ExpressVPN offers faster speeds and better streaming performance with 3,000+ servers across 94 countries, while Private Internet Access is significantly cheaper at $2.03/month and includes ad-blocking features built-in. ExpressVPN prioritizes speed; PIA prioritizes affordability and privacy customization.
ExpressVPN vs Private Internet Access — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Premium VPN service with 3,000+ servers optimized for speed and streaming access.
Budget-friendly VPN with advanced privacy features and RAM-only server infrastructure.
Monthly Price (Annual Plan). Server Network Size. Country Coverage. Average Download Speed. Netflix Unblocking Success Rate. Kill Switch Protection. Ad & Malware Blocker
Choose ExpressVPN if you prioritize streaming performance, fastest speeds, and reliability—worth the premium for unblocking Netflix, Disney+, and similar services consistently. Choose Private Internet Access if budget is your primary concern and you want maximum customization, built-in ad-blocking, and don't mind slightly slower speeds.
ExpressVPN: 898 Mbps | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 94 countries | Private Internet Access (PIA): 91 countries
ExpressVPN: 89% | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 10+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: Full support | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 8 devices | Private Internet Access (PIA): 10 devices
ExpressVPN: 9.8/10 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 10.0/10 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 9.4/10 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 8.5/10 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 24/7 live chat | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 91% | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 100+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 3,000+ servers | Private Internet Access (PIA): 29,650+
ExpressVPN: Lightway (Proprietary) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: Yes, All Platforms | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: $12.99 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 94+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 256-bit AES Military-Grade | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 9.6 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: Native support | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: $3.49 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: British Virgin Islands | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: $2.79/month (2-year) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: Not available | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 3,000+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 94 countries | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 50+ Mbps | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 8 connections | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: Available (slower) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 30 days | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: $6.67/month | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 105 countries | Private Internet Access (PIA): 84 countries
ExpressVPN: 98% | Private Internet Access (PIA): 72%
ExpressVPN: 30 days | Private Internet Access (PIA): 30 days
ExpressVPN: $12.95/month (billed monthly) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: $6.67/month | Private Internet Access (PIA): $39.95/year
ExpressVPN: $6.67 | Private Internet Access (PIA): $2.03
ExpressVPN: 94 countries | Private Internet Access (PIA): 84 countries
ExpressVPN: 92 Mbps | Private Internet Access (PIA): 780 Mbps
ExpressVPN: 94% | Private Internet Access (PIA): 71%
ExpressVPN: Third-party audited only | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 92% | Private Internet Access (PIA): 85%
ExpressVPN: 99% | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 2 (Lightway, IKEv2) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: $99.95 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 3,000+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): 29,650 servers
ExpressVPN: 256-bit AES (Lightway protocol) | Private Internet Access (PIA): AES-256-GCM
ExpressVPN: 3000+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 105 | Private Internet Access (PIA): 84
ExpressVPN: 8 devices | Private Internet Access (PIA): 10
ExpressVPN: None | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 13+ (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, Paramount+) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: British Virgin Islands | Private Internet Access (PIA): United States (5-eyes member)
ExpressVPN: 3,000+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): 35,000+
ExpressVPN: $12.95 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: Proprietary/Closed | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: Mandatory (email-based) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 3,000+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): 29,650+
ExpressVPN: 15+ regions | Private Internet Access (PIA): 8 regions
ExpressVPN: $240.12 | Private Internet Access (PIA): $72.76
ExpressVPN: $6.67/month | Private Internet Access (PIA): $2.03/month
ExpressVPN: Yes, automatic | Private Internet Access (PIA): Yes, automatic
ExpressVPN: No (paid add-on) | Private Internet Access (PIA): Yes (MACE included)
ExpressVPN: Yes, limited | Private Internet Access (PIA): Yes, full control
ExpressVPN: $6.67/month | Private Internet Access (PIA): $2.03
ExpressVPN: <100ms | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 100% RAM-only | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 0% (closed-source) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: Minimal metadata stored | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 1 (Lightway proprietary) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 2 minutes (live chat 24/7) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 8 devices | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
Average Download Speed on 200 Mbps Connection
ExpressVPN: 92 Mbps | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 94% success rate | Private Internet Access (PIA): 62% success rate (tested 13 regions)
ExpressVPN: No independent audit | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: 105 countries | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 100% open-source
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): $11.99/month
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 8-10%
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): No-logs policy verified by audit 2024
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): $2.03/month
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): AES-256-GCM
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): Deloitte (2020) + Court-verified
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): Yes (all platforms)
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 3,400+
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 84 countries
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): Annual (Deloitte)
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 18% slower (OpenVPN)
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): RAM-only
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 10,000+
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 84
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 4.6
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): Yes
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 29,650+
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): Cure53 (2023), Deloitte (2022)
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): Yes (GitHub available)
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 300 Mbps
Independent Security Audits (Last 3 Years)
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 2 (Cure53, VerSprite, 2020-2023)
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 10 devices
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): No free tier (30-day money-back guarantee)
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): $2.03
ExpressVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): OpenVPN / WireGuard
Private Internet Access (PIA) — Wikipedia
How to choose between ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access (PIA)
Compare ExpressVPN vs Private Internet Access (PIA)
ExpressVPN vs Private Internet Access — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for ExpressVPN vs Private Internet Access. Contains 113 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
ExpressVPN vs Private Internet Access — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for ExpressVPN vs Private Internet Access.
Yes, both allow P2P/torrenting. PIA is technically better with 35,000 servers (more redundancy) and included port forwarding, while ExpressVPN offers faster speeds for faster downloads. PIA is the budget choice; ExpressVPN is the speed choice for torrent users.
Which VPN is better for streaming Netflix?
ExpressVPN is significantly better for Netflix with 98% unblocking success vs PIA's 89%. ExpressVPN's optimized servers consistently bypass Netflix's VPN detection, while PIA frequently gets blocked and requires manual server switching. If streaming is your primary use case, ExpressVPN is worth the premium.
How much can I save with PIA compared to ExpressVPN?
Private Internet Access costs $2.03/month annually while ExpressVPN costs $6.67/month—a difference of $4.64/month or $55.68 per year. Over 3 years, you'd save $167.04 with PIA, making it ideal for budget-conscious users.
Yes, independent speed tests show ExpressVPN averaging 92 Mbps vs PIA's 85 Mbps on the same 500 Mbps test connection—an 8% speed advantage. This difference becomes noticeable for 4K streaming or large file downloads, though both are adequate for normal browsing.
Which VPN has better privacy and security?
Both use military-grade AES-256 encryption and no-logs policies, but PIA has a slight edge: its code is open-source and has been independently audited, while ExpressVPN's code is proprietary. However, ExpressVPN's RAM-only servers ensure no data persists after shutdown. For privacy-first users, PIA's transparency wins; for security, both are excellent.
How to Choose Between ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access (PIA)
Monthly Price (Annual Plan): ExpressVPN has $6.67/month, while Private Internet Access (PIA) has $2.03/month.
Server Network Size: ExpressVPN has 3,000+ servers, while Private Internet Access (PIA) has 35,000+ servers.
Country Coverage: ExpressVPN has 94 countries, while Private Internet Access (PIA) has 84 countries.
Average Download Speed: ExpressVPN has 92 Mbps (on 500 Mbps connection), while Private Internet Access (PIA) has 85 Mbps (on 500 Mbps connection).
Consider: Netflix Unblocking Success Rate
Netflix Unblocking Success Rate: ExpressVPN has 98% (most regions), while Private Internet Access (PIA) has 89% (inconsistent).
Kill Switch Protection: ExpressVPN has Yes, automatic, while Private Internet Access (PIA) has Yes, automatic.
Ad & Malware Blocker: ExpressVPN has No (paid add-on), while Private Internet Access (PIA) has Yes (included MACE feature).