Private Internet Access review: open-source apps, no device cap, weak against censorship

5.13

out of 10#9 of 377 in the main ranking
Consumer VPN median 2.6

  • Consumer VPN
  • Jurisdiction:USA, 5 Eyes
  • Owner:Kape Technologies
  • Data completeness100%
  • Checked2026-10-15
  • Independent no-logs audit: ✓ Yes
  • RAM-only servers
  • Open-source apps

In 10 seconds

Strongest against its segment

  • Platforms and support8.6 vs 4.3
  • Security and protocols5.7 vs 2.1
  • Privacy and jurisdiction6.3 vs 2.7

Weakest against its segment

  • Censorship bypass0.0 vs 0.5
  • Network and streaming4.0 vs 3.1
  • Price and fair terms5.6 vs 3.5
  • Jurisdiction in the 5 Eyes alliance
  • Auto-renewal on by default

Compare Private Internet Access side by side with other VPNs

How the score adds up

Six sub-scores, each against the median of Consumer VPN services in the main ranking (233 services). Open a line to see which published facts earned points and which were missing or not disclosed.

Private Internet Accesssegment median

  • Privacy and jurisdiction30% of the score · segment median 2.76.3
    What earned points
    • No-logs policy +2
    • Independent no-logs audit +3
    • No-logs confirmed in court +1
    • Warrant canary +1
    • Transparency report +1
    • Sign-up without email +1.5
    • Account number sign-up +0.5
    • Stores connection IP (penalty) −3
    • Public incident (penalty) −2
  • Security and protocols20% of the score · segment median 2.15.7
    What earned points
    • Kill switch +2
    • DNS leak protection +1.5
    • RAM-only servers +1
    • Post-quantum encryption +1
    • Perfect forward secrecy +0.5
    • Security audit +2
    • Open-source clients +1.5
    • 2FA +1
    • Multi-hop +1
    • Bug bounty +1
    • Only PPTP / L2TP (penalty) −2
  • Price and fair terms15% of the score · segment median 3.55.6
    What earned points
    • Free plan +1.5
    • Free trial +1
    • Trial without a card +1
    • Crypto payments +1
    • Cash payments +0.5
  • Censorship bypass15% of the score · segment median 0.50.0
    What earned points
    • Stealth / obfuscation +2
    • VLESS / Reality +1.5
    • Trojan +1
    • Hysteria2 +1
    • Shadowsocks +1
    • AmneziaWG +1
    • obfs4 +0.5
    • TUIC +0.5
    • NaiveProxy +0.5
    • Mirrors or Telegram channel +0.5
    • VoIP in the UAE (claimed) +0.5
    • Manual configs +0.5
  • Network and streaming10% of the score · segment median 3.14.0
    What earned points
    • 10 Gbps servers +1
    • Dedicated IP +0.5
    • Port forwarding +0.5
    • MENA locations +0.5
    • Torrenting allowed +1
  • Platforms and support10% of the score · segment median 4.38.6
    What earned points
    • Routers +1
    • Browser extensions +0.5
    • Split tunneling +1
    • Ad / tracker blocker +1
    • 24/7 live chat +2
    • live chat +0.5
    • Support on Telegram +0.5
    • Status page +0.5

Private Internet Access pricing

From €1.63 a month, ×1.1 at renewal

  • Monthly plan: €10.28
  • 3 plans published · market median €3.13 a month
Full pricing breakdown

Everything Private Internet Access publishes

Every fact we collected about Private Internet Access, as the provider and reviewers state it. Empty fields are left out; key fields we could not find say “Not stated”. “Partial”: only on some platforms, servers or plans.

Company
Legal entity
Private Internet Access, Inc.
Registered in
USA
Address
2590 Welton Street, Suite 200, Denver, CO 80205, USA
Parent company
Kape Technologies
Related brands
ExpressVPN; CyberGhost (Kape group)
Surveillance alliance (5/9/14 Eyes)
5
Website languages
  • 29 languages incl. EN
  • AR
  • ZH-CN
  • JA
  • KO
  • RU
  • UK
Currencies on the site
USD

Plans, prices and add-ons
Plans
single VPN plan (terms differ)
Billing terms
  • 1 month
  • 1 year
  • 3 years + 3 months (2 years mentioned)
Cheapest price a month
$1.89
Monthly plan
$11.95
1-year plan, total
$47.88
1-year plan, a month
$3.99
Lifetime plan
No
Renewal
  • Autorenews at same price: $73.71 every 3 years
  • $47.88 yearly
  • $11.95 monthly
Family plan
No
Dedicated IP add-on
Yes at checkout
Double VPN add-on
Yes included (multi-hop)
Antivirus
Yes add-on
Password manager
No
eSIM
No
Identity protection
No
Cloud storage
No
Other add-ons
No

Discounts and programmes
Discount shown
84% (3y+3m)
Discount compared with
vs $11.95/month list price
Sale running when checked
Yes Halloween offer
Student discount
Not stated
Discount for crypto payment
No
Bonus months
3 (3-year)
Affiliate programme
Yes /affiliate-program

Limits and restrictions
Devices at once
unlimited (meta says up to 10)
Data limit
unlimited
Speed limit
No
Country restrictions
US-embargoed countries; EAR D:1/E:2 incl. CN, RU, VN
Prohibited by the terms
  • spam
  • illegal content
  • copyright distribution
  • DoS
  • probing
  • device-feature abuse/resale

Free plan
Free plan
No
Free data
Not stated
Ads in the free plan
Not stated

Payment and subscription
Payment methods
  • credit card
  • PayPal
  • Amazon Payments
  • BitPay crypto
  • gift cards
  • App Store/Google Play/Amazon
Bank card
Yes
PayPal
Yes
Apple Pay / Google Pay
Yes in-app stores
Cryptocurrency
Yes BitPay
Cash
No
Gift cards
Yes
Auto-renewal by default
Yes
How to cancel
Account > subscriptions > turn off auto-renewal; app store settings
Email needed to sign up
Yes
Phone needed to sign up
No
Account-number login
No
Identity check (KYC)
No
Money-back guarantee, days
30
Refund conditions
  • 30 days of initial purchase or renewal
  • verification required
  • no refund if new account within 3 months of a refund
  • store/gift card purchases via processor

Free trial terms
Trial length
No
Instead of a trial
30-day money-back
Card needed for the trial
Not stated

Server locations
Countries
104
Servers
Not stated
Server countries
Not stated
Middle East and North Africa
Not stated
Virtual locations
Not stated
Own servers
Partial partly (colocated servers)
Port speed
10 Gbps
P2P servers
Not stated
Obfuscated servers
Not stated

Network features
RAM-only servers
Yes
IPv6
Not stated
Dedicated IP
Yes add-on
Static IP
Yes dedicated IP
Residential IP
Not stated
Double VPN / multi-hop
Yes
Tor over VPN
Not stated
SOCKS5 proxy
Not stated
Smart DNS
Yes Smart DNS

Protocols and encryption
  • WireGuard✓ Yes
  • OpenVPN✓ Yes
  • IKEv2Not stated
  • L2TP/IPsecNot stated
  • SSTPNot stated
  • SoftEther✕ No
  • Own protocol✕ No
  • VLESS / Reality✕ No
  • VMess✕ No
  • Trojan✕ No
  • ShadowsocksNot stated
  • Hysteria2✕ No
  • TUIC✕ No
  • NaiveProxy✕ No
  • obfs4✕ No
  • AmneziaWG✕ No
Encryption
AES-128 or AES-256
Perfect forward secrecy
Not stated
Post-quantum encryption
Not stated
Manual configuration files
Not stated
Open-source apps
Yes GitHub, 100% open-source

Censorship and blocking
Obfuscation (stealth mode)
Not stated
Countries it claims to work in
Not stated
Mirror sites or Telegram channel
Not stated
Calls in the UAE
Not stated

Security
Kill switch
Yes
DNS leak protection
Not stated
Split tunnelling
Yes
Ad and malware blocker
Yes MACE
Two-factor sign-in
Not stated
Security audits
Not stated
Bug bounty
Yes Vulnerability Disclosure Program

Privacy
No-logs policy
Yes zero user logs
Independent no-logs audit
Yes
No-logs proven in practice
Yes claims proven in court (no case details on page)
Data retention
as long as needed
Shared with third parties
  • Deskpro
  • Stripe
  • Amazon Payments
  • BitPay
  • PayPal
  • group companies
Trackers on the website
Yes Google Analytics anonymized, GTM, cookies
Transparency report
Yes
Warrant canary
Not stated
Law enforcement requests
complies with valid subpoenas after legal review; little data to provide
Copyright (DMCA) notices
Yes separate DMCA Policy page
Anonymous sign-up
Partial crypto, no location stored; email required
GDPR / data protection officer
Dr. Venetia Argyropoulou (Denver)
Privacy policy updated
2025-11-03

What the privacy policy says is collected

Yes: collected. No: not collected. Partial: kept briefly or only in part. Not stated: the policy does not say.

  • Email✕ Yes
  • Connection IP✓ No
  • Session times✓ No
  • Bandwidth✓ No
  • Device infoopt-in error reports only✕ Yes
  • App analyticsanonymized aggregate◐ Partial
  • Crash reportsopt-in error reports✕ Yes

Apps and devices
  • Windows✓ Yes
  • macOS✓ Yes
  • Linux✓ Yes
  • iOS✓ Yes
  • Android✓ Yes
  • Android TVNot stated
  • Fire TVNot stated
  • Apple TVNot stated
  • ChromebookFAQ✓ Yes
  • Smart TV✓ Yes
  • Routers✓ Yes
  • NASNot stated
  • Raspberry PiNot stated
  • Game consolesvia router✓ Yes
Browser extensions
Chrome; Firefox

Speed, streaming and gaming
Claimed speed
ultra-fast; 10 Gbps servers
10 Gbps servers
Yes
Netflix
No
BBC iPlayer
No
Disney+
No
Prime Video
No
DAZN
No
beIN Sports
No
Shahid
No
OSN+
No
Gaming features
Not stated
Torrenting
Not stated

Support
Live chat
Yes Deskpro
Live chat 24/7
Yes 24/7 support
Email / tickets
Yes helpdesk
Phone
Not stated
Telegram
Not stated
WhatsApp
Not stated
Help articles
Yes helpdesk
Server status page
Not stated

For teams and business
SSO / SAML
Not stated
Admin panel
Not stated
Zero-trust access (ZTNA)
Not stated

What users say

Reviews never change our score. Ratings are smoothed: a source’s average across all VPNs counts as 50 extra reviews, so a few five-star reviews cannot outrank thousands.

  • Trustpilot

    4.11 of 5, smoothed

    From 200 collected reviews (raw average 4.22; all VPNs 3.66). Last 90 days: 4.09 from 55.

    The company replied to 35 of 36 negative reviews (1–2 stars).

  • App Store

    4.31 of 5, smoothed

    From 2069 collected reviews (raw average 4.33; all VPNs 3.54). Last 90 days: 4.66 from 626.

  • Google Play

    3.76 of 5, smoothed

    From 2166 collected reviews (raw average 3.76; all VPNs 3.90). Last 90 days: 3.45 from 421.

    The company replied to 279 of 582 negative reviews (1–2 stars).

Ratings shown on the platforms themselves: Trustpilot TrustScore 4.2 (10703 reviews); App Store (US) 4.70 (149849 ratings); Google Play 4.4 (109K ratings).

Reviews per month, last 12 months

  1. Oct ’2525 reviews, average 3.84
  2. Nov ’2535 reviews, average 3.17
  3. Dec ’25113 reviews, average 4.32
  4. Jan ’2665 reviews, average 4.48
  5. Feb ’2679 reviews, average 4.52
  6. Mar ’2684 reviews, average 4.24
  7. Apr ’2667 reviews, average 4.06
  8. May ’2688 reviews, average 4.43
  9. Jun ’2685 reviews, average 4.16
  10. Jul ’26118 reviews, average 3.87
  11. Aug ’26374 reviews, average 4.12
  12. Sep ’26467 reviews, average 4.21
  13. Oct ’26195 reviews, average 4.28
Bar height: number of reviews collected that month. Full-colour bars: months with an average of 4 stars or more; pale bars: below 4.

44 Reddit and forum threads mention Private Internet Access (titles and search snippets only).

All Private Internet Access user reviews

Questions about Private Internet Access

Answers built from what Private Internet Access publishes. Open a question to read the details.

PIA earns 5.13 of 10 on VPNRadarLab, placing 9th of 377 services and 9th among consumer VPNs, and it is worth buying if your goal is audited privacy for a multi-device home. One area drags it down: censorship bypass scores a flat zero, costing up to 1.5 of the 10 points because that category carries 15% of the weight.

What lifts PIA to ninth place and what holds it there

Six areas build the score. Apps and support (8.6 against a 4.3 median) is PIA's strongest suit, and privacy, security, pricing and network all clear the consumer middle. The zero in bypass sets the ceiling: VPNRadarLab records no stealth mode or Shadowsocks, and newer protocols like VLESS Reality, Trojan or Hysteria2 are simply not offered, so on networks that filter VPN traffic the service has no recorded answer. That empty column is why solid numbers stop at ninth. A quieter deduction hits the network score: PIA publishes a country count (104) but VPNRadarLab has no server total on record, which costs an item.

One plan, three billing terms

PIA's own offer has no tiers to compare. It sells a single VPN plan; the billing term is the only decision, plus two optional add-ons.

Term Pay now Per month Renews at
3 years + 3 months $73.71 in one charge $1.89 $73.71 every 3 years
1 year $47.88 $3.99 $47.88 a year
1 month $11.95 $11.95 $11.95 monthly

The advertised 84% discount is measured against the $11.95 monthly rate, and the three bonus months come only with the 3-year term. On the 3 years + 3 months term the renewal works out to about 1.08 times the first-term monthly rate; yearly and monthly terms renew at exactly the same price. All of that sits below the threshold where VPNRadarLab deducts points, so there is no renewal ambush. Auto-renewal is on by default and no reminder is on record, so track the date yourself. Dedicated IP and a Windows antivirus appear at checkout as paid extras without a listed price; multi-hop (Double VPN) is included free. Payment goes by card, PayPal, Amazon, BitPay crypto or gift card, with no cash option and no crypto discount. The 30-day money-back window covers the first purchase and every renewal. Full maths live on the pricing page.

Logs, Deloitte audits and a US address

What PIA does not collect: the connection IP, session times or bandwidth, backed by more than one independent Deloitte audit and a transparency report. What it cannot change: the Denver registration inside the Five Eyes, which costs the whole surveillance-alliance item. American courts can issue subpoenas; PIA answers valid ones after legal review and says it has little to provide. Sign-up requires an email and there is no account-number login, so BitPay hides your card but not your inbox. The full legal picture sits on the safety page; the parent company Kape Technologies also owns ExpressVPN and CyberGhost.

Open-source apps on every screen

Device or task What PIA offers The catch
Laptop on public Wi-Fi kill switch, WireGuard, OpenVPN, AES-128 or AES-256 DNS leak protection not on record
Phones and tablets iOS, Android, Chromebook, no device cap account tied to email
TV and consoles smart TV and router support no Android TV, Apple TV or Fire TV app on record

Client code sits in PIA's GitHub repositories, servers run RAM-only and partly colocated, and a bug bounty invites researchers. MACE blocks ads and malware; split tunnelling keeps your banking app off the tunnel, and Chrome and Firefox get their own extensions. Live chat runs 24/7 alongside email tickets.

Blocked networks and streaming

None of the newer disguise protocols appear, and obfuscation features are not published, so expect to be on your own on a filtered campus or a nationally blocked network. The terms bar use in US-embargoed countries, including China, Russia and Vietnam. Streaming makes no promises either way: PIA claims no Netflix or BBC iPlayer unblocking, and VPNRadarLab runs no tests.

Who should buy PIA and who should skip it

Buy it if you want a no-logs policy that outside auditors have checked, open-source apps, unlimited devices and a renewal that behaves. Look elsewhere if your home network sits behind heavy filtering or if you insist on a non-Five Eyes jurisdiction; ranked alternatives, user reviews and coupons have their own pages.

PIA review FAQ

Is there a free version of PIA?

No free plan and no trial exist; the 30-day refund is the fallback.

How many devices can one PIA account cover?

No cap. A router setup extends it to consoles.

Can I pay for PIA anonymously?

Partly. BitPay leaves the card out of it; registration still wants an email.

Does PIA unblock Netflix?

It makes no such claim and VPNRadarLab does not test it.

PIA in a few lines

Deloitte-audited no-logs policy, open-source clients, RAM-only servers, unlimited devices and three straightforward terms with no renewal penalty. The reason it sits at 5.13 and ninth place: a zero for censorship bypass and no published server count. User reviews (Trustpilot 4.2, App Store 4.7, Google Play 4.4) do not affect the score.

In our rankings

Private Internet Access appears on 254 topic pages. Its place on each:

Show all 254

Similar VPNs

Cheaper with the same features

Higher score for the same money

Same owner

Also similar to Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access compared

Owner and jurisdiction

Closed services Private Internet Access replaces

Services that shut down or moved, for which this is one of five live alternatives.

Tools for Private Internet Access

Sources and changes

Collected 2026-10-15. No changes recorded since the first import.

Website
https://privateinternetaccess.com
Pages checked
https://www.privateinternetaccess.com; https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/buy-vpn-online; https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/privacy-policy; https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/terms-of-service

Something wrong or out of date? Report an error