Private Internet Access VPN

The internet is a big place, a worldwide network of different people and activities happening every day. But, just like a lot of modern things, the internet has many security problems, daily cyberattacks and hacks occurring. Unfortunately, the world wide web isn’t secure as it used to be. A VPN service that has made protection and security for their users their major priority and over the years they have had millions of satisfied customers worldwide.

And since it is one of the famous VPN brands and taking the bull by the horn, leading the charge for VPN services, it’s definitely worth the review. Private Internet Access is very popular because of its ease of use, reasonable price and decent speeds. And though they are not perfect, and have a lot of things to still correct, it is very decent to say the least. With this in mind, we decided to evaluate Private Internet Access.

If you are considering buying this PIA Virtual private network and you are not sure if you should make this decision, then we have made this review specially for you. All the hype aside, we have put this VPN through an extensive test, looked at each part of its service and we collated our results. We are sure you will make the best decision after reading through this review.

Private Internet Access VPN Features

Privacy	High
Speed
Platform
Servers	35000 +
Locations	100 +
Unblocked Services	IPlayerAmazon Prime VideoHuluYoutubeNetflixHBO
Ad block
User Usability	Moderate
Game Consoles
Smart TV
Browsers Extensions
Torrenting
Server option	Rented
Maximum Devices
Log Policy	Moderate
Data Leak
Decrease Speed	22%
Support
Trial	30 Days money back guarantee
Payment Methods
Pricing	2 years $2.19 / mth 1 years $3.33 / mth 1 month $9.95 / mth

Get Private Internet Access VPN

Is it a paid or a free VPN?

The truth is that the best VPNs with the highest protections are all paid. If you want quality then you must be ready to spend on it. With that said, Private Internet Access is a paid VPN but it has some of the most affordable subscription plans we've seen. This little factor is a selling point to a lot of people.

Performance

Speed and Stability are two of the most important characteristics you must assess when checking a VPNs performance. Does it have adequate uptime? Is it reliable? Does it slow down your connection? All of these questions we answered below.

Speed

Speaking of speed, Private Internet Access speeds run above the industry average. Though it is not ExpressVPN level, it is still fast enough to not be a problem. During our test we connected to different servers near us and it was immediately clear that there was a 5% decline in download speeds and 6% decline in upload speeds. This numbers became even more higher when we connected to servers that were farther away, but this is common with VPNs. The farther away a server is, the weaker the connection.

Stability

Stability is a big deal for VPN users, and this VPN is capable of delivering it as we saw in our tests. It has over 33,000 servers in over 78 countries, this enables it to deliver reliable network in 2021.

Though we couldn't find any information on their website about Private Internet Access VPNs uptime, several reviews from users claim the service is Never down. We also carried out our own tests and didn't experience any downtime. This result matches the reviews we read.

Streaming

For streaming lovers, we didn't forget about you during our test. For users whose main reason for purchasing a VPN is streaming and accessing streaming sites, this section below is for you.

Netflix

Frankly speaking, doesn’t have trouble with Netflix. Netflix is a very popular streaming platform, and over the years it has continue to upgrade its systems and implement VPN-blocking protocols. These systems are being put in place by Netflix is to prevent people unblocking geo-restricted content through VPNs.

Though a lot of VPN providers are capable of circumventing Netflix's restrictions, Private internet Access is now one of them. In the past, Private Internet Access VPN had a lot of trouble bypassing the Netflix restriction, but the good news it that it is perfectly able to circumvent the geo-restrictions without trouble.

BBC iPlayer

Unfortunately, can't access BBC iPlayer via Private internet Access. Though there are rumors that it could access BBC iPlayer some years ago, it can't do so at the moment. During our tests we weren't able to bypass their restrictions unfortunately.

Others?

If streaming was the main reason to get a VPN, then Private Internet Access VPN, would get an automatic fail as a VPN service. Though it might be able to bypass restrictions on certain streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Hulu occasionally, we would not recommend it as a stable streaming Option. During all our tests, we were only able to occasionally access both Hulu and Amazon prime sometimes.

Security

The entire point of a VPN is providing protection to individuals. With that said, we made an in-depth analysis of the security part of this Provider during our tests, and we've outlined what we discovered about this VPN in this section below.

Where is it based?

Private internet access Inc is based in the United States of America, and this alone is a reason for concern for a lot of VPN customers. The United States has one of the most strict, difficult, and privacy-invading laws in the entire world, and obviously, these laws apply to all VPN companies established under their jurisdiction.

The United States government is a known offender when it comes to forcing and coercing VPN services into handing over user information using undisclosed warrants. Obviously, this causes grave concerns amongst users who are privacy advocates.

And since this VPN does not keep logs, there's not much they could provide government agencies with even if they were asked to. However, companies may be left with little choice; they may be forced to reveal your information that is with them in the end. This is true regardless of how minor the information is.

That is something to be concerned about or perhaps it shouldn't. According to rumors, the NSA has hacked certain companies' encryption, which implies the US government may already be spying on your activity.

People in the United States tend to avoid VPN services based there probably as a result of intelligence-sharing agreements and surveillance legislation. That isn't to say that Private Internet Access isn't a decent option to everybody.

Log policy

Because VPN providers in the United States are subject to rules that place them at the whim of federal agencies, the only option to avoid this is to adopt a no-logs policy. They do not have any data to provide as a result, even when the government requests it.

Private Internet Access is based in the United States, as we indicated above. Anyone familiar with the Five Eyes or the Fourteen Eyes will immediately recognize this as a problem. Nevertheless, while the government can demand that the provider hand over its information, there will be no data to hand over because it keeps no logs. This Offers users of Private Internet Access complete digital privacy.

It has demonstrated this in several court cases by refusing to provide any data or information that may be used to identify its users, indicating that Private Internet Access VPN data is not logged. However, it really would be ideal if PIA made its logging policy considerably more noticeable on its website. You'll only find a small mention to the privacy policy if you go through it, but it's important. You'll have to look through the support section to find them. The great news is that Private Internet Access VPN does not maintain any logs at all. As a result, it has no idea when you are using its service, what you used it for, or the duration to which you used it. Personally, we think that its stand on privacy is a mixed bag.

Protocols

Surprisingly, Private Internet Access uses some of the best security protocols on the market. Private Internet Access VPN encrypts your data with AES-128 encryption and military-grade AES 256-bit encryption, which is the standard that military and government use. Encrypted data means that the data has been altered not to be recognized by anyone other than the authorized users.

To many experts, this encryption is unbreakable, making it the choice for many countries and financial institutions. Users can pick between the two encryptions, this choice allows them to have control over if they would rather choose security over performance, or the other way around.

One of the essential parts of the security setup of any VPN provider is its protocol. Many VPN providers use a mix of standard protocol options such as OpenVPN, IPsec, PPTP, and L2TP. And fortunately, this VPN offers all of these protocols. And thankfully, Private Internet Access VPN grants customers an easy way to switch between any these protocols, this is a nifty feature that a lot of users appreciate. Many of these users have left positive reviews thanks to its excellent security protocols.

Protection against leaks

Trying to hide your location and secure your data with a VPN provider means nothing if at the end of the day that that data is being leaked somehow. This is simply because, leaked data can also expose your location and your Internet traffic. So, it is essential that the VPN provider can prevent leaks.

A VPN also hides your internet traffic from the eyes of your Internet Service Provider. Remember that a lot of VPN services have DNS leak problems that do not hide the identities of customers. Fortunately, Private Internet Access VPN is not one of them. It offers DNS leaks protection and IPV6 protection, both of these features prevent your Internet traffic from being snooped on. Make sure you enable any of the options whenever you need them. All you have to do is navigate to the advanced settings window and find it.

During our assessment of Private Internet Access VPN virtual private network, we put it through several privacy leak tests and it passed every single one.

Torrenting

Torrenting, also known as peer-to-peer (P2P), is an act that keeps cropping up. Despite the attempts of many authorities, and the fact that torrenting is frowned on by several countries. we can't ignore the fact that it remains a popular choice. Torrenting continues to build popularity despite the various difficulties. In actuality, millions of people all around the world use VPNs just for torrenting.

With this in mind, it's essential that a VPN worth its salt supports torrenting. Can this VPN support peer-to-peer (P2P) traffic? The results of our test are listed below.

Is torrenting allowed?

Private Internet Access has a favorable attitude towards torrenting; therefore, it may be a good choice. Irrespective of the client you use, there's a good chance it'll work with this VPN. While there isn't anything on their website that expressly mentions torrenting, we can assure you that it is actually supported.

Private Internet Access VPN, to its credit, does not limit P2P traffic to only a few servers. This feature is supported by all of their servers. Despite the fact that the VPN allows you to use P2P communication, you must be careful not to violate any copyright laws. If you are found, the repercussions might be severe. Especially because VPN provider is situated in the United States. A Country notorious for spying on P2P users and severely punishing violators.

Is there a Kill switch?

Private Internet Access, like many other VPN companies, has a Kill Switch option. This function immediately cancels a browsing session if the service disconnects abruptly. While this is an excellent failsafe, it's important to note that several users have complained that Private Internet Access VPN's Kill Switch doesn't quite work like it should.

This is a problem since it may expose you if Private Internet Access' service is disconnected. The Kill Switch option is included in all of the highest-rated VPN services, and it seemed to work reliably.

Bypassing Censorship

Another popular reason people buy VPNs is to get past restrictions. We understand that with some of the world's most powerful countries imposing strict censorship laws, many people may be looking for a VPN that works. People desire to get past censorship laws in countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia and keep their Internet access Private.

The most notable censoring policy, is that of China, which is so well-known that it has been dubbed the Great Firewall of China. Whatever restriction you are trying to access, we double-checked Private Internet Access VPN's ability to do so while preparing this review.

In censored countries

When it comes to internet access and VPN use, China is known for its strict regulations. The government monitors and controls internet traffic via a combination of technological barriers and legal restrictions referred to as the great Firewall of China.

Getting through China's Great Firewall is one of the most difficult undertakings in the VPN industry. Whereas some VPNs continue to circumvent it, the majority have given up trying. Thankfully, Private Internet Access is one of several providers capable of bypassing the world's tightest censorship policy in 2021.

It is a reliable VPN that allows users to access several of their favorite stream and gaming accounts from anywhere in the globe, but it's not the ideal option if you want to watch YouKu, iQIYI, or Sohu. Though we were able to view each site, when we tried to play movies on each site, we Just got a never-ending buffer wheel which indicates slow speeds.

In restricted networks

If you're at work or school and can't access your favorite social media platforms, we're happy to tell you that this VPN can help you get around those restrictions. It will secure the data and hide whatever you're attempting to access from the network and let’s you enjoy restriction free browsing. It is also able to block ads and trackers malware efficiently.

Country and servers

The number of servers a VPN has is one of the most important criteria to consider when assessing it. More significantly, analysts base their conclusions on the servers' physical location. During our exam, we learned a lot about Private Internet Access VPN in this aspect.

Countries covered

Though VPN providers like to remove or add servers depending on several factors like, geographical distribution, number of servers, demand for servers and internet traffic. All of these great indicators/pointers of where a VPN Should improve. And the more the number of servers, the better the bandwidth available to every user. Private Internet Access bandwidth VPN offers unlimited bandwidth to its users. And the More the number of servers, the better the odds are of you finding a really fast sever for your consumption.

Private Internet Access has over 33,000 servers across the world as of the time of writing this evaluation. These figures appear to be equivalent to those of a few the VPN's major providers. This many servers offers lightning fast PIA global connections and this is thanks to its World class server Infrastructure.

Nevertheless, only 78 nations are represented among the 33,000+ servers. This is amazing when compared to a competitor like ExpressVPN, which have about 6000 servers. This is why this company may have a higher appeal in some nations, but one thing is for sure it stands out in this regard.

One thing to consider when discussing VPN fleets are Virtual servers and virtual locations. Virtual servers are digital-based servers. Note that various servers can be hosted on one machine. Virtual servers are set up to appear in a different area other than where they are physically located. A virtual server is not in itself a problem, but users prefer that companies be open with their infrastructure to the general public. Though a lot of these servers are in fact Virtual Servers, we were glad to see that the provider was forthcoming with this information and clearly indicates what servers are Virtual.

Without a doubt, PIA has a large number of servers. PIA global server network count puts it on par with several of the key players, even not higher. Nevertheless, they lack the essential geographic variety to become a top-rated VPN.

On its website, Private Internet Access VPN states that they only use bare-metal servers, which are recognized for their high performance. In some places, there are also squid proxy servers, that might help speed up data transfer speeds.

Servers

Private Internet Access, as we learned throughout our testing, offers dedicated streaming servers. Having dedicated servers for Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and other streaming services is advantageous at a time when VPN companies are struggling to stay afloat. Its Advantage being it offers global service network world-wide.

Aside from dedicated fast PIA global server for streaming, Private Internet Access VPN protection does not have any dedicated servers for torrenting, although it does allow torrenting in all of its locations.

Compatible devices and simultaneous connections

In this section, we will look at the platforms that Private Internet Access supports as well as the number of concurrent connections that the service allows.

What device can I use with Private Internet Access VPN protection?

This VPN is supported by a broad variety of devices, including all the most common ones. Among platforms and devices where Private Internet Access may be used conveniently include;

• Windows
• MacOS
• Linux
• Android
• Fire TV Stick
• Routers
• iOS
• Windows phones
• Kindle

How many simultaneous connections?

In a society where the average person owns more than three devices, it's essential to know how many simultaneous connections your VPN supports. Therefore, in this area, Private Internet Access outperforms the competition, offering up to ten simultaneous connections. This translates to multiple device protection privacy, making it an excellent VPN.

Considering that the accepted practice is five simultaneous connections, Private Internet Access earns some credit. This implies you can link all of your devices to a single subscription or even invite relatives to use the service on their own devices.

Client support

Unless you're a tech whiz, there's a good chance you'll require Private Internet Access VPN's customer support on a regular basis. Even if you're a tech whiz, you're bound to run into a problem you can't fix on your own at some time.

It's why we felt it'd be more useful if we could evaluate this provider's customer service and report our conclusions in this review.

How to contact it?

It's usually a good idea to go with a company that offers a variety of customer support choices. It's like having a nerdy friend who is always willing to assist. It's even preferable if support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — this is the most efficient strategy to ensure that you can access help at any time.

Regrettably, Private Internet Access' customer support is pretty terrible. During our testing, we discovered that it lacks a live chat feature for quick help, making it inferior to major companies such as ExpressVPN and CyberGhost. Anyone wishing to contact support via the site's official website must do so by email by completing out a contact form.

Is it good?

Unfortunately, we discovered during our 2021 test that Private Internet Access VPN's client assistance is far from ideal. If you can't live without immediate customer help, you might have to go somewhere else.

FAQ/tutorials

Aside from mail, there was also a knowledge base that includes anything from technical issues to troubleshooting to account concerns and more.

Value for money

When buying a product, everyone's first concern is to maximize value. It is the same for VPN users. Read our evaluation to see if this service can provide you with excellent value for your money.

Price comparison

Private Internet Access provides three distinct plans to its consumers, all of which have the same features and functionalities. This service provider three bundles are listed below:

• A one-month plan for $9.95
• A one-year plan for $ $39.95
• A two-year plan for $79.00

These are incredibly reasonable figures, especially when compared to the price of this provider's competitors. The one-month subscription costs only 9.95, which, although not the lowest in the industry, is still pretty reasonable.

Long-term subscriptions, on the other hand, are where Private Internet Access VPN outperforms the competition. You'll only have to pay $39.95 for a year's worth of service, or $3.33 monthly. Its three-year package, however, gives the most bang for buck, costing only $69.95, or $2.69 per month.

Means of payment

In 2021, Private Internet Access supports a broad number of payment methods, which isn't unexpected given their reputation being one of the most popular VPN services available.

However, they should be commended for their desire to make payment simple for clients. As of the course of writing this review, a few of the acceptable payment options include:

• PayPal
• Visa
• MasterCard
• American Express
• Discover
• Amazon Payments
• Bitcoin
• Pay Guardian
• Target
• Starbucks
• Best Buy
• The Home Depot
• Lowe’s
• Walmart

In our testing, we were delighted to discover that the organization has put into effect a number of dependable methods for clients to pay discreetly.

Money back guarantee

Private Internet Access VPN provides a 7-day money-back guarantee, which allows potential customers to cancel their subscription and request a refund should they change their minds during the first seven days.

This lets customers who aren’t swayed, try PIA risk free and get their money back if they are unsatisfied. Of course, this isn't really impressive, as other companies like as ExpressVPN and NordVPN have considerably longer guarantees. Nevertheless, a seven-day trial period should be plenty to evaluate the service.

Any extra?

Besides the standard features, Private Internet Access VPN also has several unique factors that distinguish itself apart from the competition. We put a few of them to a test, and here's what we discovered.

Ad-blocking feature

Ad-blocking, a capability that was recently introduced, is an activity that helps block unnecessary adverts on a web page. It will safeguard you against cybercriminals who use advertisements as a window to steal your data, in addition to eliminating unwanted and intrusive adverts. During our review, we found this function to be really useful.

Split Tunneling

Split Tunneling is a valuable feature that allows you to select what activities you want to your VPN to cover, and which ones to not. This element enables you to have maximum speeds without the lag on certain activities.

Also, several apps require your real location and details, like banking apps, Uber and deliveries. You can run the apps you want through the VPN while using the services you want protected, and we were glad to find out this VPN offers Split Tunneling.

Encrypted Wi-Fi

The encrypted Wi-Fi functionality is another standout feature we discovered throughout our testing. It's easy to understand how this feature works. When you connect to your Wi-Fi network with a VPN, it first encrypts your device using the WPA protocol. As a result, before you can use the product on Wi-Fi devices, you must first enter an identification key. Because of this function, many people have given this VPN a positive rating.

SOCKS5 Proxy

The encrypted Wi-Fi function is another excellent feature we discovered throughout our testing. This functionality operates in a very simple manner. When you connect to your Wi-Fi connection with a VPN, it first safeguards your device via the WPA protocol. As a result, you must enter an authentication key before using the service on Wi-Fi devices. Because of such a function, many customers have given this VPN positive reviews.

Final Thoughts

Private Internet Access VPN is a reliable VPN that offers great services, especially in North America and Europe where the majority of its servers are located. Though, this coverage isn’t as great in other parts of the world, with just limited servers scattered around Asia, Oceania, Africa and Middle East.

It excels significantly in the area of security and protecting its users from leaks. It offers the majority of standard protocols and encryption popular in the industry. They also offer some of the cheapest plans in the industry, this in itself is a major advantage especially when coupled with their ten simultaneous connections.

One thing that raises a lot of concerns is the fact the country is based in the US, which means it is constantly being spied on and scrutinized, and this is a big no for VPN experts as it defeats the purpose of a VPN. Fortunately, Private Internet Access VPN doesn’t keep logs and that covers the issue with logging policies. All in all, this VPN is an excellent choice and though it has some issues, it is worth its weight in gold.