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PIA review

Updated September 28, 2026 · ShieldCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.

Our verdict

PIA suits readers who want an audited no-logs policy, open source apps and a long plan, with the long-term plan running 39 months at $2.03 a month. The trade-off is entry pricing at $11.95 a month for the single term and a renewal figure of $47.88.

Key facts

Best for
Long-term subscribers who want audited no-logs privacy and open source apps in one plan.
Monthly price
$11.95↗
Long-term plan price
$2.03↗
Server countries
91↗
Renewal price
$47.88↗
Money-back period
30 days↗
Jurisdiction
US↗
Protocols
WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec↗
Features
Kill-switch, Multi-hop↗
Platforms
Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Smart TV, Gaming↗
Longest plan (months)
39 months↗
Legal entity
PIA Private Internet Access, Inc.↗
Headquarters
United States↗
Founded
2010↗
Support channels
Email, Chat, Help-centre↗
Features
No logs
Pricing model
Budget
Official website
privateinternetaccess.com

Privacy tools

Price from
$11.95↗
Free plan
No↗
Logging policy
No-logs: never tracks, stores, records or sells browsing data; RAM-only servers, no-logs policy audited by Deloitte↗
Open source
Yes↗
Privacy tool type
Ad-blocker, Browser↗

Facts checked September 26, 2026, 8 sources

Apps and profiles

Elsewhere
WikidataWikipediaXTrustpilot

Pros and cons

Pros

  • The logging policy is no-logs, with browsing data never tracked, stored, recorded or sold, and Deloitte has audited it.
  • The apps are open source, which suits readers who read the client code before trusting it.
  • A network of 91 server countries, above the 46.5 figure for VPN brands.
  • A 30 day money back window on a long-term plan that runs 39 months at $2.03 a month.
  • Clients for Windows, macOS and Linux, so phones, desktops and browsers sit under one subscription.

Cons

  • There is no free plan, so the 30 day money back window is the only route in before you commit.
  • PIA's monthly plan at $11.95 sits above the €7.89 monthly figure across the site.
  • Support runs on email, chat and help centre only, with no phone number in that list.
  • The long-term plan opens at $2.03 a month but renews at $47.88, so there are two figures to plan around.
PIA

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Scored 9.2 / 10 by ShieldCue.

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Who it suits

  • Readers who want an audited no-logs policy and open source apps in a single subscription.
  • Long-term buyers, since the long-term plan runs 39 months at $2.03 with a 30 day money back window.
  • People who need one account across Windows, macOS and Linux and a wide spread of exit locations.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Readers who want to browse options before paying anything, since PIA has no free plan and Apple Inc. at $0.99 suits lighter privacy budgets.
  • Readers who want a different kind of protection: ESET Brasil spans 40 to 70, a different footprint from PIA's 91.
  • Readers on a strict budget for one subscription, since Sinew Software Systems lists $1.99 against PIA's monthly plan at $11.95.

Pricing

PIA's monthly plan is priced at $11.95. The long-term plan falls to $2.03 a month when bought for 39 months, and that is the figure most buyers should compare, because a single term works out far more expensive per month. Renewal is a separate line at $47.88, so the long-term plan carries more than one price.

What it does well

The network covers 91 server countries, with the protocol set in WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec letting you pick a tunnel type per device. Core protections in kill switch and multi hop cover a kill switch and multi-hop connections, and clients exist for Windows, macOS and Linux. Together that handles the everyday cases: a desktop, a phone, a browser and a television under one subscription.

Intro and renewal prices

Two numbers sit under the long-term plan. The advertised rate is $2.03 a month, and the renewal figure is $47.88. They are not interchangeable, so anyone budgeting only on the headline monthly rate is not prepared for the second term. Read the renewal line before you commit to the long term.

Privacy and jurisdiction

The service operates under US law. Its logging policy is no-logs: browsing data is never tracked, stored, recorded or sold, and servers run on RAM only, so nothing is written to disk in the first place. Deloitte has audited that policy, which moves the claim outside the company's own description of itself. Jurisdiction remains the part readers weigh separately, since the audit covers the logging, not the location.

Free plan and trial

There is no free plan, so every feature sits behind a paid subscription. The 30 day money back window stands in for a trial: pay, use the service, and claim a refund if it does not suit your needs. Anyone who wants to browse options before spending anything should look at a brand that publishes a free tier instead.

Who runs it

PIA is run by PIA Private Internet Access, Inc., founded in 2010 and headquartered in the United States. Support runs through email, chat and help centre, so a help centre does most of the work, with email and live chat for the rest. Being a long-established operator matters to readers who would rather sign up with a company that has been trading for years.

How PIA compares

Where PIA is available

Available
Everywhere except Belarus, Cuba, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Libya, Russia, Sudan, Syria

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

How much does PIA cost a month?+

The monthly plan is priced at $11.95. The long-term plan drops to $2.03 a month when bought for 39 months, which is where most of the saving sits. Renewal is quoted separately at $47.88, so budget for a second figure as well as the monthly rate.

What does PIA cost at renewal?+

Renewal is listed at $47.88, set apart from the $2.03 monthly rate that opens the long-term plan. The two figures are not interchangeable, so a buyer who budgets on the headline rate alone is not prepared for the second term. Read the renewal line before committing to a long subscription.

Is there a free version of PIA?+

There is no free plan, so every feature sits behind a paid subscription. The 30 day money back window is the substitute for a trial: pay, use the service, and claim a refund if it does not suit your needs. There is no lower tier to sample before that.

Does PIA keep logs of what I browse?+

The listing records no logs as a core feature, and the written policy states that browsing data is never tracked, stored, recorded or sold, with servers running on RAM only so nothing stays on disk. Deloitte has audited the policy, which puts the claim in the hands of an outside party.

Which country's laws apply to PIA?+

The service operates under US law, and the entity behind it is PIA Private Internet Access, Inc.. The company is headquartered in the United States, so requests for user data are handled in that country rather than anywhere else. Readers who care about jurisdiction should weigh that location before buying.

Which devices and platforms does PIA cover?+

Apps cover Windows, macOS and Linux, spanning desktop systems, mobile devices and browser extensions, and the protocols in WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec let you choose a tunnel type per device. A television or gaming platform has a listed build rather than a manual setup, which saves time on shared screens.

How do I get help from PIA?+

Support runs through email, chat and help centre, so the help centre carries most questions, with email for written requests and chat for quicker exchanges. There is no phone number in that list, so anyone who prefers to talk to a person starts from the written channels.

Where are PIA's servers located?+

The network spans 91 server countries, well above the 46.5 figure for VPN brands in the same comparison. Where a smaller VPN runs out of locations, PIA still has somewhere to place a connection, and that spread is a large part of what the subscription buys.

Sources

  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_Internet_Access checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Founded

    “Founded in 2010 by entrepreneur Andrew Lee under the parent organization London Trust Media”

  • privateinternetaccess.com checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Open source, Privacy tool type

    “Our apps are 100% open source. Anybody can inspect and customize our open-source software.”

  • privateinternetaccess.com/about-us checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Headquarters

    “Private Internet Access is based in the United States ... 2590 Welton St. Suite 200 Denver, CO 80205”

  • privateinternetaccess.com/affiliate-program checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Support channels

    “If you have any questions, please contact us at ... Live Chat: Need Help? Chat with us! Online”

  • privateinternetaccess.com/buy-vpn-online checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Free plan, Pricing model, Price from

    “PIA is a premium VPN solution, but you can try it absolutely risk-free with our 30-day money-back guarantee on any purchase.”

  • privateinternetaccess.com/terms-of-service checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Jurisdiction, Legal entity

    “Accessing the service to violate any laws at the local, state and federal level in the United States of America”

  • privateinternetaccess.com/vpn-features checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Logging policy

    “PIA never tracks, stores, records, or sells browsing data, ensuring your digital tracks disappear for good.”

  • privateinternetaccess.com/vpn-servers checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Features, Features, Long-term plan price, Longest plan (months), Money-back period, Platforms, Monthly price, Protocols, Renewal price, Server countries

    “Strict No Logs Policy”

Compiled from 8 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Devices, No-logs audit.

PIA

PIA

Long-term subscribers who want audited no-logs privacy and open source apps in one plan.

9.2/10See alternatives