Private Internet Access 2024 Review: 3 Cons and 4 Pros

by Petr Lippert

✅ Fact-checked by Petr Novák ​

updated January 1, 2024 (Report a bug)

1. Private Internet Access: Secure VPN with good price/performance ratio

   • Higher device performance
   • Slightly lower speed compared to competitors
   • Less clear desktop application

   • High level of security
   • Wide selection of supported encryption
   • Use on up to 999 devices simultaneously
   • Good value for money

   The Private Internet Access has been in operation since 2010.

   In addition to VPNs, it offers a large number of additional features, such as ad blocking and trackers or an email address leak monitor. PIA VPN can be used simultaneously on 999 devices. There are 35,400 servers in 78 different countries around the world, making Private Internet Access one of the best on the market. The connection can be used on almost all possible platforms. Should any device not be supported, you can use the VPN connection on the router.

   The Private Internet Access also provides a high level of privacy and security, strictly does not store logs, and has transparent source code. With transparent code, anyone can verify that there are no elements in the source code that could store logs or collect unsolicited data.

2. Subscription Private Internet Access: Discount coupon, trial version, money back guarantee…

   • Your Price: $12.46​85% off  $1.91 /mo (999 devices)
   • Money Back Guarantee: Yes (30 days)
   • Free Trial: No
   • Cryptocurrency payments:
     Yes

     Bitcoin :Yes
     Dash :No
     Ethereum :Yes
     Ripple :No

   

   8.6

   ★★★★

   Fast VPN with excellent value for money offers high levels of security, and its servers are available in exotic locations.

   $1.91 /mo  ​30-day money back guarantee

   Get this VPN 85% cheaper

   You can get the Private Internet Access service in the form of monthly, annual, and three-year subscriptions. The most advantageous subscription option is the 3-year subscription, to which you get 3 months free as a bonus.

   You can order Private Internet Access Antivirus and a dedicated IP address with your subscription for an additional fee.

   The free trial version of Private Internet Access VPN is offered for mobile devices only for a period of 7 days. If you want to try the app, you can claim a free refund for 30 days from the first payment.

3. Device support at Private Internet Access: Android, iOS, macOS…

   • Device limit: Unlimited

   Platforms supported

   • Android:
     Yes

     Android is supported by 98 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Android TV:
     Yes

     Android TV is supported by 36 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Apple TV:
     No

     Apple TV is supported by 18 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Fire TV:
     No

     Fire TV is supported by 43 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromebook:
     No

     Chromebook is supported by 20 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromecast:
     No

     Chromecast is supported by 16 % of reviewed VPNs
   • iOS:
     Yes

     iOS is supported by 99 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Kodi:
     No

     Kodi is supported by 21 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Linux:
     Yes

     Linux is supported by 61 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Mac:
     Yes

     Mac is supported by 98 % of reviewed VPNs
   • NAS:
     Yes

     NAS is supported by 24 % of reviewed VPNs
   • nVidia Shield:
     Yes

     nVidia Shield is supported by 14 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Playstation:
     Yes

     Playstation is supported by 20 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Raspberry Pi:
     Yes

     Raspberry Pi is supported by 17 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Roku:
     Yes

     Roku is supported by 16 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Router:
     Yes

     Router is supported by 53 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Windows:
     Yes

     Windows is supported by 100 % of reviewed VPNs
   • xBox:
     Yes

     xBox is supported by 20 % of reviewed VPNs

   Browser Extensions

   • Brave :
     Yes

     The Brave browser add-on is offered by 43 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Chrome :
     Yes

     The Chrome browser add-on is offered by 43 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Edge :
     No

     The Edge browser add-on is offered by 21 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Firefox :
     Yes

     The Firefox browser add-on is offered by 34 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Opera :
     Yes

     The Opera browser add-on is offered by 43 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Safari :
     No

     The Safari browser add-on is offered by 0 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Vivaldi :
     Yes

     The Vivaldi browser add-on is offered by 43 % of reviewed VPNs.

   You can connect to a maximum of 999 different devices under one subscription.

   VPN Private Internet Access can be used on almost all commonly used platforms. The service can be used on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS operating systems, as well as on game consoles and smart TVs.

   The Private Internet Access also supports VPN connections on the router. This is particularly useful when a particular device is not directly supported by Private Internet Access. For instructions, see how to set up a VPN on a router.

4. Private Internet Access: User-friendliness, whitelist, server selection…

   • App Languages: 🇺🇸 English +16 more🇫🇷 French 🇮🇹 Italian 🇩🇪 German 🇳🇱 Dutch 🇵🇱 Polish 🇵🇹 Portuguese 🇷🇺 Russian 🇪🇸 Spanish 🇦🇪 Arabic 🇨🇳 Chinese 🇩🇰 Danish 🇯🇵 Japanese 🇰🇷 Korean 🇸🇪 Swedish 🇹🇭 Thai 🇹🇷 Turkish
   • Whitelisting:
     Yes

     Whitelisting is supported by 52 % of reviewed VPNs

   The Private Internet Access app is clear and pretty simple to use. The environment of the mobile version is almost identical to the desktop version. This may be rather a disadvantage for some users, as the application cannot be displayed on a PC other than vertically.

   In the app, you have the option to activate and set the whitelist feature, which allows you to choose apps and websites on which the VPN will not automatically be used.

   On Android mobile devices, you can create a list of apps that will (not) use the VPN connection. This feature can be useful for apps that only work in the location that was specified during registration.

   You can set up a VPN connection automatically when you start your device. PIA VPN also offers the option to set up an automatic connection at a set time. However, you always have the option to pause your connection.

   You can set up an automatic connection as soon as you launch the app on all platforms.

5. Connection speed and traffic for Private Internet Access

   • Traffic limit: Unlimited

   Download speed

   Higher is better. The average download of all tested VPNs is 115 Mb/s.

   Upload speed

   Higher is better. The average upload of all tested VPNs is 81 Mb/s.

   Server latency

   A lower value is better. The average response rate of all tested VPNs is 48 ms.

   Connection on servers that are located nearby is very fast and stable. From servers that are located further away from your device, the connection is slower compared to the best VPNs on the market.

   However, in all cases, the connection was enough for us to play 4K videos without any interruption in the smoothness of the playback and without any other complications.

6. List of countries and VPN servers at Private Internet Access

   • Number of servers:
     35,400

     The average number of servers for the reviewed VPNs is 1699.
   • Number of countries:
     78

     The average number of countries available for the reviewed VPNs is 41.

   Europe	🇦🇱 Albania 🇦🇩 Andorra 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇲🇪 Montenegro 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇪🇪 Estonia 🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇭🇷 Croatia 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇸 Iceland 🇮🇹 Italy 🇨🇾 Cyprus 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein 🇱🇹 Lithuania 🇱🇻 Latvia 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇲🇹 Malta 🇲🇩 Moldova 🇲🇨 Monaco 🇩🇪 Germany 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇮🇲 Isle of Man 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇦🇹 Austria 🇷🇴 Romania 🇬🇷 Greece 🇲🇰 Northern Macedonia 🇸🇰 Slovakia 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇷🇸 Serbia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland 🇹🇷 Turkey 🇺🇦 Ukraine
   North America	🇧🇸 Bahamas 🇬🇱 Greenland 🇨🇦 Canada 🇲🇽 Mexico 🇵🇦 Panama 🇺🇸 USA
   South America	🇦🇷 Argentina 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇻🇪 Venezuela
   Asia	🇦🇲 Armenia 🇧🇩 Bangladesh 🇨🇳 China 🇵🇭 Philippines 🇬🇪 Georgia 🇭🇰 Hong Kong 🇮🇳 India 🇮🇱 Israel 🇯🇵 Japan 🇰🇭 Cambodia 🇶🇦 Qatar 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan 🇲🇴 Macao 🇲🇳 Mongolia 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 🇸🇬 Singapore 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka 🇹🇼 Taiwan 🇻🇳 Vietnam
   Africa	🇩🇿 Algeria 🇪🇬 Egypt 🇿🇦 South Africa 🇲🇦 Morocco 🇳🇬 Nigeria
   Oceania	🇦🇺 Australia 🇳🇿 New Zealand

   Private Internet Access offers the ability to connect to servers in 78 countries. In total, you can choose from 35,400 different servers. With such a variety, Private Internet Access ranks among the best VPNs on the market.

   However, the number of servers is not necessarily important when compared to the competition, as it mainly depends on the number of users using the service. The advantage, however, may be the lower likelihood of overloading a particular server.

   PIA has servers in almost all European countries. Most of the important countries in the world, such as China, the USA, Canada, and Australia, are also on offer. Of the larger countries, Russia is missing from the offer.

7. Security at Private Internet Access: DNS protection, kill switch…

   • DNS leak protection :
     Yes

     DNS leak protection is offered by 92% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Kill Switch:
     Yes

     Kill Switch is supported by 87% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Multi-Hop:
     Yes

     Multi-Hop connection is offered by 20 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Tor:
     No

     Tor support is offered by 19 % of the reviewed VPNs.

   Private Internet Access offers security with a kill switch feature that immediately disconnects in the event of a VPN failure. This minimizes the risk of exposing user and user data.

   The Private Internet Access VPN also offers DNS protection with private servers and malware blocking.

   PIA supports WireGuard, OpenVPN TCP and OpenVPN UDP protocols, and encryption is performed using AES-256 or AES-128. Protocol and encryption settings can be selected in the settings.

   PIA Antivirus is available for an additional fee. For annual and three-year subscriptions, Private Internet Access offers Boxcryptor and email address leak checking as a bonus.

8. VPN streaming on Private Internet Access: Netflix, Youtube, Amazon…

   • Amazon Prime:
     Yes

     Amazon Prime streaming is supported by 52 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Disney+:
     Yes

     Disney+ streaming is supported by 53 % of reviewed VPNs
   • HBO:
     Yes

     HBO streaming is supported by 57 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Hulu:
     Yes

     Hulu streaming is supported by 49 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Netflix:
     Yes

     Netflix streaming is supported by 67 % of reviewed VPNs
   • YouTube:
     Yes

     YouTube streaming is supported by 97 % of reviewed VPNs

   While testing Private Internet Access, we managed to unblock Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Hulu, BBC and Disney Plus.

   With PIA VPN, playback performance and stability vary depending on the proximity of the server you connect to. Although there may be a decrease in speed for servers located further away, the connection speed still maintains a minimum of 50 Mbps. During our testing of Full HD and 4K streaming, we were pleased to observe smooth video playback with no stuttering.

   The Private Internet Access offers unlimited data transfers, so it is suitable for streaming high quality video.

9. Function Private Internet Access: Adblock, static IP address…

   • Blocks Ads:
     Yes

     Ad blocking is offered by 44 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Malware:
     Yes

     Malware blocking is offered by 33 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Trackers:
     Yes

     Trackers blocking is offered by 38 % of the VPNs reviewed.

   Private Internet Access offers most of the features commonly available in competing VPNs. For example, the Mace PIA feature that blocks ads and trackers is available. This feature increases security while ridding users of annoying ads.

   With PIA VPN, multi-hop connectivity is possible, connecting through two servers at once to enhance security and avoid VPN connection detection. PIA also has a unique email leak monitoring feature – if the app detects any data leak involving the user’s address, it promptly sends an alert and suggests a password change.

   As an added bonus, PIA provides a 1-year Boxcryptor subscription along with its 1-year and 3-year subscriptions. This service encrypts data before uploading it to the cloud, ensuring data security even on servers that don’t support encryption.

   For those seeking even more security, PIA offers the option to purchase a dedicated IP address for an additional fee. This service is currently only available in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and Germany.

10. Computer load with Private Internet Access

    While using the application, we did not notice any significant slowdown of the computer, but the load level is higher than, for example, Surfshark.

    The Private Internet Access desktop application launches automatically upon system startup, which can result in slower boot times for some users. This feature can easily be disabled within the settings for running applications.

    Compared to other VPNs, the Private Internet Access desktop app requires a bit more from your device in terms of performance. When running in the background, it may place additional strain on your device. If you do not need the app during certain times and wish to reduce its impact, simply close it from the taskbar.

11. VPN torrent and Private Internet Access

    • Torrenting servers:
      Yes

      Torrenting support is offered by 89 % of the reviewed VPNs.

    With Private Internet Access VPN, you can enjoy torrenting on all the servers offered by the provider. The use of the torrenting servers is without any restrictions.

    When using PIA VPN for torrenting, there is a very useful port forwarding feature. This allows the user to connect to a port on the local network. The port forwarding function thus allows, for example, to bypass the NAT firewall.

12. Headquarters Private Internet Access

    • VPN Provider: Kape Technologies PLC
    • Country of origin: 🇺🇸 USA

    The VPN provider Private Internet Access is Private Internet Access Inc. whose parent company is the Israeli firm Kape Technologies. This company also owns CyberGhost VPN and ExpressVPN.

    The subsidiary Private Internet Access Inc. is based in USA, which holds and tracks user data. In the case of Private Internet Access, however, there is no risk involved as the data passes through encryption.

13. Privacy and Private Internet Access: Log storage, security…

    • No-Logs Policy:
      Yes

      The No-Logs Policy is followed by 78% of reviewed VPNs.

    The Private Internet Access VPN claims on its website that it does not store any data about browsing history, IP addresses, data traffic, or connection time and time.

    The company supports this fact with records from court orders in which records were requested from the company. However, it is alleged that there has never been any transfer of data and records, as there is no storage.

    Private Internet Access offers the source code as open source. This means that anyone can verify that there are no tracking elements in the codes.

14. Support at Private Internet Access: Chat, email…

    PIA support is available 24/7 through the PIA website. Technical support can be contacted via chat or by using the contact form on the website. The user can find solutions for common problems and answers to common questions in the support center.

15. Frequently asked questions on Private Internet Access

    Is Private Internet Access secure?

    The Private Internet Access is a trusted service that offers a high level of security and a no-logging guarantee. The service offers a large number of features that support the security of VPN connections. These include features such as AdBlocker or anonymous torrenting.

    Can I use Private Internet Access on my mobile phone?

    Yes, the PIA app is available on both iOS and Android. In both cases, the app can secure your connection from a public network, preventing a potential attack on your private data. However, the desktop version offers the most features.

    Is the Private Internet Access service free?

    The Private Internet Access service is free for mobile devices only and for a limited period of 7 days. In the case of the desktop version, the service is not free. However, you can take advantage of a money-back guarantee valid for 30 days from the time of payment.

    Sells Private Internet Access data?

    The PIA service guarantees in its privacy policy that it does not pass on or sell any private user data. Data is also encrypted by the Private Internet Access service. Therefore, users’ private data and data should be safe.