PIA VPN Review

Private Internet Access has long been an industry leader in the personal VPN space.

It brings a solid track record in privacy and security with a stringent zero-logs policy, reliable encryption, and an automatic kill switch.

It’s also one of the cheapest premium VPNs around, so long as you don’t mind making a 12- or 24-month commitment.

All the PIA apps have user-friendly interfaces, and the service supports up to 10 simultaneously connected devices with a single subscription.

The PIA apps are very easy to use, with polished and intuitive user interfaces.

You can connect to a recommended server with just one click, or expand the client window to reveal the whole server list, as well as additional settings.

The mobile versions of the client, available for iOS and Android, offer similarly user-friendly experiences.

More advanced users can also set up the VPN manually on Linux-based operating systems like Ubuntu.

PIA lets you select your preferred encryption method, and it helpfully provides a comparison between the various options.

While the default recommended protection level uses the dated AES-128 standard, you can easily change it to the newer AES-256 one for the best protection.

PIA also supports a combination of different protocols, including newer ones like OpenVPN and IPSec/L2TP, allowing you to achieve the optimal compromise between performance and security.

PIA also keeps you safe from data leaks, so your real IP address or other potentially sensitive information won’t end up in the wrong hands.

Furthermore, if the connection to the VPN server drops, the automatic network lock will kick in to stop your online activities from suddenly being exposed.

10 Simultaneous Devices

A PIA subscription allows you to use the service on up to ten devices at the same time, which is significantly more than most other leading VPN services.

Native apps are available for every major mobile and desktop platform, as well as Linux.

More advanced users can even install the VPN manually on compatible routers to protect their entire network.

Ad Blocking

Unlike most VPN providers, PIA includes a robust ad blocker known as PIA MACE.

Although you can only turn it on or off and can’t whitelist certain websites or change filter settings, it’s a lot better than having no adblocker at all. It blocks most ads, trackers, and other unwanted content.

Large Server Network

The bigger a VPN provider’s network, the better, and PIA certainly doesn’t disappoint in this respect.

It has almost 40,000 servers spread across 77 countries, and it’s constantly growing too.

Extensions

If you’re not keen on using a full VPN, PIA offers extensions for Firefox, Chrome, and Opera, to let you connect anonymously.

This is helpful if you want to continue being able to connect to your other networked devices, such as printers and media servers since PIA doesn’t support split tunneling.

One of the major benefits of paying for a VPN is having access to premium customer support.

PIA offers 24/7 support by live chat or email, and it features a comprehensive knowledge base on its website.