Private Internet Access Review 2024 — How Good Is It, Really?
Highly recommended
Private Internet Access Review — My Quick Thoughts
I think Private Internet Access (PIA) is among the best VPN services in 2024. Over the past 10+ years, I have been using this VPN both when traveling and at home, and it has always provided me with a secure and smooth online experience.
I mainly love using PIA for torrenting, as it has the best torrenting support on the market in my opinion. It allows P2P downloads across all of its servers, which are located in 90+ countries. Also, it provides access to extra P2P features that can boost your download speeds, such as port forwarding and SOCKS5 proxy support.
On top of that, I also think that PIA is a good pick for large families, or at least people who have tons of web-connected devices. That’s because the provider allows unlimited simultaneous connections.
And PIA also comes with many other useful benefits — it provides great streaming support (it works with 25+ streaming platforms), it has high-end security and privacy features, it maintains very good speeds for all online activities, and it has intuitive apps for all desktop, mobile, and smart TV devices.
There are only a few minor issues I want to highlight. The main thing I don’t like is that PIA doesn’t consistently work in restrictive countries. Also, even though I’m personally happy with the vendor’s streaming support, I still think it could be further improved if it were available on all servers (right now, you need to use dedicated streaming servers). Finally, while I like the vendor’s ad blocker, I think it’s inconvenient that you can only use it on Android if you manually install the provider’s .apk app (the feature is not available via the Android app on the Play Store).
Oh, and in terms of pricing, the plans start at $2.03/month, making PIA a very affordable option. It has monthly and yearly plans, its longest plan usually includes extra months of service for free, and there’s also a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
| 🥇 Overall Rank | 2 out of #19 |
| 🌍 Server Network | Servers in 90+ countries |
| 💻 Number of Devices | Unlimited |
| 🎁 Free Plan |  |
| 💸 Starting Price | $2.03/month |
| 💰 Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days |
Private Internet Access Security and Privacy Security and Privacy
Private Internet Access has all essential VPN security and privacy features — this includes military-grade encryption (256-bit AES), a kill switch, a strict no-logs policy, and DNS leak protection. I’ll cover all of those terms and also talk more about security and privacy below.
Security Features
| Private Internet Access Security | |
|---|---|
| Uses 256-bit AES Encryption |  |
| Has a Kill Switch | |
| Has DNS Leak Protection | |
| VPN Protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec |
| Passed My Leak Tests | |
Private Internet Access comes with the following:
- 256-bit AES encryption. The provider uses the same level of encryption that the military uses. Encryption makes all your internet traffic unreadable, so that third parties can’t spy on it.
- Kill switch. This security feature shuts down all internet access if the VPN disconnects. It does this to protect you from traffic leaks. The provider’s kill switch is available on all of its apps (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android). On some apps, there’s also an “advanced” version of the kill switch that shuts down web access if you’re not connected to the VPN — this could be useful to ensure you never accidentally access the web without first connecting to the VPN.
- DNS leak protection. The VPN service runs its own encrypted DNS servers to ensure all of your DNS requests go through the VPN tunnel. If PIA didn’t do that, your DNS traffic might leak outside the VPN connection — if that were to happen, your internet service provider (ISP) would be able to see what sites you browse, even though you’re connected to a VPN.
On top of that, the VPN provider only uses secure VPN protocols. It provides access to WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2/IPSec. I’m most happy about WireGuard, as it provides very strong security, and it’s also super-fast. OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec are secure too, but they’re not as fast as WireGuard.
In addition, PIA also has full leak protection — this means that, in addition to DNS leak protection, it also has WebRTC and IPv6 leak protection. This is cool too see, as some top VPN providers only provide DNS leak protection (Surfshark, for example).
And I tested the provider’s leak protection, and can confirm it works well. I ran 5 rounds of leak tests on 10 servers in 10 countries — so, 5 leak tests per server and per country. And I’m happy to say that I never experienced any leaks while being connected to PIA.
I also like how PIA uses RAM-only servers, as this is an advanced security feature. These types of servers only write data to the RAM, and not the harddrive. Due to that, every time a server is rebooted, all data is completely wiped.
Plus, PIA also uses perfect forward secrecy (PFS), which is another advanced security tool. PFS ensures that a different encryption key is used for each VPN connection — this way, even if a cybercriminal could somehow compromise an encryption key, they couldn’t use it to spy on your other VPN sessions.
Conclusion: Private Internet Access provides very strong security features — it has all essential security tools, it uses secure VPN protocols, it passed all of my leak tests, and it also comes with advanced security features, including RAM-only servers and PFS.
Privacy Features
| Private Internet Access Privacy | |
|---|---|
| Logs User IP Addresses | |
| Logs User Traffic | |
| Audited No-Logs Policy | |
| Headquarters | The US |
Private Internet Access is excellent for privacy, as it has a strict no-logs policy — this is an industry-standard privacy feature that I expect any good VPN to have. The provider doesn’t log your IP address and browsing traffic. This means it doesn’t know where you’re connecting from, and it also doesn’t know what you do when you’re using the VPN.
The VPN only collects data that can’t compromise your privacy. It logs what it calls “anonymized parameters” to improve its service, and it also lets you decide if you want the VPN to log VPN protocol data, device identifiers, or app settings. And while it does collect your email address, that’s something most top VPNs do — the VPN provider needs it to set up your account and communicate with you.
Plus, PIA’s no-logs policy has been proven true many times. For starters, the provider has had its no-logs policy independently audited. And on top of that, the vendor’s no-logs policy has been proven true in multiple court documents — basically, PIA was asked to hand over user data by the authorities, but it couldn’t comply with the requests since it doesn’t store anything.
What’s more, all of the provider’s apps are open-source. This means the code is open to the public, so anyone can inspect it to make sure there are no security or privacy concerns. This is great to see, as not many VPNs have open-sourced apps.
Also, PIA releases transparency reports. These reports detail what types of requests the VPN provider has received for user data from third parties — for example, court orders, warrants, subpoenas, and state notices. Plus, the reports also show how the provider doesn’t comply with any of those requests.
In terms of jurisdiction, PIA is located in the US. I know this isn’t the best country when it comes to respecting online users’ privacy, but I’m 100% confident this isn’t an issue — even if US authorities ask PIA to hand over user data, the provider has proven time and time again that it doesn’t store any.
Conclusion: Private Internet Access is excellent for protecting your privacy — it has a strict no-logs policy that has been proven true many times, it has open-source apps, and it releases transparency reports.
Private Internet Access Extra Features Extra Features
| Private Internet Access Extra Features | |
|---|---|
| Split-Tunneling | |
| Blocks Ads | |
| Blocks Malicious Sites | |
| Obfuscation | |
| Smart DNS | |
Private Internet Access provides access to all of the standard extras you get with most top VPNs. This includes split-tunneling, an ad blocker, obfuscation, and a smart DNS. If you’re not familiar with those features, no worries — I’ll cover each one individually below.
As a PIA user, you get access to:
Split-Tunneling
Split-tunneling lets you choose which apps and sites use the VPN, and which ones don’t. I think this is a really useful feature for boosting your VPN speeds — I personally use it the most while streaming and torrenting. For example, if I only route traffic from my P2P app through Private Internet Access, that increases my P2P speeds by about 10%, which is really great.
PIA supports split-tunneling on most of its apps, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. I really like how, on macOS, you get access to split-tunneling even if you use macOS 11 and higher — some top competitors (like ExpressVPN) that allow split-tunneling on macOS, only support it for versions older than macOS 11.
And I also really like how PIA lets you split-tunnel both apps and sites — some top VPNs that have split-tunneling only let you split-tunnel app traffic. Being able to split-tunnel sites is very convenient, as you don’t need to split-tunnel the whole browser you use to access said websites.
Finally, it’s really great how easy it is to use the provider’s split-tunneling feature. It features an intuitive design and there are also helpful explanations that tell you what you need to do. On average, it doesn’t take me more than 10 seconds to split-tunnel a specific app or site on the Windows app.
Conclusion: Private Internet Access provides excellent support for split-tunneling. It lets you split-tunnel both apps and websites, and its split-tunneling tool is also available on most of its apps, and very easy to use as well.
MACE
MACE is Private Internet Access’ ad blocker, which is a security feature that stops ads from loading, prevents ad trackers from spying on your online preferences, and also stops you from accidentally connecting to shady websites.
The provider’s MACE feature is available on most apps, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can also get it on Android, but only if you manually install the provider’s .apk Android app. You won’t get access to the ad blocker if you install the app from the Play Store. I find this a bit inconvenient to be honest — ExpressVPN also has a great ad blocker (called Advanced Protection), and it’s available on its Android app even if you get it from the Play Store.
And PIA’s MACE feature works extremely well. For this review, I tested it out on search engines and ad-heavy media outlets — it always got rid of pop-up, banner, and video ads, which made web pages load faster.
Still, I should note that NordVPN’s ad-blocking feature is better. It blocks ads, ad trackers, and shady sites, and it also protects against malware-infected downloads. What’s more, the feature stays active even if you’re not connected to the VPN, which is convenient.
Conclusion: Private Internet Access provides access to very good ad-blocking via its MACE feature. On top of blocking ads, it also blocks ad trackers and shady sites. And the feature is available on most of the provider’s apps.
Obfuscation
Private Internet Access supports obfuscation via Shadowsocks, which is an open-source encrypted proxy that’s popular in China (it’s used to bypass web restrictions). Obfuscation is a security feature that hides VPN traffic, making it look like normal internet traffic — this is used to bypass VPN traffic blocks, and also to provide additional privacy since nobody can see your VPN traffic.
PIA’s obfuscation is only available via the OpenVPN protocol — this is usually the standard protocol that’s used by most top VPN services when implementing obfuscation.
The provider also supports obfuscation via servers in 5+ countries. The good news is that the servers are located in strategic locations in North America, Europe, and Asia, so users in those places should be able to maintain decent speeds.
But keep in mind you should only use the VPN’s obfuscation to get extra privacy. That’s because PIA doesn’t guarantee that its obfuscation feature works in restrictive countries like China and Russia. If that’s an issue, I recommend getting ExpressVPN instead — it consistently works in restrictive regions, it also supports obfuscation on all servers (located in 100+ countries), and it allows obfuscation via its proprietary protocol too (called Lightway), which is much faster than OpenVPN.
Conclusion: Private Internet Access supports obfuscation via dedicated servers in North America, Europe, and Asia. The provider’s obfuscation is good for enjoying extra privacy, but it’s not guaranteed to work in restrictive regions.
Smart DNS
The provider’s smart DNS is a good streaming tool, as it allows you to watch streaming content on devices that you can’t normally install VPN apps on — like certain smart TV models and gaming consoles.
Private Internet Access’ smart DNS requires a manual setup, but it’s not complicated. The provider even offers step-by-step tutorials for different devices. So, the whole setup process is pretty straightforward — on my end, it only took a maximum of 10 minutes to set up the smart DNS on my PlayStation console.
You also get good variety with the provider’s smart DNS. That’s because it’s compatible with top streaming sites from up to 5 countries — the US, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and Japan.
Keep in mind a smart DNS is different from a VPN — it won’t encrypt your traffic, and it also won’t hide your actual IP address. So you should only use it if you can’t use the VPN on your device, or if privacy and security are not a concern for you. On the plus side, the lack of encryption means you’ll get very fast streaming speeds.
Conclusion: Private Internet Access provides access to a smart DNS that’s easy to set up, and which is also compatible with streaming platforms from 5 countries.
Identity Guard
Identity Guard is a data breach monitoring, meaning you can use it to get alerts if one of your email addresses is compromised in a data breach. This feature is included for free with each subscription, which is really nice. And although this isn’t a feature built into the provider’s apps, I still think it’s worth mentioning since you get access to it via the account dashboard on Private Internet Access’ site.
I tried out Identity Guard with two of my emails, and it works very well. It instantly checked if there were any data breaches, and confirmed my emails are safe. And if the feature does detect a breach, it will flag it, tell you when the breach happened, and also highlight what kind of data was compromised (email address, phone numbers, physical addresses, etc.).
Really, my only complaint is that Identity Guard can only track two email addresses. So, I think it’d be nice if PIA would up this number to at least 5 email addresses. But other than that, this feature is really good.
Conclusion: Private Internet Access provides data breach monitoring via Identity Guard.This feature is free to use with a PIA subscription, and it allows you to monitor two email addresses for potential breaches.
Dedicated IP Addresses
For a small additional cost, you can get a dedicated IP address. This is an IP address that’s only assigned to you — so you don’t share it with other VPN users. You also get a good variety, as you can pick from dedicated IP addresses from 5+ countries, including the US, Singapore, Canada, the UK, and Germany.
I also like how Private Internet Access implemented its dedicated IP system. Unlike most VPNs with dedicated IPs, it uses a token-based system to assign dedicated IPs — basically, you pick the dedicated IP location, generate an anonymous key on the provider’s site, and then copy-paste that key into the provider’s app. The VPN will then translate the key into a unique dedicated IP. This provides very good privacy, as not even PIA knows what dedicated IP is assigned to you.
I generally recommend using a dedicated IP address for accessing online banking sites. That’s because these types of websites generally block shared VPN IP addresses, as they might flag them as a security risk. Another use case would be to avoid reCAPTCHA requests on search engines like Google — I can confirm on my end that I didn’t see any reCAPTCHAs when I used a dedicated IP (with a shared IP address, I see reCAPTCHAs on Google 30% of the time).
If you don’t like paying for a dedicated IP, I recommend checking out PrivateVPN instead. It’s one of the only VPN services out there that provides free access to dedicated IP addresses — and you can use dedicated IPs from 10+ countries. The only difference is that PrivateVPN’s dedicated IPs are dynamic, meaning you get a different one every time (usually, paid VPN dedicated IPs are static, meaning they never change).
Conclusion: Private Internet Access provides paid access to dedicated IPs, which are only assigned to you. You can get a dedicated IP from 5+ countries, so you get a good variety. And the provider uses a token-based system to assign dedicated IPs to provide great privacy.
Tor Support
The provider allows Tor traffic across all of its servers. This means you can first secure your connection with Private Internet Access before accessing the dark web. I strongly recommend doing that if you want to access dark web sites — this way, if the Tor network suffers a leak, only PIA’s IP address will be exposed (your real IP address will remain hidden).
Just keep in mind that using a VPN with Tor will usually result in noticeable slowdowns. The Tor network is already really slow since it encrypts your traffic at least three times, and adding VPN encryption in the mix will make the speed loss more noticeable. That said, I’d say PIA’s Tor over VPN connections load pretty fast — on average, it only took about 11–12 seconds for a dark web site to fully load.
Still, if you only want to use a VPN with Tor, it’s better to check out NordVPN instead. It also allows Tor traffic on all of its servers, but it has Onion Over VPN servers in addition to that. These servers automatically send your data through the Tor network, so you don’t need to use the Tor browser to access dark web sites anymore — you can do it in regular browsers, like Chrome and Firefox, which is very convenient.
Conclusion: Private Internet Access supports dark web traffic on all of its servers, meaning you can use it to secure your IP address when you use the Tor network. Plus, its Tor over VPN speeds are pretty good too.
Does Private Internet Access Work in China?
Unfortunately, Private Internet Access isn’t guaranteed to work in China. I talked with 10 different customer support reps, and they all confirmed there’s only a 50% chance the VPN might work in a place like China. I can also confirm this on my end — whenever I traveled through China and tried to use PIA to access the free web, I was only able to do it on a few occasions (and even then, my access to the free web wasn’t consistent).
In this case, it’s just better to use ExpressVPN instead. I think this is the best VPN for China, as it consistently works there without any issues (I was always able to access the web with it while traveling there). That’s because it supports obfuscation and it refreshes its server IPs really fast — plus, it also has super-fast speeds, servers in 100+ countries, and high-end security and privacy features.
Does Private Internet Access Work in Other Restrictive Countries?
| 🇷🇺 Russia | Maybe |
| 🇦🇪 UAE | Maybe |
| 🇮🇷 Iran | Maybe |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | Maybe |
Just like in China, Private Internet Access only maybe works in other restrictive regions, like the UAE, Russia, Iran, and Turkey. If you live in or travel through those countries, I again just recommend using ExpressVPN, as it claims it can consistently access the free internet in such places (plus, it provides excellent value too).
Conclusion: I don’t recommend using Private Internet Access in restrictive countries, like China, Russia, and Turkey. While the provider has obfuscation, there’s only a 50% chance it might work in such regions. It’s better to just use ExpressVPN instead, which works without issues in restrictive countries.
Private Internet Access Server Network Server Network
| Private Internet Access Server Network | |
|---|---|
| Number of Countries | 90+ |
| Number of Servers | Unknown |
| Has P2P Servers | (all servers allow torrenting) |
| Dedicated IP Addresses | |
Private Internet Access provides access to a really large server network. While it doesn’t say how many servers it has, it has server locations in 90+ countries, which should make it easy for any user to find and use a nearby server to get the fastest speeds. The provider’s server size is on par with other top competitors, like ExpressVPN (100+ countries) and Surfshark (95+ countries).
And PIA also has very good torrenting support, as it allows P2P downloads across all of its servers. I’m really happy to see this, as some VPNs limit you to P2P servers in only a few countries, making it hard to get fast download speeds.
The VPN also comes with dedicated streaming servers in 10+ countries. These servers are configured to refresh their IPs really fast, making it hard for streaming sites to detect and block them. So, if you want to use PIA for streaming, you’ll need to use these types of servers.
Finally, the provider also comes with dedicated IP addresses. These IPs are useful for avoiding reCAPTCHAs and accessing bank sites. You can get a dedicated IP for a small additional cost, and you can choose a dedicated IP from 5+ countries.
Conclusion: I’m really happy with Private Internet Access’ server network — it has servers in 90+ countries and it allows torrenting on all of them. It also has streaming servers and, for an additional cost, you can get a dedicated IP address.
Private Internet Access Streaming Streaming
| Private Internet Access Streaming | |
|---|---|
| Works With Netflix | |
| Number of Netflix Libraries | 5+ |
| Works With BBC iPlayer | |
| Works With Disney+ | |
| Works With Amazon Prime Video | |
| Smart DNS | |
Private Internet Access is good for streaming, as it works with 25+ streaming services. This includes many popular platforms, such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+. The VPN is also compatible with smaller and more niche streaming sites from other countries, such as FranceTV, TV 4Play, and Ruutu. PIA only works with streaming platforms via dedicated streaming servers in 10+ countries.
I also think PIA is a good Netflix VPN. That’s because it consistently works with the site, and also because it’s compatible with 5+ Netflix libraries — this includes popular libraries, such as Netflix US, Netflix UK, and Netflix Japan.
Also, the VPN lets you access streaming services via a smart DNS too. This way, you can enjoy streaming content on devices that are not compatible with VPN apps. And you also get good variety with the smart DNS, as it works with streaming services from up to 5 countries.
But, overall, I still think ExpressVPN provides much better streaming support. It has a smart DNS just like PIA, but it works with 100+ streaming platforms, it supports streaming on all of its servers, and it’s also compatible with 15+ Netflix libraries.
Conclusion: Private Internet Access has really good streaming support, as it’s compatible with 25+ streaming platforms, it works with 5+ popular Netflix libraries — but it only does this via dedicated streaming servers. Also, it has a smart DNS.
Private Internet Access Torrenting Torrenting
| Private Internet Access Torrenting | |
|---|---|
| P2P Support | (all servers allow torrenting) |
| Port Forwarding | |
| SOCKS5 Proxy Support | |
I think Private Internet Access is the best torrenting VPN on the market. First of all, all of the providers' servers (which are located in 90+ countries) support P2P downloads — this makes it very easy to download torrents on nearby VPN server locations, which would help you maintain fast download speeds.
On top of that, the provider also has port forwarding. This feature is useful for torrenting, as it lets you connect to more peers — doing that is likely to increase your P2P speeds. I especially like how PIA provides built-in access to this feature on most of its apps.
Also, you get SOCKS5 proxy servers. These servers hide your IP address to provide privacy while torrenting, but they don’t encrypt your traffic. That means you get less security — but if security is not a concern, you can take advantage of the lack of encryption to get very fast P2P speeds.
And finally, the provider also provides very secure torrenting — it protects your privacy while torrenting with an audited no-logs policy, and it also secures your P2P traffic with a kill switch and high-end security features. This includes MACE, which is a good ad blocker that can protect you from shady torrent sites.
Conclusion: Private Internet Access lets you torrent on all of its servers, which is very convenient. What’s more, it also has other useful torrenting features, including port forwarding and SOCKS5 proxy servers. And it provides strong security and privacy for torrenting too.
Private Internet Access Gaming Gaming
| Private Internet Access Gaming | |
|---|---|
| Ping While Gaming on Distant Servers | 132–136 ms |
| Servers Have Anti-DDoS Protection | |
| Router Support | |
| Cloud Gaming Support | |
I think Private Internet Access is great for gaming. For starters, it always provides me with fast gaming speeds whenever I use it to play Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, or Dota 2. I never experience any lag while gaming on distant VPN servers, and my ping is always stable too. Plus, I’m also able to download large game updates (5–10 GB) really fast.
Plus, if you use a VPN while gaming, you avoid Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. These are cyber attacks that force you offline — sometimes for hours on end. But because a VPN like PIA hides your IP address, nobody can target your network with DDoS attacks. What’s more, all of PIA’s servers have anti-DDoS protection, which means nobody can DDoS your connection to PIA either.
Also, the provider’s Identity Guard tool is useful for securing your gaming accounts. That’s because the feature sends you alerts if your emails have been compromised in a data breach — so you can use it to keep tabs on the email addresses you use to create accounts for different online games.
And since PIA has router support, you can use it to game on devices that don’t support VPN apps, like Xbox and PlayStation consoles for example. You just need to perform a quick manual setup, and you’re good to go.
The only thing that’s missing is cloud gaming support. The provider’s reps told me they can’t guarantee that PIA will 100% work with cloud gaming services, such as GeForce Now for instance. If this is an issue, I recommend getting ExpressVPN instead since it’s 100% compatible with cloud gaming services.
Conclusion: Private Internet Access is really good for gaming, as it maintains fast gaming speeds (even while connected to distant servers), it provides strong security for gaming, and it comes with manual router support.
Private Internet Access Speeds Speeds
| Website Load Time | HD Videos Load Time | Time to Torrent a 10 GB File | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline Speeds (Without a VPN) | Instantly | Instantly | 10–11 minutes |
| Speeds on Nearby VPN Servers | Instantly | Instantly | 13–14 minutes |
| Speeds on Distant VPN Servers | Instantly | 2 seconds | 13–16 minutes |
Private Internet Access maintains very fast speeds on both nearby and distant VPN servers. This isn’t a surprise for me, seeing as how the VPN has servers in 90+ countries — due to this, it’s easy to use nearby VPN server locations to get the fastest speeds. In addition, the vendor also uses the WireGuard protocol, which is designed to be very lightweight and provide blazing-fast speeds.
The results of my speed tests are really good. On nearby servers, I barely noticed a difference in speeds (it’s as if I weren’t using a VPN at all) — really, the only noticeable thing is a minor increase in download times. And on distant servers, I still enjoyed really fast browsing, HD streaming, and torrenting speeds.
Plus, it’s great that PIA comes with split-tunneling. You can actually use this feature to increase your VPN speeds — to do that, just route only the traffic you want to secure with the VPN through it. For example, if I want to get faster speeds when playing Dota 2 with PIA, I’d only route traffic from Dota 2 through the VPN connection.
Conclusion: Private Internet Access provides very good speeds for all online activities across all of its VPN servers. Plus, it also comes with split-tunneling, which lets you further boost those speeds.
Private Internet Access Pricing Pricing
| Private Internet Access Pricing | |
|---|---|
| Starting Price | $2.03/month |
| Free Plan | |
| Accepts Cryptocurrencies | |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days |
I find Private Internet Access really affordable, as its plans start at $2.03/month. Plus, the VPN provides very good value, and I also like how its longest plan often includes extra months of service for free — and that’s on top of offering a very large discount.
The provider also accepts multiple payment methods, including credit/debit cards, PayPal, and different cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin) via Bitpay. I’m really happy to see that the VPN accepts cryptocurrency payments, as they provide better privacy than standard payment options.
Finally, PIA backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee. I especially like how the provider has a no-questions-asked refund policy — this means you don’t need to meet any requirements (like not going over a certain data limit) to get your money back.
Conclusion: Private Internet Access has very affordable prices, and it also provides great value. It accepts many payment options (including cryptocurrencies), and it also backs all of its plans with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
Private Internet Access Simultaneous Connections Simultaneous Connections
PIA allows unlimited simultaneous connections, which basically means you can install and use the VPN on as many devices as you want. This is really great to see, as most top VPNs allow around 5–10 simultaneous connections.
That’s why I think PIA is a good pick for families — especially families with more than one child. In addition, it’s also a good pick for anyone who needs to secure more than 10 web-connected devices.
Conclusion: Private Internet Access supports unlimited simultaneous connections, so you can use the VPN to securely browse the web, watch videos, download torrents, and play online games on as many devices as you want.
Private Internet Access Platform Availability and Ease of Use Platform Availability and Ease of Use
Private Internet Access provides access to intuitive apps for most major platforms. This includes Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Android TV, Fire TV, and Apple TV. The provider also supports manual router setups, it comes with browser extensions, and it has an app for Chromebook and Kindle Fire.
Installing PIA on your devices is extremely simple. You just need to download the provider’s app from its site or your device’s app store, and follow the on-screen instructions. The whole process shouldn’t take more than 2 minutes.
Feel free to use this list to quickly check how easy it is to use PIA on different devices:
Windows and macOS
I find both of the provider’s Windows and macOS apps really easy to use. They both come with a quick-connect feature that automatically connects you to the fastest VPN server location for you. Also, Ilike how easy it is to manually find and connect to different servers — it honestly doesn’t take me more than 10 seconds to do that.
Plus, both the Windows and macOS apps are very feature-rich and secure. Each app provides access to split-tunneling, the MACE ad blocker, traffic obfuscation, and a kill switch. I also like how, on macOS, you can use split-tunneling on macOS 11 and higher — some VPNs only support split-tunneling on versions older than macOS 11.
| Split-Tunneling | MACE | Obfuscation | Kill Switch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows App | | | | |
| macOS App | | | | |
Conclusion: Private Internet Access has very good apps for Windows and macOS. Both desktop apps are very simple to use, and they also provide access to all of the provider’s important features.
Android and iOS
I think Private Internet Access has beginner-friendly mobile apps. In addition to a quick-connect feature, the app design makes it very easy to manually select a server. Plus, I like how easy it is to find and change different VPN settings — plus, it’s great that there are helpful explanations for what each setting does.
Both mobile apps are secure, though the Android app is a bit more feature-rich. That’s because it comes with split-tunneling and the MACE ad blocker (though, you’ll only get MACE if you manually install the .apk Android app from the vendor’s site).
| Split-Tunneling | MACE | Obfuscation | Kill Switch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Android App | | (only via .apk app | | |
| iOS App | | | | |
Conclusion: Private Internet Access provides access to really user-friendly mobile apps that make it super simple to connect to servers and change different settings. But the Android app is slightly better as it has more features.
Linux
Private Internet Access’ Linux app is great because it has a graphical user interface (GUI). This means you get access to the same user-friendly interface that’s available on the provider’s Windows and macOS apps — so, you don’t need to deal with an inconvenient command-line interface (CLI). Also, PIA’s Linux app is available on any popular distros, including Mint, Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, and Fedora.
Plus, PIA’s Linux app is extremely feature-rich. That’s because it provides access to the same extra features you get on the provider’s other desktop apps — split-tunneling, obfuscation, and the MACE ad blocker.
Conclusion: Private Internet Access comes with a GUI Linux app that’s compatible with many popular Linux distros. Also, the provider’s Linux app provides access to all of the VPN’s major extra features.
Smart TV
I really like Private Internet Access’ smart TV apps. The provider has an app for all popular operating systems, including Android TV, Fire TV, and Apple TV. The app design is pretty intuitive, so it’s easy to navigate the app with your TV remote. Plus, you don’t feel lost while using the app since all settings and features have quick, helpful definitions.
All of the smart TV apps come with split-tunneling, which I find very convenient since it helps you optimize VPN speeds on your smart TV if your Wi-Fi signal isn’t very strong. However, for now, only the Android TV and Fire TV apps also come with obfuscation and the MACE ad blocker.
Conclusion: Private Internet Access has really user-friendly apps for Android TV, Fire TV, and Apple TV. I like how all smart TV apps have split-tunneling, though the Apple TV app is missing some other useful extras.
Browser Extensions
Private Internet Access has really easy-to-use browser extensions. The extensions are available for Chrome, Opera, and Firefox, and they share a really similar design to the provider’s desktop and mobile apps — so switching between the VPN apps and VPN extensions is really simple.
What I like the most about the extensions is how feature-rich they are. They provide access to tons of useful security settings — for example, you can configure the extensions to block camera and microphone access, disable credit card and address autofill, and turn off third-party cookies.
Conclusion: Private Internet Access has really good browser extensions. In addition to being very simple to navigate and having an intuitive settings menu, the extensions also come with many useful security tools.
Routers
Private Internet Access has good router support, as it supports manual setups on many popular router models and firmwares — this includes DD-WRT, FreshTomato, pfSense, and AsusWRT.
The provider also has useful setup tutorials for all supported router models and firmwares. The guides make the manual setup process pretty straightforward, especially since they include screenshots — makes it very simple to follow them. On average, I don’t think it will take you more than 15 minutes to set up PIA on your router.
Still, I can’t talk about router support without also mentioning ExpressVPN. Basically, if you mainly want to use the VPN on your router, it’d be better to use ExpressVPN instead of PIA — that’s because ExpressVPN has a dedicated router app, which is more convenient to install and use (compared to a manual router setup).
Conclusion: Private Internet Access provides good router support, as it allows manual configurations on several popular router models and firmwares. And the provider also has easy-to-follow router setup guides (they even include screenshots).
Private Internet Access Customer Support Customer Support
| Private Internet Access Customer Support | |
|---|---|
| Live Chat | (24/7) |
| Email Support | |
| Support Articles | |
Private Internet Access provides great customer support. It has many support channels, including 24/7 live chat support, email support, and a support library that provides access to frequently asked questions (FAQs), setup tutorials, and troubleshooting guides.
The provider’s support library is pretty good. Most of the support articles I read through are helpful and up-to-date — though, I’d like to see the provider add more visual elements to its tutorials (like more screenshots and some video guides, for example).
I also tried out the vendor’s live chat support, and I think it’s good. I reached out to the live chat reps with different questions over the course of several weeks — I usually received helpful and friendly replies. Really, my only complaint is that it sometimes takes a bit too long to be connected to a live chat rep (up to 20 seconds or more).
I also tried out the email support on several occasions, and I had a good experience. I usually received a reply to my questions in less than 24 hours, which is pretty standard response times when it comes to email support. Also, all of the answers I received were accurate and detailed.
Conclusion: Private Internet Access provides great customer support in my opinion. It comes with multiple support channels (24/7 live chat, email support, and a support library), and its support reps are generally friendly and helpful.
What I’d Like Private Internet Access to Improve
Private Internet Access is overall a really good VPN. So all of the things I’ll highlight in this section are pretty minor. But if PIA were to fix all of these minor issues, it could potentially compete with ExpressVPN for the spot of #1 VPN in 2024.
The main thing I’d like PIA to improve is its ability to bypass censorship. It’s honestly a shame that it only works 50% of the time in restrictive countries like China and Russia. The vendor has obfuscation, so it should be able to get around VPN traffic blocks — but I think it needs to refresh its server IPs much faster to get around IP blocks as well.
Another thing I’d like PIA to improve is the availability of its MACE feature. It’s great that it’s available built into the desktop apps, but I’d like for it to be available on the Android app via the Play Store — at the moment, you need to manually install the provider’s .apk app on Android to use this feature. Of course, I’d also like to see MACE added to the iOS app too.
Finally, I think it’d be great if PIA would improve its streaming support. Don’t get me wrong — it works with all the top streaming platforms, and it provides great variety since it’s compatible with 25+ streaming sites. But you can only access streaming services via dedicated streaming servers, which is a bit inconvenient. For reference, ExpressVPN works with 100+ streaming sites, and it supports streaming on all of its servers.
Private Internet Access Review — The Bottom Line The Bottom Line
I personally think Private Internet Access is among the best VPNs on the market. I strongly recommend it to anyone who torrents a lot, as its P2P support is excellent. On top of that, the vendor also supports unlimited connections, works with 25+ streaming sites, has fast speeds, has servers in 90+ countries, and comes with very strong security and privacy features.
Really, there are only a few minor things that keep PIA from being the best out there — it doesn’t consistently work in restrictive regions like China, it only provides streaming support on dedicated servers, and its ad blocker isn’t available on Android if you get the app from the Play Store (instead, you need to manually install the .apk Android app from the vendor’s site to use the ad blocker).
Private Internet Access Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions
