NordVPN offers faster speeds (average 580 Mbps vs 420 Mbps) and supports up to 6 simultaneous connections, while Private Internet Access provides lower pricing ($2.03/month vs $3.99/month annually) and a smaller footprint with 29,650 servers across 91 countries versus NordVPN's 6,595 servers. Both use strong encryption and have no-log policies, making the choice dependent on budget versus performance priorities.
NordVPN vs Private Internet Access — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
VPN service with 6,000+ servers across 111 countries and military-grade encryption
Budget-friendly VPN with massive server network and built-in privacy tools.
Monthly Subscription Cost (Annual Plan). Average Download Speed. Simultaneous Connections. Server Count. Countries Covered. Money-Back Guarantee. Kill Switch Feature
Choose NordVPN if you prioritize faster speeds, need to connect in 111 countries, and want advanced features like Threat Protection and dedicated IP options. Choose Private Internet Access if you're budget-conscious, need more simultaneous connections (10 vs 6), prefer maximum server density, or want transparent open-source infrastructure—it's the better value for users who don't need bleeding-edge speeds.
NordVPN: 950+ Mbps | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 111 countries | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 92% | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 10+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Limited | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: NordLynx, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: $3.99 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Fastest | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Strict no-logs | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Included | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Yes (app-level) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 5.20% decrease | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 4+ (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max verified) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: None - 30-day money back only | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Panama (5/9/14 Eyes) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: AES-256 (NordLynx) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 950 Mbps | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 30+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: NordLynx (WireGuard-based) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Yes, All Platforms | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 6,500+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 110+ countries | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: None available | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: AES-256 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: From $69/year | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Yes, regular audits | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Yes, on all platforms | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: $3.09 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 7,200+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 110+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Faster globally | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Yes - Threat Protection Pro | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: $36+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Excellent - Panama | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: $83.43 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 7200+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Full support for major platforms | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Fast (20-50 Mbps typical) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Verified no-logs | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Crypto, card, PayPal | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: $69.99/year (2-year plan) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Not applicable | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 0 (Premium only) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 6 simultaneous connections | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: No | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 7 major browser extensions | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: $3.99/month | Private Internet Access (PIA): $2.03/month
NordVPN: 6,000+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): 3,355
NordVPN: All platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android) | Private Internet Access (PIA): Yes (all platforms)
NordVPN: 2024 (PwC) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: $47.88/year | Private Internet Access (PIA): $2.03/month
NordVPN: 6 devices | Private Internet Access (PIA): 10 devices
NordVPN: 111 countries | Private Internet Access (PIA): 91 countries
NordVPN: Partial (selected components) | Private Internet Access (PIA): 100% open-source
NordVPN: 111 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Proprietary/Closed-source | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 2022 (PwC) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 6,000+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: $3.99/month | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Partial (proprietary components) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Yes, all platforms | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 2 (PwC & Deloitte 2024) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: No free tier | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 580 Mbps | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 5,400+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: $47.88 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 111 countries | Private Internet Access (PIA): 91
NordVPN: AES-256 | Private Internet Access (PIA): AES-256-GCM
NordVPN: 30 days | Private Internet Access (PIA): 30 days
NordVPN: 6,400+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): 29,650 servers
NordVPN: 6,500+ servers | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 12+ (major platforms only) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Yes (PwC audit 2024) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: $3.99/month | Private Internet Access (PIA): $2.03
NordVPN: 6,500+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): 35,000+
NordVPN: WireGuard with ChaCha20 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 6,500+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): 3,400+
NordVPN: 111 countries | Private Internet Access (PIA): 84 countries
NordVPN: Annual (PwC) | Private Internet Access (PIA): Annual (Deloitte)
NordVPN: 8% slower (NordLynx/WireGuard) | Private Internet Access (PIA): 18% slower (OpenVPN)
NordVPN: 89% success rate (tested 13 regions) | Private Internet Access (PIA): 62% success rate (tested 13 regions)
NordVPN: 6 devices | Private Internet Access (PIA): 10
NordVPN: OpenVPN, WireGuard, ChaCha20, NordLynx | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Yes (Threat Protection included) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Panama (outside 5/9/14-Eyes) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 111 | Private Internet Access (PIA): 84
NordVPN: 4.4 | Private Internet Access (PIA): 4.6
NordVPN: Yes (automatic) | Private Internet Access (PIA): Yes
NordVPN: 5,900+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): 29,650+
NordVPN: 60 countries | Private Internet Access (PIA): 84
NordVPN: 840 Mbps | Private Internet Access (PIA): 720 Mbps
NordVPN: PwC (2024) | Private Internet Access (PIA): Cure53 (2023), Deloitte (2022)
NordVPN: No (proprietary) | Private Internet Access (PIA): Yes (GitHub available)
NordVPN: 10 | Private Internet Access (PIA): 10
NordVPN: $12.99 | Private Internet Access (PIA): $11.99/month
NordVPN: 320 Mbps | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Yes | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: $3.49/month | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: AES-256 Double VPN (dual layer) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Yes (multiple 2022-2024) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: $6.99/month | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: IKEv2/IPSec or WireGuard | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: 7 days | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
NordVPN: Strict no-logs policy | Private Internet Access (PIA): No-logs policy verified by audit 2024
NordVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 71%
NordVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 8-10%
NordVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): $2.03/month
NordVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 84 countries
NordVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): AES-256-GCM
NordVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): Deloitte (2020) + Court-verified
NordVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 29,650+
NordVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 85%
NordVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 8 regions
NordVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): $72.76
Private Internet Access (PIA) — Wikipedia
How to choose between NordVPN and Private Internet Access (PIA)
Compare NordVPN vs Private Internet Access (PIA)
NordVPN vs Private Internet Access — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for NordVPN vs Private Internet Access. Contains 132 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
NordVPN vs Private Internet Access — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for NordVPN vs Private Internet Access.
Which VPN is faster for streaming and downloading?
NordVPN delivers faster speeds with an average of 580 Mbps compared to Private Internet Access's 420 Mbps—that's a 38% speed advantage. For 4K streaming, NordVPN's speed is more reliable, though PIA remains adequate for HD content. Speed varies by location, but NordVPN consistently ranks faster across most server regions.
Which VPN is better for privacy and security?
Both offer strong privacy with AES-256-GCM encryption and verified no-log policies. However, Private Internet Access has a significant advantage with 100% open-source code that independent security researchers can audit. NordVPN offers only partial open-source components. Both have passed third-party security audits, but PIA provides greater transparency for privacy purists.
Can I use either VPN to unblock streaming services?
NordVPN is better optimized for streaming with dedicated servers and stronger Netflix/Disney+ compatibility across its 111 countries. Private Internet Access works for some streaming but faces more frequent blocks due to its smaller, overused server network. If unblocking streams is your primary goal, NordVPN is the more reliable choice.
Which VPN offers the best value for money?
Private Internet Access wins on price at $2.03/month annually (49% cheaper than NordVPN) and offers 10 simultaneous connections versus NordVPN's 6. However, NordVPN's superior speeds and broader geographic coverage justify the premium for speed-focused users. PIA is the better value for budget users willing to accept slightly slower speeds.
How many devices can I connect simultaneously?
Private Internet Access allows 10 simultaneous connections, while NordVPN permits only 6. If you need to protect multiple devices at once (smartphone, laptop, tablet, smart TV, etc.), PIA gives you 67% more flexibility. This is a significant practical advantage for families or users with many connected devices.
How to Choose Between NordVPN and Private Internet Access (PIA)
Consider: Monthly Subscription Cost (Annual Plan)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Annual Plan): NordVPN has $3.99/month, while Private Internet Access (PIA) has $2.03/month.
Average Download Speed: NordVPN has 580 Mbps, while Private Internet Access (PIA) has 420 Mbps.
Simultaneous Connections: NordVPN has 6 devices, while Private Internet Access (PIA) has 10 devices.
Server Count: NordVPN has 6,595 servers, while Private Internet Access (PIA) has 29,650 servers.
Countries Covered: NordVPN has 111 countries, while Private Internet Access (PIA) has 91 countries.
Money-Back Guarantee: NordVPN has 30 days, while Private Internet Access (PIA) has 30 days.
Kill Switch Feature: NordVPN has Yes (all plans), while Private Internet Access (PIA) has Yes (all plans).