PureVPN vs PIA (2026): Which Is Better?
Two budget VPNs with port forwarding on offer, and PIA has the stronger case: a no-logs claim that has survived multiple US subpoenas, open-source apps, unlimited devices, port forwarding built in rather than sold as an add-on, and the cheaper 3-year average at $1.79 a month against PureVPN's $2.61. PureVPN's answers are a dedicated IP as a cheap add-on and an always-on KPMG audit rather than a single snapshot. On jurisdiction PIA is US-based and PureVPN is in the British Virgin Islands — the usual trade-off. On the numbers here, PIA.
Who wins each category
- Privacy & securityPIAPureVPN 7.0 · PIA 9.0
- SpeedTiePureVPN 0.0 · PIA 0.0
- StreamingTiePureVPN 0.0 · PIA 0.0
- Apps & easePIAPureVPN 8.8 · PIA 9.5
- ValuePIAPureVPN 9.4 · PIA 9.5
Sub-scores are provisional for PureVPN and PIA — 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
Choose PureVPN if…
- You want a dedicated IP as a cheap add-on
- You'd rather have British Virgin Islands jurisdiction than a US one
- PureVPN's audit is always-on rather than a point-in-time snapshot
Choose PIA if…
- Torrenting — port forwarding is included and interface binding is built in
- You want unlimited devices and open-source apps at the cheaper 3-year rate
- The no-logs claim has survived multiple US subpoenas
PureVPN vs PIA: the numbers
 PureVPN |  PIA | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.1provisional — not tested by us | 9.3provisional — not tested by us |
| Rank · badge | Not ranked · Cheapest over three years | Not ranked · Top rated overall |
| 2-year price / mo | $2.15 | $1.79 |
| 1-year price / mo | $2.55 | $3.99 |
| Monthly price | $12.95 | $11.95 |
| Renewal | Billed $58.20 for 27 months, then auto-renews at $47.95 a year | Billed $69.81 for 39 months, then autorenews at $69.81 every 3 years — the same rate |
| Money-back | 31 days | 30 days |
| Simultaneous devices | 10 | Unlimited |
| Avg download speed | Not tested by us | Not tested by us |
| Jurisdiction | British Virgin Islands | United States |
| Owner | GZ Systems | Kape Technologies |
| No-logs audit | KPMG always-on audit | Deloitte no-logs audit, 2024 |
| Servers | 6,500+ in 65 countries | Tens of thousands in 91 countries |
| Protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | WireGuard, OpenVPN |
| Torrenting | P2P allowed on P2P servers | P2P allowed on all servers |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Support | 24/7 live chat, email, help centre | 24/7 live chat, email, help centre |
| Visit PureVPN | Visit PIA |
Full reviews: PureVPN · Private Internet Access
What each one actually costs
The advertised rate covers the first term only. These are the totals once the renewal is counted.
| PureVPN | PIA | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan priced | 24-month plan | 24-month plan |
| Intro rate / mo | $2.15 | $1.79 |
| Then renews at / mo | $4.00 (+86%) | $1.79 — no jump |
| First term, up front | $51.60 | $42.96 |
| Total over 3 years | $99.60 | $64.44 |
| True cost / mo over 3 years | $2.77 | $1.79 |
| Money-back | 31 days — 31 days, published — we have not claimed one yet | 30 days — 30 days, new subscribers only — we have not claimed one yet |
| Check PureVPN price | Check PIA price |
PIA is cheaper both ways — lower to start and $35.16 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.
PureVPN and PIA 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 PureVPN and Private Internet Access review, attributed to whoever measured them.
Streaming, service by service
| PureVPN | PIA | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| PureVPN | PIA | |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
- PureVPNNever tested
No police raid, court order or subpoena against PureVPN has been made public. That is not a mark against it — most providers have never been asked — but it does mean the policy has never had to hold up under pressure.
Audit: KPMG always-on audit · British Virgin Islands
- 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
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.
- PureVPN1 category
Regular 5-year promotions at the lowest per-month price of any audited VPN; renews at the same 2-year rate.
- 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.
Questions
Is PureVPN or PIA better for torrenting?
PIA. Port forwarding is included, P2P is allowed on every server and the app can bind a torrent client to the VPN. PureVPN's port forwarding is a paid add-on.
Which is cheaper, PureVPN or PIA?
PIA, on the numbers we have: its 3-year plan averages $1.79 a month against PureVPN's $2.61, and it renews at the same $1.79 with no jump. PureVPN's add-ons (dedicated IP, port forwarding) cost extra on top of its rate.
Which is more private, PureVPN or PIA?
PIA's no-logs claim has been tested by subpoena, more than once, and held up; it's also been independently audited. PureVPN has an always-on audit but no comparable pressure-test record on file. PIA is US-based, PureVPN is in the British Virgin Islands.
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