Private Internet Access Review

Community-sourced VPN review based on real Reddit & Twitter discussions

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Community Verdict
Mixed Reviews

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...

58%
positive
159
reviews
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
58% Positive Reviews
63 recommend, 46 warn
High Data Quality
159 reviews from 128 people
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
Approval Rate
58% positive
63 recommend · 46 warn
Reviews
159
104 Reddit · 27 Twitter
Unique Reviewers
128
Data Quality
High

What the Community Says

Community Rating 7.5/10

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, Android, macOS, and Linux, and has a track record of backing up its no-logs claims in real-world situations. It also gets a lot of love from folks who torrent and want features like port forwarding.

The biggest hesitation is trust: it’s a US-based service and it’s owned by Kape, which makes some people uncomfortable and sparks a lot of debate online. On the practical side, some say speeds and reliability aren’t as strong as they used to be, and there are occasional app quirks—especially on macOS (background service issues) and for Linux if you’re using the command line. A few people also mention setup headaches with certain networking gear and the occasional “it used to be great, but I moved on” vibe.

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
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
Not ideal for: Anyone who can’t get past the Kape ownership debate People who want the simplest, most foolproof experience on macOS or Linux CLI Speed-obsessed users who want the most consistent performance Privacy purists who prefer a provider outside the US

Summary generated 1 week ago from 159 community mentions

Reviews about "Macos"

7 reviews

"PIA is definitely the best VPN i have used, apps works pretty great - portforwarding is pretty straight forward, it might not be the fastest but i will still get like a 500/500ish connection with it more often than not. And it is unlimit..."

r/privateinternetaccess 1 month ago View on Reddit →

"> Mac app is a disaster, need to restart my Mac to restore Internet after disconnecting from vpn, often doesn’t launch until I delete the app and re install, nightmare I don't have any of those problems with PIA on my Mac. It is rock ..."

r/privateinternetaccess 1 month ago View on Reddit →

"have been using PIA for over 10 years. On Apple platforms. Been stable overall, no significant hiccups. Any issues they have server side is usually resolved quickly."

r/privateinternetaccess 1 month ago View on Reddit →

"I'm not a VPN connoisseur nor do I have anything other than everyday needs for one. Having said that, I have been with PIA for years and it has been just fine. Ample POPs and decent speeds (again at least for what I ever need). Clients f..."

r/vpn_question 1 week ago View on Reddit →

"> And you enable and disable it just fine? Yes. I can disable and reenable it at will. If I disable it the kill switch engages as expected (I have that on). I have never had to uninstall and reinstall the client. Also, private relay se..."

r/privateinternetaccess 1 month ago View on Reddit →

"Proven no logs Sub-par openvpn speed 850-950Mb/s wiregaurd No native gluetun support Mac app is a disaster, need to restart my Mac to restore Internet after disconnecting from vpn, often doesn’t launch until I delete the app and re ..."

r/privateinternetaccess 1 month ago View on Reddit →

"And you enable and disable it just fine? I don't have whatever issue he is talking about, but it's a known issue that the daemon in Mac doesn't shut down and start up again properly, requiring a full uninstall, reinstall, and sign in to be ..."

r/privateinternetaccess 1 month ago View on Reddit →