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Hotspot Shield vs Mullvad: No-Logs Policy Face-Off

Explore how Hotspot Shield (US) and Mullvad (SE) compare in ensuring your online privacy with their strict no-logs policies. Make an informed choice today!

Last updated: March 7, 2026Reviewed by Built in EU Team

Should You Switch to Mullvad?

What You Gain

Enhanced privacy, anonymity, and EU server focus with Mullvad

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Potential loss of features due to Hotspot Shield's larger team

Hotspot Shield has more features
Bottom Line

Switch if privacy is your priority; stay if you need more features

At a Glance

Data Location
🇺🇸US

US data laws

🇸🇪SE

GDPR protected

Pricing

Hotspot Shield

Contact

Mullvad

subscription

Migration
Easy difficulty~30-45 minutes

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriaHotspot ShieldMullvad
Server Location
US (AWS), EU (optional)EU
GDPR Compliance
Partial (SCCs)Full
Open Source
E2E Encryption
OptionalAll plans
Data Portability
LimitedFull export

CLOUD Act Notice

Hotspot Shield is a US company and must comply with CLOUD Act data requests, even for data stored in EU data centers. Mullvad is not subject to US jurisdiction.

Switching from
Hotspot Shield logo

Hotspot Shield

🇺🇸

Aura

VS
Switching to
Mullvad logo

Mullvad

🇸🇪

Mullvad

5.0 (1)
US Data Storage

Data subject to US CLOUD Act and may be accessed by US authorities

EU Data Protection

Data protected under GDPR with EU-only data residency

Certifications & Compliance

No certifications listed

EU-Based
GDPR Compliant
Open Source
Self-Hostable
EU-hosted

Reasons to Switch

  • Anonymous accounts: No personal data needed
  • No logs: Mullvad doesn't track user activity
  • GDPR compliant: Strong EU privacy regulations
  • Cash payments: Enhance anonymity with cash

Things to Consider

  • !Migration pain: Switching VPNs can be tedious
  • !Learning curve: New interface to get used to
  • !Missing features: Hotspot Shield features unknown
Migration difficulty:
Easy
~30-45 minutes

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Easy
Time Estimate
~30-45 minutes

Depends on data size and complexity

Quick Steps

1

Create your Mullvad account

2

Export data from Hotspot Shield

3

Import to Mullvad and verify

Other alternatives to Hotspot Shield

Ready to make the switch?

Start using Mullvad today and take control of your data privacy.