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PIA vs Mullvad: Which VPN Truly Respects Your Privacy?

Discover how Private Internet Access (US) and Mullvad (SE) stand up to their no-logs promises. Secure your online presence today.

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

Should You Switch to Mullvad?

What You Gain

Enhanced privacy, anonymous payments, no logs, EU servers

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Potential loss of features due to PIA's larger budget

Private Internet Access has more features
Bottom Line

Switch if privacy is priority; stay with PIA if features matter more

At a Glance

Data Location
🇺🇸US

US data laws

🇸🇪SE

GDPR protected

Pricing

Private Internet Access

Contact

Mullvad

subscription

Migration
Easy difficulty~30 minutes

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriaPrivate Internet AccessMullvad
Server Location
US, EUEU
GDPR Compliance
Partial (SCCs)Full
Open Source
E2E Encryption
OptionalAll plans
Data Portability
LimitedFull export

CLOUD Act Notice

Private Internet Access 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
Private Internet Access logo

Private Internet Access

🇺🇸

Kape Technologies

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 account creation with no email needed
  • GDPR compliance ensures strict data protection
  • Accepts cash payments for full anonymity
  • Open source for transparency and trust

Things to Consider

  • !Potential learning curve with Mullvad Browser
  • !Migration may require manual configuration
  • !Fewer server locations compared to some VPNs
Migration difficulty:
Easy
~30 minutes

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Easy
Time Estimate
~30 minutes

Depends on data size and complexity

Quick Steps

1

Create your Mullvad account

2

Export data from Private Internet Access

3

Import to Mullvad and verify

Other alternatives to Private Internet Access

Ready to make the switch?

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