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 "Privacy"
18 reviews"@phct001 @rekdt at least private-internet-access has court cases to prove they defend their users and didnt cooporate with government cause they didnt log anything. proton isnt secure/private-by-design They fckd multiple users now"
"@ProtonMail EVER PROVIDER CAN SEE YOUR EMAILS... ALSO... PROTON VPN SUCKS... I used to have pia and it was SOO much better."
"@SaarNil72 My personal preference for vpn is "private internet access" for only one reason. They are the only provider that I'm aware of that has had its "no log" policy tested in court when they were subpoenaed in the US. Been with them for years now, decent speeds, loads of devices."
"...e sure it's one that doesn't keep logs. I would stay away from free ones. Europe based used to have more privacy but that will change. Can recommend Private Internet Access, US based. Plenty of other good ones though, shop around."
"@stringer_kade @phct001 @rekdt huh? they keep using the excuse "they had no choice but to cooporate with the government" due to "lawful orders" Stop making excuses for these WEF fools. I dont see PIA or Mullvad comply with this to Rat out their users ?!"
"If you can give out any paid vpn log hit me up please PIA | EXPRESS | IPVanish | NORD Socks secure proxy more more more any paid vpn"
"Dropping New log on telegram Private Pia and surfshark only."
"@turveyandrew1 @Lewis_Brackpool Or you could tell the truth. NordVPN - Panama ExpressVPN - Delaware Surfshark - Netherlands ProtonVPN - Switzerland Mullvad - Sweden PIA - USA CyberGhost - Romania"
"@windscribecom thoughts on the Private Internet Access VPN? have proved no logs etc in courts as I undertand it"
"@AugusteCom30151 @LozzaFox @Keir_Starmer @grok Just been reading into Mullvad seems to be exactly what PIA used to be. Just depends on bandwidth restriction and PFsense compatibility now."
"...tHQ Israeli firm now controls 8 vpn services A big concern that an Israeli firm now controls 30% to 40% of the VPN market. ExpressVPN , CyberGhost, Private Internet Access (PIA) , ZenMate , Hotspot Shield , Betternet , Touch VPN...."
"@thecoastguy Kape Technologies (Israel): A significant player, owning ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, Private Internet Access (PIA), and ZenMate, previously operated under the name Crossrider with a controversial adware past. Aura/Pango Group (Israel/US): Owns Hotspot Shield, Betternet, Touch VPN,"
"@StarkPrivacy @grok How come Mullvad can continue to operate as one of the best out there and how come many others have sold out, such as PIA or ProtonVPN. Who are some similar competitors to Mullvad but offer Port Forwarding for p2p?"
"@ForeverScept @RedsReporter @grok is private internet access owned by the Israel intelligence service?"
"@iamwilsxn My research: PIA VPN is owned by Kape Technologies, a company fully controlled by Israeli billionaire Teddy Sagi since 2023. Kape acquired PIA in late 2019, integrating it into a portfolio that includes other VPNs like ExpressVPN and CyberGhost Fuck Zionism.✊ @NordVPN ftw"
"Exactly. Anyone looking for a proper VPN btw, that won't get hit by the ban, and won't bend to the UK government, take a look at Mullvad. Years ago when they were raided, they just let the police in because they had literally NO logs of anything, at all. All the VPNs you get advertised on YouTube say they don't keep logs, but they do and police reports prove it. ExpressVPN / PIA / Surfshark etc - ..."
"@MaxNordau Makes sense, Israelis do disguise surveillance products as tech products. Some examples: TM Signal - logs Signal chats for Israeli review Or their VPN honeypots disguised as privacy products- ExpressVPN/PIA/GhostVPN/etc. All Israeli owned, for sure not used for data collection"
"@AidanSimardone Just use VPN not backed and controlled by Israel or Mossad Just Google “VPNs Israel” and you should get some articles on this and which the Israeli ran VPNs, such as ExpressVPN and PIA"