Private Internet Access review: Our favorite open-source VPN

June Wan/ZDNET

ZDNET's key takeaways

• Private Internet Access (PIA) is among the least expensive premium VPN services, costing only $79 for a 3-year plan.
• The VPN offers open-source apps with flexible settings to customize your security. Aside from the extensive server network, you can also connect unlimited devices (it's one of the best options for smart TVs).
• PIA's headquarters in the US isn't ideal for privacy, and the app's many settings can be hard for a beginner to get the hang of.

Private Internet Access (PIA) is a cost-friendly and reliable VPN service. Its servers are in all the US states, making it appropriate for geo-restrictions. The app is highly customizable for different user scenarios, depending on whether you want the best security or speed.

Also: The best VPNs: Expert tested

There are even more praiseworthy things about PIA, which is also featured in our best VPNs list as the best open source VPN option. The VPN has some similarities with its rival IPVanish, for example, in supporting unlimited connections and being headquartered in the US (which isn't a good thing). However, its open-source apps and zero-logging policy add some level of trust.

An extensive global server network like no other 

PIA has over 25,000 servers, which is one of the largest networks any VPN offers. That also means it has many IP addresses to offer anywhere. The servers are spread in 91 countries and 140 locations worldwide.

The cherry on top is you'll find servers to connect to in every US state. This comes in handy if you need to access IP-restricted services and content when traveling out of state. It's also easier to find a server with fast speeds in any location in the US. But PIA's server distribution is expansive, covering regions like South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. 

I was surprised to see servers in China and nearby territories like Hong Kong and Taiwan. Most VPNs do not offer servers in China due to the country's strict regulations. The servers in China are virtual, meaning they aren't physically stationed in the country but in a nearby location (and still offer a China IP address). PIA has these virtual servers in several other locations, including India and some US states. They work just like the regular servers and can be even faster.

Some notable features of the servers that help to boost performance are:

• Speeds of up to 10Gbps. The servers are designed to handle connections up to 10Gbps, meaning they won't restrict bandwidth or speeds if you're subscribed to a fast internet service like Google Fiber or Xfinity.
• RAM-only technology. The servers do not store data on hard disks but instead use volatile RAM memory storage that is automatically wiped clean with every server reboot. This helps to improve user privacy because anyone who gains access to the servers won't find any information they can use to track you.
• Optimized for streaming. If accessing content with a VPN is your main intention, PIA has specialized servers that are convenient for streaming.

Screenshot by Kennedy Otieno/ZDNET

What's more, you can get an IP address that is exclusive to you (instead of the shared ones). The IPs are offered only in select countries and will cost you a little extra on top of your subscription. This gives you the freedom to use the same IP on all your devices or the ability to access IP-sensitive services (like online banking) without getting flagged for suspicious activity.

Firsthand performance experience with PIA

Speed tests 

While it's not the fastest VPN, PIA has excellent connections. With my baseline internet speed of 125Mbps, I would occasionally get nearly the same speeds while using the VPN. But save those details for next because I also experienced connection dips in many server locations.

Using our VPN testing methodology, I measured PIA's impact on internet connections, taking readings speeds with and without the VPN. It's expected that internet speeds will be slower with a VPN (it happens with most, if not all, VPNs). The key reasons are that data has to be encrypted and decrypted on transit, and also the traffic routing between your location and the server location you've chosen.

Starting with PIA servers closest to my location in South Africa, I had near perfect speeds; sometimes registering as small as 2% drop. I did the tests multiple times and averaged the readings during the day and evenings (to note any fluctuations during peak times). The VPN connections were faster on weekdays, with weekends registering slightly slower speeds (sometimes falling by as much as 15%). Here is a summary of how the nearby servers performed.

The biggest resilience test was when I connected to international servers. I registered speed losses of up to 45%. My peak interest was on US connections since that's where I stream the most content and even play online games. I wasn't disappointed because some locations had less than 15% connection drops, although I got up to 26% drops in locations to the west. Here is an outlook of speed test results in select locations across different continents.

I got slower connections in countries in Europe, South America, and Asian regions. Notably, UK and Sweden server connections dropped by over 20%. But the worst of all were Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. I encountered over 40% slower internet speeds, though my connections were still within the range that can support 4K streaming.

Streaming

I managed to access many streaming platforms with PIA. Netflix is usually one of the most sensitive at detecting blocking VPNs, but most of the Netflix libraries I tested worked with PIA, including Japan (which has the most anime shows). 

But as I mentioned earlier, there are streaming-optimized servers. I would highly recommend using these for incident-free streaming online. An easy way to sort them is by typing "streaming" in the search bar above the server list. This will display all available dedicated streaming servers in different locations. While testing the servers, I was able to use streaming sites such as;

• Hulu
• Disney+
• BBC iPlayer
• YouTube TV
• Amazon Prime Video
• Max

Also: The best VPNs for streaming: Expert tested

Torrenting

All PIA servers support torrenting. To experience faster connections with torrenting, you should use the SOCKS5 proxy servers. They are optimized for speedy file-sharing but may be less secure because they don't encrypt traffic. Port forwarding is another convenient feature for torrenting. You can easily configure P2P clients like BitTorrent, qBittorrent, and uTorrent for safe and smooth downloads.

Gaming 

PIA is reliable for intensive online gaming, too. When I chose nearby servers, latency was always below 150ms (the maximum threshold for most fast-paced games). Lower latency is best for gaming because it signifies a faster signal response between your device and the servers, which helps minimize lag in online gaming. The PIA app shows latency on all servers, so you can select the most efficient ones for gaming anywhere. Plus, the VPN's encryption and IP-masking features help to avoid ISP-speed throttling and DDoS attacks that can negatively impact your gaming experience.

PIA has a lot of built-in options to customize your security and privacy

PIA is one among few VPNs with the option to choose encryption levels. Encryption is the process by which data is scrambled and secured with safe keys so that no one besides the authorized recipient can read it while in transit. When I installed the PIA app on my Windows laptop, it was set to AES128-bit encryption by default. This is relatively less powerful than the advanced AES 256-bit encryption, but it can be faster than the latter.

But if you want the best protection in risky environments (like unsecured Wi-Fi networks where hacks may be common), you should switch to AES 256-bit encryption. However, the option to change encryptions is only available if you're using the OpenVPN protocol.

Three secure protocols are offered, though WireGuard and OpenVPN (UDP and TCP) are the ones available on most devices. PIA also offers IPSec/IKEv2 protocol on iOS, which is designed to work optimally on mobile devices.

Screenshot by Kennedy Otieno/ZDNET

When using either WireGuard or OpenVPN protocols, there's an option to customize the data packets/MTU size for better connections. Choose "Small Packets" when on unreliable and slow internet connections to ensure only essential data is tunneled by the VPN, thus minimizing bandwidth usage. "Large Packets" can be used on fast connections because more data is transported simultaneously. Alternatively, you can leave the settings to "Auto" for the VPN to choose the best packet settings depending on your internet connection. 

Initially, I couldn't tell the difference between the two kill switch settings on the PIA app. Turns out that the first one (VPN Kill Switch) blocks access to the internet if the VPN connection drops accidentally. The other one (Advanced Kill Switch) stops your device from accessing the internet without VPN protection at all times, including when the app is turned off. Both of these settings help to prevent exposure of your IP address during connection failures.

Screenshot by Kennedy Otieno/ZDNET

It's possible to automate how PIA should connect and secure your traffic on any network. You can set your trusted home networks, for example, to work even without VPN protection, while others are always secured.

Split tunneling is another feature that helps customize your VPN connections. With this, you can opt to tunnel some apps on the VPN and leave out others. It can be useful when, for example, streaming international shows and using local services or apps concurrently. 

Screenshot by Kennedy Otieno/ZDNET

But that's not all. I found even more tools meant to boost user privacy, such as:

Multi-hop and obfuscation

You can use PIA's multihop servers instead of the regular servers. To turn these on, go to the menu and navigate to "Multihop," then check the box next to "Multihop and obfuscation." 

Multihop servers add an extra layer of anonymity by rerouting your VPN-encrypted traffic on other private proxy servers. It's almost impossible for anyone to find or track your real IP address when traffic keeps bouncing on different servers and you're constantly getting assigned a new IP. Multihop servers can be useful when torrenting, though they may be slower.

Screenshot by Kennedy Otieno/ZDNET

Again, the multihop servers (with Shadowsocks) can obfuscate your VPN traffic so that sites blocking VPN traffic won't even detect that you're one. If you're having problems accessing geo-restricted sites, simply turn on this setting to camouflage the VPN traffic.

Private DNS 

PIA also provides leak protection by offering multiple ways to route DNS (domain name server) requests. You can use the VPN's DNS or customize it with your private DNS address. Both of these methods can greatly help deter third parties, including your internet service provider, from monitoring your online activities and searches.

Screenshot by Kennedy Otieno/ZDNET

PIA MACE

MACE is another great addition to PIA's arsenal. It detects and stops potentially harmful ads from domains known for distributing malware. So while you might still see ads while browsing, a lot of filtering has already been done to ensure only safe and appropriate ads are served. It also blocks trackers that might be used to secretly collect information via apps installed on your device.

Open-source apps

PIA has published its source code, including on Github, for anyone to inspect. This increases transparency because app users and developers can check for loopholes and vulnerabilities in the software. But the fact that PIA has survived public scrutiny means it's solid. Many VPNs, including NordVPN and ExpressVPN, haven't publicized their codes, preferring to keep it a secret.

US jurisdiction and an audited no-logs policy

Sadly, the US (where PIA is based) isn't a privacy-friendly location for VPN providers. Like every other company, they're subject to data retention laws that require them to keep some of their customers' data for a period. Also, the US is a member of 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances, in which the participating members freely share intelligence, including information about their citizens. 

While all these are reasons to question PIA's ability to maintain user privacy, the provider has a zero-logging policy. It has made a commitment to not collect or store sensitive data from its customers. The policy has been audited by Deloitte Romania in an effort to verify its trustworthiness. PIA has also been subpoenaed, including by the FBI, to provide user logs as evidence in a court case, but nothing implicating was found (a sign that they mean what they say). 

The bottom line is that the provider is doing all it can to ensure no traces of your data can be found in its servers. However, the headquarters in the US remains a drawback, given that most VPN providers have chosen better locations to avoid issues. 

PIA's prices are among the most affordable in the market

Though rich in features, PIA's plans are only a fraction of what some top services charge. The extended plans (1 and 3 years) have the best value proposals. If you go all in with the 3-year plan subscription (plus 3 months free), it costs $79 (an equivalent of $2.03/month) while the 1-year subscription is $39 ($3.33/month). The 1-month plan, however, isn't as enticing because it costs $11.95. Thankfully, all the subscriptions are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to claim a refund if you aren't satisfied with the service.

A free 500GB cloud storage offer also includes longer plans (1 and 3 years). However, it's only for one year and will be offered again the next time you renew your subscription. You can also bundle up your subscription with complementary services like an antivirus and a dedicated IP address, both costing you a little extra. PIA supports different modes of payment including bank cards, PayPal, and cryptocurrency.

One subscription for all your devices (see the compatible devices and user experience)

Screenshot by Kennedy Otieno/ZDNET

Another advantage of PIA is that you can connect all your devices with one account, joining only the likes of IPVanish and Surfshark in supporting unlimited simultaneous connections. It's a great option for multiple users like in a family or hostel shared with friends.

Plus, you can use PIA on most, if not all, popular devices. It offers easy-to-install native apps, including a GUI (graphical user interface) app for Linux. That means you don't need to use command lines to switch servers or change settings on Linux. The VPN supports direct installs on various smart TVs, including Apple TV, Android TV, and Amazon Fire TV. 

If your device doesn't allow direct VPN installation, for example, LG and Samsung TV, you can configure the IP address manually using PIA's smart DNS. This enables you to access geo-restricted content on your device, though without protection. Also, connecting your device to a Wi-Fi network or shared hotspot secured with PIA provides the full benefits of a VPN, including data encryption.

The list of devices where you can use PIA include;

• Smartphones: Android and iOS 
• PCs: Mac, Windows, Linux
• Smart TVs and media boxes (including Fire TV stick and Chromecast)
• Consoles: Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Playstation, MetaQuest, Amazon Luna
• Routers
• Chrome and Firefox browsers

I easily set up the VPN on my Windows, Android, and iPad devices. However, navigating the app isn't as straightforward. Newbies, for example, may have problems locating the settings (click the 3 dots at the right top/left). Also, there are many settings on the app that might leave you clueless about what to do. However, the default settings are optimal so you don't need to change anything for the app to work properly (unless you know exactly what you're doing).

Something I liked about the interface is how server locations are arranged on the app, starting from the best-performing ones with low latency. You can also favorite specific servers for easy access later. It's also possible to add or rearrange icons on the app by dragging and dropping the tools wherever you need them for convenience.

ZDNET's buying advice

Private Internet Access checks all the boxes of a good VPN service. It appeals to users with varying priorities, including security, privacy, bypassing geo-restrictions, or high bandwidth browsing. You're better off with the longer subscription plans because they provide more value for cheap, otherwise the monthly price range is within what other providers charge. 

The VPN is good for multi-connections, that is if you don't want to secure all your devices without an extra subscription. There are downsides too, but mostly not significant enough to hinder the proper functioning of the software.