ProtonVPN offers stronger privacy credentials with Switzerland-based infrastructure and no-logs verification, while Private Internet Access (PIA) provides faster speeds and lower prices with 10,000+ servers across 91 countries. ProtonVPN prioritizes security-first design; PIA prioritizes speed and value.
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
Server Network Size. Base Price (Annual). Jurisdiction & Privacy Laws. Independent Security Audits. Average Download Speed (256-bit AES). Kill Switch Functionality. Free Plan Availability
Choose ProtonVPN if privacy is your top priority—its Switzerland headquarters, stronger legal protections, and transparent no-logs commitment make it ideal for journalists, activists, and privacy-conscious users willing to accept slower speeds. Choose Private Internet Access (PIA) if you prioritize speed, server diversity, and affordability—its extensive network and aggressive pricing suit casual users, streamers, and those needing reliable unblocking on a budget.
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.
Can the government force ProtonVPN or PIA to reveal my activity?
ProtonVPN is based in Switzerland, which has the world's strongest privacy laws—Swiss courts rarely honor US government data requests, and ProtonVPN's no-logs architecture means no activity data exists to hand over. PIA is US-based, meaning the FBI, NSA, or courts can issue subpoenas that PIA must comply with. However, PIA's verified no-logs policy means there's no user activity data stored—only metadata like connection timestamps might exist. For maximum protection against government surveillance, ProtonVPN has a significant advantage.
Why is PIA so much cheaper than ProtonVPN?
PIA's aggressive pricing ($3.33/month on annual plans) reflects a business model focused on volume and retention through affordability. ProtonVPN charges premium prices ($9.99/month minimum) to fund its security-first infrastructure, regular independent audits, and Swiss-based operations. ProtonVPN also includes malware blocking (NetShield) and double VPN in base plans, increasing costs. PIA prioritizes growth in competitive markets; ProtonVPN prioritizes security margins and investor independence.
Which VPN is better for streaming and unblocking?
Private Internet Access (PIA) is significantly better for streaming—its 10,000+ servers across 91 countries provide more IP addresses to rotate, making detection and blocking harder. ProtonVPN's smaller 3,500-server network gets blocked more frequently by Netflix, Disney+, and other platforms. However, ProtonVPN's Stealth mode helps bypass censorship in restrictive countries. For casual streaming, PIA wins; for accessing content in China/Iran/Russia, ProtonVPN is more reliable.
Both claim verified no-logs policies backed by independent audits. ProtonVPN was audited by Cure53 (2024) and Securitum (2023) confirming zero activity logs. PIA was audited by Cure53 (2023) and VerSprite, also confirming no-logs claims. The key difference: ProtonVPN's Switzerland base means even if a court ordered logs, Swiss law provides stronger resistance to data sharing. PIA's US base means a US government court order would likely be honored, though no logs would exist to hand over anyway.
Which has better kill switch and security features?
ProtonVPN's kill switch is bundled with NetShield, which blocks malware, phishing, and ads at DNS level—included free on all plans. PIA's kill switch is standard and prevents IP leaks if the connection drops, plus offers split tunneling (routing specific apps outside the VPN). ProtonVPN's double VPN option adds an extra encryption layer. Both are secure; ProtonVPN emphasizes threat blocking, PIA emphasizes granular control and split tunneling for advanced users.
How to Choose Between ProtonVPN and Private Internet Access (PIA)
Server Network Size: ProtonVPN has 3,500+ servers across 65 countries, while Private Internet Access (PIA) has 10,000+ servers across 91 countries.
Base Price (Annual): ProtonVPN has $119.88/year (~$9.99/month), while Private Internet Access (PIA) has $39.95/year (~$3.33/month).
Jurisdiction & Privacy Laws: ProtonVPN has Switzerland (strongest privacy protections, EU-GDPR compliant), while Private Internet Access (PIA) has United States (weaker privacy laws, subject to court orders).
Independent Security Audits: ProtonVPN has Audited by Securitum (2021, 2023) and Cure53 (2024), while Private Internet Access (PIA) has Audited by Cure53 (2020, 2023) and VerSprite.
Consider: Average Download Speed (256-bit AES)
Average Download Speed (256-bit AES): ProtonVPN has 180-220 Mbps, while Private Internet Access (PIA) has 280-320 Mbps.
Kill Switch Functionality: ProtonVPN has NetShield (double VPN + malware blocking included free), while Private Internet Access (PIA) has Kill switch with split tunneling (standard feature).
Free Plan Availability: ProtonVPN has Yes, limited to 3 servers, 1 GB/month data, while Private Internet Access (PIA) has No free plan offered.