# Alternatives to Private Internet Access

Long-running VPN with open source clients.

Private Internet Access ranks #1 of 9 in Personal VPNs, with an Alt Score of 100. It is proprietary, sold by subscription from $1.33/mo and available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and Browser extension. 12 of 12 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/private-internet-access/
Category: Personal VPNs

## Where Private Internet Access stands out

- **Port forwarding** — 3 of 8 apps with a verified answer have this
- **Dedicated IP option** — 4 of 9 apps with a verified answer have this

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Privacy-conscious individuals who want to mask their IP and encrypt their traffic across everyday devices, including streamers, travelers, and anyone using public Wi-Fi.
- **What you get**: Access to a large server network spanning around 90 countries plus all 50 US states, with a no-logs policy independently audited by Deloitte and upheld in court. Apps are fully open-source and available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, browsers, routers, and smart TVs. Users can choose between 128-bit or 256-bit AES encryption and connect via WireGuard or OpenVPN.
- **How it works**: Install the PIA app on a device, log in, and connect to a server in a chosen country or state to route traffic through an encrypted tunnel that hides the device's real IP address.

## Profile

- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Pricing model**: Subscription (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Starts at**: $1.33/mo (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-11)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [Windscribe](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/windscribe.md) | 96 | GPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 2 | [Surfshark](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/surfshark.md) | 93 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 3 | [NordVPN](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/nordvpn.md) | 89 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 4 | [ExpressVPN](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/expressvpn.md) | 85 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 5 | [Proton VPN](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/proton-vpn.md) | 85 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 6 | [Mullvad](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/mullvad.md) | 78 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 7 | [IVPN](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/ivpn.md) | 66 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 8 | [Cloudflare WARP](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/cloudflare-warp.md) | 51 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| Personal VPNs checklist | Private Internet Access | Windscribe | Surfshark | NordVPN | ExpressVPN | Proton VPN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Subscription | Freemium | Subscription | Subscription | Subscription | Freemium |
| Starts at | $1.33/mo | $1.00 per location/month (Build-A-Plan, $3 minimum); Pro from $5.75/month billed yearly | €2.29/mo. | $3.49 per month | $3.49/month | $11.99/month (VPN Plus, monthly; cheaper on annual terms) |
| License | Proprietary | GPL-2.0 | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | GPL-3.0 |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension |
| Independent audit published | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| No-logs policy jurisdiction | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| WireGuard support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Server count / countries | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Simultaneous devices | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Kill switch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Split tunneling | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Partial |
| Port forwarding | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Dedicated IP option | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| P2P allowed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes |
| RAM-only servers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Anonymous payment accepted | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |

## Sources

Sources for Private Internet Access. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **License**: Proprietary — <https://github.com/pia-foss> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Free and Open Source Software from Private Internet Access - Made With Love”
- **Pricing model**: Subscription — <https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/buy-vpn-online> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Autorenews at $79 every 3 years”
- **Starts at**: $1.33/mo — <https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/buy-vpn-online> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “$ 1.33 /mo”
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension — <https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/download> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Download PIA For Windows / Download PIA For macOS / Download PIA For Linux / Download PIA For Android / Download PIA For iOS / Chrome VPN”
- **Status**: active — <https://github.com/pia-foss/desktop/releases> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “3.7.2”
- **Independent audit published**: Yes — <https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/privacy-audit/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Deloitte, one of the Big Four auditing firms, reviewed our server environment and found that we store no logs and no details that could be used to identify our users or pinpoint their activities.”
- **No-logs policy jurisdiction**: Yes — <https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/vpn-features/no-logs-vpn> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “No-logs promise proven in a US court”
- **WireGuard support**: Yes — <https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/vpn-features/wireguard> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “PIA supports both protocols, so you're never locked into one.”
- **Server count / countries**: Yes — <https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/vpn-server> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Connect to Secure, High-Speed VPN Servers in 50 Countries Worldwide”
- **Simultaneous devices**: Yes — <https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/vpn-features> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Unlimited Device Connections”
- **Kill switch**: Yes — <https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/vpn-features> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Prevent data leaks — our advanced Kill Switch prevents data transmission when the VPN is switched off.”
- **Split tunneling**: Yes — <https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/vpn-features/split-tunneling> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “PIA takes this basic concept one step further by allowing you to choose between standard and inverse split tunneling.”
- **Port forwarding**: Yes — <https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/vpn-features> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Activate port forwarding on selected servers to optimize your torrent performance for faster downloads.”
- **Dedicated IP option**: Yes — <https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/vpn-features/dedicated-ip-vpn> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Sign up for PIA VPN and select the Dedicated IP add-on.”
- **P2P allowed**: Yes — <https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/vpn-features> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Enjoy full support for torrenting on every PIA VPN server, so you can share files more safely and privately.”
- **RAM-only servers**: Yes — <https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/pia-colocated-servers/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “All our servers are RAM-only.”
- **Anonymous payment accepted**: Yes — <https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/gift-card-payment> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Pay anonymously with many major brand gift cards”

---
Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/