Bottom Line Up Front
Private Internet Access (PIA) is the VPN with the most credible real-world privacy record. Two court subpoenas, zero user data provided. That's more convincing than any audit. The tradeoffs: it's slower than NordVPN (198 Mbps average), streaming reliability is inconsistent, and the interface is dated. For privacy-first users who want a proven no-logs VPN at a low price with port forwarding, PIA is hard to beat.
30 days of testing: 198 Mbps average speed, 74% streaming success rate, no leaks detected.
Quick Facts
- Price: $2.19/month (3-year plan), $11.99/month (monthly)
- Servers: 35,000+ in 91 countries (most of any VPN)
- Devices: 10 simultaneous connections
- Protocols: WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2
- No-logs: Proven in two court cases, not just audited
- Jurisdiction: United States (5 Eyes — but proven in court)
- Open source: Yes, desktop apps are open source
The Court Case History
This is PIA's defining feature. Twice, US courts demanded PIA hand over user data:
Case 1 (2016): A federal investigation into a bomb threat. PIA was served with a court order. They provided server configuration files — and confirmed they had no logs of user activity, IP addresses, or connection timestamps. The investigation confirmed no data existed.
Case 2 (2018): Similar demand. Same result. PIA had nothing to provide.
No other VPN in this comparison has faced real legal challenges and passed. NordVPN's audit is credible. ExpressVPN's seized server proved their point once. PIA has done it twice in adversarial US court proceedings.
Speed Test Results
30 days, 720 tests on a 500 Mbps connection.
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Average download | 198 Mbps |
| Average upload | 58 Mbps |
| Latency increase | 42 ms |
| Connection time | 2.4 sec |
198 Mbps is the slowest among serious VPNs in our test. Sufficient for streaming and browsing, but notably behind NordVPN (312 Mbps) and Surfshark (241 Mbps).
Protocol Performance
- WireGuard: 198 Mbps average
- OpenVPN UDP: 154 Mbps
- OpenVPN TCP: 131 Mbps
PIA's OpenVPN implementation is slow. Use WireGuard.
Massive Server Network: Does It Help?
PIA claims 35,000+ servers — far more than anyone else. In practice, many are virtual (not physically located where they claim) or low-capacity. Our tests found significant variation: 230 Mbps on good servers, 87 Mbps on poor ones.
Streaming Performance
30 days of daily tests:
| Service | Success Rate |
|---|---|
| Netflix US | 23/30 (77%) |
| Disney+ | 26/30 (87%) |
| Amazon Prime | 28/30 (93%) |
| Hulu | 12/30 (40%) |
| BBC iPlayer | 11/30 (37%) |
Streaming is PIA's clear weakness. They're transparent about it — PIA's marketing focuses on privacy, not streaming. Hulu and BBC iPlayer are nearly unusable.
For streaming, use NordVPN or ExpressVPN. PIA is not the right tool for this.
Security and Privacy
Open Source Apps
PIA's desktop apps are fully open source on GitHub. Anyone can review the code. This is uncommon among VPN providers and strengthens privacy claims.
MACE: Built-in Ad and Tracker Blocker
PIA's MACE feature blocks ads, trackers, and malware at the DNS level. We tested it against 3,000 known malicious URLs — blocked 2,641 (88%). Slightly weaker than NordVPN's Threat Protection (94.9%) but better than nothing.
MACE works even when VPN is disconnected (similar to NordVPN Threat Protection).
Port Forwarding
PIA offers port forwarding — a feature most VPNs have dropped. This is valuable for:
- Better torrent seeding ratios
- Self-hosting services
- Gaming server hosting
In our torrenting test with port forwarding enabled, we achieved a 2.7:1 seeding ratio on public trackers. Without it, many peers couldn't connect back.
Customization
PIA offers the most granular settings of any VPN we tested:
- Choose your encryption cipher (AES-128 or AES-256)
- Select your data authentication
- Enable/disable PFS (Perfect Forward Secrecy)
- Configure MTU manually
- Choose from multiple OpenVPN configurations
Most users won't need this. For technically inclined privacy users, it's valuable.
Kill Switch
Two modes: app-level and network-level. Both tested reliably — killed traffic within 1.3 seconds of VPN disconnect.
DNS Leak Protection
Zero leaks detected in 30 days of testing.
US Jurisdiction: The Elephant in the Room
PIA is based in the US — a 5 Eyes country. Technically, US authorities can compel companies to provide data and issue gag orders.
But PIA has been compelled twice and provided nothing. The company has no data to give. The no-logs architecture, proven in court, is more meaningful than jurisdiction.
Our take: We trust PIA's privacy more than many VPNs based in "privacy-friendly" jurisdictions that have never been tested in court.
Interface: Functional But Dated
The app looks like it was designed in 2018. The Windows client is particularly clunky. Settings are organized logically but the visual design hasn't kept up with competitors.
PIA knows this. They've slowly updated the interface, but it still feels like a tool for privacy nerds rather than mainstream users.
The flip side: every setting you need is accessible. Nothing is hidden behind clever UX.
Pricing
- Monthly: $11.99
- 1 year: $3.99/month
- 3 years: $2.19/month ← best value (+ 3 extra months free)
30-day money-back guarantee. Tested — refund processed in 4 business days.
At $2.19/month for 3 years, PIA is one of the cheapest reputable VPNs available. The 3-year commitment is long — consider whether you're comfortable with that.
Kape Technologies Ownership
Like CyberGhost, PIA was acquired by Kape Technologies in 2019. The same ownership concerns apply. However, PIA's open-source apps, court-proven no-logs, and independent history since 2010 make us less concerned than we are with CyberGhost.
Who Should Get PIA
Ideal for:
- Privacy-first users who want court-proven no-logs
- Torrenters who need port forwarding
- Technical users who want maximum configuration control
- Users who want open-source software they can audit
- Long-term users comfortable with 3-year commitment
Look elsewhere if:
- Streaming is important (ExpressVPN or NordVPN)
- Speed is critical (NordVPN is 57% faster)
- You want a polished interface (ExpressVPN or Surfshark)
- You need more than 10 devices (Surfshark unlimited)
Final Verdict
Rating: 4.2/5
PIA's court-proven privacy record is unique and valuable. Combined with port forwarding, open-source code, and a reasonable price, it's an excellent choice for privacy-focused users.
The weaknesses — streaming, speed, and dated interface — are real. But PIA has never pretended to be a streaming VPN. It's a privacy tool, and at that, it's one of the most credible options available.
If privacy is your primary concern and you can live with 198 Mbps and inconsistent streaming, PIA earns your trust more than most competitors.