Private Internet Access (3-year plan) review 2027

What problem does PIA solve for budget technical users?

PIA is the value pick for technical users: open-source clients, port forwarding, unlimited devices and a 3-year price nobody else matches. That combination answers a specific problem — you want a VPN you can install on every machine you own, inspect the code of, and use for torrenting, without paying per device or per month at the rates most providers charge. The tagline is "Unlimited devices, open-source apps and the lowest long-term price, from a US company whose no-logs policy has held up in court."

The benefits follow from that framing. You get $2.03 a month on the 3-year plan and unlimited devices, open-source apps on every platform, a no-logs claim tested in US court cases and by two Deloitte audits, and port forwarding for torrenting. The trade-offs are equally clear: US jurisdiction, 8 of 10 streaming services unblocked with Netflix UK and BBC iPlayer failing, and apps that expose more settings than most people want.

How did PIA score 8.3?

The score comes from five weighted criteria.

• Privacy — 22 out of 30. Measures jurisdiction, independently audited no-logs policy, RAM-only servers and anonymous payment. The US jurisdiction is the drag here despite the audits.
• Speed — 20 out of 25. Measures download retention on a 1 Gbps line to US, UK and Japan servers, using WireGuard where offered. PIA retained 80% of speed on the US server.
• Streaming — 12 out of 15. Measures Netflix US/UK, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, Prime Video, Hulu and Max from abroad on three consecutive days. PIA unblocked 8 of 10.
• Apps & devices — 14 out of 15. Measures simultaneous connections, router and TV support, kill switch and split tunnelling on every platform.
• Value — 15 out of 15. Measures price per month on the 2-year plan and what it renews at. PIA took full points.

Where does PIA stand out?

Unlimited devices is the headline strength, and it pairs with the price: $2.03 a month on the 3-year plan covers every device you connect. The apps are open-source on every platform, so the client code can be inspected rather than trusted. The no-logs claim has been tested in US court cases and by two Deloitte audits, in 2022 and 2024. Port forwarding is available for torrenting, which most rivals in this ranking do not offer. On speed, PIA retained 80% on the US server.

How do WireGuard and OpenVPN work?

WireGuard and OpenVPN are the two protocols PIA's clients use. A protocol is the set of rules that decides how your traffic is encrypted and routed between your device and the VPN server. OpenVPN is the older of the two: it is open-source, widely reviewed and configurable, which is why it runs on routers and unusual platforms. WireGuard is newer and leaner, with a much smaller codebase, and it typically establishes connections faster and moves data with less overhead. PIA offers both, so you can pick WireGuard for everyday speed and fall back to OpenVPN where a device or network needs it.

What is inside the PIA package?

The components and terms, as tested:

• Servers: 30,000+
• Countries: 91
• Simultaneous devices: Unlimited
• Jurisdiction: United States
• No-logs audit: Deloitte, 2022 and 2024
• Protocols: WireGuard, OpenVPN
• 2-year plan: 2.03 /mo
• Monthly plan: 11.95 /mo
• Money-back: 30 days
• Free tier: No

How does PIA compare with the rivals we tested?

NordVPN scored 9.2 at $3.39, with 7,400+ servers across 118 countries, 10 simultaneous devices, Panama jurisdiction, a fifth Deloitte no-logs audit in 2024, and NordLynx (WireGuard), OpenVPN and NordWhisper. It is ahead of PIA on score, streaming reliability and audit count; PIA is ahead on device count and price.

Surfshark scored 9 at $2.19, with 3,200+ servers across 100 countries, unlimited devices, Netherlands jurisdiction, a Deloitte audit in 2023, and WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2. It matches PIA on unlimited devices and undercuts the 2-year price, but PIA's 3-year rate is lower and PIA adds port forwarding.

Proton VPN scored 8.6 at $4.49, with 12,000+ servers across 120 countries, 10 devices, Swiss jurisdiction, a Securitum audit in 2024 plus open-source apps, WireGuard, OpenVPN and Stealth, and a real free tier. It is ahead on jurisdiction and server count; PIA is ahead on devices and price.

Where does PIA fall short?

Privacy is where it lost ground: the company operates under US jurisdiction, which costs it points even with two Deloitte audits behind the no-logs policy. Streaming is the second weak spot — 8 of 10 services unblocked, with Netflix UK and BBC iPlayer failing. The apps also expose more settings than most people want, which suits tinkerers but not casual users.

Is PIA good value?

The price summary is $2.03. The 2-year plan runs at 2.03 /mo and the monthly plan at 11.95 /mo, with a 30-day money-back window and no free tier. Value took the full 15 out of 15 in scoring.

Who should buy PIA?

It remains right for torrenting and technical users on a budget. If you want port forwarding, open-source clients you can inspect, unlimited device coverage and the lowest long-term price in this ranking, PIA fits. If Swiss or Panama jurisdiction matters more than price, or you need BBC iPlayer and Netflix UK, look at the rivals above instead.