Private Internet Access Review
Ah, PrivateInternetAccess(or as most of you you’ll know it : PIA!). One of the oldest and well-respected VPNs in the industry(goes well above 2010!). So, was PIA been able to keep up with the competition or it simply got surpassed by the new players? Lets move to our extensive review and find out!
Pros
Cons
- Huge experience - on market since 2010
- Works with Netflix, BBC iPlayer, China firewall
- 3300+ servers in 32+ countries
- Strong no-log policy & no IP, DNS, WebRTC leaks
- User friendly apps
- Based in USA
- Support is VERY busy(big waiting times)
Works with
Available on
Price From
Netflix, BBC iPlayer, HBO, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Sky, SlingTV, Torrenting, Kodi
$3.33/mo
Speed:
Speed was surprisingly good! On our 100mbit UK server, we managed to peak around 93(!)Mbit! Thats an impressive 7% speed decrease only!
Price:
PIA keeps it simple with pricing : 3.33$/month when buying their 1 year plan beforehand. Not the cheapest, not the most expensive.
Customer Support:
Unfortunately, been one of the oldest VPNs comes with a hefty price : YOU HAVE TOO MANY users! And some of them will need extensive support. When we tried to contact live chat, we had to wait more than 30 mins to be able to talk to an agent. Add on that that live chat is not 24/7, it makes the problem even worse. They do have an extensive knowledge database though!
From their site: you can only live chat with support between 4pm-1am UTC. You must be logged in to the member area to do so as well, meaning you need to be a customer first.
Torrenting :
PIA is a great choice for torrenting. Super fast speeds combined with near zero latency and the kill-switch implementation on top, makes it a no-brainer for hardcore torrenters all over the globe!
Number of Servers:
52+ servers in 32+ locations. That is extremely low, but somehow they manage to keep their descent speeds(they still need to add more servers in our opinion!)
Mobile Compatibility:
PIA supports both iOS and Android devices
Number of Devices:
10 simultaneous connections on multiple devices are allowed, which is more than enough to cover all your devices!
Logging Policy:
PIA has a very strict no-log policy.
Private Internet Access keeps absolutely no VPN logs whatsoever – their traffic is not being monitored, nor can it be traced back to you. In addition, it even had a court case back in 2018 because of this. Still, handed zero logs, since it keeps well…zero!
Finally we should add that PIA releases transparency reports every 6 months on their site!
On top of that,you can also pay with BitCoin as an option, in case you want to increase your anonymity.
Ease of Use:
PIAs‘ desktop VPN apps are simple to use,look beautiful and simple, yet professional. Browser extensions for both chrome and firefox make it super user friendly for just about anyone as well!
Unblocking Stream Services:
IPA successfully unblocks all streaming services we tested(Netflix Hulu, and iBBC player). On top of that, it also bypasses The Great Wall of China(needs some manual work though, you can find it on their support center or a live agent can guide you though it!)
Refund Policy:
All refunds must be requested via support ticket, and can be claimed only 7 days after first payment.
In a glance:
– No Logs, No Leaks, Kill Switch
– Limited live Chat Support
– User friendly GUI & Easy Installation, Browser Extensions(chrome/firefox)
-52+ servers to choose from
-Unblocks Netflix,Hulu and iBBC Player, China Firewall
– Average price
-7 days refund policy
—> OVERALL: PIA is one of the oldest players in the game, so they know what they are doing. While they are not leading the market anymore, their market share is unquestionable.