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Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN Review

Private Internet Access (PIA) is a competent VPN service that is owned by Kape, the same company that owns CyberGhost, ZenMate, and ExpressVPN.

The ‘NextGen VPN Network’ of the firm includes locations in 78 countries spanning across the globe. That’s fantastic, but according to PIA, it’s not all about the figures. The NextGen servers have “improved hardware components,” “10Gbps network cards rather than 1Gbps,” and “RAM disks that will guarantee all sensitive information is erased as soon as the server goes offline,” and now support both WireGuard and OpenVPN.

(Image credit: Private Internet Access) Private Internet Access offers plenty of server locations, as well as tech to evade VPN detection

The Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN network is accessible via applications for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux, as well as browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. There are also thorough setup guides for routers and a variety of other devices.

Do you want to give Private Internet Access a shot? Visit the website by clicking here.

Subscription options for Private Internet Access include: US$2.03 per month for a 36-month plan (total cost: US$73.08)

PIA enables the connection of up to ten devices at the same time. That’s twice as much as many VPNs provide, but Windscribe and Surfshark have no such restriction limit. The extras range from the straightforward (built-in blocking of ads, trackers, and known malicious websites) to the more technical and low-level: a SOCKS5 proxy for extra speed, port forwarding support, the ability to choose your preferred encryption, authentication, and handshaking methods, and more.

If it’s something too difficult for you, don’t worry, because PIA has a live customer support chat that is available to help you 24/7 to walk you through any technical issues. 


⭐ Rating on Trustpilot:

4.6 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


🥇 Overall Reviews:

8,024 Excellent


📖 Logs policy:

No logs


💵 Price:

From $2.03/month


🖥️ Servers:

30000+ servers in 78 countries

🍿 Streaming services:

Netflix, YouTube, Hulu

Features:

Private Internet Access has launched a Smart DNS option, a useful feature that allows you to unblock certain websites quickly and easily. This isn’t as effective as a VPN–and there is no encryption, and it doesn’t alter your IP address—but it can be used on devices that don’t support PIA’s applications, such as Smart TVs and gaming consoles.

In not-so-privacy-friendly countries, PIA’s desktop applications now offer increased obfuscation features designed to help you circumvent VPN detection (and prevent being banned).

The ioXt Alliance has certified the Android app, ensuring that it meets criteria in areas like cryptography, software verification, and updates.

Encryption improvements (SHA-4096 is always used for authentication handshakes, while OpenVPN CBC always uses SHA-256 for data authentication), a highly flexible Automation Rules system that allows you to automatically connect or disconnect when you access certain networks, including several low-level fixes and enhancements (for more information, see the PIA change log).

Scripts may automate VPN operations using a powerful command-line application for Windows, Linux, and Mac. This can be used to build a shortcut that automatically connects to the VPN and then runs an app, but it can also do a lot more (more on that later).

Private Internet Access Pricing

Private Internet Access For

3 Years

$2.03/mo

4.6/5

Private Internet Access For

1 Year

$3.33/mo

4.6/5

Private Internet Access For

1 Month

$9.95/mo

4.6/5

The monthly subscription plan for Private Internet Access is $9.95. Although there are cheaper VPN providers on the market, like Windscribe for $9.00, many of which are in the $10-$13 price range.

The yearly plan, priced at $3.33 per month, offers the best value. The three-year plan is the greatest value at $2.19/month. For comparison, CyberGhost stands at $4.88, HideMyAss at $4.99, and Hotspot Shield at a whopping price of $7.99, which is all less than half the price.

PIA now offers dedicated IPs in Australia, Canada, Germany, the UK, and the US. Because no one else uses your same IP address, you’re less likely to get banned because of someone else’s nefarious conduct. Using the same IP increases your chances of being identified by websites. Therefore, this isn’t an option that everyone would want to have, as everyone prefers strict privacy with no hindrances.

A dedicated IP with Private Internet Access costs $5 per month, $4.25 for a year, and $4 for two years. Whereas,  NordVPN is somewhat more costly at $5.83 per month, while Ivacy is the cheapest at only $1.99. But with PIA, prices come with many prominent features that beat virtually all other VPN providers on the market.

PIA Payment Options

With the varied payment options available, you may choose to pay using Bitcoin for maximum privacy, or you may even use the usual alternative mode of payment, such as credit card or PayPal. However, for mobile users, you will get a 7-day free trial backed with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

PIA’s terms and conditions include another surprise (and it’s a wonderful one). Many VPNs state that clients are entitled to one refund. However, with PIA, if you purchase a new account well over three months after your last refund, you will be eligible for another. That is indeed generous, yet fair to us. If you use a VPN and it doesn’t work for you, it shouldn’t matter if you got a refund three years ago — it should entitle you to the same refund privileges.

Privacy

While many VPNs promise to provide excellent anonymity, Private Internet Access offers a unique combination of capabilities that goes above and beyond the norm. PIA’s applications primarily make use of the most up-to-date and secure protocols, such as OpenVPN and WireGuard. By default, OpenVPN uses AES-128 encryption, but with just a few clicks, you may change it to AES-256 CBC or GCM, specify local or remote ports, or enable WireGuard.

PIA offers AES-128 or AES-256 CBC or GCM encryption

DNS Leak Test


In the tests conducted, Private Internet Access successfully protected all the data from DNS leaks

Private Internet Access maintains its very own DNS in order to minimize the risk of DNS leaks. However, the applications are adaptable — the Windows client may be configured to use either your normal DNS or a custom DNS of your choosing.

Additionally, there is a kill switch that will deactivate your internet access if the VPN connection is dropped. PIA employs its own on the desktop and connects with iOS and Android mobile capabilities (it uses the Android system kill switch, for instance).

PIA’s desktop applications have an option to transmit anonymized connection data back to the firm in order to assist in product development. However, unlike other competitors, the installer does not enable this by default. Nothing is transmitted until you enable it in the Settings panel (it’s the ‘Help to improve PIA’ option in the Help section, for those who are interested).

Connect with the Chrome extension and you’ll have access to plenty of additional privacy options (block location access, third-party cookies, website referrers, and many more). You could set them up independently and for free, but the extensions simplify the process and give valuable additional layers of protection.

Further, MACE, a feature of PIA, prevents access to sites (domains) used by advertisers, trackers, and malware, further restricting the ways in which companies may track you around the web.

Perhaps most significantly, Private Internet Access has made its desktop clients, mobile applications, and a variety of additional components and frameworks open source. This enables other developers to freely review the source code, evaluate its quality, report errors, and maybe check to see if anything is being done that might jeopardize the user’s privacy.

PIA VPN Loggin

While most VPN service providers say they do not monitor client activity or data, there is seldom any evidence to support this claim. You are meant to cross your fingers and believe that they are telling the truth.

Private Internet Access, on the other hand, is significantly more confident, claiming to be the ‘only proven no-log VPN provider.’

The company seems to be alluding to court instances in which PIA was issued subpoenas for account information, but all that was delivered was the geographical location of server IPs. No user-specific information was divulged.

Additionally, Private Internet Access publishes a Transparency Report that details any official demands for information and any user data that has been disclosed. Two court orders, three warrants, and 12 subpoenas were received during the first three months of 2021, but no logs were supplied for any of these requests.

Normally, the Privacy Policy is the best place to seek for further information about a VPN’s operations, but PIA’s is largely about the website and says nothing about the VPN.

Finally, we discovered a support post titled ‘Do you log your users’ traffic?’ in which Private Internet Access said that it “definitely does not store any logs, of any type, period.” It explains why logs that would normally be retained are redirected to the null device rather than being written to the hard drive, thereby eliminating them.

Additionally, the article includes the following paragraph, which states unequivocally that the firm does not log session data or your online activities: “We can state unequivocally that our company has not maintained, and continues not to maintain, metadata logs revealing when a subscriber accesses the VPN service, how long the subscriber used the service and the IP address from which the subscriber originated.” The encryption system prevents companies from seeing and, consequently, logging the IP addresses that a subscriber visits or has visited.

While this all sounds wonderful, we are left to believe most of it. Even though PIA asserts that the court decisions establish that it is a no-log service, they cannot tell us anything about what is occurring currently. TunnelBear, NordVPN, and ExpressVPN, among others, have all enabled third-party audits of their systems, and it’s time for PIA to follow suit.

Take advantage of this exceptional offer on Private Internet Access.

Performance

Each VPN makes the promise of providing a high-speed, ultra-reliable network, but sometimes the reality might be very different. That is why professionals look past the exuberant marketing and rigorously test each VPN to assess its claims.

This begins with the installation of PIA’s newest Windows 10 VPN application on data centers in a UK data center and a US data center, both of which have a 1Gbps connection. The app was used to connect to a nearby location and then assess the download speed using a variety of speed testing websites and services (including SpeedTest’s website and command-line software, nPerf, and SpeedOf.me). The tests were conducted using WireGuard and OpenVPN connections, and a later repeated session was done again in the evening.

The US OpenVPN speeds were competitive, ranging between 190 and 300Mbps. While a few providers performed better than others—Hide.me averaged 310-330Mbps, HideMyAss averaged 270-410Mbps, and ProtonVPN averaged 460-510Mbps—PIA performed well overall, exceeding the majority of competitors.

However, the company reached a peak of 430 Mbps when it switched to WireGuard. This is comparable to Surfshark (450-475Mbps) and Windscribe (430-480Mbps) but falls short of CyberGhost (760-860Mbps), NordVPN (760-880Mbps), and IPVanish (750-900Mbps).

NETFLIX Streaming

By using a VPN in conjunction with Netflix and other streaming services, you may get access to a variety of geo-blocked websites, bypassing those annoying ‘not available in your area’ error messages.

To carry out a test on Private Internet Access’ unblocking capabilities,  attempt to access Netflix content available solely in the United States, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer, and Disney Plus from two test locations.

Accessing Netflix puts your website’s unblocking skills to the test. PIA’s US East Coast Streaming Optimized location failed, however, moving to the West Coast gained accessibility.

BBC iPlayer, like Private Internet Access, has robust VPN security, but we were able to view any content we desired.

That’s great news, and it gets even better when PIA arranged for everyone to have simple access to both US Amazon Prime and Disney Plus.

That is an excellent performance and places PIA among our top unblocking VPNs. In recent evaluations, CyberGhost, ExpressVPN, Hide.me, Hola, PrivadoVPN, ProtonVPN, and Surfshark all unblocked all the other test sites.

Private Internet Access allows peer-to-peer (P2P), and we do not mean on a few specialized servers hidden someplace. You may use torrents from any location, with no restrictions on your bandwidth or other activities.

BitTorrent

We confirmed this by connecting to three sample sites and downloading torrents successfully, without encountering any connection issues or other difficulties.

Private Internet Access’ capability for port forwarding is a unique feature. This enables the redirection of incoming connections by bypassing a NAT firewall, which might also significantly boost P2P download speeds in certain circumstances.

At least from the website, you should not anticipate receiving much help with any of this. Searching the knowledge-base for ‘P2P’ or ‘torrent’ returned primarily irrelevant entries, such as “My ping/latency is really high.’

The port forwarding document referred to the technology’s ability to “optimize torrent performance,” without providing any further information.

Nonetheless, the Private Internet Access performs well overall on the fundamentals—huge network, no logs, Bitcoin support—and so makes a reasonable torrenting option. 

Client Setup

Sign up for Private Internet Access, and PIA will make every effort to streamline the setup process as simply as possible. You are immediately led to the Download page, which will have direct download links for Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as connections to the Android and iOS applications, as well as several browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, and Opera).

These are not just file references. When we chose the Windows client, the website pointed us to a page providing a setup tutorial alongside directing us to the installation.

There are some exceptionally considerate touches. For example, instead of having a single Windows download link, you may choose between 32-bit and 64-bit builds. If a recent update causes you an issue, you may download an earlier version of the client, and the site details the changes in each new build.

There are full changelogs. While other providers just use the generic ‘we’ve addressed a few flaws’ texts for each build, PIA really describes what they’ve done: “repaired a crash on macOS caused by changing screen display layouts’, ‘Fixed multiple difficulties with installation or uninstalling in Safe Mode on Windows, or whatever. This not only shows that PIA is doing good work, but it may also motivate you to try an app feature again if you identify the problem as the one you’ve encountered before.

Experts will appreciate the opportunity to download for the Android APK file and manually install it on the required devices.

Private Internet Access is especially adept at handling OpenVPN configuration files, which are required for configuring numerous third-party applications.

These are appropriately labeled using the nation and area or city, for example, ‘US Chicago.ovpn’ (in comparison to NordVPN’s ‘hr16.nordvpn.com.udp1194.ovpn’).

You are also not required to live with the default OpenVPN settings. There are separate download files available for various encryption settings, as well as the ability to switch to TCP connections. Additionally, the website has an OpenVPN Configuration Generator that allows you to create customized configurations for individual groups of servers, possibly saving you a lot of hassle.

You may have probably seen slightly better setup support elsewhere,–like ExpressVPN’s activation code system which enables clients to be configured without manually entering usernames and passwords, and its tutorials are more many and detailed—but Private Internet Access provides more help than most, and the likelihood is that you’ll have your devices configured and working properly with no hassle in no time. 

Client Windows

The Private Internet Access application is easy to install and opens with a simply client window. To connect to your closest server, hit the large Connect button; to disconnect, tap it again. Status sections tell when you’re connected and show your original and new IP addresses.

The client’s superb and feature-packed location selector is accessible with a single click. Where accessible, it includes nation-based and city-based locations, with ping times indicating which is the nearest. PIA may arrange the list by location name or ping time, and a search box and favorites system make it simple to quickly locate and access any server.

Private Internet Access Protocols

Private Internet Access feature enables you to choose both kinds of encryption and the type of connection used by your VPN

The Settings dialog box provides extensive control over how the VPN operates. If you use OpenVPN instead of WireGuard, for example, you may choose UDP or TCP connection types and encryption (AES-128/256-GCM), as well as a custom remote port (53, 1194, 8080, or 9021) and define your own local port.

Port forwarding is supported in certain areas, which simplifies the process of setting up and accepting incoming connections to your system.

A kill switch, on the other hand, prevents internet access if the VPN connection fails, lowering the chances that your true IP address would be leaked. You may choose to utilize Private Internet Access’ DNS servers, even your own, or any other custom DNS servers. Additionally, the DNS-based MACE system for blocking ad domains, tracker domains, and malware domains may be set or removed with a single click.

VPN kill switches are not always effective (in fact, some are almost worthless), which is why we were eager to do some in-depth tests. However, the client didn’t care if we gently ended a few TCP connections or completely stopped PIA’s OpenVPN-based connection manager. Each time, it displayed a desktop notification informing us of the problem and then swiftly reconnected, never revealing our true IP address.

The same thing happened with WireGuard connections. Regardless of how brutally we lost our connection, from shutting off PIA’s WireGuard Windows service to rebooting our router, the client successfully blocked our internet access, informed us with a notice, and quickly reconnected.

PIA’s Windows VPN client for PC may seem rudimentary at first glance, but after a few minutes of experimentation, you’ll discover that it’s simple to use and has some fascinatingly additional features.

Command Line In Use

PIA’s desktop clients now incorporate piactl, a lightweight command-line tool that allows remote VPN access through a script.

If it seems like a lot of effort, then you are probably correct, but there may be benefits. What about scheduling a job to connect automatically at any given time of day, for example? Connecting automatically when your machine boots, but only after it has completed certain local network tasks? Creating unique shortcuts that connect to many destinations and then launch the program or website you require?

Getting this to work may be simpler than you think. For example, the command ‘piactl connect’ establishes a connection to the current default connection, while ‘piactl disconnect’ terminates the connection. You do not have to be a developer to understand what ‘piactl set region us-atlanta’ accomplishes, and there are more commands for obtaining and setting additional options, as well as monitoring the service state.

Although the piactl syntax is simple, it did not always operate as intended, and the documentation has some issues. 

For instance, piactl specifies at the beginning of its help text that ‘some operations, such as connecting, require that the graphical client be operating at all times.” Before going on to explain that the background command of PRIVATE INTERNET ACCESS, PIA enables the usage of ‘connect’ ‘even while the GUI client is not running.’

However, having the ‘connect’ and ‘disconnect’ commands is sufficient to make the functionality useful, and it took just a few minutes to grasp the piactl basics. We’re looking forward to seeing how it evolves.

ANDROID APP

The PIA Android VPN application opens with a very standard interface: white space, a giant On/Off button, your selected region, and IP address. However, you could slide up to see a slew of other buttons, icons, and status data.

There are fast settings links for turning on and off the kill switch and launching PIA’s Private Browser, for example (which is not installed by default). Alternatively, you may use flag icons to easily access a variety of countries. Also, there are snooze settings that allow you to quit the VPN and have it reconnect automatically in 5 or 15 minutes, or an hour later. Additionally, connection status information includes details about your desired protocol and encryption technique, as well as the volume of data uploaded and downloaded.

Android Application for Private Internet Access Clutter

This seems to be a little cluttered, but it is pretty easy to understand, and it means that these settings are never more than a swipe away.

By tapping on the current area, a list of other locations is shown. Each server has a latency value that indicates its distance, and a simple favorite system allows you to prioritize your most frequently used servers. Everything is quite simple to use because of PIA’s overall user-friendly features.

The application is remarkably configurable, offering more choices and settings than many desktop VPN clients.

You may select between OpenVPN UDP or TCP connections, for example, with the configuration of local and distant ports as well as request port forwarding. (WireGuard is now also accessible.)

This app can be configured to protect you automatically when you connect to unknown or untrusted wireless networks or to turn itself off when you connect to cellular networks.

Integrating with Android’s system kill switch, it protects you by blocking internet access if the VPN connection drops.

A Per-App Settings box allows you to choose which apps will utilize the VPN and which will not (this is the equivalent of the split tunneling’ functionality that you may see elsewhere).

As with the Windows client, you may substitute your favorite DNS servers with the default Private Internet Access DNS servers.

There is support for utilizing the app via a proxy server, compressing packets to improve reliability, and connecting automatically when the device or app starts. You can also configure your handset to vibrate while connected, which is significantly handier than the standard notifications.

It’s all extremely well put together, with an excellent balance of power and usability. Whether you’re a VPN guru or just want an easier life, there’s something for everyone here.

iOS App

PIA’s iOS app is almost identical to the Android version, and when there are modifications, they are typically positive news.

For example, the main page eliminates some of the Android clutter in favor of the fundamentals: a connect button, a list of locations, and some useful Quick Connect flags.

Android’s location list is similar, down to the latency metrics and Favorites system for quick reconnections.

There are a respectable number of choices and settings, particularly for an iOS application. You receive a broader selection of protocols than with the desktop builds (WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2), the option to connect via UDP or TCP, the ability to choose a custom port, use your preferred DNS server, and the ability to fine-tune encryption and enable a kill switch to secure your online presence.

A redesigned Network Management tile makes it easy to designate certain networks as trustworthy or untrusted and directs the app to immediately connect or disengage automatically when you access them.

There are a few handy iOS-specific features as well, like optional support for Siri shortcuts for connecting and disconnecting of VPN, as well as a Safari content blocker.

In general, this is a high-quality app that is simple to use and far more competent than most of the iOS competitors. A must-see for Apple’s most discerning users.

Browser Extension

While using the Private Internet Access applications is straightforward, constantly switching between your regular app and the VPN client might be an inconvenience.

Private Internet Access, like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, now provides browser add-ons for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera, allowing you to connect to the VPN straight from the browser interface. This simply safeguards your browser traffic, but if that’s not a concern, the addon (extension) significantly simplifies the usage of Private Internet Access.

Due to the extension’s near-identical appearance and feel to the other clients, there is essentially no learning curve. A straightforward opening interface has a large Connect button for connecting to the nearest server, as well as a comprehensive list of locations, complete with latencies (and a Favorites system) if necessary. At the very least, you can activate the VPN with a few clicks from inside your browser.

A bypass list of the split tunneling kind allows you to identify websites for which you do not wish to use the VPN. If they do not function properly while the VPN is on, add them to the Bypass List and their traffic will be diverted over your normal connection.

Furthermore, additional tools for privacy measures may be used to restrict websites from accessing your location, camera, or microphone. They’re capable of preventing WebRTC leaks and blocking or disabling Flash, third-party cookies, website referrers, hyperlink audits, and address and credit card auto-filling, among other things. There are also dedicated privacy extensions that accomplish less.

Previously, these options were enabled by default, which may be an issue if they caused a website to break and the user didn’t understand why. However, PIA now installs with the features disabled and prompts you to activate (install) them throughout the installation process, a far safer approach. Excellent work.

With this much functionality, there are several options to explore, but the add-ons perform well on the whole. If you prefer simplicity, you may just choose a location and click “Connect,” just like you would with any other VPN extension. However, more advanced users may go to the Settings section, which has more functionality and capabilities than almost any other VPN browser add-on we’ve actually experienced using. 

Support

The Private Internet Access Support Center maintains an online knowledge base with articles addressing common issues such as troubleshooting, account issues, and technical difficulties. These are not usually as detailed as those for, say, ExpressVPN, but they are also not just boring summaries of software functions.

For instance, a Security Best Practices page on encryption provides users with an important technical background on encryption, authentication, and handshaking protocols, among other topics.

A Guides section contains articles and tutorials on how to configure each supported platform. While some of them are very straightforward, there is still a lot to discover, including 12 articles on Android alone.

A convenient news page regularly keeps customers informed about the latest news on servers, app upgrades, service outages, and many more. That might save you a lot of time and aggravation on its own if you observe that your present issue is a result of a known system outage and that you are not required to call support for technical help or attempt to diagnose it yourself.

Support for Private Internet Access

Live chat is now available on the support website

If you are unable to resolve your concerns online, PRIVATE INTERNET ACCESS (PIA) now provides live chat and email help. PIA started a chat session where some online help you address any possibly perplexing queries concerning the former authentication and handshake options that were removed in a recent upgrade.

Would the online chat support agent be familiar with the product at that level of detail, particularly given the recent change? Yes, very much—the agents are equipped with the expertise to offer advice or help with any specific technical insights or configuration issues.

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