Private Internet Access Review
Community-sourced VPN review based on real Reddit & Twitter discussions
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...
What the Community Says
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
Summary generated 1 week ago from 159 community mentions
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Reviews about "Speed Performance"
6 reviews"PIA is solid if you care about lots of server locations and decent speeds. Apps feel a bit dated but it has been reliable for me day to day."
"I’ve used PIA for years with no complaints. Though I sometimes found it slow at times. I’ve heard Surfshark is fast, and they had a better deal than PIA. I switched this year. So far, I can’t tell the difference, and I like the PIA interfac..."
"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 ..."
"I used to be a die hard PIA fan. Its speed and connectivity became an issue a several years ago so I switched. Right now, I’m trying out Proton VPN."
"+1 Switched to proton after its free version outperformed surfshark/nord/express/PIA paid versions (I had access to all). 11 months in and still the right choice. I still try the others from time to time to check in"
"I had it for several years. Switched to Surfshark when renewal came up because I was dissatisfied with speeds and reliability, especially in the final year of my term. I have been more than satisfied after switching. TL;DR: I cannot recomm..."