Private Internet Access vs NordVPN: Who Wins in 2025?

NordVPN and Private Internet Access (PIA) are both big names in the VPN industry. Both are frequently discussed and recommended on various websites. But that's about where the similarity ends — these VPNs have some big differences, particularly with performance, as you can see in our speed tests below.

In this NordVPN vs PIA comparison article, we've tried to give you the objective information you need to decide for yourself which of these VPNs (if either) is worth your time and money. I put both VPNs through extensive testing and analysis for this PIA vs NordVPN report, with all the screenshots and test results posted below.

The table below highlights the key facts of each VPN:

	NordVPN	PIA
Website	NordVPN.com	Privateinternetaccess.com
Location	Panama	United States
Servers	7,150+	35,000+
Countries	118	90+
Logs	No logs (audited)	No logs (audited)
Torrenting	All servers	All servers
Support	Knowledge Base; 24/7 chat	Knowledge Base; 24/7 chat
Apps for	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
Price	$3.39 (with coupon below)	$2.03
Coupon	76% Off NordVPN Coupon	83% Off PIA Coupon

Here are the test categories we looked at for this PIA vs NordVPN comparison:

1. Apps – Which service offers the best VPN apps?
2. Features – Does NordVPN or PIA offer the best features?
3. Connections – How many connections come with a subscription?
4. Security – Do any of the VPN apps leak IP addresses or DNS requests?
5. Logging Policies – What are the policies about logging user data?
6. Company and Jurisdiction – Where is the VPN located and how does this affect data security?
7. Speed Tests – Numerous servers tested in Europe and North America
8. Netflix, Streaming, and Torrenting – Which VPN is best for Netflix and other popular streaming services? Which can quickly and safely handle torrents?
9. Price – Which VPN offers the lowest prices?
10. Payments & Refunds – Payment options and refund policies
11. Value – Which VPN offers the best value for your money?
12. Conclusion – There is a clear winner

NordVPN vs PIA: Who has the best VPN Apps?

	NordVPN	Private Internet Access
Apps	Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Browsers	Chrome, Firefox, Edge	Chrome, Firefox, Opera
Other	Android TV, Fire TV, Gaming systems, and more	Smart TVs, Gaming consoles, and Routers

Before we dive into the speed tests, let's take a quick look at the desktop VPN apps for NordVPN and Private Internet Access.

Below is the NordVPN app we tested for this comparison guide. It gives you quick and easy access to all servers and features within the app, without taking up too much space. Here's the NordVPN desktop app:

NordVPN also provides high-quality mobile apps that look very similar to the desktop apps (adopted to the mobile platforms, of course). Here's what the Android app looks like:

Throughout our testing for this and other articles, all the NordVPN apps worked well, with no errors or leaks. They are good examples of what a VPN app should be.

The PIA apps are a bit more minimal, which makes sense since they don't offer as many features. That said, we didn't have any problems with bugs or leaks during our PIA testing. Here is the PIA app we tested for this report.

The apps for each service are secure and provide useful interfaces to the underlying VPN network. But NordVPN's apps are more attractive and offer far more features than those of PIA.

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Features comparison: NordVPN vs PIA

While both NordVPN and Private Internet Access offer various features, there was a clear winner in this category.

Feature	NordVPN	PIA
Split tunneling	✅	✅
RAM-only servers	✅	✅
Kill Switch	✅	✅
Private DNS	✅	✅
Logs	No logs (audited)	No logs (audited)
Multiple VPN protocols	✅	✅
Double VPN servers	✅	❌
Obfuscated servers	✅	❌
Dedicated IP servers	✅	❌
Onion over VPN servers	✅	❌
P2P servers	✅	❌
Built-in ad blocking	✅	✅

PIA feature set

First, we'll look at Private Internet Access. PIA offers a good lineup of features that include:

• RAM-only servers
• Leak protection settings and split tunneling
• A 3-state kill switch
• Different encryption options
• A basic ad blocker called PIA MACE

Overall, Private Internet Access doesn't really stand out with features. Sure, the VPN ad blocker feature is nice, but we also see this with other VPNs. For example, we also find VPN ad blockers with NordVPN and Surfshark.

NordVPN feature set

In contrast to PIA, NordVPN offers numerous security and privacy features for all types of users. It is really a fully-featured VPN service:

• Threat Protection Pro feature to block domains for ads, trackers, and known malware domains. It can scan downloaded documents and works even when you are not connected to the VPN. (Threat Protection Pro is far more capable than PIA's MACE feature)
• Double VPN servers encrypt your traffic twice over two separate locations.
• Onion over VPN servers encrypt your traffic with the VPN server as well as the Tor network.
• Leak protection settings and a kill switch for both applications and traffic (via the firewall).
• Obfuscated servers to hide VPN traffic as regular HTTPS encryption. This makes NordVPN a good VPN for China or anywhere else that VPNs are blocked.

PIA Mace vs. NordVPN Threat Protection Pro

	PIA Mace	NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro	NordVPN’s Threat Protection
Malware sites blocker	✅	✅	❌
Ad blocker	✅	✅	✅
Tracker blocker	✅	✅	❌
Adult sites blocker	❌	❌	❌
Scans downloads for threats	❌	✅	❌
Works without a VPN connection	❌	✅	✅
Included with all plans	✅	❌	✅
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, browser extensions	Windows, macOS	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, browser extensions

NordVPN Threat Protection Pro

Threat Protection Pro is the latest in protection against cyber threats. As noted above, it blocks domains for ads, trackers, and known malware domains. Such defenses are becoming ever more important with ads and even social media sites trying to dump malware onto your systems. Preventing these threats from depositing code on your devices makes you safer. It can even make your browsing faster since none of this junk will get downloaded and displayed.

It can even scan downloaded documents and works even when you are not connected to a VPN server.

A relatively new addition to the Threat Protection feature set is Vulnerability detection. If you activate Vulnerability detection, multiple times a day NordVPN will check a database of apps with known vulnerabilities, and notify you if anything on your device is vulnerable.

Additionally, the Double VPN feature offered by NordVPN is great for those looking for an additional layer of protection. This will route your traffic across two encrypted servers. I tested the double-VPN feature out for the NordVPN review and speeds were still excellent, despite the higher latency.

NordVPN's lineup of Onion over VPN servers may be useful as well, depending on your needs.

NordVPN also offers dedicated IP addresses for an extra charge. If you need a VPN with a static IP (dedicated IP address), check it out.

Unlike NordVPN, PIA does not offer any double-VPN or Tor-over-VPN servers. These added privacy and security features definitely have some significant advantages, as I explained in my guide on multi-hop VPN services.

The clear winner in the features category is NordVPN.

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Connections: NordVPN vs Private Internet Access

	NordVPN	Private Internet Access
# of simultaneous connections	10	unlimited

Does NordVPN or Private Internet Access give you the most connections with your subscription? The answer is Private Internet Access. In March 2019, PIA increased the number of connections to ten. In March of 2023, PIA moved to an unlimited number of simultaneous connections. In other words, Private Internet Access users can now have an unlimited number of devices using the VPN at the same time.

This is a definite advantage for their users. With more and more of our electronic devices connected to the internet, not having to worry about the number of devices you have connected at any one time could come in handy. If an unlimited number of simultaneous connections is important to you, we recommend you check out our Surfshark VPN review.

PIA is the winner in this category since it offers an unlimited number of simultaneous connections.

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Security: Is NordVPN better than PIA?

Both NordVPN and Private Internet Access offer secure applications with strong encryption. I did not find any IP address leaks or DNS leaks with either of these two providers.

Encryption options

Item	NordVPN	PIA
Cipher	AES-256, ChaCha20	AES-256, ChaCha20
Authentication	SHA-512, Poly1305	SHA-256, Poly1305
RSA Key	4,096-bit	4,096-bit

PIA encryption: For encryption, PIA uses an AES-256 cipher with SHA256 for authorization and an RSA-4096 handshake with the OpenVPN protocol and IKEv2 protocol. PIA also allows users to adjust VPN protocols and encryption ciphers within the VPN client (Windows and Mac OS). PIA also supports the WireGuard VPN protocol, which uses the ChaCha20 cipher.

NordVPN encryption: Similar to PIA, NordVPN also uses an AES-256 cipher with SHA256 authorization and an RSA-4096 handshake with OpenVPN and IKEv2. Like PIA, NordVPN also supports WireGuard with the ChaCha20 cipher.

Both PIA and NordVPN offer good encryption standards.

As we covered above, NordVPN offers some great security features, including double-VPN servers and Tor-over-VPN servers. Both of these provide you with a higher level of security with your data being double-encrypted. Additionally, NordVPN also offers two different types of kill switches:

• App-level kill switch (closes any app if the VPN connection drops)
• Internet kill switch (blocks all internet traffic if the VPN connection drops)

Private Internet Access also offers a solid, 3-state kill switch and leak protection features, but it does not offer any double-encryption options like NordVPN.

Security audits

Since our last review of PIA, it has joined NordVPN on the list of VPNs that have passed third-party audits of their no-logs status. Independent security audits are a great way to build trust and verify the VPN service itself from an outside team of auditors. One of the first VPNs to do this was TunnelBear VPN.

PIA worked with Deloitte to confirm that the VPN does not log any personally identifiable information at any point.

NordVPN has partnered with Versprite, a third-party cybersecurity firm to:

• Conduct a full audit of all VPN apps and infrastructure
• Assess third-party vendor security where NordVPN servers are located
• Carry out ongoing penetration testing and security checks

NordVPN has also conducted three separate no-logs audits, which verified that it remains true to its privacy and data security policies. In contrast to NordVPN, PIA has not taken these extra steps.

Server security

Server feature	NordVPN	Private Internet Access
RAM-disk	✅	✅
Virtual Locations	❌	✅

NordVPN and PIA both run all servers in RAM-disk mode. This is more secure as it ensures no user data can ever be stored on physical hard drives. ExpressVPN and Surfshark also run servers in RAM-disk mode.

NordVPN is in the process of upgrading its entire network with:

• Self-owned (colocated) servers, which will replace all rental servers.
• High-speed hardware capable of 10 Gbps.

Virtual server use

I have found that PIA uses many virtual server locations where the true (physical) location does not match up with the announced location from the IP address. NordVPN does not have any virtual server locations and instead uses real servers in all advertised locations.

The winner of the security category is NordVPN. While PIA has upped their game with a third-party no-logs audit and the transition to RAM-disk servers, NordVPN offers more security features, and their upgrades to colocated servers and 10 Gbps connections give them the edge.

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NordVPN vs PIA: Privacy and no-logs policies

Both NordVPN and PIA are proven no-logs VPN services. Each VPN has had its policies related to logging verified with real-world tests in addition to their recent third-party audit.

Private Internet Access was proven to be a no-logs VPN provider on two separate occasions:

• In 2016, PIA was subpoenaed to provide data logs for a criminal case, but they went on record claiming they do not have data logs and could only provide the addresses of their servers (but no customer data).
• A similar case happened in June 2018, when PIA's no-logging policies were again tested and verified with a criminal case in court.

Logging

	NordVPN	PIA
No-Logs	Audited (PWC)	Audited (Deloitte)

NordVPN has had its privacy policy tested and verified via multiple third-party audits. The no-logs audits were conducted by PWC in Zurich, Switzerland, and validated NordVPN's no-logs claims. I examined the audit reports and they both verified that NordVPN remains true to its “no logs” claims.

Private Internet Access has also had its no-logs policy audited, in this case, by Deloitte.

This is similar to our ExpressVPN vs PIA comparison, where both VPNs did well in the logs/privacy category. And since both NordVPN and PIA are verified not to keep data logs, this category is a tie.

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Company and Jurisdiction comparison

	NordVPN	Private Internet Access
Jurisdiction	Panama	United States
Outside of Five Eyes	✅	❌

Company background and jurisdiction are important considerations when choosing which VPN to trust with your data and security.

NordVPN Company and Jurisdiction check

The company behind NordVPN is Tefincom SA, based in Panama. NordVPN explains on its website that it is a global tech business with employees all over the world, but it maintains the parent company in Panama to better protect user privacy.

Panama is an excellent privacy jurisdiction because it:

• Is not part of any surveillance alliances.
• Has no mandatory data retention laws, such as those in Europe that affect UK VPN services.
• Is renowned for corporate privacy laws with many protections in place.

PIA Company and Jurisdiction check

PIA started out as a reputable VPN company based in the US, but it has now been sold off. In 2019, news broke that Kape acquired PIA. Kape is an interesting company that is often associated with malware (see Crossrider). Kape also purchased CyberGhost VPN a few years earlier, and most recently, Kape purchased ExpressVPN.

Kape also owns a collection of VPN review websites, which coincidentally now rank all of Kape's VPN holdings in the top spots.

PIA is based in the United States, which is a big red flag. As we have covered before, the US is a very bad privacy jurisdiction with many laws in place that undermine data security. The US is part of the Five Eyes surveillance alliance.

Jurisdiction is a key consideration that affects the safety of your data. As we've seen before, the US government can force VPNs and email services operating there to collect user data. This has happened before with Riseup and also Lavabit. There was also the case of US-based IPVanish being forced to log users for the FBI, even while claiming to be a “zero logs” VPN. This is discussed more in our NordVPN vs IPVanish comparison, as well as the IPVanish review.

NordVPN clearly comes out on top in both jurisdiction and also in the company background check.

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NordVPN vs Private Internet Access Speed Tests

In testing out NordVPN vs PIA speeds, I found that NordVPN was consistently faster in all locations tested.

First I tested server locations in the United States where both VPNs had a presence.

Here is a NordVPN server in Seattle with a 892 Mbps download speed:

This is an amazing result from NordVPN. With our VPN tests, any download speed over 200 Mbps is really good. Getting over 800 Mbps puts NordVPN in the realm of the fastest VPNs we have tested. Let's see if PIA can match NordVPN's impressive speeds.

Here is a PIA speed test in Seattle, which gave me about 299 Mbps download speeds.

Right off with the first location, we see that NordVPN has a big advantage and is three times faster than Private Internet Access.

Next up were servers in Los Angeles. Here is a NordVPN server in Los Angeles with speeds of 884 Mbps:

Once, again, this is another great test result from NordVPN. Can PIA do better?

Here is the Private Internet Access server in Los Angeles with speeds of about 263 Mbps:

We still see that NordVPN is significantly faster than PIA.

Next, I tested a connection to the East Coast. Here was the NordVPN server in New York, at around 849 Mbps:

At well over 800 Mbps, these are still phenomenal speeds from NordVPN. How does PIA compare in the NY location?

The PIA server in New York was much faster than the ones previously tested, but again slower than NordVPN, at about 500 Mbps:

So we see that with servers in the United States, NordVPN provides us with much faster download speeds than Private Internet Access.

Lastly, I checked servers in the United Kingdom.

Here was the NordVPN server in the UK at 809 Mbps:

Despite the long distance (and the resulting higher ping) between me and the server, NordVPN is still putting up very impressive speed test results, getting over 800 Mbps.

This was the PIA server in the UK, which was significantly slower with download speeds of 261 Mbps:

With the final server location in the UK, we see that NordVPN is about three times faster than PIA.

Overall, NordVPN was significantly faster than Private Internet Access in all server locations we tested. This is important for anyone needing a fast VPN for high-bandwidth activities, such as when using a VPN for torrenting. Here is a table that shows all the test results in one place:

Location	NordVPN	Private Internet Access (PIA)
Seattle	892 Mbps	299 Mbps
Los Angeles	884 Mbps	263 Mbps
New York	849 Mbps	500 Mbps
United Kingdom	809 Mbps	261 Mbps

Why is NordVPN faster than Private Internet Access?

Over the past few years, we have seen NordVPN implement significant server upgrades, which gives it an edge over most competitors:

• Converted all servers to run in RAM-disk mode (PIA has also moved to RAM-only servers).
• Currently rolling out self-owned (colocated) servers for all locations.
• Rolling out high-bandwidth 10 Gbps servers, which are the fastest servers we've seen.
• Full WireGuard support in all apps. WireGuard is integrated into their NordLynx VPN protocol.

Given these changes, it's not very surprising that NordVPN beats PIA by a large margin. NordVPN also beats out other leading VPNs, as we found in the ExpressVPN vs NordVPN speed tests.

If performance is important to you, NordVPN would be the best choice.

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Netflix, Streaming, and Torrenting

In terms of streaming Netflix with a VPN, NordVPN is definitely a better option than PIA. So first let's examine Private Internet Access.

	NordVPN	PIA
Supported Netflix Libraries	15+	N/A
Streaming-Optimized Servers	✅	✅
App for Smart TV?	✅	✅
App for Firestick / Fire TV?	✅	❌

PIA with Netflix and streaming

PIA works well with Netflix. In my tests, I streamed the show Zero Day in 4K without any lag or buffering:

In addition to Netflix, I also tested HBO Max. Initially, I encountered an error message when using a regular U.S. server, indicating that HBO Max doesn’t allow VPN connections. However, after switching to a streaming-optimized U.S. server, the issue was resolved, and I was able to stream the show Duster smoothly in 4K quality.

PIA is also able to access other popular streaming platforms such as Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, etc.

Many streaming services can be hit or miss with most VPNs. However, there are a few VPNs that work with Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, and more. These VPNs typically invest resources into acquiring (and maintaining) IP addresses that work with popular streaming platforms. One service that has recently made a big investment in this area is IPVanish.

NordVPN with Netflix and streaming

NordVPN is a great choice if you want to stream Netflix and it worked well in our tests without any problems. Below you can see I'm streaming Netflix through a NordVPN server in the United States without any problems.

Here are some of the Netflix regions supported by NordVPN: US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, Finland, Spain, Japan, Australia, India, Korea, and Italy. Additionally, NordVPN works well for many popular streaming services. You can use this VPN with Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer, and more.

We also have screenshots of NordVPN working well with BBC iPlayer in our roundup guide on the best VPNs for BBC iPlayer (one of the few VPNs that consistently work well).

Torrenting with NordVPN and Private Internet Access

	NordVPN	PIA
Torrenting Support	All servers	All servers
Dedicated P2P Servers	❌	❌
Plans that Support Torrenting	All plans	All plans
Download Speeds	Fast	Slow

When it comes to torrenting, you absolutely must have a VPN that won't leak your IP address. When downloading a torrent, it is all too easy to get caught up in legal action aimed at people who are illegally downloading content. Even if you are innocent, getting caught up in such a case can make your life miserable.

Once you have a secure VPN that won't leak, the next priority is VPN speed. When moving massive amounts of data like a video, a slow VPN can leave you sitting on your hands for hours. So the faster the VPN, the better it is for torrenting.

Both of these VPNs are secure, so we have the first criteria covered. But PIA is relatively slow, while NordVPN is one of the fastest VPNs out there. Its combination of security and speed have landed NordVPN on our list of the best VPNs for torrenting, so you can guess which service is the winner for the torrenting part of this category.

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PIA vs NordVPN price comparison

Both NordVPN and PIA are cheap VPN services with low prices. PIA's plans range from monthly to 3-year plans. Here are the current prices:

Below you can see the current NordVPN pricing with monthly, yearly, and two-year VPN subscriptions on offer. This makes NordVPN more expensive than PIA, but with access to more features and services.

NordVPN plans	Basic	Plus	Complete	Prime
1-month	$12.99/month	$13.99/month	$14.99/month	$17.99/month
1-year	$4.99/month	$5.99/month	$6.99/month	$8.99/month
2-year	$3.39/month	$4.39/month	$5.39/month	$7.39/month

Deal: Get 76% OFF NordVPN 2-year plans >

The one drawback here is that you have to commit to a two-year subscription in order to lock in the cheapest rate. The same holds true for PIA, which restricts the biggest discount to their three-year plan (you may find other NordVPN coupons to consider with different prices and subscription lengths.)

You should also keep in mind that VPN prices change frequently. You will only be sure of the price you will pay if you visit the relevant website when you are ready to pull the trigger. But right now, PIA wins.

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Payments and refunds: PIA vs NordVPN

Both NordVPN and Private Internet Access VPN support a wide variety of payment options:

• Cryptocurrencies
• Credit cards
• Amazon Pay

While PIA supports PayPal, NordVPN supports ACH transfers and UnionPay options, which PIA does not have.

Refund policy comparison

NordVPN and PIA both have a 30-day refund window. This is great, especially when some VPNs have many obstacles in place for getting a refund, as we saw in our Avast SecureLine VPN review.

This category is a tie for both payments and refunds.

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Value: Is NordVPN or PIA best?

Value is a subjective determination that's hard to measure. Essentially, the question is:

Which VPN offers the best value for your money?

I would argue that NordVPN is a better value. While NordVPN is a bit more expensive than PIA, it offers significantly more features:

• Advanced features (Double VPN servers, Obfuscated servers, Onion over VPN servers…)
• Colocated servers with 10 Gbps speeds
• Full support for Netflix and many other streaming services
• Good VPN apps for all major devices and operating systems

Which VPN offers the best customer support?

	NordVPN	PIA
Support Options	24/7 live chat, email, articles, FAQs	24/7 live chat, email, articles, FAQs

The support category is definitely noteworthy. With both PIA and NordVPN, you get 24/7 live chat support directly through their websites. Both also offer email support, but the response time with PIA has been very slow in my experience.

Another big factor that differentiates these two companies is jurisdiction. Being based in the United States (Five Eyes) is a major drawback for PIA. If US authorities were to force PIA to log user data (such as we have seen with both Lavabit and IPVanish), PIA would not be able to disclose this information to their customers due to gag orders.

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Conclusion: NordVPN overwhelmingly wins in 2025

Both NordVPN and PIA have been busy upgrading their services lately. However, their relative rankings haven't changed. That means there is still a clear winner based on all test categories.

NordVPN was the big winner in this PIA vs NordVPN battle, coming out on top by a large margin. NordVPN was the winner in seven categories, PIA won two, and two categories were tied. Here's a breakdown of the results:

Category	Winner
Apps	NordVPN
Speeds	NordVPN
Features	NordVPN
Connections	Private Internet Access
Security	NordVPN
Logging Policies	Tie
Jurisdiction	NordVPN
Netflix, Streaming, and Torrenting	NordVPN
Price	Private Internet Access
Value	NordVPN

At this time, we cannot recommend PIA. Even leaving out the whole Kape/Crossrider situation, the VPN continues to operate in the United States, which seriously undermines data security. And even if you ignore that, we've found Private Internet Access to be significantly slower than NordVPN and with fewer features. You can learn more about these details in our PIA VPN review here.

If you want to try NordVPN, keep in mind you have a 30-day money-back guarantee. This means that you can cancel at any time in the first 30 days for a full refund, without any hassle. And be sure to get the best price with the coupon below, which is currently active:

Related Articles:

• ExpressVPN vs PIA (Private Internet Access) Comparison
• Private Internet Access Review
• Surfshark vs Private Internet Access (PIA) Comparison
• PureVPN vs Private Internet Access
• NordVPN vs Proton VPN Comparison
• TorGuard vs NordVPN

Have you used PIA or NordVPN? Feel free to share your experience in the comments below to help other users.