Estimation of fatigue strength under biaxial and multiaxial loading is usually based on the assumption that fatigue limit is the limit stress for crack nucleation. However, in presence of defects and inhomogeneities the fatigue limit is determined by the threshold condition of small cracks. Nevertheless, multiaxial criteria, especially the Dang Van's criterion, could be successfully applied to defective materials. The scope of this paper is to discuss the differences in the two approaches (multiaxial criteria versus mechanics of the small cracks) for fatigue design of components containing defects subjected to biaxial and multiaxial in‐phase loading. In particular it will be discussed, on the basis of the fatigue properties of large springs, the need of a correct description of the fatigue mechanism in order to determine the lower bound of fatigue strength in presence of defects.