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ProtonVPN vs PIA 2025 - Privacy vs Speed

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

ProtonVPN

Swiss-based VPN with open-source apps and strong privacy focus, owned by Proton AG

Privacy-conscious users willing to pay premium for Swiss jurisdiction, journalists, activists, and those using ProtonMail who want maximum transparency

Score63%
VS
PI

Private Internet Access (PIA)

Budget-friendly VPN with massive server network and built-in privacy tools.

Budget-conscious users prioritizing speed and content unblocking, streamers, torrent users, and those who don't have specific jurisdiction concerns

Score63%

Quick Answer

AI Summary

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.

Our Verdict

AI-assisted

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.

Community feedback

Was this verdict helpful?

ProtonVPN
5/10
Private Internet Access (PIA)
10/10
P
ProtonVPN

Choose ProtonVPN if

Privacy-conscious users willing to pay premium for Swiss jurisdiction, journalists, activists, and those using ProtonMail who want maximum transparency

P

Choose Private Internet Access (PIA) if

Best pick

Budget-conscious users prioritizing speed and content unblocking, streamers, torrent users, and those who don't have specific jurisdiction concerns

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Key Differences at a Glance

  • Monthly Price (Annual Plan):Private Internet Access (PIA) wins($2.03/month vs $3.99/month)
  • Server Locations:Private Internet Access (PIA) wins(29,650+ servers in 84 countries vs 3,000+ servers in 68 countries)
  • Jurisdiction:ProtonVPN wins(Switzerland (strong privacy laws) vs United States (Five Eyes member))
See all 7 differences

Key Facts & Figures

54 numeric metrics compared

MetricProtonVPNPrivate Internet Access (PIA)Ratio
Global Server Count(servers)3,500+
Annual Subscription Cost (Best Plan)(USD)$99.99 (Plus)
Download Speed Performance Impact(% decrease from baseline)8-12% decrease
Monthly Cost (Basic Plan)(USD)$4.99
Open Source Code(percentage)Partial (apps only)
Starting Monthly Price(USD)$9.99/month (1-year)
Server Count(servers)2,000+
Countries Covered(count)68 countries
Average Download Speed(Mbps)40+ Mbps
Simultaneous Connections(devices)10 connections (Pro)
Money-Back Guarantee(days)30 days
Annual Plan Price(USD/month)$4.99/month$2.03/month
Monthly Plan Price(USD)$12.99/month$11.99/month
Server Count(servers)2,700+ servers35,000+
Speed Loss (Average)(percent)12-15%8-10%
Country Coverage(countries)91 countries91
Latest Security Audit Year2023 (Securitum)
Monthly Pricing (Annual Plan)(USD)$9.99/month
Average Download Speed(Mbps)565 Mbps720 Mbps
Total Server Locations(number)2000+
Countries Covered(countries)68 countries84
Speed Retention Rate(%)76%
Simultaneous Device Connections(devices)10 devices10
Streaming Service Compatibility(platforms)8+ (Netflix, BBC iPlayer, DAZN)
Annual Subscription Cost(USD)$119.88 ($9.99/month)$2.03/month
Free Tier Monthly Data(GB)10GB
Simultaneous Connections(devices)10 devices10
Money-Back Guarantee Period(days)30 days30 days
Monthly Price (Standard Plan)(USD)$9.99
Annual Price (Lowest Tier)(USD)$59.88
Server Network Size(servers)1,900+ servers
Money-Back Guarantee(days)30 days30 days
Monthly Price (Annual Commitment)(USD)$2.03$2.03
Netflix Unblocking Success(%)71%71%
Maximum Simultaneous Connections(devices)10 devices10 devices
Total Server Count(servers)29,650 servers29,650 servers
Monthly Price (Best Annual Deal)(USD)$2.03/month$2.03/month
Countries with Servers(countries)84 countries84 countries
Monthly Subscription Cost (Annual Plan)(USD)$2.03$2.03
Total VPN Servers Worldwide(servers)3,400+3,400+
Countries with Server Presence(countries)84 countries84 countries
No-Logs Audit Frequency(audits per year)Annual (Deloitte)Annual (Deloitte)
Average Download Speed Loss(%)18% slower (OpenVPN)18% slower (OpenVPN)
Netflix Streaming Reliability(%)62% success rate (tested 13 regions)62% success rate (tested 13 regions)
Annual Subscription Price(USD)$2.03/month$2.03/month
Total VPN Servers(servers)3,3553,355
Countries with Server Coverage(countries)8484
Customer Rating (Trustpilot)(out of 5.0)4.64.6
Annual Plan Cost (Per Month)(USD)$2.03/month$2.03/month
Number of Servers(servers)29,650+29,650+
Number of VPN Servers(servers)29,650+29,650+
Average Speed Retention(%)85%85%
Netflix Streaming Compatibility(regions)8 regions8 regions
Annual Cost (3-Year Commitment)(USD)$72.76$72.76

Sourced from publicly available data ·

Key Differences

7 attributes compared head-to-head

ProtonVPN
2ProtonVPN
Private Internet Access (PIA) leads2 ties
PI
3Private Internet Access (PIA)
  • Monthly Price (Annual Plan)

    ProtonVPN

    $3.99/month

    Private Internet Access (PIA)

    $2.03/month(winner)

  • Server Locations

    ProtonVPN

    3,000+ servers in 68 countries

    Private Internet Access (PIA)

    29,650+ servers in 84 countries(winner)

  • Jurisdiction

    ProtonVPN

    Switzerland (strong privacy laws)(winner)

    Private Internet Access (PIA)

    United States (Five Eyes member)

  • Open-Source Code

    ProtonVPN

    Yes, fully open-source(winner)

    Private Internet Access (PIA)

    Partial (some components proprietary)

  • No-Logs Audit

    ProtonVPN

    Annual third-party audit (SOC 2 Type II)

    Private Internet Access (PIA)

    Independent audit completed 2024

  • Kill Switch

    ProtonVPN

    Yes, included

    Private Internet Access (PIA)

    Yes, included

  • Average Download Speed Loss

    ProtonVPN

    12-15%

    Private Internet Access (PIA)

    8-10%(winner)

Full Comparison

ProtonVPN
PPrivate Internet Access (PIA)
Global Server Count(servers)
3,500+
Server Count(servers)
2,000+
Country Coverage(countries)
91 countries
91
Server Network Size(servers)
1,900+ servers
Total Server Count(servers)
29,650 servers
Show 5 more attributes
Countries with Servers(countries)
84 countries
Total VPN Servers(servers)
3,355
Countries with Server Coverage(countries)
84
Number of Servers(servers)
29,650+
Number of VPN Servers(servers)
29,650+
Annual Subscription Cost (Best Plan)(USD)
$99.99 (Plus)
Monthly Cost (Basic Plan)(USD)
$4.99
Starting Monthly Price(USD)
$9.99/month (1-year)
Free Version
Available with unlimited data
Annual Plan Price(USD/month)
$4.99/month
$2.03/month
Show 12 more attributes
Monthly Plan Price(USD)
$12.99/month
$11.99/month
Monthly Pricing (Annual Plan)(USD)
$9.99/month
Free Tier Data Allowance(GB/month)
10 GB/month
Annual Subscription Cost(USD)
$119.88 ($9.99/month)
$2.03/month
Monthly Price (Standard Plan)(USD)
$9.99
Annual Price (Lowest Tier)(USD)
$59.88
Monthly Price (Annual Commitment)(USD)
$2.03
Monthly Price (Best Annual Deal)(USD)
$2.03/month
Monthly Subscription Cost (Annual Plan)(USD)
$2.03
Annual Subscription Price(USD)
$2.03/month
Annual Plan Cost (Per Month)(USD)
$2.03/month
Annual Cost (3-Year Commitment)(USD)
$72.76
Download Speed Performance Impact(% decrease from baseline)
8-12% decrease
Average Download Speed(Mbps)
40+ Mbps
Speed Loss (Average)(percent)
12-15%
8-10%
Streaming Services Optimized(platforms)
Most major platforms
Average Download Speed(Mbps)
565 Mbps
720 Mbps
Show 4 more attributes
Countries Covered(countries)
68 countries
84
Speed Retention Rate(%)
76%
Average Download Speed Loss(%)
18% slower (OpenVPN)
Average Speed Retention(%)
85%
US Streaming Platforms Supported(platforms)
1 (Netflix only)
Free Trial or Free Plan(monthly data)
100 MB/month free plan
Privacy Jurisdiction
Switzerland (5 Eyes only)
Encryption Standards Offered(algorithms)
AES-256 + ChaCha20
Encryption Standard
AES-256 and ChaCha20
Audit Frequency(years)
Annual third-party audit
Multi-Hop Encryption
Available (optimized)
Encryption Standard
AES-256 with 4096-bit RSA
AES-256-GCM
Show 6 more attributes
Kill Switch Feature
Yes, all platforms
Code Openness
100% open-source (audited)
Privacy Audit Certification
Deloitte no-logs audit (2022)
Encryption Protocol
AES-256-GCM
No-Logs Audit Frequency(audits per year)
Annual (Deloitte)
Recent Independent Security Audit
Cure53 (2023), Deloitte (2022)
Free Trial Available
Yes (free tier)
Simultaneous Connections(devices)
10 connections (Pro)
Simultaneous Device Connections(devices)
10 devices
10
Streaming Service Compatibility(platforms)
8+ (Netflix, BBC iPlayer, DAZN)
Simultaneous Connections(devices)
10 devices
10
Show 1 more attribute
Maximum Simultaneous Connections(devices)
10 devices
Open Source Code(percentage)
Partial (apps only)
Open-Source Code Availability
100% open-source
Open-Source Client
Yes (GitHub available)
Countries Covered(count)
68 countries
Money-Back Guarantee(days)
30 days
Server Count(servers)
2,700+ servers
35,000+
Total Server Locations(number)
2000+
Countries with Server Presence(countries)
84 countries
Log Retention Policy
Strict no-logs, Swiss law compliance
No-logs policy verified by audit 2024
Latest Security Audit Year
2023 (Securitum)
Jurisdiction
Switzerland
Free Tier Monthly Data(GB)
10GB
Open Source Code(yes/no)
Yes (Cure53 audit 2023)
Money-Back Guarantee Period(days)
30 days
30 days
Kill Switch Protection
Yes, always enabled
Yes
Kill Switch Availability
Yes (all platforms)
Money-Back Guarantee(days)
30 days
30 days
Netflix Unblocking Success(%)
71%
Netflix Streaming Reliability(%)
62% success rate (tested 13 regions)
Netflix Streaming Compatibility(regions)
8 regions
Geographic Coverage(cities)
91 countries
No-Logs Audit Year
Deloitte (2020) + Court-verified
Total VPN Servers Worldwide(servers)
3,400+
Customer Rating (Trustpilot)(out of 5.0)
4.6

Pros & Cons

10 pros·6 cons across both

ProtonVPN
PI
ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN

+5-3

Pros

  • Swiss jurisdiction with strict privacy laws and no government surveillance agreements
  • 100% open-source code auditable by security researchers
  • Annual SOC 2 Type II third-party audits confirming no-logs policy
  • Free tier available with 100 MB/day limit (no credit card required)
  • Integrated with ProtonMail for encrypted email ecosystem

Cons

  • Slowest speed performance with 12-15% bandwidth reduction on average
  • Smallest server network (3,000+ servers) limits unblocking options
  • Most expensive option at $3.99/month on annual plan
PI

Private Internet Access (PIA)

+5-3

Pros

  • Lowest cost at $2.03/month (annual plan), 49% cheaper than ProtonVPN
  • Largest server network with 29,650+ servers in 84 countries for unblocking
  • Fastest speeds with only 8-10% bandwidth reduction
  • Independent no-logs audit completed in 2024 by professional auditors
  • Includes MACE ad-blocker and malware protection at no extra cost

Cons

  • US-based company subject to Five Eyes surveillance alliance
  • Proprietary code limits transparency compared to open-source alternatives
  • Previous privacy issues in 2017 (logged user activity) though now resolved

Frequently Asked Questions

5 questions

  1. 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.

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