Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN Review

Streaming, Does Private Internet Access Work with Netflix?

Yes, Private Internet Access is one of the premium VPNs that provide you with special servers capable of unblocking content from Netflix and other streaming services such as HBOMax, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+, and more. 

Unblocking streaming content is an increasingly complex task. Providers such as Netflix, HBOMax, Amazon Prime, Disney+ are constantly updating their firewalls and blocklists to prevent users outside certain regions from accessing their content. The solution? A VPN, of course, but not just any VPN.

Each VPN provider has its own way of dealing with streaming services. Some use advanced masking algorithms to unblock streaming content; others simply have physical servers in key regions. In the case of Private Internet Access (PIA), it is a mix of both.

When you click on the PIA tray icon and then access the server list, you are presented with a list similar to the following:

As you can see, you can easily choose VPN servers from different regions of the world manually. Alternatively, you can search for a particular country using the search box at the top. But what is really interesting is that each server comes with its real-time latency value. This information is invaluable for choosing the server with the lowest latency and, therefore, the fastest speed. Another aspect to note is the small icon on the right side of some servers. This icon indicates that the server belongs to a “geo-located region”; in other words, it is not a physical server. In another section, we will talk more about geo-located servers; for now, let’s go back to streaming servers.

For our Netflix unblocking tests we chose three countries, the United States as it has the highest demand, and additionally Germany and Japan.

We must say that to our satisfaction the connection to these regions was fast and smooth. The streaming quality was also up to par during our tests. One thing to note, however, is that some countries/regions have special servers for streaming. One of them is Japan.

We were able to verify with Japan that in countries where there is a dedicated streaming server, you cannot connect to Netflix with the “standard” server. This could be confusing if you are new to PIA, as many countries (like Germany and the US for example) do not list streaming servers but you can still unblock Netflix.

Leaving aside this small usability detail, we must say that the ease of the Private Internet Access interface to connect to streaming services is enviable. In fact, like other VPNs, you can click on the heart-shaped icon to save your most used servers as “favorites” and thus connect to them even more conveniently.

In short, if your main use of the VPN is for streaming video from Netflix, HBOMax, Amazon Prime, Hulu, or Disney+, then PIA will not disappoint you; on the contrary, it will provide you with one of the best experiences on the market.

P2P, Does Private Internet Access Allow Torrenting?

Yes, Private Internet Access has all the necessary security mechanisms in place to ensure your privacy while downloading torrents.

Downloading torrents can be a real headache. One slip up and your IP address can be exposed to your ISP. For this reason, using a VPN for torrenting is recommended; however, similar to the case of Netflix unblocking, not all VPNs give you the same guarantee of keeping your IP private.

Private Internet Access is one of the few VPN providers that have a Kill Switch, uses its own DNS, and allows you to choose between two of the most secure VPN protocols on the market to prevent your online identity from being discovered.

So if you have “torrenting” on your checklist, you can be sure that PIA will allow you to download content from different locations around the world without any inconvenience.

Private Internet Access Windows Vs. macOS Apps

One aspect of our reviews that sets us apart from others is that we emphasize the multi-platform VPN experience. For us, the user experience can be greatly affected when the graphical interface is different on each device. This type of difference in both appearance and functionality is particularly noticeable in the case of the desktop application for Windows and macOS, where most VPN providers do not offer a consistent experience. Fortunately, this is not the case with Private Internet Access.

Given its open-source nature, PIA provides one of the best cross-platform user experiences we’ve seen.  

Above, you can see on the left the list of servers on macOS and on the right on Windows 10. Similar is the case with the quick connect window shown below.

After navigating through the different menus and configurations, we were able to see how the functionality in both operating systems is identical, something that is not common in the VPN environment. This includes such advanced features as automation and split tunneling, which is rarely available in macOS.

Needless to say, we are pleased with the way the PIA development team has achieved a result like this. The application’s graphical interface is modern, simple, and easy to use and provides an unparalleled cross-platform experience. Moreover, Private Internet Access’s UI is fully customizable, which definitely separates it from its competitors.

Moving the position of the UI sections at your convenience is a welcome feature, as well as the possibility to choose what information you want to see when accessing this window. All in all, PIA gives you an incredible user experience, regardless of whether you use Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS.

Private Internet Access Kill Switch

As you would expect from a top-notch VPN like Private Internet Access, you have a Kill Switch at your disposal. You may be wondering what a Kill Switch is? In very simple terms, the Kill Switch is an advanced security mechanism that cuts off your Internet access when the secure connection is down. Among other advantages, this prevents your real IP address from being compromised in the event that the VPN stops working.

Accessing PIA’s Kill Switch is very easy; in settings/preferences in the Privacy section, you can decide in which mode to use it.

Three modes are available, off, always on all the time, or automatic. Additionally, you can activate PIA MACE in this menu, a very useful feature that automatically blocks domains from ads, trackers, and malware.

Speciality Servers 

We have already talked briefly about specialty servers in the video streaming section. When listing the available servers, PIA shows some of them as “optimized for streaming”. However, there are other types of specialty servers.

• Double VPN Servers
• Onion Over VPN Servers
• Obfuscated Servers
• Torrenting Servers
• Streaming Servers

Unlike other VPN providers (such as NordVPN, for example), Private Internet Access does not list its servers by type, nor does it offer direct access to its specialty servers. This is probably because PIA is more focused on providing a simple UI with access to the functions that most users frequently use, such as torrenting and streaming.

That said, PIA does not have Double VPN Servers, and although it is fully compatible with Onion servers, access to the network must be done through the TOR browser. As for Obfuscated Servers, PIA offers two services that allow you to mask your IP address.

In the connection menu, in the Proxy section, you can choose to connect via SOCKS5 or Shadowsocks. 

Each of these proxies has its advantages and disadvantages. For more information on how to configure them, we suggest you read the PIA documentation here.

Since PIA has such an intuitive graphical interface, we would have liked it to include direct access to the proxies. It would also have been great if the proxies did not require manual configuration, but we understand that this is for security reasons.

In terms of specialty servers, Private Internet Access VPN gives you enormous flexibility in establishing the type of connection you require.

Does Private Internet Access Support VPN Split Tunneling?

Yes, Private Internet Access has Split VPN Tunneling for both Windows and macOS.

Unlike most VPN providers on the market, PIA offers the convenient feature of split tunneling for both Windows and macOS.

Moreover, PIA offers not only basic split tunneling but also provides enormous flexibility in configuring this feature. 

Such flexibility allows you to configure split tunneling in several ways. For example, you can have a particular application connect all the time using a secure connection while the rest continue to use its real IP address. You can also configure the opposite so that all your applications always use the secure VPN connection, and only one application is left out.

The possibilities are endless. Split tunneling is an especially convenient feature when you need to use two networks in parallel, one secure that masks your IP address and one that does not. Normally VPNs that offer this feature only do so for Windows. One thing we love about Private Internet Access VPN is that it has not forgotten about the millions of macOS users for whom split tunneling is also available.

In other words, if split tunneling is important to you, then PIA has you covered. Furthermore, if you are a macOS user, you should know that Private Internet Access is one of the few providers that make this convenient feature available to you.

Supported Protocols 

Before discussing the VPN protocols supported by PIA, let’s look at the most secure protocols currently available.

OpenVPN. This is one of the most versatile, fast, and secure protocols available today. It has a wide variety of parameters to configure and is usually the right VPN protocol if you doubt which one to use since it is suitable for practically any task (streaming, torrenting, browsing, etc.). You can think of OpenVPN as a balance between speed, privacy, and flexibility. 

IKEv2 (Internet Key Exchange Protocol Version 2). This is one of the most popular protocols at the moment, as it provides amazing connection stability, even when switching from WiFi to cellular networks. In terms of security and speed, it is comparable, and in some cases superior, to OpenVPN. However, being a more recent development, it does not offer the same compatibility as its OpenVPN peer.

WireGuard. Simply put, WireGuard is shaping up to be the VPN protocol of the future. It is faster than OpenVPN, more stable than IKEv2, and in general, is much lighter on resources. Its downside? It is currently under development, so you can think of WireGuard as a bleeding-edge VPN protocol.

Now that the main VPN protocols have been explained, it is time to talk about the support offered by PIA for each of them. In its app for Windows, macOS, and Android, PIA offers full support for OpenVPN (TCP and UDP) as well as WireGuard. Unfortunately, IKEv2/IPSec is only available for iOS at the moment.

In our opinion, this small drawback of Private Internet Access is compensated by the large number of options it offers in its settings for connections.

Most users may not have to modify the default settings, but advanced users will probably be happy to have so many options at their fingertips. If we add the additional options available in the automation menu, then the result is a VPN that far exceeds the flexibility offered by its competitors.

In summary, although Private Internet Access only supports OpenVPN and WireGuard, we must recognize that its impressive set of connection options leave behind the need for IKEv2, at least for most users.

For more information on the available connection configurations, we suggest you read the PIA documentation.

Supported Platforms

As important as its features and UI is the compatibility of each VPN on different platforms. In this sense, PIA provides support for a large number of operating systems and devices.

• Windows 10, 8.1
• macOS 10+
• Linux 
• Android 
• iOS 
• Google Chrome, Firefox, and Opera extensions.

While Private Internet Access officially supports all major OSes, it is important to note that it does not explicitly state its support for Smart TVs or routers. However, on their support pages, you will find some instructions on manually configuring your router.

We must add that PIA’s conservative approach to the devices it supports seems to be more honest than some VPN providers that offer broad support for almost all platforms, even though the application’s stability is deficient in some of them. 

A particular case in point is that of the new Apple Silicon M1 processors available since last year. In previous reviews, we have been disappointed to see how some VPNs offer native applications for the M1 processor that leave much to be desired. In the case of Private Internet Access, it has been reassuring to see how they admit that their app runs through Rosetta. Even so, during our extensive testing, we did not encounter a single problem with the application. 

In our opinion, the most important thing for the end-user is the stability and proper functioning of the application because if it crashes, it can expose the IP address. Whether this goal is achieved natively or not is irrelevant. To that effect, you can rest assured that PIA is 100% stable no matter what operating system you choose to use.

Private Internet Access Servers Locations

Unfortunately, it was not possible to know the exact number of servers available to Private Internet Access. However, their web page mentions that they have VPN servers in more than 78 countries on 5 continents. This does not include geo-located servers in some restricted areas. 

While we prefer the transparent policy of other providers such as NordVPN and ExpressVPN that publish both the number and location of all their servers, we must say that PIA’s graphical interface at least shows the real-time latency of each server, which is somewhat indicative of the congestion status at a particular location.

Customer Support

As far as customer support is concerned, we must say that this is the first aspect where we believe Private Internet Access has a lot of room for improvement.

PIA’s support portal offers guides, a knowledge base, and news. However, when reviewing both their guides and KB, we were quite disappointed. Unlike the extensive articles from NordVPN or ExpressVPN, the Private Internet Access self-service portal is quite limited in both content and the depth with which they address each topic. Moreover, to ask for help from support, you only have two channels: creating a ticket or using the live customer support chat. Unfortunately, this may not be enough for many users who prefer a robust KB to find the information that they need.

Private Internet Access Price

We know that price is one of the main factors to consider when looking for a VPN for your home. In this sense, PIA shows itself to be one of the most affordable services on the market.

In fact, we must admit that considering its features, application stability, and ease of use, the price of Private Internet Access is really competitive.

In order to facilitate the comparison of PIA with one of its closest competitors, we have prepared the following information.

Monthly plan

• Private Internet Access from $9.95 per month
• CyberGhost VPN from $12.99 per month
• Winner Private Internet Access

Other plans

• Private Internet Access, from $2.19/month (3-year plan) billed $79 a year, $3.33/month (1-year plan) billed $39.95 a year.
• CyberGhost VPN, from $2.25/month (3-year plan), from $3.49/month (2-year plan), from $3.99/month (1-year plan)
• Winner Private Internet Access 

However, if you consider that CyberGhost VPN does not have all the features of PIA, nor its excellent UI, you will realize that the value offered by Private Internet Access is hard to beat. Truth be told, at the level of functionality, it would be fairer to compare PIA with NordVPN or ExpressVPN. Even so, Private Internet Access would end up beating them as it is still cheaper.

All in all, Private Internet Access offers you an unbeatable price-value ratio. If you are looking for a VPN provider with a competitive price and many advanced features, then PIA may be for you.

Testing Private Internet Access Security & Privacy

Before proceeding with privacy tests, it is vital to clarify that there is no standard to “measure” the performance of a VPN when protecting your identity online.

That said, we will do some simple tests to verify if PIA can hide your IP address effectively.

The first of these tests will be a DNS Leak Test. This type of test is useful to determine if your ISP can track the websites you visit.

In the image above, you can see the real IP address used by our test machine (Private Internet Access turned off). As expected, there is a good chance that there is a DNS Leak.

Next, we turned on PIA and started the DNS Leak test again.

As you can see, Private Internet Access managed to protect our IP address (it now shows our location in Canada). Additionally, the tool tells us that it has not detected DNS leaks. However, the tool we are using shows a PIA advertisement, so it is necessary to confirm these results using other means.

With the above in mind, we performed a WebRTC test. The WebRTC protocol (Web Real-Time Communications) is widely used today for audio and video streaming; however, malicious agents could also use it to discover your IP address.

First, we turned off Private Internet Access VPN. As expected, the results showed that our IP address was exposed.

Next we repeated the test but with PIA connected to the Canada VPN server as we did in the previous test.

In conclusion, PIA is perfectly capable of hiding your IP address and maintaining your privacy while browsing, torrenting, or enjoying your favorite streaming.

Speed & Performance

In this section, it is appropriate to clarify, as we did in the last section, that there is no “standard” test to measure internet connection speed. Truth be told, there is no 100% reliable test on the market. This is because there are too many factors at play, such as network traffic, time of day, type of connection, etc.

That said, we proceeded to perform several tests using the following procedure.

• We made use of an ad-free and open-source test to measure the speed of the Internet connection.
• We used a 4G LTE broadband service as a base since it is slower and more limited than a wired service.
• Our tests were done from the USA, then in the UK, and finally in Australia.

Let’s start with the base speed (without activating Private Internet Access) at the time of starting the tests.

The base speed, in this case, 11.26 Mb/s, will allow us to determine how efficient PIA is. Ideally, the base speed should remain the same regardless of the VPN server you choose. But as you can guess, that is not the case.

The results of this test only confirm what we mentioned at the beginning of the section. Neither test is completely reliable. For this reason, when we connect to the server closest to our location (Miami, USA), the speed is “higher.”

Let’s see what happens when you repeat the test but this time using a VPN server located in the UK.

The result is still excellent since there is no significant difference concerning the connection from the USA.

It now remains to test with a server on the other side of the world, in Australia.

As expected, the speed is even lower, equivalent to only 20% of the base speed.

Finally, there is a notable drop in speed, which in this test is around 27%. However, this type of drop is still among the smallest that we have seen in our VPN reviews, showing that PIA is an efficient and fast VPN.

Privacy, Does Private Internet Access Log My Data?

No, Private Internet Access doesn’t track, collect, or share your private information. However, as a U.S.-based company, it is subject to certain regulations.

Private Internet Access is a company based in the United States. For this reason, it is subject to the regulations that force it to collaborate with security agencies if required. With that said, here are some benefits of PIA.

• Zero-log policy. Private Internet Access doesn’t collect connection timestamps, session information, bandwidth usage, traffic data, or IP addresses.
• Based in the US. Unfortunately, Private Internet Access is an American company. This means that some data may be shared with law enforcement agencies.
• Payment methods. Private Internet Access accepts cryptocurrency payments, so you decide if you want to use your credit/debit card or PayPal or keep your payments private using crypto.

Private Internet Access review: Verdict

There are times when it is challenging to decide whether or not a particular VPN is worth it. Fortunately, that is not the case with Private Internet Access VPN.

Without a doubt, PIA is one of the VPN providers that brings together the most benefits. It’s affordable, its UI is friendly, it has excellent compatibility and consistency across all platforms, and it offers a host of advanced features. Last but not least, it is a VPN whose code is open-source, which reinforces the transparency policy that has highlighted PIA for more than a decade.