Private Internet Access Review
Proven in court. Cheapest verified no-logs VPN.
Private Internet Access has had its no-logs policy tested in two separate US federal court cases — not audited, court-proven. When the FBI subpoenaed user data, there was nothing to hand over. For privacy-conscious users at budget prices, that's a stronger guarantee than most audit certificates.
Our scores
Private Internet Access
Overall score — April 2026
PIA runs the world's largest verified server network at ~$2/month. The no-logs policy has been confirmed in two separate US court cases. It's not the fastest, but for price-conscious users who need proven privacy, it's hard to beat.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Largest server count of any VPN — 35,000+ servers in 91 countries
- No-logs policy proven in two US federal court cases (not just audited — court tested)
- Under $2/month on 3-year plan
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Open-source desktop and mobile apps
Cons
- US jurisdiction — subject to US legal processes
- Owned by Kape Technologies (same as ExpressVPN) — ownership concern
- Speed slower than NordVPN — 83% retention
- Streaming is inconsistent — Netflix works, BBC iPlayer is unreliable
Speed
635 Mbps
Download
390 Mbps
Upload
11 ms
Latency
83%
Speed kept
635 Mbps average — 83% speed retention. Noticeably slower than NordVPN but still fast enough for all practical use cases. The 35,000+ server count means you're rarely connecting to an overloaded server.
Tested: . 1 Gbps base connection.
Privacy & Security
No-logs policy proven under real legal pressure. Open-source apps allow independent verification. The US jurisdiction and Kape Technologies ownership are legitimate concerns, but the court record speaks louder than jurisdiction geography for privacy guarantees.
Streaming
Netflix US works reliably. Other regions and platforms are inconsistent. BBC iPlayer unblocking is hit-or-miss (roughly 70% success). For streaming, NordVPN or ExpressVPN are more reliable.
Pricing
$11.99/mo
Monthly
$3.33/mo
Annual plan
billed annually
$2.03/mo
2-year plan
billed every 2 years
At $2.03/month on the 3-year plan with unlimited connections, PIA offers one of the best value propositions in the category. Port forwarding support — absent from most consumer VPNs — makes it the best choice for serious torrent users.
User Ratings
4.4/5
Trustpilot
12k reviews
4.1/5
Google Play
85k ratings
4.4/5
App Store
45k ratings
68%
Community
Reddit sentiment
Ratings sourced from Trustpilot, Google Play Store, and Apple App Store. Community score is derived from Reddit/r/VPN sentiment analysis. Scores are aggregated periodically and may not reflect real-time data.
Verdict
PIA is the right choice for budget-conscious users who need proven privacy (not just claimed privacy) and port forwarding for torrenting. The US jurisdiction and Kape ownership are real concerns, but the court record is the most credible privacy guarantee available.
Private Internet Access vs. Alternatives
| Feature | Private Internet Access8.4/10 | NordVPN9.2/10 | ExpressVPN8.6/10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our Score | 8.4 | 9.2 | 8.6 |
| Monthly Price | $2.03/mo | $3.39/mo | $8.32/mo |
| Servers | 35,000+ | 6,400+ | 3,000+ |
| Countries | 91 | 111 | 105 |
| Simultaneous Devices | Unlimited | 10 | 8 |
| Speed (tested) | 635 Mbps (83%) | 730 Mbps (96%) | 755 Mbps (98%) |
| No-Logs Policy | |||
| Independently Audited | |||
| Kill Switch | |||
| Ad Blocker | |||
| Streaming | |||
| Torrenting / P2P | |||
| Port Forwarding | |||
| Obfuscation | |||
| Double VPN | |||
| RAM-Only Servers | |||
| Jurisdiction | USA (5 Eyes member) | Panama (outside 5/9/14 Eyes) | British Virgin Islands |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
All data verified April 2026.