PIA vs NordVPN: price and which to choose
Quick verdict
PIA allows unlimited devices, covers all 50 US states (55 regions, 32 geo-located) and has open-source apps, but it’s a US company and its port forwarding doesn’t work on US servers. NordVPN is in Panama, publishes 2,435 US servers in 55 cities, allows 10 devices and has no port forwarding at all.
Option A
$11.95/moPIA VPN
Official price before tax: $11.95
Price checked
Private Internet Access price and plans
Option B
We compare plans with a similar purpose, whose features may differ; prices before sales tax; prices for other plans and periods are in the reviews.
Feature comparison
| Criterion | Private Internet Access | NordVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | USA (Five Eyes) | Panama |
| Devices | Unlimited | 10 |
| US coverage | 55 regions, all 50 states | 2,435 servers, 55 cities |
| Port forwarding | Not on US servers | No |
| Tiers | One plan + add-ons | Basic, Complete, Prime |
| Money-back | 30 days, new subscribers | 30 days |
PIA and NordVPN are both large US-facing networks, with very different answers on jurisdiction and devices.
If you don’t want to read further
Unlimited devices or a specific state — PIA. Jurisdiction outside the Five Eyes or the largest published US network — NordVPN.
What really sets them apart
In each row, the last sentence matters most — what the difference means for you.
Where is the company?
Private Internet Access
USA — inside the Five Eyes.
NordVPN
Panama — outside the 14 Eyes.
If jurisdiction matters to you, NordVPN.
How many devices?
Private Internet Access
Unlimited.
NordVPN
10.
Big households lean PIA.
US coverage?
Private Internet Access
55 regions covering all 50 states; 32 geo-located.
NordVPN
2,435 servers in 55 cities; 170 marked virtual.
PIA for a specific state; Nord for a published server count.
Port forwarding?
Private Internet Access
Yes — but not on US servers.
NordVPN
No.
Neither gives you port forwarding on a US server.
Plan lengths?
Private Internet Access
1 month, 1 year, or 3 years + 3 months — one VPN plan.
NordVPN
Monthly and longer plans (the 2-year intro covers 27 months), each in Basic, Complete and Prime.
PIA keeps it simple; Nord sells extras in tiers.
Linux?
Private Internet Access
64-bit desktop app with split tunneling; ARM too.
NordVPN
Command-line app; Kill Switch by command.
Both cover Linux – check your distribution.
TV apps?
Private Internet Access
Fire TV and Apple TV apps.
NordVPN
Fire TV Stick app – without Kill Switch there.
No app for your TV? A VPN router covers it.
Where they don’t differ, even though it seems they should
This part is often more useful than the list of differences — it saves money for anyone who was about to pay for an imaginary advantage.
2025 audits
Both had an independent no-logs audit in 2025.
30-day money-back
Both refund within 30 days (PIA: new subscribers).
Dedicated IP as an add-on
Both sell it separately.
Which one fits whom
| Your situation | What to choose | On what condition |
|---|---|---|
| You need an IP in a particular state | PIA | All 50 states; many are geo-located. |
| You want a provider outside the Five Eyes | NordVPN | Panama. |
| More than 10 devices | PIA | Unlimited. |
| You want antivirus in the same plan | NordVPN Complete | PIA sells antivirus as an add-on. |
- PIA’s price list doesn’t say whether tax is added; NordVPN adds it at checkout.
- PIA is under US jurisdiction.
- App store purchases follow the store’s refund terms with PIA.
- NordVPN’s intro price ends after 27 months.
Where the facts come from
Sources: PIA’s and NordVPN’s US price lists and server lists. Prices are in the price blocks on each service’s page.
Facts in the text checked: .
FAQ: Private Internet Access or NordVPN
Other comparisons
The same products against other competitors, and other comparisons in the “VPN services” category.
Where their scores differ
Only criteria we’ve checked for both services and where the scores differ. Equal criteria and criteria without data aren’t shown here, because they add nothing to the decision.
If what matters most is — port forwarding: Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access: yes (5,0/5) · NordVPN Basic: no (1,0/5)
If what matters most is — jurisdiction: NordVPN Basic
Private Internet Access: US or Five Eyes (1,5/5) · NordVPN Basic: outside the 14 Eyes, no data retention obligation (5,0/5)
If what matters most is — price jump at renewal: Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access: 2,05 USD/mo — 1,1× more expensive (5,0/5) · NordVPN Basic: 11,59 USD/mo — 3,3× more expensive (2,5/5)
If what matters most is — network coverage: NordVPN Basic
Private Internet Access: 104 countries (3,0/5) · NordVPN Basic: 150 countries (5,0/5)
If what matters most is — what’s included in the same plan: Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access: ad blocking, tracker blocking, split tunneling (3 of 3) (5,0/5) · NordVPN Basic: ad blocking, split tunneling (2 of 3) (3,7/5)
If what matters most is — price now: Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access: 1,89 USD/mo before tax (5,0/5) · NordVPN Basic: 3,49 USD/mo before tax (4,0/5)
If what matters most is — devices at once: Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access: unlimited (5,0/5) · NordVPN Basic: 10 (4,0/5)
The scores and their weights are the same as in the reviews of both services. How we calculate
Comparison text updated: