defense Against AI-guided Traffic Analysis) adds padding/cover traffic patterns against modern traffic-analysis models. Quantum-resistant WireGuard tunnel modes are available across platforms and were rolled out as defaults on supported clients—useful for long-lived confidentiality threat models, at some performance cost.

Assurance & compliance: CyberGhost VPN vs Mullvad
Assurance & compliance	CyberGhost VPN	Mullvad
Independent no-logs audit (Deloitte)	Vendor claimed Public Deloitte Audit Romania ISAE 3000-style assurance engagements (2022, 2024; third cycle announced Feb 2026 with downloadable report). Scope: configuration/operations vs no-logs description.	Verified Public Cure53 infrastructure reports (e.g. 2021, 2024) and other third-party app/infra audits; Cure53 stated no PII on assessed systems and no anonymity compromise found in 2024 sample. April 2023 Swedish police search reported no customer data seized.
ISO 27001	Vendor claimed Privacy policy states QSCert ISO 27001 (and ISO 9001) ISMS certification since 2012 with yearly renewal. Confirm current certificate validity independently.	Not found
SOC 2 / SOC 3	Not found No SOC 2/3 report identified on primary trust/legal pages reviewed.	Not found
GDPR / EU data protection	Vendor claimed EU (Romanian) controller CyberGhost S.R.L.; privacy policy describes GDPR rights, DPO contact, and lawful bases. Not a legal compliance certificate.	Vendor claimed Swedish EU entity; privacy policy addresses GDPR rights and states personal data stored/processed only in EU/EEA.
US CLOUD Act exposure (indicative)	Partial Romanian entity, no known US parent; UK group (Kape). Account path uses US-group SaaS (Stripe, Zendesk, Google Analytics, AppsFlyer, etc.). Medium/partial—not low. Not legal advice.	Partial EU entity, founder-owned, no known US parent. Partial residual exposure: Stripe and PayPal as payment processors (US-group) when those methods are chosen; multi-region exits include US colo. Not legal advice.
Data processing agreement (B2B)	Not found Consumer-focused public site; no clear self-serve B2B DPA portal found during research. Request under contract if needed.	Not found Consumer privacy policy and ToS published; no productized enterprise DPA flow found on primary pages.
EU AI Act	Not applicable Consumer VPN connectivity product; not an AI system offering.	Not applicable VPN connectivity product; not an AI system under typical procurement framing (DAITA is a traffic-defense feature, not a general-purpose AI product).

Considerations & known limitations: CyberGhost VPN vs Mullvad
Considerations & known limitations	CyberGhost VPN	Mullvad
Part of multi-brand Kape VPN group	Medium Ultimate holding company Kape Technologies PLC also operates ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access. Switching among Kape brands does not diversify group-level ownership risk.	Not listed
US-group SaaS for account and support data	Medium Privacy policy discloses Stripe, Zendesk, Google Analytics, AppsFlyer, and similar processors for non-tunnel data. Separates VPN no-logs claims from account/support transfer risk.	Not listed
Most locations are colocated, not NoSpy	Low Only NoSpy servers sit in company HQ. Global city coverage relies on third-party data centers even when hardware is self-owned—relevant for physical-access threat models.	Not listed
Thin public enterprise procurement pack	Medium No public B2B DPA/subprocessor schedule found for fleet buyers. Consumer money-back and app UX do not replace contractual diligence.	Not listed
Streaming unblocking is not guaranteed	Low Optimized server labels help users, but platform detection changes frequently. Do not treat marketing unblocking claims as durable SLA.	Not listed
Consumer packaging, not enterprise control plane	Not listed	Medium Self-serve numbered accounts without productized SSO/MDM org admin, ISO/SOC claims, or click-through DPA. Procurement that requires those artifacts needs offline negotiation or another vendor.
US payment processors when card/PayPal used	Not listed	Medium Stripe and PayPal process identity-bearing payment data outside the pure numbered-account model. Cash or self-hosted crypto reduces that trail; card/PayPal does not.
Multi-region exit nodes including non-EU	Not listed	Medium Traffic can leave the tunnel outside the EU depending on server choice. Strict residency policies need operational EU-only exit controls, not HQ branding alone.
No new port forwarding; no dedicated IP	Not listed	Low Remote port forwarding was disabled for new ports in 2023; dedicated IPs are not offered by design. Choose AirVPN or self-hosted WireGuard if inbound reachability is required.
Weak recovery without the account number	Not listed	Low No email-based reset by default. Losing the number can mean losing access; treat it as a secret in team runbooks.
US CLOUD Act residual path (indicative)	Not listed	Low No known US parent. Residual exposure mainly via US payment SaaS and optional US exits—not ownership. Not a guarantee against other LE cooperation.

Fit

CyberGhost VPN

Best fit when

Households and individuals needing easy apps across phones, PCs, TVs, and up to seven concurrent devices
Users who prioritize streaming- or P2P-labeled servers over manual protocol tinkering
Buyers who want a Romanian operating company plus published Deloitte no-logs assurance and transparency reports
Travelers needing kill switch, split tunneling, and quick public-Wi-Fi protection
Teams evaluating consumer VPN shortlists where UX and server coverage outweigh pure minimalism

Poor fit when

Organizations that require a published B2B DPA, subprocessor schedule, and enterprise fleet controls out of the box
Evaluators who reject multi-brand holding groups (Kape also owns ExpressVPN and PIA)
Buyers insisting on zero US-group SaaS for payments, support, or analytics
Power users who need port forwarding, deep open-source client control, or anonymous no-email accounts (prefer Mullvad/AirVPN-class tools)
Procurement policies that disallow UK-group ownership regardless of EU operating entity

Consider instead when

When: You want hard privacy minimalism, anonymous accounts, and open-source focus
Consider: Mullvad
Swedish VPN; weaker streaming-marketing packaging, stronger anonymity defaults
When: You want a Swiss/EU privacy suite with free tier and open-source clients
Consider: Proton VPN
Different product family; less multi-brand VPN conglomerate context
When: You need technical port forwarding, DDNS, and enthusiast configuration depth
Consider: AirVPN
Italian technical VPN; not a consumer streaming specialist
When: You specifically want the premium Kape-family brand with different protocol positioning
Consider: ExpressVPN
Same ultimate group (Kape); ownership risk is not diversified by switching brands inside the group

Mullvad

Best fit when

You want accountless signup (no email) and optional cash/crypto payment trails
Open-source (GPL-3) clients and public infrastructure audit reports are procurement requirements
Threat model includes traffic analysis or long-term confidentiality (DAITA, quantum-resistant tunnels)
Users face VPN blocking and need bridge/obfuscation (Shadowsocks, QUIC, LWO, UDP-over-TCP)
European legal entity with no known US corporate parent is a hard filter

Poor fit when

You need remote port forwarding or dedicated IPs (port forwarding disabled; no dedicated IP product)
Security policy requires ISO 27001 or SOC 2 from the VPN vendor on day one
You need enterprise fleet controls (SSO/SAML, MDM org console) as the primary packaging
Primary goal is commercial streaming unblocking at maximum server count rather than anonymity
Staff cannot reliably store a 16-digit account number (weak recovery without email)

Consider instead when

When: You need inbound remote port forwarding or Dynamic DNS
Consider: AirVPN
Mullvad disabled new port forwards in 2023; AirVPN remains port-forward oriented.
When: You want a free tier plus mail/drive in one European privacy suite
Consider: Proton VPN
Proton is account-based with a broader product suite; Mullvad optimizes for minimal identity.
When: You need maximum consumer server footprint and streaming-oriented features
Consider: NordVPN or Surfshark
Trade a denser feature catalog for weaker accountless/audit differentiation vs Mullvad.
When: You need enterprise zero-trust mesh or org-wide device VPN with SSO
Consider: Self-hosted WireGuard, Tailscale, or NetBird
Different product class than consumer privacy VPN.

Open questions for due diligence

CyberGhost VPN

Will CyberGhost sign a B2B DPA and provide a current subprocessor list with locations for support, billing, and analytics?
What is the current ISO 27001 certificate number, scope, and expiry (beyond privacy-policy wording)?
Which personal data categories, if any, are accessible to Kape group entities outside CyberGhost S.R.L. in production operations?
For NoSpy-only threat models, what fraction of traffic and which use cases still require colocated non-RO egress?

Mullvad

Will Mullvad sign a B2B DPA and provide a written subprocessors schedule for a company purchase?
Can your org enforce EU-only exits (and block US/other regions) via MDM/config for all devices?
Is payment restricted to cash/crypto acceptable so Stripe/PayPal never see staff identity?
Does vendor risk accept public third-party audits in lieu of ISO 27001/SOC 2?