Pros & Cons
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- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Proxy-based multi-hop
- Advanced split tunneling
- Expansive server network
- Multiple third-party audits
- Open-source infrastructure
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- Expensive
- No free version
Private Internet Access VPN Specs
| 500+ Servers | |
| Blocks Ads | |
| Free Version Data Limit | No Free Version |
| Geographically Diverse Servers | |
| Server Locations | 90 Countries |
| Simultaneous VPN Connections | Unlimited |
| Supported Protocols on macOS | WireGuard, OpenVPN |
Private Internet Access (PIA) is one of the oldest VPNs, launched in 2010. It’s long been a strong service with transparency at the core of its mission. Every aspect of the VPN is open source and available for in-depth review on the company’s GitHub page. PIA offers more customization options than any competitor, along with an expansive server network and unlimited device connections. It’s expensive and doesn't offer a free plan like our Editor’s Choice winner, Proton VPN, but it’s still an excellent VPN that goes to great lengths to protect your privacy.
How Much Does Private Internet Access VPN Cost?
PIA starts at $11.95 per month, which is above the $10.34 average price among the VPNs I've reviewed. It’s cheaper than premium security suites, but it's more expensive than the best affordable VPNs. That price plummets to $3.33 per month if you sign up for a year, and it drops again to $1.59 per month for its three-year plan, which will renew at $79 every three years. I like that PIA is transparent about its renewal rates and doesn’t use any misleading language; it’s clear how much you’re going to pay right from the start. But keep in mind that long-term VPN subscriptions are less flexible and come with some significant caveats. I recommend sticking to a monthly subscription until you’re certain a VPN is the right pick for you.
(Credit: PCMag/PIA)The price varies by subscription term, but the features remain the same across all tiers. There are no premium plans or forced extras. Instead, you can add a dedicated IP address or an antivirus to your subscription for an additional fee. The dedicated IP ranges from $2.50 to $5.00 per month, depending on your subscription length. Similarly, PIA’s antivirus costs between $1.50 to $4.50 extra each month. Check out the chart below for a full price breakdown of every VPN we test:
PIA accepts standard payment methods, including major credit cards, PayPal, and Amazon Pay. For added anonymity, you can purchase a subscription with cryptocurrency or even gift cards. Cash would be a welcome addition, as similar privacy-focused VPNs like IVPN and Mullvad accept cash payments mailed directly to their respective headquarters.
What Do You Get for Your Money With PIA?
You don’t have to worry about missing out on any core features with PIA. All subscription terms include the same robust feature set and advanced controls, letting you tailor the service to your needs.
Each account allows unlimited simultaneous device connections without any bandwidth limitations. PIA provides split tunneling, letting you designate which apps use the VPN and which send data in the clear. Beyond simple app exclusions, you can also filter specific IP addresses through split tunneling.
(Credit: PCMag/PIA)PIA’s multi-hop implementation differs from the usual routing method, which sends your connection through two VPN servers rather than a single one. Instead, PIA routes your VPN connection through a secondary Shadosocks or SOCKS5 proxy to further obfuscate it. Using a proxy as the second hop means you won’t get a secondary layer of encryption, but the benefit is that your traffic will appear to be regular internet traffic. This obfuscation makes it easier to access content in restrictive countries where VPN connections are blocked.
(Credit: PCMag/PIA)PIA has a standard kill switch that disables your internet connection if the VPN falters. You can also configure an advanced kill switch that disables all internet traffic unless you’re connected to PIA. Additionally, you get access to the VPN’s ad- and tracker-blocking tool called MACE. It’s not configurable on a per-site basis. It is a one-click setting that functions as a catch-all for malware, trackers, and ads. I found that it worked well on text-based sites but did nothing to prevent pre- or mid-roll ads on video sites like YouTube.
PIA also supports port forwarding on some servers. This is an advanced setting best used with caution, as it can result in a compromised connection if you aren’t careful, but it’s a nice option to have if you’re running a network environment that requires it.
Supported Protocols
PIA’s whole platform is open-source, so it’s no surprise that the company mainly uses the two dominant open-source protocols on the market: OpenVPN and WireGuard. Both protocols are available across all supported platforms, with IKEv2 as an additional choice exclusive to iOS. PIA goes a step further and allows a few advanced aspects of each protocol to be configured.
(Credit: PCMag/PIA)WireGuard can be run with small packets, which can improve compatibility on certain networks and routers. OpenVPN can be fine-tuned even further with options for UDP or TCP, 128-bit or 256-bit encryption, and preferred port selection.
Servers and Locations
PIA has an expansive server network of over 35,000 IP addresses with ample coverage in 90 countries. With a widespread presence in many countries, PIA is easy to use to circumvent restrictive policies such as age verification laws. PIA has servers in all 50 US states, making it an excellent option for US residents who want to regain access to adult content sites like Pornhub.
Some VPN services use virtual locations, which appear to be servers in a specified country but may actually be located elsewhere. PIA does as well, but the service has clearly marked which locations are virtual on its server page. Roughly half of all servers are virtual, so keep that in mind when choosing a location to connect to. You may experience slower-than-expected speeds on what appears to be a nearby server, since its physical location could be hundreds of miles away.
While virtual locations are not inherently problematic, I prefer VPN services that are less reliant on them. Services like Windscribe, which use a full physical server network, are often smaller and have less comprehensive country coverage, but you always know where you’re connecting to. The trade-off may be worth it if you’re connecting to a restricted country where it is difficult to deploy physical servers; virtual servers are almost always slower.
All servers are RAM-based and cannot store data long-term. Each one offers a 10-Gbps connection, so you shouldn’t hit any bandwidth bottlenecks due to the server’s infrastructure. You may still experience slowdowns depending on the distance to your connection, your base internet speed, and user load.
Your Privacy With PIA
PIA’s privacy policy is lengthy and thorough. While it may be dense in parts, I like that PIA includes summaries in green text that break down the legal terms and present the information in a more digestible format. PIA is quite transparent about its practices and emphasizes that the company does not retain or sell user data in any form.
A company representative reiterated that PIA does not keep logs of user activity and does not profit from user data. Further, the company states in its privacy policy that it does not collect or store "browsing history, connected content, user IPs, connection time stamps, bandwidth logs, DNS queries, or anything like that." Any information retained is required for service use, such as payment information and account credentials. Mullvad has shown that it is possible to maintain a service without retaining that information by forgoing recurring payments and traditional accounts, but PIA’s approach is well structured, given the service’s focus on long-term plans.
PIA is based in Colorado and operates under US legal jurisdiction. Like all companies, it says it will respond to legal subpoenas but assures customers it has no data to share even in the event of a valid request. The company's transparency report confirms that it has provided no logs in response to warrants, subpoenas, or court orders.
PIA participates in a bug bounty program and has undergone multiple audits by Deloitte in 2022, 2024, and 2025. All audits found that the company is following its internal privacy policies. Although audits are imperfect tools, they are a valuable way for companies to establish trust with their customers. Members of the public can obtain the audit report by making a request directly to Deloitte.
PIA is owned by KAPE Technologies, which also owns CyberGhost and ExpressVPN, as well as various VPN review sites. In a previous incarnation, Kape was known as Crossrider and was accused of being a platform for adware. We contacted PIA and confirmed that its VPN infrastructure remains separate from other Kape properties.
Speed and Performance
Using a VPN will inevitably affect your base internet speeds, since your data has to make an extra connection, often called a hop, to another server before reaching its final destination. To gauge the level of that impact, I measure latency, download speeds, and upload speeds using the Ookla Speedtest app with and without a VPN, then calculate the percent change between the two. You can read more about how I test VPNs and qualify these results here. (Editors’ Note: Ookla is owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag's parent company. For more, see the ethics policy in our Editorial Mission Statement.)
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PIA performed moderately well in our testing, reducing download speeds by 32.08% and upload speeds by 48.76%. Latency increased by a flat 100%. The chart below shows the latest results from every VPN that I have reviewed:
Keep in mind that your results will assuredly differ from mine, and speed scores are affected by too many variables to put much weight on. Overall value, privacy features, and ease of use are far more important.
Can You Watch Netflix With PIA?
I assess every VPN to see if it can reliably access Netflix in five countries: Australia, Japan, Canada, the UK, and the US. Results are qualified as Open if the service accesses the catalog with no restrictions, Limited if only Netflix Originals are displayed, and Blocked if the VPN is detected and access is restricted entirely. You can view the full results of every VPN I have reviewed in the chart below.
PIA performed below average in my latest batch of tests. The service was detected and blocked in Australia and the UK despite trying a handful of servers in each country, including the streaming-optimized server in each. However, PIA did provide open access to the US, Japan, and Canada catalogs.
Hands On With PIA for Windows
I tested PIA on an Intel NUC 12 Enthusiast Kit ‘Serpent Canyon’ running the latest version of Windows 11. It’s easy to download and install the Windows app, but the account system can be confusing. You receive a preset username and password via email in lieu of traditional self-generated credentials. It’s best to change that password immediately, as anything stored in plaintext over email can be intercepted. Unfortunately, the username tied to your account cannot be changed.
I prefer IVPN's account setup system, which requires no customer personal information. It assigns random account numbers to customers that serve as their sole login credentials—no passwords, no usernames. I like that PIA has removed user emails as usernames, but I’d prefer a more secure way to deliver these credentials.
By default, the app cannot be moved from its spot above the system tray and fades away whenever you click outside the app. This, thankfully, can be changed in the Settings menu before you even log in.
(Credit: PCMag/PIA)PIA blends simplicity with accessible advanced features quite well. The app is built around a single rectangular window with a large yellow power button in the center. Click it, and the app immediately connects to the best server available. The button turns green on connection, making it easy to tell the VPN is active, and your public and actual IP addresses are displayed near the bottom of the window.
Click the server list below to display the various country options. Each one has a tracker for the current latency and a globe icon indicating whether the region uses virtual servers. If there's a particular region you use frequently, you can add it to a favorites list for quick access.
(Credit: PCMag/PIA)You can expand the entire dashboard vertically by clicking the arrow below the server list. Doing so will reveal seven other tiles that control different features. Click the bookmark icon to add a tile to your default view, and grab the three-line icon to move tiles around. This level of customization lets the app be extremely complicated or nothing more than an on/off button. However, you can’t expand the window horizontally. I kept finding myself wanting to configure a wider dashboard, but it simply is not possible with PIA. Fortunately, the settings menu opens in a wide window for easy navigation.
Tinkerers will find a lot to like about PIA. Most settings are adjustable. For example, you can toggle automation options that change how PIA behaves across different network types (wired, public, private). The app feels like a playground of options, but it may be overwhelming for less experienced users.
Hands On With PIA for Android, iOS, and macOS
I tested PIA’s Android app using a Samsung Galaxy S23 FE running Android 14. The dashboard is similar to the Windows interface, with a large connection button dominating the main screen. You get a few more quick options by default on Android, including bubbles for your frequently used servers and a handful of quick access buttons for automation, the kill switch, and VPN protocols.
At first glance, I thought both multi-hop and split tunneling were lacking on the Android app. It isn’t called multi-hop on Android. Instead, navigate to the Obfuscation settings and enable the proxy connection there. Enabling the proxy will route your connection through an additional proxy server after the VPN connection is established. It isn’t a traditional multi-hop route that routes traffic through multiple VPN servers.
Similarly, split tunneling is called Per App Settings on Android. There, you can select which apps go through the VPN tunnel and which are excluded. One quirk of the Android app is that screenshots are completely disabled. However, the experience was visually similar to the iOS app, as shown below.
(Credit: PCMag/PIA)I tested PIA on an iPhone 14 running iOS 26.4. I was able to install PIA directly from the App Store without issues. The iOS version lacks a couple of key features—split tunneling and multi-hop. iOS is notoriously difficult to implement split tunneling and multi-hop on, so that lack doesn’t come as a surprise. All other core features are present, with a couple of added iOS exclusives, such as the ability to control your connection via Siri voice commands.
(Credit: PCMag/PIA)macOS was largely identical to the Windows experience, with one minor difference. PIA’s proxy multi-hop can only be configured while using the OpenVPN protocol on macOS. All other core features are present, including split tunneling and dedicated IP addresses.
(Credit: PCMag)Be careful when installing services like PIA, as your first instinct may be to look for it in the macOS App Store. It isn’t there. You have to download PIA directly from the company’s website. I saw a range of VPNs masquerading as PIA, so be sure to double-check that you’re installing the correct app.
How Good Are PIA’s Support Options?
Even the best VPN can face issues. An update may fail, or a feature may not work with the newest version of your operating system. That’s why I assess each VPN’s customer support options for accessibility and usefulness. You don’t want to be stuck waiting for a response that never comes or find yourself with no support options at all. I expect detailed help portals, quick response times, and knowledgeable support staff.
(Credit: PCMag/PIA)I was impressed with how in-depth PIA’s help center was. You can search the catalog by keyword or phrase, or you can browse the many categories and subcategories of topics in the library. The guides are straightforward and often include images to help guide you through the troubleshooting process.
You can access a quick chat from a bubble prompt in the bottom-right corner of the site. It's a virtual assistant that will guide you to the right topics or to the appropriate support ticket channel if needed. As far as human support goes, you can submit a help ticket with your issue for a more detail response. I heard back three hours after my initial inquiry. The support agent was knowledgeable and directed me to the best help center articles for more information. Overall, I was impressed with the help center guides and the quick, knowledge response from the support team.
Final Thoughts
(Credit: Private Internet Access VPN)
Private Internet Access VPN
Private Internet Access is a robust VPN service with advanced features, a global network, a commitment to transparency, and unlimited device connections.