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PIA VPN Review (Updated for 2019)



Private Internet Access (PIA) definitely ranks high in my list of VPN services. All the features are wonderful, it's easy to use, and it's very cheap when you compare it to similar services.

Even though the company is US-based, it has thousands of servers located across more than 20 countries, and you can switch between the countries as many times as you want (which you won't see with every other VPN service out there). Plus, you can use your account on multiple devices at once!

I use Private Internet Access for my two computers and iPhone, but don't buy it just because I recommend it. Look through this review to see the features to make an informed decision.

Sign Up for Private Internet Access

Brief Description

Following are brief, but important details you should know about Private Internet Access before you buy a subscription. If you're interested in this VPN service, scroll down this page a bit to see some more details.

Data usage: Unlimited
Speed limit: Unlimited
Supported devices: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome web browser, some routers
Simultaneous device use: One account can be used on up to 5 devices at the same time
Countries/Servers: Thousands of servers are located in dozens of countries
Server switching: You can switch between countries however often as you like
Log files: Doesn't log any of your data (see below)
Free version/Trial: There is no trial or free version available
Refunds available: You can get a full refund within the first 7 days only
Private Internet Access prices:

  • $3.33 /month (pay $39.95 yearly)
  • $5.99 /month ($35.95 every six months)
  • $6.95 /month (pay monthly)

Note: Compare the prices of Private Internet Access with other VPN services using this VPN Services: Price Comparison table.

Payment methods: PayPal, Credit Card, Amazon.com, Bitcoin, Ripple, Stellar, CashU, OKPay, Z-Cash, Gift Cards (dozens of options), and Mint. See How to Get Free Virtual Burner Debit Cards if you want total control over when you're charged.

Price Breakdown

Private Internet Access provides great features for a very low price of only $3.33 /month if you pay for an entirely year at once. If you think you want to just try it out for a month, you can pay $6.95, which is a good deal considering you can just not renew it for the next month if you don't like it.

For a comparison of the monthly price versus the yearly price: If you paid the monthly price of $6.95 for 12 months, you would end up paying out $83.40 ($6.95 X 12) for that year, or you could just pay for an entire year up front for a fraction of that ($39.95).

As is written above, if you decide you don't want to use Private Internet Access after you've purchased a plan, you can get a full refund but only if you request one within the first 7 days of having an account.

Does Private Internet Access Keep Logs of Your Data?

Nope! The company's (London Trust Media, Inc.) headquarters is located in Grandville, MI, United States, and the US does not force businesses to keep copies of data.

Private Internet Access does not log. Ever. At Private Internet Access, privacy is at the soul of what we do. 

See their Do You Log? page for details.

Some VPN services do keep logs of your information, such as your IP address, connection times, and possibly even the websites you've visited. Fortunately, even though Private Internet Access is super cheap, they don't punish you by keeping records of your data.

More Information About PIA

Following are some additional details about Private Internet Access:
  • You can use your account on up to 5 devices at the same time, which means you can connect your phones and computers to your account and not have to worry about shutting one down to use it on another device
  • Some of the countries where PIA has VPN servers include US, UK, Canada, Netherlands, France, Germany, Turkey, Denmark, Sweden, Australia, Japan, Romania, and India, among others
  • Blocks advertisements and malware
  • Includes SOCKS5 proxy
  • Supports P2P and VoIP traffic, which means you can use Private Internet Access to upload and download torrents anonymously
  • Encrypts your connections, which is useful if you're on wifi in a public place
  • You can pay using any of the methods listed above, like with PayPal, a credit card, or Amazon.com, but you can also trade in gift cards from dozens of stores to pay anonymously

What I Think About PIA

I've been using Private Internet Access for a while now, and I have nearly no complaints. The software installed easily on my computer and wasn't at all difficult to get running on my phone. You can check out the Download area from the menu at the top of their website for links to downloads.

I also love that you can switch between countries as often as you want. If for some reason you're having a slow connection, websites aren't loading, or you get booted off a game, you can easily just switch to a different country and start browsing again moments later.

I truly have never noticed speed degradation when downloading files through Private Internet Access. I keep it on all day long and never realize it's even on because it never causes me problems.

One problem I've had with the software is that it used to get flagged as having dangerous files by my antivirus program. I trust that it's a false positive, though, so I've told the antivirus program to trust Private Internet Access, and I haven't had any issues since.

Let me know if you have any problems with your antivirus program telling you that Private Internet Access is malicious, and I can help you work through it.

Sign Up for Private Internet Access

Not Interested in PIA?

See my review of Kepard for information on a different VPN service if you're not sure you want to pay for Private Internet Access.

Please contact me if you have any questions over the information in this article.

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