ProtonVPN offers stronger privacy fundamentals with Swiss jurisdiction and open-source code, while Private Internet Access provides faster speeds, more server locations (29,650 vs 3,000+), and better value at $2.03/month compared to ProtonVPN's $3.99/month.
ProtonVPN vs Private Internet Access — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Swiss-based VPN focused on privacy with free tier and integrated security features
US-based VPN with massive server network, aggressive pricing, and strong performance
Monthly Price (Annual Plan). Server Locations. Jurisdiction. Open-Source Code. No-Logs Audit. Kill Switch. Average Download Speed Loss
Choose ProtonVPN if you prioritize maximum privacy with Swiss jurisdiction, open-source transparency, and don't mind paying more for Swiss legal protections and independent security audits. Choose Private Internet Access if you want the lowest cost, fastest speeds, maximum server options for unblocking content, and value price over jurisdiction, accepting US-based infrastructure.
ProtonVPN: 3,500+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: $99.99 (Plus) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: 8-12% decrease | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: 1 (Netflix only) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: 100 MB/month free plan | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: Switzerland (5 Eyes only) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: AES-256 + ChaCha20 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: $4.99 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: AES-256 and ChaCha20 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: Annual third-party audit | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: Yes (free tier) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: Partial (apps only) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: $9.99/month (1-year) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: Available with unlimited data | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: 2,000+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: 68 countries | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: 40+ Mbps | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: 10 connections (Pro) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: Available (optimized) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: 30 days | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: $4.99/month | Private Internet Access (PIA): $2.03/month
ProtonVPN: $12.99/month | Private Internet Access (PIA): $11.99/month
ProtonVPN: 2,700+ servers | Private Internet Access (PIA): 35,000+
ProtonVPN: 12-15% | Private Internet Access (PIA): 8-10%
ProtonVPN: AES-256 with 4096-bit RSA | Private Internet Access (PIA): AES-256-GCM
ProtonVPN: Strict no-logs, Swiss law compliance | Private Internet Access (PIA): No-logs policy verified by audit 2024
ProtonVPN: 91 countries | Private Internet Access (PIA): 91
ProtonVPN: Yes, all platforms | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: 2023 (Securitum) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: Most major platforms | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: $9.99/month | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: 565 Mbps | Private Internet Access (PIA): 720 Mbps
ProtonVPN: 10 GB/month | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: 100% open-source (audited) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: Deloitte no-logs audit (2022) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: 2000+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: 68 countries | Private Internet Access (PIA): 84
ProtonVPN: 76% | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: 10 devices | Private Internet Access (PIA): 10
ProtonVPN: 8+ (Netflix, BBC iPlayer, DAZN) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: Switzerland (5-eyes exempt) | Private Internet Access (PIA): United States (5-eyes member)
ProtonVPN: 10GB | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: Yes (Cure53 audit 2023) | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: 30 days | Private Internet Access (PIA): 30 days
ProtonVPN: Yes, always enabled | Private Internet Access (PIA): Yes
ProtonVPN: $9.99 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: $59.88 | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: 1,900+ servers | Private Internet Access (PIA): N/A
ProtonVPN: 3,500+ | Private Internet Access (PIA): 10,000+
ProtonVPN: 65 countries | Private Internet Access (PIA): 91 countries
ProtonVPN: $119.88/year | Private Internet Access (PIA): $39.95/year
ProtonVPN: 200 Mbps | Private Internet Access (PIA): 300 Mbps
Independent Security Audits (Last 3 Years)
ProtonVPN: 3 (Securitum, Cure53, 2021-2024) | Private Internet Access (PIA): 2 (Cure53, VerSprite, 2020-2023)
ProtonVPN: 10 devices | Private Internet Access (PIA): 10 devices
ProtonVPN: Free tier: 3 servers, 1 GB/month | Private Internet Access (PIA): No free tier (30-day money-back guarantee)
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): $2.03
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 71%
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 10 devices
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 29,650 servers
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 91 countries
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 100% open-source
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): $2.03/month
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 84 countries
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): AES-256-GCM
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): Deloitte (2020) + Court-verified
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): Yes (all platforms)
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 3,400+
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): Annual (Deloitte)
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 18% slower (OpenVPN)
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 62% success rate (tested 13 regions)
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 84
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 4.6
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 29,650+
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): Cure53 (2023), Deloitte (2022)
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): Yes (GitHub available)
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 85%
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): 8 regions
ProtonVPN: N/A | Private Internet Access (PIA): $72.76
Private Internet Access (PIA) — Wikipedia
How to choose between ProtonVPN and Private Internet Access (PIA)
Compare ProtonVPN vs Private Internet Access (PIA)
ProtonVPN vs Private Internet Access — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for ProtonVPN vs Private Internet Access. Contains 85 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
ProtonVPN vs Private Internet Access — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for ProtonVPN vs Private Internet Access.
ProtonVPN is technically safer for maximum privacy due to Swiss jurisdiction (not in Five Eyes alliance), fully open-source code, and annual third-party audits. However, Private Internet Access also provides strong privacy with its completed 2024 independent audit and no-logs verification. ProtonVPN is better if jurisdiction matters; PIA is sufficient for most users.
Why is Private Internet Access so much cheaper?
PIA's lower pricing ($2.03 vs $3.99 monthly) reflects its business model: US-based operation, larger user base for cost distribution, proprietary infrastructure, and fewer premium features. ProtonVPN charges more to fund Swiss operations, open-source development, regular security audits, and integration with ProtonMail ecosystem.
Yes, both support P2P and torrenting with kill switches. Private Internet Access is preferred for torrenting because it has 9,890 dedicated P2P servers, faster speeds (8-10% loss vs 12-15%), and better unblocking capability. ProtonVPN allows torrenting but with slower speeds and fewer optimized servers.
Which VPN unblocks Netflix and streaming better?
Private Internet Access is significantly better for streaming due to 29,650 servers vs 3,000+, allowing easier IP rotation to bypass geographic blocks. PIA's larger infrastructure makes detection and blocking by streaming services less likely. ProtonVPN works for some regions but has more connectivity issues with streaming platforms.
ProtonVPN's free tier (100 MB/day limit) is adequate for light browsing or testing, though severely limited at 5 GB/month. Neither service is truly 'free' in practical terms. ProtonVPN's free tier exists for user onboarding; PIA offers no free option, making ProtonVPN better if you want zero-cost access.
How to Choose Between ProtonVPN and Private Internet Access (PIA)
Monthly Price (Annual Plan): ProtonVPN has $3.99/month, while Private Internet Access (PIA) has $2.03/month.
Server Locations: ProtonVPN has 3,000+ servers in 68 countries, while Private Internet Access (PIA) has 29,650+ servers in 84 countries.
Jurisdiction: ProtonVPN has Switzerland (strong privacy laws), while Private Internet Access (PIA) has United States (Five Eyes member).
Open-Source Code: ProtonVPN has Yes, fully open-source, while Private Internet Access (PIA) has Partial (some components proprietary).
No-Logs Audit: ProtonVPN has Annual third-party audit (SOC 2 Type II), while Private Internet Access (PIA) has Independent audit completed 2024.
Kill Switch: ProtonVPN has Yes, included, while Private Internet Access (PIA) has Yes, included.
Average Download Speed Loss: ProtonVPN has 12-15%, while Private Internet Access (PIA) has 8-10%.