Private Internet Access VPN Review: Is It Worth It?

What is Private Internet Access (PIA)?

Private Internet Access is a VPN service founded in 2010, which has built a reputation as one of the most trusted and affordable VPNs on the market. Since 2019, it has been part of Kape Technologies, which also owns ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN.

PIA offers more than 29,650 servers in 90 countries worldwide, including servers in all 50 US states. According to available data, the VPN is used by more than 15 million users around the world.

It stands out with advanced configuration options that let you customize almost every aspect of the VPN connection. It is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Smart TV, and popular browsers.

Pricing and Plans

Private Internet Access offers three pricing plans with the same features — the only difference is the length of commitment and total price:

Monthly plan: $11.95 per month (approximately €10.80)
Annual plan: $3.33 per month, billed annually at $39.95 (approximately €36)
3-year plan: $2.03 per month, billed as a one-time payment of $56.94 for 28 months (approximately €51)

All plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try the service without risk. PIA accepts payments by card, PayPal, and cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin) for maximum anonymity.

Tip: You can find all current discounts and coupons in the deals section.

On Android and iOS mobile devices, you can also use a 7-day free trial if you sign up directly through the app.

Features and Parameters

Private Internet Access is known for a rich feature set that will be especially appreciated by more technical users. I went through all key options and tested them in practice.

Encryption and Security Protocols

PIA uses AES-128-bit encryption by default for maximum speed, but you can switch to AES-256-bit in the settings for stronger security. For online banking and shopping, I recommend using 256-bit encryption.

Supported protocols include WireGuard (the fastest), OpenVPN (UDP and TCP), and IKEv2 on iOS. In my tests, WireGuard achieved 9% higher speeds than OpenVPN.

Server Network

With more than 29,650 servers in 90 countries, PIA has one of the largest server networks on the market. This number of servers reduces congestion and helps maintain stable speeds even during peak hours.

All servers are NextGen 10-Gbps servers owned and operated directly by PIA in North America, Europe, and Australia. This minimizes risks connected with renting servers from third parties.

MACE — Ad and Malware Blocking

PIA MACE is a built-in DNS-level tool for blocking ads, trackers, and malicious websites. I tested it on heavy media websites and it worked very well — no ads, no pop-ups.

The feature is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android (.apk version). On iOS, you need to use the built-in Safari ad blocker.

Split Tunneling

Split tunneling lets you choose which apps use the VPN and which connect directly to the internet. This feature is available on Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Unlike some competitors, PIA also lets you exclude specific website IP addresses, not just apps.

Port Forwarding

Port forwarding significantly speeds up P2P downloads by enabling direct connections to seeders. In my tests, downloads were 10–15% faster with port forwarding enabled.

The feature is supported on most servers except US servers.

Kill Switch

The kill switch automatically disconnects your internet if the VPN connection unexpectedly drops. This tool ensures your data never leaks, even during a VPN outage.

Multi-Hop and Obfuscation

For users in restrictive countries, PIA offers a Multi-Hop feature that routes your traffic through both a VPN and a proxy server (SOCKS5 or Shadowsocks). This helps hide VPN usage from your internet service provider.

Using obfuscation slows your connection by 10–13%, but in countries with censorship it may be necessary.

Pros

• Excellent value for money — from $2.03 per month with the 3-year plan
• Unlimited devices — you can protect all your devices at once
• Massive server network — more than 29,650 servers in 90 countries
• Verified no-logs policy — confirmed by court cases and Deloitte audits
• Advanced configuration options — you can customize almost everything
• Supports torrenting — P2P allowed on all servers with port forwarding
• Works with streaming — access to Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney+, and others
• Open source — apps are open-source and available on GitHub
• Ad blocking — built-in MACE ad blocker
• 30-day money-back guarantee — you can try it without risk

Cons

• Based in the US — part of the 14 Eyes alliance, although its no-logs policy has been verified
• Complex for beginners — the large number of settings can be confusing
• Slower on distant servers — speed drops up to 75% on servers outside Europe
• Occasional live chat issues — I sometimes had trouble reaching support
• CAPTCHA challenges — frequent on US servers
• Does not work in China — or works only sporadically
• Slower upload speeds — upload is significantly slower than download

My Experience

I tested Private Internet Access for several weeks on different devices and in different scenarios. First, I installed the app on a Windows laptop and the entire process took less than 5 minutes.

The interface is clear, but for someone who has never used a VPN before, the number of settings may feel intimidating. However, I appreciated that all basic security features are preconfigured, so even a beginner can simply click “connect” and be protected.

Speed Tests

My base speed without a VPN was around 200 Mbps download. After connecting to a local Slovak server route (via Vienna), I saw a drop to 94 Mbps, which is roughly a 53% slowdown. This is acceptable — pages loaded instantly and 4K streaming on Netflix worked without issues.

On a US server, speed was lower — around 50 Mbps (75% drop). Videos loaded for 2–3 seconds, but then played smoothly.

Streaming and Netflix

PIA works with Netflix, but you need to use specialized streaming servers. These are available in 11 countries, including the US, UK, Germany, and Japan. I tested US Netflix through the US East Streaming server and it worked perfectly — no buffering, full HD quality.

When I tried using a regular server instead of a streaming server, Netflix blocked me. This is a drawback — you need to know which servers to use.

Torrenting

P2P worked very well. I downloaded a 20 GB file in 24 minutes, which is genuinely fast. With port forwarding enabled, the speed was even higher. PIA supports all popular torrent clients such as qBittorrent, BitTorrent, and Vuze.

MACE Ad Blocking

MACE worked reliably on all websites I tested. Ads simply did not load, which significantly improved page loading speed. The feature also blocked malicious HTTP websites I tried to access.

Customer Support

The 24/7 live chat worked well most of the time, but a few times I had trouble reaching it. Once connected with an agent, responses were fast and useful. Email support responded within 24 hours.

I appreciated the extensive knowledge base with guides and troubleshooting articles — I was able to solve most questions myself without contacting support.

User Reviews

Private Internet Access has mostly positive ratings on independent portals. On Website Rating, it reached 4.5/5 stars based on 209 verified users.

Users most often appreciate:

• Price — “You won’t find a better VPN with these features at this price”
• Support — “Live chat is fast and helpful, they solved my issue in a few minutes”
• Server count — “I always find a fast server, even when traveling”
• Unlimited devices — “Protecting the whole family with one account is great”

The most common complaints mention:

• Complexity — “Too many settings, I don’t know what they all mean”
• Cloudflare blocks — “Some websites block me because of Cloudflare”
• Speeds on distant servers — “Significant slowdown outside Europe”

Expert portals such as VPNMentor, SafetyDetectives, and Security.org give PIA high ratings especially for security, torrenting support, and price.

Alternatives

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is a premium VPN service with a significantly higher price than PIA (from $12.99 per month), but it offers easier use and more consistent speeds across all servers.

While PIA has more servers (29,650 vs 3,000+), ExpressVPN has better geographic coverage in 105 countries. ExpressVPN is an ideal choice for beginners who want a simple solution without complex settings. PIA is the better choice if you want to save money and do not mind advanced options.

NordVPN

NordVPN is a middle ground between PIA and ExpressVPN — both in price and features. The monthly plan costs $12.99, but the 2-year plan comes out to around $3 per month.

Nord offers more than 8,400 servers in 167 locations (including virtual ones) and its own NordLynx protocol (based on WireGuard). Unlike PIA, it allows only 10 simultaneous connections, while PIA has unlimited connections. NordVPN is better for streaming thanks to special P2P and Double VPN servers, but PIA stands out for torrenting thanks to port forwarding.

Surfshark

Surfshark is a direct competitor to PIA in terms of price — the 2-year plan comes out to around $2 per month. Like PIA, it offers unlimited devices.

Surfshark has a simpler interface than PIA, which makes it more suitable for beginners. It has fewer servers (3,200+ in 100 countries), but works better in restrictive countries such as China. PIA, however, has a more proven no-logs policy and more advanced configuration options.

CyberGhost VPN

CyberGhost VPN is another competitor owned by Kape Technologies (just like PIA). Prices are similar — the 2-year plan costs around $2.19 per month.

CyberGhost has optimized servers for specific purposes (streaming, gaming, torrenting), which is useful for beginners. PIA offers more flexibility in settings and port forwarding, which CyberGhost does not have. CyberGhost, however, offers a 45-day money-back guarantee (PIA only 30 days).

Proton VPN

Proton VPN is a Swiss VPN known for its strong focus on privacy and security. It is more expensive than PIA — plans start at €9.99 per month.

Proton VPN is based in Switzerland, outside the reach of the 14 Eyes alliance, which is an advantage over PIA’s US base. Proton also offers a free plan with limited features. PIA, however, has a much larger server network (29,650 vs 6,500+) and better long-term pricing.

Tip: You can find all compared VPNs in our article on the best VPN services.

Support and Contact

Private Internet Access offers several customer support channels:

24/7 live chat: Available directly in the app and on the website for all paying users. Responses usually arrive within a few minutes.

Email support: Replies arrive within 24 hours, suitable for less urgent questions.

Knowledge base: A large collection of articles, guides, and troubleshooting resources available to everyone (even users who are not logged in). It includes installation guides for all platforms, solutions to common problems, and detailed feature explanations.

Community forum: The forum is scheduled to be paused, so I recommend using live chat or email instead.

In my experience, support was at a good level — agents were knowledgeable and willing to help. Occasionally, however, I had trouble accessing live chat because of technical issues.

Summary and Rating

Private Internet Access is an excellent VPN service with one of the best price-to-performance ratios on the market. For $2.03 per month (with the 3-year plan), you get a verified no-logs policy, more than 29,000 servers, unlimited devices, and advanced security features.

Overall rating: 8.5/10

I recommend it for:

• Technical users who like customizing settings
• People looking for affordability without security compromises
• Torrent users (thanks to port forwarding)
• Families and households with many devices
• Users who need access to streaming services

I do not recommend it for:

• Complete beginners looking for the simplest solution (try ExpressVPN or Surfshark instead)
• Users in China or other restrictive countries
• People who need consistently high speeds on distant servers
• Those concerned about the service being based in the US (despite the verified no-logs policy)

PIA is a solid choice that offers professional features at a price acceptable even for regular users. The proven no-logs policy in real court cases and Deloitte audits is a major point that sets it apart from competitors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Private Internet Access safe?

Yes, Private Internet Access is one of the safest VPN services on the market. It uses AES-256-bit encryption, supports WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols, and has a verified no-logs policy confirmed in court cases and independent Deloitte audits. All apps are open-source and available for review on GitHub.

Does PIA work with Netflix?

Yes, PIA works with Netflix, but you need to use specialized streaming servers. These are available in 11 countries, including the US, UK, Germany, and Japan. In my tests, US Netflix worked without problems in HD quality. Regular servers are usually blocked by Netflix.

How many devices can I connect at once?

Private Internet Access offers unlimited simultaneous connections. You can protect all your devices — computers, phones, tablets, Smart TVs — without limits. This is a major advantage over most competitors, which limit you to 5–10 devices.

Is PIA good for torrents?

Yes, PIA is one of the best VPNs for torrenting. It supports P2P traffic on all servers and offers port forwarding, which speeds up downloads by 10–15%. It works with all popular torrent clients and has a kill switch to protect your identity.

Does PIA keep logs?

No, Private Internet Access has a strict no-logs policy that has been verified in real court cases. When authorities requested user data, PIA had nothing to provide. This policy has also been confirmed by two independent Deloitte audits. PIA also regularly publishes transparency reports about data requests.

Does PIA work in China?

PIA does not work reliably in China. Although it offers obfuscation tools such as Shadowsocks, support itself confirms that it cannot guarantee functionality in restrictive countries. If you need a VPN for China, I recommend ExpressVPN or Astrill VPN instead.

What is the money-back policy?

PIA offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans. If you are not satisfied, you can request a full refund within 30 days of payment without giving a reason. The refund process is simple through live chat or email.

Is PIA better than NordVPN?

It depends on your priorities. PIA is cheaper ($2.03 vs $3 per month), has more servers (29,650 vs 8,400+), and offers unlimited connections (vs 10 with NordVPN). NordVPN, however, has a simpler interface, works better in restrictive countries, and is based outside the US. If you want to save money and appreciate advanced settings, choose PIA. If you prefer simplicity and a base outside 14 Eyes, choose NordVPN.

Does PIA slow down the internet?

Yes, every VPN slows your internet because of encryption. On nearby servers, PIA slows speed by 40–53%, which is average. On more distant servers, the slowdown can reach up to 75%. For regular browsing and HD streaming, speeds are still sufficient. You can optimize speed by using the WireGuard protocol and AES-128 encryption.