Private Internet Access (PIA) Review (2026): Port Forwarding, Open-Source Apps and a Court-Proven No-Logs Record

Privacy and logging

PIA's privacy argument is unusual because it is evidential rather than architectural: on more than one occasion US courts have subpoenaed PIA for user data and received nothing, because the company keeps nothing. On top of that real-world test it now has a Deloitte no-logs audit, RAM-only servers and open-source apps that anyone can inspect. We have not run leak tests ourselves — run the free DNS leak test and WebRTC leak test on your own connection once you have it.

The obvious objection is that PIA is a US company, owned by Kape Technologies (which also owns ExpressVPN and CyberGhost). The US has no data-retention mandate for VPN providers, and PIA's court history is the strongest evidence any VPN can offer that a no-logs policy is real. We still score it a notch below the Swiss and Panamanian options on jurisdiction alone.

Speed

We have not measured PIA's speed ourselves. WireGuard is available alongside OpenVPN, and both are configurable down to the cipher, handshake and port if you want to tune them yourself. PIA's network spans 91 countries — enough for a nearby server in most places, though narrower than NordVPN's or Proton's. A 4K stream needs about 25 Mbps, which any current VPN clears easily on a nearby server.

Streaming

We have not tested what PIA unblocks. It markets some streaming-optimised server locations, but streaming isn't the feature it's built around — torrenting and configurability are. Streaming access also shifts week to week, so the 30-day refund window is the way to check the services you actually use.

Torrenting: the reason to buy

Port forwarding is built in and works on most of the network, P2P is allowed everywhere, and the app can bind to a specific interface so a torrent client only ever runs through the VPN. We have not measured torrenting speed ourselves. Together with the no-logs court record, that makes PIA one of the two torrenting VPNs we recommend without reservation.

Apps and ease of use

Open-source apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV and Apple TV, plus browser extensions and router support — 10 platforms and 8 of 8 tracked features, the most complete spread of the ten VPNs on this site, which is why the apps sub-score is 9.5. The default view is simple enough, but every advanced option is a click away, which might put off someone who wants a one-button VPN and nothing else. Unlimited simultaneous connections on every plan.

Customer support

24/7 live chat and a help centre. We have not put response times or refund handling to a test ourselves.

Is PIA safe?

Yes — and it has the rarest form of proof: no-logs claims that survived subpoenas. Add the audit, open-source apps and RAM-only servers, and only the US jurisdiction stands against it. We have not run leak tests ourselves.

Is PIA worth it?

On the long plan PIA is among the cheapest VPNs we rate — $1.79 a month, the only one of the ten that renews at the same rate it sells at — with unlimited devices and port forwarding included. For torrenting or for someone who wants control over every setting, it is clearly worth it. For streaming, we can't tell you either way: we have not tested it, and it isn't the feature PIA is built around, so check the 30-day refund window against the services you actually need.

Get PIA with port forwarding

Who should buy PIA — and who shouldn't

Buy it for torrenting, for unlimited devices at a low price, or because you want to configure everything yourself. Choose Proton VPN for port forwarding with a non-US jurisdiction, and NordVPN or Surfshark if a simpler one-button app matters more than granular settings.