Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN review – a standout choice for niche audiences

Private Internet Access (PIA): A Comprehensive Review of the Veteran VPN

Private Internet Access (PIA) has been a formidable presence in the VPN industry for fifteen years, carving out a reputation as a privacy-focused service with extensive customization options. While it may not boast the flashy features of competitors like NordVPN and Surfshark, PIA excels at the fundamentals, making it an excellent choice for both tech-savvy users and beginners alike.

At just $2.03 per month for a 3-year plan, PIA offers exceptional value that’s hard to beat in today’s competitive VPN market. But does it deliver on all fronts? Let’s dive deep into what makes this veteran VPN tick.

Features: Quality Over Quantity

When comparing PIA to its closest competitors, you might initially think it falls short on features. However, this is a case where quality and depth of customization matter more than sheer quantity.

PIA’s split-tunneling feature is particularly impressive, allowing you to differentiate between apps, IP addresses, and even whether virtual machines are covered by the tunnel. You can also force DNS requests through PIA’s in-house encrypted DNS servers, even when you’re not using the VPN tunnel.

The automation rules are another standout feature, letting you configure the VPN to activate or deactivate when connecting to specific networks. This thoughtful touch makes it easier to integrate PIA seamlessly into your daily routine.

PIA’s Mace feature deserves special mention. This built-in ad, tracker, and malware blocker works by blocking requests to known malicious URLs using their DNS server. While our testing revealed it shouldn’t be your only defense against ads, it’s a valuable addition to your security toolkit.

For users in restrictive regions, PIA offers robust obfuscation settings with both Shadowsocks and SOCKS 5 proxy options. These wrap your VPN connection inside a separate TLS tunnel, making your traffic appear as normal encrypted browsing data to network administrators.

Features score: 8/10

Server Network: Strong in the Americas, Limited Elsewhere

PIA boasts an impressive server network spanning 91 countries and 152 locations, including coverage in all 50 US states. This makes it one of the few VPNs with such extensive presence in America. However, when it comes to international coverage, particularly in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania, PIA falls behind competitors like NordVPN.

What sets PIA apart is its transparency about virtual servers. Rather than hiding them, PIA openly labels them as “geolocated servers” and clearly indicates their actual physical locations. With over 80 virtual locations—more than half of their total—this honesty is refreshing in an industry where many providers try to obscure this information.

Server network score: 7/10

Apps: Consistent Excellence Across Platforms

PIA delivers well-designed applications for virtually every platform, including Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux. The feature parity across these platforms is particularly noteworthy, as many VPN providers leave their Mac and Linux users with limited functionality.

The desktop experience strikes an excellent balance between simplicity and power. The quick-connect bar is thoughtfully designed, listing favorite servers and your last connected location for easy access. For users who want more control, the detailed view provides comprehensive connection statistics, performance data, and granular configuration options.

The Android app, which previously lagged behind, has received a significant update that brings it in line with other platforms. The addition of dark mode and advanced configuration options for multi-hop, DNS, and automation features makes it a first-class citizen in the PIA ecosystem.

Apps score: 9/10

Ease of Use: Power Meets Simplicity

PIA strikes an excellent balance between accessibility for newcomers and depth for power users. The simplified interface allows anyone to connect with a single click, while the detailed view offers extensive customization options for those who want them.

The settings menu includes helpful tooltips that explain each option, making it accessible even to VPN beginners. Despite its reputation for customization, PIA doesn’t require a cybersecurity degree to use effectively.

Ease of use score: 8/10

Speed and Performance: Solid but Not Spectacular

Our testing revealed that PIA delivers respectable speeds, though it doesn’t quite match the performance leaders in the market. Using WireGuard, we recorded speeds of 621 Mbps when connected to a nearby Dublin server—a significant improvement over our previous tests but still behind NordVPN’s 1,256 Mbps and Surfshark’s 1,615 Mbps.

OpenVPN performance was more modest at 244 Mbps, which is typical for the protocol but noticeably slower than ExpressVPN’s 898 Mbps. However, we never experienced significant slowdowns during regular browsing, and the speeds proved more than adequate for HD streaming, online gaming, and torrenting.

One area where PIA shines is consistency. We observed stable speeds throughout the day with minimal jitter, making it particularly suitable for gaming where consistent latency is crucial.

Speed and performance score: 6/10

Unblocking: Streaming Powerhouse

PIA excels at unblocking streaming services, which is a critical feature for many VPN users. During our comprehensive testing, PIA successfully accessed Netflix across multiple regions (UK, US, Canada, Japan, and Australia) without requiring server changes or experiencing lag.

The service also worked flawlessly with Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, ITV, 10 Now, and 9Play. This broad unblocking capability makes PIA an excellent choice for cord-cutters and international content consumers.

For torrenting enthusiasts, PIA is a standout choice. While its speeds aren’t the absolute fastest, it offers port forwarding—a feature many competitors lack. Port forwarding allows you to accept incoming connections to your VPN’s IP address, enabling better communication with peers in P2P networks.

Unblocking score: 10/10

Privacy and Security: Industry-Standard Protection

PIA has built its reputation on being one of the most security-focused VPN services available, and it largely delivers on this promise. All browsing traffic is protected by AES-256 encryption, the industry standard, and supports both OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols.

The service includes a kill switch on all apps, which automatically blocks internet traffic if the VPN connection drops, ensuring your data remains protected at all times. We found no DNS leaks during our testing, and PIA’s encrypted DNS servers prevent your DNS queries from being exposed to your ISP or network observers.

PIA maintains a strict no-logs policy that has been independently verified by Deloitte in multiple audits, with the most recent conducted in April 2024. The audit confirmed that PIA’s systems aren’t configured to log user activity and that individual actions can’t be traced back to specific users. However, the full audit reports are only available to paying customers, which is less transparent than competitors like ExpressVPN who make their audits publicly accessible.

One area where PIA could improve is its ad-blocking capabilities. Our testing with 100 fresh malicious URLs from OpenPhish revealed that Mace blocked only two of them. This suggests it relies on a blocklist of known threats rather than real-time threat intelligence, making it notably weaker than what we’d expect from a top-tier VPN.

Privacy and security score: 8/10

Track Record: Proven Privacy Advocate

PIA has maintained a strong track record over its fifteen-year history, consistently demonstrating its commitment to user privacy. The company has successfully navigated several court cases where it was legally required to turn over user information, responding each time that it had nothing to provide.

The acquisition by Kape Technologies in 2019 raised significant concerns, given Kape’s previous involvement in browser add-ons that injected ads and monetized browsing data. While this damaged consumer trust, PIA has worked to rebuild confidence through regular no-logs audits and transparent reporting.

Track record score: 7/10

Customer Support: Room for Improvement

PIA’s customer support is adequate but not exceptional. The 24/7 live chat and email ticketing systems are available, but response times can be sluggish, which is problematic for urgent issues.

The knowledge base is well-organized and the customer forums are active, with experienced users often providing helpful assistance. However, many support articles are outdated, lacking the depth and current information users need for troubleshooting modern issues.

Customer support score: 7/10

Pricing and Plans: Exceptional Value

PIA offers some of the most competitive pricing in the VPN industry. The monthly plan at $11.95 is slightly above average for premium VPNs, but the long-term plans provide exceptional value. The annual plan costs just $3.33 per month, already cheaper than most competitors, while the three-year plan drops to an incredible $2.03 per month, including three additional months free.

All core features are included in the base price, with no hidden costs or feature paywalls. The only additional cost is for dedicated IP addresses at $5 per month, though this drops to $2.50 per month with a two-year plan, making it one of the most affordable options available.

PIA also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing users to test the service risk-free.

Pricing and plans score: 9/10

Should You Use PIA?

Private Internet Access is an excellent VPN choice, particularly for budget-conscious users who want reliable core functionality without breaking the bank. While it may not be the fastest VPN on the market or offer the most innovative features, it absolutely nails the fundamentals that most users need.

PIA is particularly well-suited for users who prioritize privacy and security, need extensive US coverage, want to access streaming services, or engage in P2P file sharing. The Linux client is also notably excellent, which is rare among VPN providers.

The main areas where PIA could improve are speed—it’s solid but not spectacular compared to leaders like Surfshark and ProtonVPN—and innovation, where it’s starting to lag behind more aggressive competitors like NordVPN.

Total score: 79/100

PIA Alternatives

If PIA doesn’t quite meet your needs, consider these top alternatives, all offering 30-day money-back guarantees:

• NordVPN: More features, faster speeds, excellent streaming unblocking
• Surfshark: Unlimited device connections, innovative features, great value
• ExpressVPN: Blazing speeds, excellent apps, strong privacy focus
• ProtonVPN: Strong privacy credentials, excellent free tier, Swiss jurisdiction
• CyberGhost: User-friendly, specialized servers, great for streaming

Frequently Asked Questions

Does PIA log user activity?
No, Private Internet Access maintains a strict no-logs policy that has been independently verified by Deloitte through multiple audits. The service does not track or store any data related to your online activities while using the VPN.

Can PIA unblock Netflix and other streaming services?
Yes, PIA excels at unblocking streaming services. During our testing, it successfully accessed Netflix across multiple regions (US, UK, Canada, Japan, Australia) as well as Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and various regional services without requiring server changes or experiencing lag.

Is PIA suitable for torrenting?
Absolutely. PIA is an excellent choice for torrenting and P2P activity. All servers support P2P traffic with no bandwidth caps, and PIA is one of the few reliable services offering port forwarding, which enhances P2P performance.

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• WireGuard speeds 621 Mbps tested
• OpenVPN performance 244 Mbps
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• 30-day money-back guarantee
• VPN apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux

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