ProtonVPN vs Private Internet Access
Pick any two tools to get a head-to-head breakdown.
Overall rating
★★★★★
4.6/5
★★★★☆
4.3/5
Starting price
$4.99/mo
$2.19/mo
Speed
7/10
82/10
Privacy
10/10
86/10
Value for money
9/10
96/10
Ease of use
8/10
74/10
Reader clicks
55
109
Pros
- Fully open source
- Free unlimited tier
- Swiss jurisdiction
- No ads ever
- No-logs policy proven in two separate court cases
- Cheapest mainstream VPN — $2.19/mo on 3-year plan
- 10 simultaneous connections
- Highly configurable — advanced users can tune encryption
- Open source apps — fully auditable code
- MACE feature blocks ads and trackers
- Allows port forwarding for torrenting
Cons
- Speeds slower than NordVPN
- No split tunnelling on free
- Interface is less polished than NordVPN or ExpressVPN
- US-based — Five Eyes jurisdiction
- Streaming reliability is inconsistent compared to NordVPN
- 3-year commitment needed for the best price
Verdict
ProtonVPN is the most trustworthy VPN available. If privacy is your top priority, this is the one.
Private Internet Access is the cheapest mainstream VPN with a no-logs policy that has been proven in court — twice. When the FBI seized PIA servers in 2016 and again in 2018, there was no user data to collect. That real-world proof is more compelling than any audit. At $2.19/month on a 3-year plan, it undercuts even Surfshark. The interface is less polished than NordVPN but the core product is solid. If price and proven privacy matter more than apps and streaming, PIA is the correct choice.
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