Private Internet Access (PIA) Review (2026): Port Forwarding, Open-Source Apps and a Court-Proven No-Logs Record
- Last tested
- Tested September 4, 2026
- Reviewer
- By Amelia Ame
- Method
- How we test →
Port forwarding, open-source apps and a court-proven no-logs record.
- 480 Mbps average
- 91 countries
- Audited: Deloitte, 2024
on a 940 Mbps fibre line · +10 ms latency
- Protocol
- WireGuard
- Servers
- Tens of thousands
- Devices
- Unlimited
No DNS, IPv6 or WebRTC leaks · September 2026
The verdict, scores and trade-offs
The bottom line
Private Internet Access is the torrenter's VPN and the tinkerer's VPN. Port forwarding is included, the apps are open-source and endlessly configurable, the no-logs policy has been tested in real court cases, and the long plan is very cheap. Streaming coverage and its US base are why it sits at #6 rather than higher.
- Best for torrenting
- Best for power users
- Best for unlimited devices on a budget
How Private Internet Access scored
- Privacy & security · 30%9.0Audited, open-source apps, proven no-logs in court
- Speed · 25%8.0480 Mbps average
- Streaming · 15%7.8Unblocked 10 of 14
- Apps & ease · 15%8.4Very configurable; more settings than most people need
- Value · 15%8.6Cheap 3-year plan, unlimited devices
Overall score = weighted average. Weights are fixed for the year and identical for every VPN. Methodology
What we liked
- Port forwarding built in
- Unlimited devices
- Open-source apps, no-logs proven in court
- Very cheap 3-year plan
What we didn't
- US jurisdiction
- Streaming weaker than the top three
- More settings than most people need
Private Internet Access at a glance
- Jurisdiction
- United States
- Owner
- Kape Technologies (since 2010)
- Servers
- Tens of thousands in 91 countries
- Protocols
- WireGuard, OpenVPN
- Simultaneous devices
- Unlimited
- No-logs audit
- Deloitte no-logs audit, 2024
- Torrenting
- P2P allowed on all servers
- Support
- 24/7 live chat, email, help centre
- Refund
- 30 days
Want the evidence behind each score? Open Full review above for the test-by-test write-up, or Key data for every number next to a typical VPN.
Speed test results
Download, Mbps · 940 Mbps baseline · 3 runs per server, median reported- US East560 (60%)
- UK520 (55%)
- Singapore420 (45%)
- Australia418 (44%)
Average 480 Mbps (51% retained) · adds about 10 ms of latency to a nearby server. Tested on 940 Mbps fibre, Windows 11 desktop.
Streaming: 10 of 14 services unblocked
Checked this month; a cross means it failed on 2+ servers- Netflix US
- Netflix UK
- Netflix JP
- Netflix CA
- Netflix AU
- Prime Video
- Disney+
- Hulu
- Max
- Paramount+
- Peacock
- BBC iPlayer
- ITVX
- DAZN
Security features
- Kill switch
- Split tunnelling
- Obfuscation / stealth
- Port forwarding
- Dedicated IP
- Ad & tracker blocking
- Multi-hop (double VPN)
- RAM-only servers
Apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, browser extensions, routers.
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. Leak tests were clean on every platform.
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
PIA averaged 480 Mbps, sixth in our ranking, on WireGuard. Nearby servers were solid; long-haul servers dropped to around 45% of baseline. Added latency was about 10 ms. Fast enough for anything most people do, but not a headline.
Streaming: 10 of 14
Netflix US and UK and Prime Video worked. Netflix Japan, Disney+, BBC iPlayer and DAZN failed on two or more servers. PIA has some streaming-optimised locations that helped with US services, but this is not the VPN to buy for watching TV from abroad.
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. Download and upload speeds on a well-seeded file were close to the plain-connection figure. 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. The default view is simple enough, but every advanced option is a click away — which is why the apps sub-score is a fair 8.4 rather than higher: people who want a one-button VPN may find the volume of settings off-putting. Unlimited simultaneous connections on every plan.
Customer support
24/7 live chat and a help centre. Responses were competent and technical questions got technical answers; the refund was processed without argument.
Is PIA safe?
Yes — and it has the rarest form of proof: no-logs claims that survived subpoenas. Add the audit, open-source apps, RAM-only servers and clean leak results, and only the US jurisdiction stands against it.
Is PIA worth it?
On the long plan PIA is among the cheapest VPNs we rate — around $2 a month — 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, it is not: four of our fourteen services failed, and NordVPN or Surfshark cost little more.
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 streaming and simplicity matter more than knobs.
Private Internet Access pricing
| Plan | Per month | Billed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | $11.95 | $11.95 up front | Get plan |
| 12 months | $3.33 | $39.96 up front | Get plan |
| 24 months | $2.03 | $48.72 up front | Get plan |
The 24-month price is the introductory rate; it renews at the 1-year rate. 30-day money-back guarantee on every plan — refunded in 3 days.
Private Internet Access alternatives
- Best free tier
Proton VPN8.9Swiss privacy, open-source apps, and the only free plan we recommend.
- Best value
Surfshark9.4Unlimited devices, 94% of NordVPN's speed, lowest 2-year price of the top three.
- Top rated overall
NordVPN9.7Fastest in every region we test, independently audited, and it unblocked all 14 streaming services.
Compare head-to-head: PIA vs Proton VPN
Private Internet Access: common questions
Is PIA safe?
Yes. PIA's no-logs policy has been audited by Deloitte and, more unusually, tested in court — in multiple US cases the company could not produce logs because none existed. Its apps are open-source and it passed all of our leak tests.
Does PIA have port forwarding?
Yes, on most servers, at no extra cost. It is the main reason PIA is our torrenting pick alongside Proton VPN.
Is PIA good for streaming?
Average. It unblocked 10 of our 14 services this month; Disney+, BBC iPlayer and DAZN failed. NordVPN and Surfshark are much stronger for streaming.
Is PIA based in the US a problem?
The US has no mandatory data-retention law for VPNs, and PIA's no-logs record has been proven in US courts, so in practice it has not been. If you want a jurisdiction outside the Five Eyes on principle, Proton VPN (Switzerland) or NordVPN (Panama) are the alternatives.
How many devices does PIA allow?
Unlimited simultaneous connections on every plan.
Private Internet Access key data
Every figure we recorded, next to the middle of the field. “Typical VPN” is the median across all 10 services we rate, measured on the same rig in the same month — so a “better” here means better than half the market, not better than nothing.
| Attribute | PIA | Typical VPN | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.3 | 8.4 | Worse |
| Rank | #6 of 42 | median of 10 rated | |
| What it wins on | Torrenting | — |
| Attribute | PIA | Typical VPN | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average downloadon the same 940 Mbps fibre line | 480 Mbps | 523 Mbps | Worse |
| Speed retained | 51% | 56% | Worse |
| Added latency | +10 ms | +10 ms | Typical |
| Attribute | PIA | Typical VPN | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | United States | Mixed | |
| Owner | Kape Technologies | — | |
| No-logs audit | Deloitte, 2024 | 10 of 10 audited | Better |
| Torrenting | P2P allowed on all servers | Allowed on P2P servers |
| Attribute | PIA | Typical VPN | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Countries with servers | 91 | 96 | Worse |
| Servers | Tens of thousands | — | |
| Protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN | WireGuard, OpenVPN |
| Attribute | PIA | Typical VPN | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simultaneous devices | Unlimited | 9 | Better |
| Streaming services unblocked | 10 of 14 | 12 of 14 | Worse |
| Advanced features | 8 of 8 | 6 of 8 | Better |
| Free plan | No | No | Typical |
| Support | 24/7 live chat, email, help centre | Live chat, email |
| Attribute | PIA | Typical VPN | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest per month2-year plan, billed up front | $2.03 | $2.79 | Better |
| Rolling monthly | $11.95 | $12.70 | Better |
| Renewal | renews at the 1-year rate | renews at the 1-year rate | |
| Money-back guaranteerefunded in 3 days | 30 days | 30 days | Typical |
Apps and extensions
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
- Android TV
- Fire TV
- Apple TV
- browser extensions
- routers
Private Internet Access compared
We may earn a commission when you buy through links in this review. Commissions never affect a score; the 2026 weights are published on the methodology page.