Mullvad vs Surfshark:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Surfshark had more branded searches than Mullvad among VPN services worldwide. Surfshark had about 673,000 branded searches, while Mullvad had 246,000. Surfshark made up 17% of all VPN service searches we track, and Mullvad accounted for 6.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about VPN services, Mullvad appeared in all five answers and Surfshark in four. Surfshark was mentioned before Mullvad in three out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Surfshark, about 3 searches for every 1 for Mullvad
Who does AI mention more?
Mullvad, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Surfshark, named ahead of Mullvad in 3 of 5 answers
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Top VPN services in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Mullvad appeared in all five answers. Surfshark was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Surfshark was listed before Mullvad in three out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
NordVPN1st- Surfshark2nd
- Mullvad3rd
- Windscribe4th
ExpressVPN5th
CyberGhost–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- NordVPN5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Mullvad5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Surfshark4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- ExpressVPN2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Windscribe2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- CyberGhost0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about VPN services
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which VPN service should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best VPN services?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best VPN service for online privacy?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best vpn”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“vpn service”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Mullvad or Surfshark more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Mullvad and Surfshark by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six VPN services we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Surfshark, Mullvad. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | NordVPN | Surfshark | ExpressVPN | Windscribe | Mullvad | CyberGhost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 48% | 17.6% | 17.6% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 3.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 49.6% | 18.2% | 14.9% | 8.2% | 5.4% | 3.7% |
| Dec 2025 | 47.5% | 17.4% | 17.4% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 3.5% |
| Jan 2026 | 47.2% | 17.3% | 17.3% | 9.5% | 5.2% | 3.5% |
| Feb 2026 | 51.7% | 15.5% | 15.5% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 3.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 47.8% | 17.5% | 17.5% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 2.9% |
| Apr 2026 | 46.9% | 17.3% | 17.3% | 9.4% | 6.3% | 2.8% |
| May 2026 | 48.5% | 17.8% | 14.6% | 9.7% | 6.5% | 2.9% |
| Jun 2026 | 46.6% | 17.1% | 17.1% | 9.4% | 6.3% | 3.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 50.1% | 15.1% | 15.1% | 10.1% | 6.7% | 3% |
| Aug 2026 | 50.4% | 15.1% | 15.1% | 10.1% | 6.8% | 2.5% |
| Sep 2026 | 46.3% | 17% | 13.9% | 11.4% | 6.2% | 5.1% |
How has the Mullvad and Surfshark comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Surfshark was ahead of Mullvad in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Mullvad’s share of searches among VPN services worldwide moved from 5.3% to 6.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 246K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Surfshark’s share of searches among VPN services worldwide moved from 17.6% to 17%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 823K to 673K.
How did search popularity change for VPN services worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Surfshark overtook ExpressVPN to rank 2nd among VPN services worldwide, with 17% of the searches.
In September 2026, Mullvad lost share of searches among VPN services worldwide, from 6.8% to 6.2%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Mullvad’s and Surfshark’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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