PIA vs Proton VPN (2026): Which Is Better?
Private Internet Access scores higher overall (9.3 vs 8.9). Below is every published figure for PIA, Proton VPN, side by side — prices and what they renew at, refund terms, audits, jurisdiction and features. Speed and streaming are not there because neither has been measured by us.
Who wins each category
- Privacy & securityProton VPNPIA 9.0 · Proton 9.5
- SpeedTiePIA 0.0 · Proton 0.0
- StreamingTiePIA 0.0 · Proton 0.0
- Apps & easePIAPIA 9.5 · Proton 8.8
- ValuePIAPIA 9.5 · Proton 7.8
Sub-scores are provisional for PIA and Proton VPN — published audits, jurisdiction and public record rather than our own measurement; see the review; weights are privacy & security 30%, speed 25%, streaming 15%, apps & ease 15%, value 15%. Methodology
PIA vs Proton VPN: the numbers
| PIA | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 9.3provisional — not tested by us | 8.9provisional — not tested by us |
| Rank · badge | Not ranked · Top rated overall | Not ranked · Best free tier |
| 2-year price / mo | $1.79 | $3.49 |
| 1-year price / mo | $3.99 | $4.99 |
| Monthly price | $11.95 | $9.99 |
| Renewal | Billed $69.81 for 39 months, then autorenews at $69.81 every 3 years — the same rate | Billed $83.76 for the first 24 months, then renews at $83.88 every 12 months |
| Money-back | 30 days | 30 days |
| Simultaneous devices | Unlimited | 10 |
| Avg download speed | Not tested by us | Not tested by us |
| Jurisdiction | United States | Switzerland |
| Owner | Kape Technologies | Proton AG (Proton Foundation) |
| No-logs audit | Deloitte no-logs audit, 2024 | Securitum no-logs audit, 2024 |
| Servers | Tens of thousands in 91 countries | 12,000+ in 117 countries |
| Protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, Stealth |
| Torrenting | P2P allowed on all servers | P2P allowed on P2P servers (paid plans) |
| Free plan | No | no data cap, no ads, 1 device, auto-chosen country |
| Support | 24/7 live chat, email, help centre | email, help centre, live chat (paid plans) |
| Visit PIA | Visit Proton VPN |
Full reviews: Private Internet Access · Proton VPN
What each one actually costs
The advertised rate covers the first term only. These are the totals once the renewal is counted.
| PIA | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan priced | 24-month plan | 24-month plan |
| Intro rate / mo | $1.79 | $3.49 |
| Then renews at / mo | $1.79 — no jump | $6.99 (+100%) |
| First term, up front | $42.96 | $83.76 |
| Total over 3 years | $64.44 | $167.64 |
| True cost / mo over 3 years | $1.79 | $4.66 |
| Money-back | 30 days — 30 days, new subscribers only — we have not claimed one yet | 30 days — 30 days, published — we have not claimed one yet |
| Check PIA price | Check Proton VPN price |
PIA is cheaper both ways — lower to start and $103.20 less across three years once the renewals are counted. Same arithmetic as our price calculator: the first term at the advertised rate, every month after it at the rate the provider publishes for renewals.
Speed by region
Neither VPN has been speed-tested by us yet, so there is nothing to chart here.
PIA and Proton VPN have not been through our speed rig yet, so there is no region-by-region chart for this pair. Speed figures other people have published are on the Private Internet Access and Proton VPN review, attributed to whoever measured them.
Streaming, service by service
| PIA | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Unblocked | 0 of 0 reported (not tested by us) | 0 of 0 reported (not tested by us) |
| Netflix US | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix UK | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix JP | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix CA | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix AU | n/r | n/r |
| Prime Video | n/r | n/r |
| Disney+ | n/r | n/r |
| Hulu | n/r | n/r |
| Max | n/r | n/r |
| Paramount+ | n/r | n/r |
| Peacock | n/r | n/r |
| BBC iPlayer | n/r | n/r |
| ITVX | n/r | n/r |
| DAZN | n/r | n/r |
| n/r — no published result found | n/r — no published result found |
Security features
| PIA | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Kill switch | ||
| Split tunnelling | ||
| Obfuscation / stealth | ||
| Port forwarding | ||
| Dedicated IP | ||
| Ad & tracker blocking | ||
| Multi-hop (double VPN) | ||
| RAM-only servers | ||
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, browser extensions, routers | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, browser extensions, routers |
Has the no-logs promise ever been tested?
Every VPN on this page says it keeps no logs. The claim only means something once someone has demanded the data — a police raid, a court order, a subpoena. Here is what happened to each of these two when that came up, and what it means if it never has.
- PIAHeld
Subpoenaed more than once. The claim held — there was nothing useful to hand over. That is the one form of proof no audit can give you, because it happened under real pressure rather than on a scheduled visit.
Audit: Deloitte no-logs audit, 2024 · United States
- Proton VPNHeld
Fought data requests in court. The claim held — there was nothing useful to hand over. That is the one form of proof no audit can give you, because it happened under real pressure rather than on a scheduled visit.
Audit: Securitum no-logs audit, 2024 · Switzerland
What each one is our top pick for
One of these scores higher overall, which does not make it the right buy for every job. These are the use cases where each one comes first on its own list.
- PIA2 categories
Port forwarding included, P2P on every server, interface binding for qBittorrent, and no-logs claims proven in court. Unlimited devices on a cheap long plan.
- Proton VPN2 categories
No data cap, no ads, no logs, open-source apps on every platform. Limits: one device, an auto-chosen country, no streaming or P2P.
We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. Scores and the winner are decided by the scoring rubric before any commercial consideration. Disclosure