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Billed once for the full term, up front; then renews automatically.

VPN in the US

Private Internet Access in the US: servers, devices and plans

Private Internet Access (PIA) says outright that it covers all 50 US states: its server list shows 55 US regions, 32 of them geo-located (virtual). It allows unlimited devices and its apps are open source. Two things to know: PIA is a US company, inside the Five Eyes, and its US servers don’t support port forwarding.

  • All 50 states. 55 US regions; 32 are geo-located.
  • Unlimited devices. On every plan.
  • Open source. PIA’s apps are 100% open source.
  • RAM-only servers. Data is wiped on every reboot.
  • 2025 audit. An independent check of the no-logs policy.

Most important before you buy

Port forwarding works only outside the US. PIA is under US jurisdiction. The money-back guarantee is for new subscribers, and app store purchases follow the store’s refund terms. PIA’s price list doesn’t say whether tax is added.

Tomas StankevičiusUpdated 2026-10-14Checked on PIA’s official pages

At a glance

Jurisdiction
USA (Five Eyes)
Independent audit
2025
Servers
104 countries
US
55 regions, all 50 states (Oct 13, 2026)
Plans
1 month, 1 year, 3 years + 3 months
Currency
USD; tax not stated
Money-back
30 days, new subscribers
Devices
Unlimited

Facts come from the provider’s own pages.

Every fact has a source and a date

Every fact on this page comes from the provider’s own pages.

We didn’t measure speeds

There are no numbers here we didn’t measure ourselves. Instead of our own speed tests, we explain what can be checked in documents and how to read other people’s tests.

Affiliate links labeled

If a link is an affiliate link, we say so next to the link, not somewhere at the bottom of the page.

Short summary

PIA is the pick when you need a specific US state: 55 regions cover all 50 states. It also has unlimited devices, open-source apps and RAM-only servers. The trade-offs are real for US users — PIA is under US jurisdiction, and port forwarding isn’t available on its US servers.

Biggest advantage

A location in every US state, and unlimited devices.

Biggest compromise

US jurisdiction, and no port forwarding on US servers.

We recommend first:
People who need an IP address in a particular state; big households.
With caveats:
People who want a provider outside the Five Eyes.

Who PIA is for, and who it isn’t

Honestly — it isn’t the best choice for everyone.

A good choice

  • For a specific state

    All 50 states are covered.

  • For big households

    Unlimited devices.

  • If you value open source

    The apps’ code is public.

A weaker choice

  • If jurisdiction matters to you

    PIA is a US company, inside the Five Eyes.

  • If you need port forwarding on a US server

    PIA’s server list marks none of its US regions for it.

  • If you want a free plan

    There isn’t one; Proton VPN has one.

One VPN, three terms

PIA sells one VPN plan in three lengths. Antivirus and a dedicated IP are add-ons at checkout.

One VPN, three terms
1 monthHow it renewsRenews monthly.Who it makes sense forPeople who need a VPN for a trip or want to test it past the guarantee.
1 yearHow it renewsRenews annually.Who it makes sense forPeople who want a lower monthly cost without a long lock-in.
3 years + 3 monthsHow it renewsRenews every 3 years.Who it makes sense forPeople sure they’ll use it for years.

The VPN is the same on every term. The longer term lowers the monthly cost — check the renewal amount before you buy.

How it compares with competitors

Quick picks by priority and a full table of criteria.

Six VPNs on criteria you can check

This table has no speeds and no stars — only what can be checked in the providers’ documents. The last three rows are about the US: devices, sales tax and servers in the country.

Jurisdiction
Panama — outside the 14 Eyes
Latest independent audit
2025
Server countries
150
Port forwarding
No
Money-back guarantee
30 days
Devices at once
10
Sales tax
Added at checkout (state sales tax line)
Servers in the US
2,400+ in 55 cities (170 marked virtual)

Best for a specific state — PIA

All 50 states, unlimited devices.

When you want a free plan or port forwarding in the US — Proton VPN

Port forwarding on P2P servers.

Strongest on jurisdiction and audits — NordVPN

Panama and six audits.

Facts with sources

Every fact comes from PIA’s official pages and server list.

Facts with sources
Jurisdiction„Private Internet Access" — current statusUSAWhat it means for youInside the Five Eyes alliance.
Independent audit„Private Internet Access" — current status2025What it means for youAn outside firm checked the no-logs policy.
Servers„Private Internet Access" — current status104 countriesWhat it means for youIncluding all 50 US states.
US„Private Internet Access" — current status55 regionsWhat it means for youPIA’s server list; 32 geo-located (virtual).
Devices„Private Internet Access" — current statusUnlimitedWhat it means for youOn every plan.
Port forwarding„Private Internet Access" — current statusYes — not on US serversWhat it means for youNone of the 55 US regions is marked for port forwarding.
Money-back„Private Internet Access" — current status30 days, new subscribersWhat it means for youApp store purchases follow the store’s terms.
Tax„Private Internet Access" — current statusNot stated on the price listWhat it means for youPIA: “All amounts are shown in USD.”

Servers and speed

Where the servers are, how they work from the US, and what to expect day to day.

Where the servers are and when it matters

VPNs advertise the number of server countries first, and in everyday use it matters last. What matters is that the one you need is among them — and that the server really is where its address says.

When you really need a US server

When you’re abroad and want to use US services — online banking, or streaming services that only work in the US. Then you need a server in the US, and a provider without one is out.

When a nearby server is enough

On public Wi-Fi at home, any nearby server is enough for ordinary privacy. The speed difference is small and security doesn’t change.

Physical and virtual servers aren’t the same

A virtual location means the IP address is registered in one place while the machine is elsewhere. It’s usually fine for content; for speed it’s a longer route. In the US, NordVPN’s server API marks some locations as virtual and PIA marks some regions as geo-located; Surfshark marks none of its US locations as virtual.

The number of countries isn’t server quality

A hundred countries sounds better than fifty, but the number says nothing about how loaded the server you connect to is. It’s big in ads because it’s easy to measure and show.

If you need a server in a specific US state or city, check the provider’s server list before paying. PIA, for example, has regions in all 50 states.

Speed: what the numbers mean

We didn’t measure speeds in the US, and there isn’t a single number of our own on this page. But speed is the first thing people look for, so it’s worth knowing how to read published tests — and why two tests of the same provider can show opposite results.

Distance matters more than the brand

A connection to a nearby server is almost always faster than to a distant one — with every provider. If you compare two VPNs and one connects to your city and the other across the country, you’re comparing distance, not providers.

Download speed isn’t the only number

Tests usually show download speed because it looks best. For calls, games and video meetings, latency and its variation matter more — and they can get worse while download speed stays high.

The protocol changes the result

A newer protocol usually gives a clearly better result than an older one. If a test shows weak speed, check which protocol it used first.

Your own connection is the ceiling

A VPN isn’t faster than what you already have. If your home connection is 100 Mbps, a 900 Mbps test promises you nothing.
Speed test scenarios
Nearby server, modern protocolWhat available tests showMost of the original speed is keptWhat it means in practiceEnough for streaming and large files — the everyday case
Distant serverWhat available tests showDownload speed may stay high, but latency growsWhat it means in practiceFine for watching, worse for games and calls
Mobile networkWhat available tests showResults vary most hereWhat it means in practiceTests almost never show this — and it’s where VPNs are used most
EveningWhat available tests showServer load growsWhat it means in practiceThe same server at 10 p.m. and 10 a.m. isn’t the same server

No published number promises you anything: it’s one measurement, in one place, at one moment, on one device. The practical test is the money-back window — try it on your own connection and cancel if it doesn’t work well.

Security and privacy

What the provider promises, what has been independently audited, and where the limits are.

Security and privacy

With a VPN this is the only part that really decides. The rest are features; this is the reason.

What your internet provider knows

It sees that you connect to a VPN but not which sites you open. That’s the same with all six providers.

What PIA knows about you

Your payment details and email — a different category from browsing history.

Why US jurisdiction matters

US law applies directly. PIA answers with a no-logs policy, RAM-only servers and a 2025 audit — but the jurisdiction itself doesn’t change.

An audit has a year

PIA’s latest independent no-logs audit is from 2025.
An audit doesn’t make you anonymous. When you sign in to an account, the service knows who you are — regardless of the address.

What happens when the connection drops

Kill switch

When the VPN connection drops unexpectedly, a kill switch stops internet traffic until it’s back. Without one, the device quietly falls back to your normal connection — and that’s exactly when everything the VPN was for is lost.

Limitation: In some apps it isn’t on by default, and it works differently across platforms. Check the settings on day one.

Leaks through DNS and the browser

Even with the VPN on, a browser can reveal your real address through DNS requests or some of its own features. That isn’t the VPN’s fault but how the network works — which is why some providers have separate protection for it.

IPv6

If your connection uses IPv6 and the VPN doesn’t support it, some data may travel outside the tunnel.

You can check this with public leak tests: turn on the VPN and see whether the address shown belongs to the server. We didn’t run these tests, but they take five minutes.

Features and what they’re good for

Everyday features, more advanced options and real use cases.

What a VPN does — and what it doesn’t

What it does

It routes your internet traffic through the provider’s server and encrypts it on the way. Your internet provider sees that you connect to a VPN but not which sites you open. Websites, in turn, see the server’s address.

What it can help block

  • On public Wi-Fi it’s a real benefit: someone on the same café network can’t see what you do.
  • Your internet provider loses the detailed browsing history.
  • Sites see a different location, which changes what content they show.

What it doesn’t replace

  • It isn’t anonymity. When you sign in to an account, the service knows who you are — regardless of the address.
  • It isn’t antivirus. A VPN encrypts the route — it doesn’t check what you download.
  • It doesn’t protect against ad tracking. Cookies and account data stay.
  • It doesn’t guarantee you can’t be identified. It’s one layer.

The most important sentence on this page: a VPN changes WHO sees your connection — not WHO you are online. Anyone promising the latter is selling something they don’t have.

No logs

Almost every provider says it doesn’t keep activity logs. The claim alone means little — what matters is an independent audit and its year.

What to look for

The year of the independent audit and what exactly was checked. A 2019 audit says little about today’s practice.

What it doesn’t promise

Even without logs, the service knows your payment details and email. That’s a different category of data, and it stays.

Jurisdiction

The country where the company is registered decides which laws bind it and who can demand data. On its own it’s neither an advantage nor a drawback — it’s a choice.

Registered in the US

Familiar rules and reachable courts if there’s a dispute; at the same time part of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance.

Registered outside the alliances

Lower likelihood of data sharing between governments, but a harder path if you have a complaint.

Neither option is objectively better. It depends on what exactly you want to protect yourself from — and only you know the answer.

Protocols

A protocol is the way the encrypted tunnel is built. In practice it affects two things: speed and connection stability.

What it can help block

  • Modern protocols are usually faster and reconnect faster after a drop.
  • Older ones work where newer ones are blocked — on some networks only they connect.
  • If the app picks the protocol itself, that’s enough for most people.

Protocol names look like a feature list in ads, but in practice you pick one and don’t think about it again. It isn’t a reason to choose a provider.

Extra features: what matters and what doesn’t

In ads they all look equally important. In practice most people use one or two.

What it is

You choose which apps go through the VPN and which don’t.

Who it’s useful for

Useful when your bank or a streaming service doesn’t work with the VPN and you want to keep everything else in the tunnel.

Matters for most?

Yes, more often than you’d think — banks in particular often reject unfamiliar addresses.

What it is

The connection goes through two servers.

Who it’s useful for

People with heightened privacy needs — journalists, activists.

Trade-off

Speed drops noticeably. For everyday use it’s a cost without a benefit.

What it is

The service blocks known ad and tracking domains on its side.

Who it’s useful for

People who don’t want to install a separate blocker in the browser.

Matters for most?

Handy, but not the same as a full blocker. Some sites may behave differently.

What it is

Servers optimized for one task — streaming or file sharing.

Who it’s useful for

People who do exactly that.

Matters for most?

No. For ordinary use a regular server works the same.

What it is

Lets incoming connections reach your device through the VPN.

Who it’s useful for

A small group — some file-sharing and remote-access setups.

Matters for most?

No. But for those who need it, its absence decides — which is why it’s in the comparison table.

Practical advice: choose by jurisdiction, audit and guarantee. Features you won’t use only make the ad longer.

What PIA is used for most

Why it may fit

Regional services sometimes check the state, not just the country.

Key feature

55 US regions covering all 50 states.

Possible drawback

32 of them are geo-located — the server is elsewhere.

When a competitor may be better

ExpressVPN lists 62 US locations and NordVPN 55 cities — check their lists for your state.

Why it may fit

Unlimited devices on one subscription.

Key feature

Apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, browsers and smart TVs.

Possible drawback

One login shared by many people.

When a competitor may be better

Surfshark also has unlimited devices, under EU jurisdiction.

Why it may fit

Traffic is encrypted on café and hotel networks.

Key feature

Email breach monitor included.

Possible drawback

It doesn’t hide you from the account you sign in to.

When a competitor may be better

For this one purpose Proton VPN’s free plan is enough.

Why it may fit

PIA offers port forwarding.

Key feature

Only on servers outside the US.

Possible drawback

Using a non-US server means a farther, usually slower connection.

When a competitor may be better

Proton VPN offers port forwarding on its P2P servers.

Devices and apps

Where it works, how many devices are allowed, and what’s missing.

Apps and platforms

PIA has apps for all the common platforms, but split tunneling lives on the computer.

Apps and platforms
Windows 10 and 11Official appYesKey featuresKill switch and split tunneling for apps, IP addresses and whole subnets.Limitations64-bit and ARM64 only.
macOSOfficial appYesKey featuresSplit tunneling for apps and IP addresses.LimitationsmacOS 10.15 or newer; the App Store version needs macOS 12.
LinuxOfficial appYesKey featuresSplit tunneling for apps and IP addresses; also for ARM.Limitations64-bit desktop distributions only, such as Ubuntu LTS 20.04+, Debian 11+, Mint 20+, Fedora 32+ and Arch.
AndroidOfficial appYesKey featuresApp for phones and tablets.LimitationsAndroid 7.0 or newer.
iOSOfficial appYesKey featuresApp for iPhone and iPad.LimitationsiOS 15.0 or newer.
TV and browserOfficial appYesKey featuresFire TV and Fire Stick, Apple TV; extensions for Chrome and Firefox.LimitationsFire OS 6 and tvOS 17 or newer.
Split tunneling with DNS control is on Windows and Linux – useful if your bank should see your home IP while everything else goes through the VPN.

Unlimited devices

PIA can be used on unlimited devices at the same time on one account.

Fair use: PIA doesn’t give technical support for operating systems their maker no longer updates.

Matters less for: The browser extension protects only the browser – the app protects the whole device.

Windows (including ARM64), Mac and Linux
iPhone, iPad and Android
Fire TV and Apple TV
Extensions for Chrome and Firefox
Routers

For a big household, the math is simple: one account for everyone.

App ratings in the stores

These are ratings from store users. They rate how the app works; they say nothing about whether the subscription price is fair.

App Store

iOS and iPadOS
4,7out of 5

149,762 ratings

Source

Ratings change constantly and often drop after price increases or removed features. We show the value from the check date together with the number of reviews, because 4.8 from two hundred and 4.5 from two million ratings aren’t the same thing.

What US App Store reviewers say

PIA has 4.7 out of 5 stars from 150,000 ratings on the US App Store. We also read the 50 most recent US reviews — 2 of them gave one or two stars. Recent reviews skew toward people with a problem, so read them as a list of what can go wrong, not as a verdict.

Praised

Recent reviewers are mostly positive about connection quality and recent updates.

Complaints

The two low ratings mention difficulty canceling and the app disconnecting by itself.

App Store purchases are canceled in your Apple account, not in the PIA app.

Our score and what it’s made of

This is our own assessment based on checked facts. It isn’t an average of user reviews or the provider’s claim. Below — every criterion, its weight and the source of each data point.

4,0out of 5· 14 of 14 criteria checked

The score is calculated for each plan separately, and their average is shown here. Speed and unblocking of streaming services aren’t included — we can’t verify them, so we only assess what can be checked in official sources. Full methodology.

Plan assessed: “PIA VPN”

Criteria that are the same for all of this provider’s plans
CriterionWhat we foundScoreSource
Price now(20 %)1,89 USD/mo before tax5,0our catalog
Advertised price is the final price(10 %)listed before tax3,0our catalog
Free way to try it(10 %)refund within 30 days3,0source
Price jump at renewal(5 %)2,05 USD/mo — 1,1× more expensive5,0our catalog
What’s included in the same plan(5 %)ad blocking, tracker blocking, split tunneling (3 of 3)5,0source
Streaming services(4 %)Smart DNS, streaming servers5,0source
Independent no-logs audit(8 %)20255,0source
Servers in the US(12 %)physical, number published5,0source
Network coverage(12 %)104 countries3,0source
Jurisdiction(9 %)US or Five Eyes1,5source
Devices at once(2 %)unlimited5,0source
Modern protocol(1 %)on all major platforms5,0source
Port forwarding(1 %)yes5,0source
App rating(1 %)4,7 out of 54,7our catalog

Streaming services

It counts toward the score with a weight of 4%, but we only assess what the provider offers. We don’t test whether a specific service actually unblocks today: that would take six subscriptions, and the answer would be valid for one day.

  • Smart DNS for TVs and consoles:yessource
  • Streaming servers:yessource

Extra options

These two aren’t part of the score: multi-hop is a niche feature, and a dedicated IP is almost always a paid add-on, so as a criterion it wouldn’t separate providers. But they matter when you choose a plan, so we show them with a source.

  • Double VPN (multi-hop):yessource
  • Dedicated IP address:paid add-onsource

What to do right after you buy

Turn off auto-renew right after you buy, in your account settings. Your subscription isn’t canceled by this — it stays active until the end of the period, and the renewal price (currently 2,05 USD/mo — 1,1× more expensive) won’t be charged automatically.

A week before the end: compare again — and don’t just consider renewing. With most providers we’ve checked, the renewal price is higher than the intro price, so switching often costs less than staying.

In this provider’s terms we found no rule that the intro price is for new customers only — but that’s no promise the promotion will apply if you come back.

What we don’t claim

There are more myths than facts about VPNs. These are the ones you meet most with PIA.

  • With a VPN I’m anonymous online.

    You’re not. The account you sign in to knows as much about you as before.

  • “All 50 states” means a server in every state.

    32 of PIA’s 55 US regions are geo-located: the IP address is in that state, the server may not be.

  • PIA’s port forwarding works everywhere.

    Not on US servers.

  • An audit cancels out US jurisdiction.

    It checks the no-logs policy; the law that applies stays the same.

All points come from PIA’s own pages and server list.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • All 50 states

    55 US regions.

  • Unlimited devices

    On every plan.

  • Open-source apps

    Public code.

  • RAM-only servers

    Wiped on reboot.

Cons

  • US jurisdiction

    Inside the Five Eyes.

  • No port forwarding on US servers

    Only abroad.

  • Many virtual US regions

    32 of 55.

  • No free plan

    A 30-day guarantee for new subscribers.

Final verdict

PIA is the provider that promises all 50 states, and a good fit for big households. If you need port forwarding in the US or a provider outside the Five Eyes, choose another provider.

For a specific state

The strongest choice — all 50 are covered.

For many devices

Unlimited, like Surfshark.

For port forwarding in the US

Look at Proton VPN.

It’s the only one here that promises all 50 states, and it ties Surfshark on devices. NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Proton VPN win on jurisdiction.

How much PIA costs

Prices from PIA’s US price list in dollars.

Compare six VPNs

A VPN price list rarely shows the final amount. In the US, providers list prices before sales tax, and several add it at checkout depending on your state — NordVPN’s checkout, for example, showed state sales tax as a separate line. Long plans show an intro price for the first term; what they renew at, and how often, is the number to compare — and not every price list shows it.

Private Internet Access deals and discounts

We have no confirmed deals or promo codes for Private Internet Access right now. When the provider publishes one and we have checked it, the dates and terms will appear here — we never list made-up promo codes.

Track price and deals

Private Internet Access free trial

We found no free trial for Private Internet Access on the provider’s website right now. If one appears, we will mark it here and in the free trials list.

All free trials

How to pay less for Private Internet Access

  • Annual billing for “PIA VPN”: $47.88 for 12 months instead of $143.40 if you pay monthly — you save 67%.

Compare the price with alternatives: Proton VPN price · ExpressVPN price · CyberGhost VPN price

We only show the provider’s official options — no shared accounts and no region switching.

Customer support

The help center is available in English.

Contact options the provider lists:

  • email or form

Source: helpdesk.privateinternetaccess.com/hc/en-us

FAQ

PIA’s server list shows 55 US regions covering all 50 states. 32 of them are geo-located, so the server may be in another state.

No. None of PIA’s US regions is marked for port forwarding; it works on servers in other countries.

Unlimited, on every plan.

Yes. US law applies, and the US is part of the Five Eyes.

No. PIA offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for new subscribers instead.

PIA’s price list shows amounts in USD and doesn’t say whether tax is added; check the total at checkout.

Start by checking who charges you — that decides where you cancel. If you signed up in an app, the payment usually goes through your Google or Apple account, outside the service’s own website. Check your subscriptions in Google Play, and on iPhone: Settings → your name → Subscriptions, signed in to the account you paid with. If you can’t find it, Apple suggests searching your email for “receipt from Apple” or “invoice from Apple”: the receipt shows which account paid. If there’s no receipt at all, you probably bought it on the service’s website or in a bundle from your wireless carrier, internet or TV provider — your bank or card statement shows which company bills you.

On a computer, open your subscriptions in Google Play, click Manage next to the one you want to cancel, then Cancel subscription, pick a reason and confirm with Continue. Some apps on Google Play also let you pause a subscription instead of canceling — that’s not the same thing as canceling.

On iPhone: Settings → your name → Subscriptions → choose the subscription → Cancel Subscription; you may need to scroll down to see the button. If there’s no Cancel button, or you see an expiration message in red text, the subscription is already canceled. For a free trial, Apple asks you to cancel at least 24 hours before it ends.

No. Google says it in a separate warning: when you uninstall an app, your subscription won’t cancel. Payments continue until you cancel in the account where you bought the subscription. It’s an easy trap: the app disappears from your phone, but the bill stays.

Then you cancel with that provider. Apple says it plainly: if you got the subscription through your wireless carrier or another provider, contact them. In the US this is common for streaming — services are often bundled with phone, internet or TV plans. If your plan has a minimum term or the subscription is part of a bundle discount, check the terms before you cancel.

No. Apple is clear about it: you can’t cancel a family member’s subscription. If the receipt shows a family member’s Apple Account, ask them to cancel it themselves. If it shows another account you use yourself, sign in to that one and cancel there.

Not as a general rule. Unlike the European Union, the US has no general 14-day right to withdraw from online purchases. Rules on automatic renewal and how easy canceling must be are set mostly by individual states and differ between them. In practice, check the provider’s own terms: some offer a money-back guarantee (common for VPNs and antivirus software), others don’t refund at all.

Usually not. Access typically lasts until the end of the period you’ve already paid for, and only then does the subscription expire. It works the other way too: canceling right after a payment usually doesn’t refund that period — it only stops the next charge.

Don’t rely on the confirmation pop-up — check the list. On iPhone, open Settings → your name → Subscriptions: if there’s no Cancel button anymore, or there’s an expiration message in red text, the subscription is canceled. In Google Play, a canceled subscription can be restarted with Resubscribe, so you can see the difference there too. If the subscription isn’t on either list, you bought it somewhere else, and that’s where you have to cancel it.

Sometimes, but it’s not guaranteed, and it’s not always the service whose logo you see that decides. Google says most apps on the Play Store are made by third-party developers, who can process refunds under their own policies and applicable laws; according to Google, contacting the developer directly is often the quickest way. If you paid on the service’s website, send the request there. For a charge that neither you nor anyone you know made, Google asks you to report it within 120 days of the transaction.

No — they’re two separate things that are easy to mix up. Deleting the account erases the data but doesn’t stop payments if you bought the subscription in an app store: there the subscription lives independently of the account. So the right order is the reverse — first cancel the subscription where you pay, check that it has really ended, and only then delete the account.

Usually only access to the content ends, while the account remains: history, settings and saved items stay, so you don’t start from zero if you come back. No law requires that, though — it’s the service’s own decision, so the data may be deleted after some time. If something matters to you, export it before the subscription ends.

Often yes, but in the US it depends on where you live. There’s no single federal law for this; several states give their residents the right to know what data a company holds, to get a copy and to have it deleted, and some providers offer the same tools to all users. Send the request to the provider itself — its privacy policy explains how. We don’t promise on the provider’s behalf that a request will be handled quickly or well.

On your card or bank statement. The amount there can differ from the price on the website for two common reasons: a promo price has ended, or sales tax was added at checkout. US providers list prices before sales tax, and whether it’s added — and how much — depends on your state. That’s why the same subscription can show up on your statement as a slightly higher amount than the price you saw on the pricing page.

Renewal and what the provider says about it

PIA’s plans renew automatically: the monthly plan every month, the yearly plan every year, and the 3-year plan (3 years + 3 months) every 3 years. Prices are in USD; PIA’s price list doesn’t say whether tax is added.

Prepaid term with auto-renewal

Monthly, yearly or every 3 years.

Always check this on the plan card

  • The full amount for the first term
  • At what price and how often it renews
  • Whether tax is added at checkout
  • When the money-back guarantee ends

The intro price isn’t the price of the service

Check the renewal amount before buying a long plan.

How we work

This page is a comparison, and for every claim we say where it comes from.

Facts from the provider’s documents

Jurisdiction, the year of the independent audit, the number of server countries and the money-back window come from the providers’ own pages, with a quote.

We didn’t test speeds or leaks

We don’t publish a single number we didn’t measure. The speed section explains HOW to read published tests: location, time and protocol change everything, so someone else’s result promises you nothing.

Prices aren’t written into the text

VPN price lists depend on your IP address and on promotions that change weekly, so prices are in the price block.

Currency and tax as the provider shows them

In the US all six bill in dollars, but tax is another matter: several providers add sales tax at checkout depending on your state. We say which is which.

Product facts are shared, market facts aren’t

How many screens a plan allows, how many devices an account works on, how many servers a network has — that doesn’t depend on the country, and on our pages those numbers are the same in every language; a separate tool watches over that. Price, promotions, availability and app language belong to the market, and we never carry them over from another country.

The provider’s list is the same for everyone

If a service publishes a list of countries or languages, we can say whether the US is on it — that list looks the same for everyone. Checkout, however, can look different for every account, so for amounts a provider shows only at checkout we write: check before you pay.

A shorter section doesn’t mean something is missing from the product

If a section here is shorter than for another service, it’s because the provider publishes less about it. We don’t fill the gap with generic wording just to make the page look more complete.

Three different answers

We distinguish between “none”, “the provider doesn’t say” and “we didn’t find it”. They’re three different situations — mixing them up would turn our own limitation into a flaw in the product.

A price without a source isn’t shown

If an amount has no source and date, we don’t show it. An empty spot is more honest than a number that only looks right — and prices change more often than articles get updated.

Data from the US market

This page isn’t a translation of another language version. Numbers from other countries don’t end up here: markets differ, and that’s exactly why this page exists.

Affiliate links are labeled at the link

If a link is an affiliate link, we say so right next to it. The commission doesn’t affect what we write — and you know about it before you click.

We fix errors openly

If we got something wrong, we fix it and note what changed. A silent correction would mean you never find out you once relied on wrong information.

How we check the data

If anything on this page has gone out of date, write to us — we’ll fix it and note the date.

The order in the comparison is set by the criteria; affiliate partnerships don’t affect it.

Some links to providers are affiliate links: if you subscribe through them, we may earn a commission. It changes neither the price nor the placement in the comparison. Affiliate links are always labeled next to the link.

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We compare the regular monthly price after promotions and free trials.

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Comparisons with competitors

Who wins, and when the cheaper one is worth choosing.