When you browse the internet, you’re vulnerable to a wide range of snooping attacks that degrade your privacy. One of the best ways to keep yourself safe against these attacks is using one of the best VPNs, which hides your home IP address so your connection can’t be tracked, and encrypts your data so nobody can read what you’re sending over the internet.
In our recent round of testing, we took a look at the top VPN providers to make sure they were still delivering on their promises. In our Private Internet Access review, we put the provider to the test to make sure this VPN is still worth your money.
While it isn't our top rated VPN, PIA is still a very solid pick that offers a few features not available elsewhere. Not only is it truly dedicated to user privacy, it's also great for streaming and one of the best US VPNs thanks to its servers in all 50 US states as connection options. It's also one of the best cheap VPNs on the market, too, and aloows you to customize your connection more than most.,
Read on and you’ll see how PIA continues to impress us on sheer value for money.
Why is PIA still worth buying?
While it may not be our number one VPN (NordVPN holds that spot), this doesn't mean that PIA isn't still a solid option.
Choosing a VPN is about balancing usability, privacy, compatibility, and value. Here’s why PIA represents good value for money if you’re looking at these metrics:
1. Its privacy is unmatched
Privacy is the number one thing you should look for when choosing a VPN. Thankfully, PIA is one of the most private VPNs, with a suite of privacy-focused features designed to keep your data secure.
Let’s start with how secure the actual VPN technology is. PIA uses zero-knowledge DNS servers, which stops your ISP from recording which websites you’re looking up. The client itself has an automatic kill switch, which ensures that if your VPN connection drops while you’re on public Wi-Fi, your actual internet connection drops out so your data won’t be exposed. Once you’re online, PIA keeps you safe with MACE, a DNS-based blocklist that stops known malware distributors and advertising networks from ever being able to connect to your computer.
PIA has also recently completed a second independent audit of its no-logs policy, with Deloitte verifying that PIA doesn’t store any information about your browsing history or personal data. Additionally, PIA releases transparency reports every three months, allowing you to see exactly how it protects privacy and complies with legal requests.
2. You can use it across all your devices
PIA is available across pretty much any home computing device you can think of. This means Windows (including Windows ARM for the Copilot+ early adopters out there), Android, MacOS, iOS, and Linux.
PIA is actually one of the few VPN providers with a fully GUI Linux client that’s just as good as the Windows or MacOS option, making it one of the best Linux VPNs, but it doesn’t stop there. You can also cover Smart TVs and gaming consoles like the Xbox, Playstation, or Nintendo Switch using PIA’s router firmware.
PIA also comes with an unlimited simultaneous connection guarantee. For one subscription, you can connect as many devices as you like. It’s a fantastic deal if you’ve got a household full of devices you need safely connected to the internet, as it cuts down on the number of subscriptions you have to juggle and saves you money in the process.
Even other big-name providers like NordVPN and ExpressVPN limit the number of devices you can connect at once, whereas PIA will handle everything you throw at it without asking for an upgrade.
3. It's got great value for money
Let’s get it out of the way: if you’re looking for a VPN with thousands of extra features, PIA might not be for you. However, if you need a solid VPN that does exactly what it says on the tin for less than the going market rate, then PIA is an excellent option. Everything built into the app, from the DNS malware filter to the obfuscation protocols, is designed to make your browsing experience on PIA safe, reliable, and private.
What’s more, compared to the likes of NordVPN and ExpressVPN, PIA is cheaper. Buy into an annual plan and you’re only spending $3.33 a month. Take it further with a three year plan and you’re paying $2.03 per month. For an audited VPN, these are prices that basically can’t be beat.
Why you shouldn't get PIA
While there are some great reasons to use Private Internet Access, it would be remiss of me to not mention some of the drawbacks it has.
1. It can be difficult to use
If you're looking for a beginner's VPN, then Private Internet Access may not be for you. While one the VPN's positives is how customizable it is, this does mean that the apps themselves can be quite complex and therefore confusing for VPN newbies.
While this may not be an issue for those who are used to VPNs, if you're looking for an easy-to-use, set-and-forget VPN, PIA might not be the one for you. Instead, if you're after this kind of experience, we recommend ExpressVPN thanks to its 1-Click connection.
2. Its support can be slow
As a VPN's purpose is to keep you safe online, if you have any issues with your VPN, you want to know that you can get help, and fast.
Unfortunately, in our latest round of testing, this area is one where PIA falls behind. While it does have 24/7 support thanks to its live chat and email support options, the support provided in our testing wasn't as helpful as it could be.
The main takeaway from using PIA's support was that the service agents were not as communicative as we would have liked, and at times it felt as though they were not really listening to us regarding our issue. It also took over a week for our query to be answered.
While this may not be the case for everyone, it's an important aspect to keep in mind.
3. Its speeds aren't the best
When compared to other providers, PIA does fall behind on speed. In our testing, its peak speeds were 436 Mbps. While this is more than enough to stream 4k video, these speeds are far slower than other providers.
Take our fastest VPN, Surfshark, which maxed out our speed test at over 950 Mbps. Other VPN providers, including NordVPN and Proton VPN also reached these speeds. Speeds like this mean that your VPN will be able to handle things like gaming, streaming, torrenting and other resource-intensive activities without slowing your internet to a crawl.
Should I use PIA?
Weighing PIA against some of the other popular VPNs might have it coming up short if we’re going feature for feature. While PIA might have some cool extras like the ability to purchase a dedicated IP anonymously, it pales in comparison to feature-laden VPNs like NordVPN and Surfshark. However, what PIA does do is provide fantastic core VPN capabilities for unblocking, location spoofing, and connection speed all at an incredibly cheap price.
There are plenty of VPNs out there that might be as cheap as PIA, but none that are as demonstrably safe to use. PIA’s network infrastructure and security is top-notch, but that wouldn’t mean much without some way of being confident your data is in good hands. That’s why PIA regularly schedules third party audits of their no-logs policy to show you that they’re handling your data properly. You can also look up their transparency reports, which are produced every three months, for an update on all of the requests and warrants PIA have received for user data.
That said, PIA might not be for you if you really need an all-in-one privacy tool. While PIA is great, it can’t do everything. Surfshark is one of the best cheap VPNs, and it gives you tools that go beyond the VPN with Surfshark One, such as a disposable identity generator, dark-web monitoring, and an ad-free search engine. NordVPN, on the other hand, offers a comprehensive anti-virus and anti-phishing engine which is bundled into the VPN itself.
So, is PIA worth buying? You really have to ask yourself what you need, what’s useful to you, and how much you want to spend.
