Private Internet Access vs Proton VPN
Side-by-side comparison based on Reddit & Twitter discussions
Community Pick
Proton VPN
Based on community sentiment and discussions
Approval Rate
58%
63 recommend · 46 warn
Data Quality
High
Reviews
159
Reviewers
128
Best for:
People who want a cheaper VPN that still feels full-featured
Torrenters who want port forwarding
Folks who use multiple devices (Windows, Android, macOS, Linux) and want one VPN for all of them
Users who prefer a VPN with a long history and lots of community familiarity
Private Internet Access (PIA) has a long-time fan base and a reputation for being a solid “everyday VPN” that’s usually easy to live with. People like that it’s affordable, works across Windows, Andro...
Proton VPN
Winner
Approval Rate
71%
493 recommend · 203 warn
Data Quality
High
Reviews
1,012
Reviewers
836
Best for:
People who want a good free VPN that doesn’t feel sketchy
Privacy-focused users who like the Proton ecosystem
Folks who want optional anonymous payments
Everyday users who want a reliable VPN for general browsing
Proton VPN has a solid reputation as a privacy-focused VPN, and a lot of people like it because it feels trustworthy and reliable day to day. The free plan gets praised a lot as one of the better “act...
Performance by Use Case
| Use Case | Private Internet Access | Winner | Proton VPN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming | 67% (9) | → | 74% (64) |
| Torrenting | 63% (8) | → | 74% (37) |
| Privacy | 46% (64) | → | 67% (397) |
| Censorship | 25% (4) | → | 60% (73) |
| Gaming | - | → | 44% (9) |
| Travel | - | → | 83% (7) |
| Work | 0% (3) | → | 100% (3) |
| Router | 100% (2) | → | 67% (4) |
| Mobile | 100% (1) | - | 100% (2) |
| Price | 86% (12) | → | 73% (52) |
Private Internet Access
Strengths
- Good value for the price
- Generally easy to use on Windows and Android
- No-logs track record people point to
- Linux support (especially with the GUI app)
- Port forwarding and torrent-friendly features
Weaknesses
- Ownership and trust concerns (Kape)
- US jurisdiction makes some people uneasy
- Some reports of slower speeds or worse reliability over time
- macOS app/daemon can be glitchy
- Linux command-line experience can be frustrating
Proton VPN
Strengths
- Strong privacy reputation
- Best-in-class free tier
- No-logs and audit-focused image
- Anonymous payment options
- Good reliability overall
Weaknesses
- Can be slower than competitors
- Port forwarding can be annoying for torrenting setups
- Auto-connect behavior can be frustrating
- Not everyone trusts it as much as top privacy rivals