Choosing between Private Internet Access or ExpressVPN is a bloody hard task. While PIA exceeds expectations with its unlimited connections, ExpressVPN is a speed champ. PIA offers comprehensive security but so does ExpressVPN, with even more third-party audits.
Price-wise, these are very different. To make things harder, both offer unlimited bandwidth, streaming prowess, and full P2P support. This PIA vs ExpressVPN duel should ease your decision-making process and let you get the most befitting of the two.
We’ll put ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access through some serious tests. Our in-depth evaluation will cover all aspects of both VPN services, with a distinct score at the end. Don’t expect a tie because one VPN will emerge victorious. Which one? Find out below.
ExpressVPN vs PIA VPN: All You Need To Know
All you need to know is that ExpressVPN won this comparison and is generally a better VPN than Private Internet Access. Read on for more information because we’ve pointed out some of their most important advantages and shortcomings.
In a rush? Here’s a quick PIA VPN vs ExpressVPN side-by-side look at their most important features:
| ExpressVPN | Private Internet Access | |
| Our Current Ranking | #2 | #3 |
| Prices | Starting at $6.67/mo | Starting at $2.19/mo |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 30 Days | 30 Days |
| Free Version | No | No |
| Logging | No | No |
| Protocols | Lightway, OpenVPN | WireGuard, OpenVPN |
| Servers | 3,000 in 105 countries | 30,000 in 91 countries |
| Specialty Servers | No | Dedicated IP, Streaming, Multi-hop |
| RAM-Only Servers | Yes | Yes |
| Working With Netflix | Yes (15+ catalogs) | Yes (5-6 catalogs) |
| P2P Allowance | Yes | Yes |
| Simultaneous Connections | 8 | Unlimited |
Applications & Ease of Use
ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access offer a myriad of apps for all popular platforms. Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android are covered. In addition, both providers have clients for Smart TVs, which is great for streaming on Netflix, BBC, or Hulu.
For now, ExpressVPN has the advantage in this comparison against PIA VPN, as it offers an elementary VPN for Firestick.
It’s a native app that you can install directly from the store. Private Internet Access is yet to support Firestick, which is a shame considering it supports routers and Apple TV.
Ease of use is on ExpressVPN’s side too. If you look at its app, you’ll see nothing but simplicity and effectiveness. A click is enough to connect you to a server, for example. Moreover, there’s a handy search bar to find the exact server location you need.
The Settings menu is clearly laid out, with all important features listed beautifully. Better yet, the app you see is the SAME across all systems, making ExpressVPN very intuitive. Private Internet Access is a bit of a mess on Windows and MacOS, and it is slightly clunky.
In particular, the Windows app is a bit slow. Opening Settings brings up another menu. Unwrapping the server list extends the app way down – it’s all a bit messy. Its mobile clients are a bit better; we especially like the iOS app. It’s responsive and snappy as we like it.
PIA VPN strikes back by offering unlimited simultaneous connections, whereas, ExpressVPN has only 8.
As the latter has better device compatibility and easier-to-use apps than Private Internet Access, ExpressVPN wins the round despite its 8 simultaneous connections. In our book, they’re more than sufficient.
ExpressVPN vs PIA Price Comparison
Which VPN to choose if you don’t want to spend much – Private Internet Access (PIA) or ExpressVPN?
The former has some of the cheapest prices around. Its 2-year plan tops off at $2.19 a month, with 2 free months, and a huge 82% discount. Quite a bargain of a VPN!
This brings the price down to roughly $57 for the first 26 months, making PIA an incredibly attractive offer. While its monthly and 6-month plans aren’t the definition of cheap, we don’t think they’re relevant here. The 2-year deal is all you need to make your dreams come true.
Bear in mind that PIA has a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans, so even the monthly is covered. The same can be said about ExpressVPN which offers the same straightforward prices, alas, with slightly higher numbers. The best deal here lasts for a year.
This 12-month plan is discounted by 48% thanks to 3 free months, making the monthly price $6.67. Indeed, a large difference, especially in the upfront cost, which is $99.95 for the first 15 months. For this money, you could almost enjoy PIA for FOUR consecutive years.
Having reviewed ExpressVPN recently, we concluded that the provider’s price is above average. The monthly plan is more expensive than PIA’s equivalent. The 6-month plan is also more opulent, at $9.99/mo instead of $7.50/mo in Private Internet Access.
Without a hint of doubt, Private Internet Access wins this round. It’s WAY more affordable and better if you’re struggling with finances.
Private Internet Access vs ExpressVPN: Features Analysis
Given the price discrepancy, it’s useful to see which VPN offers more features.
Does paying less mean you’ll also be getting less? Or can a cheaper provider bring more stuff to the table? This ExpressVPN vs Private Internet Access comparison will give you the answer.
Shared Features
PIA and ExpressVPN are sister companies, both residing under the Kape Technologies banner. As a result, they share a few features listed below:
- Strong encryption. Both use 256-bit encryption and while ExpressVPN relies only on this level, PIA lets you choose between 128-bit GCM and 256-bit GCM. We recommend the latter, as it has no impact on performance.
- Kill switch. It’s a standard VPN feature we explained in a kill switch guide. A kill switch will happily disable your internet connection if the VPN connection breaks. Both work very well but PIA’s has an edge with an Advanced Kill Switch that blocks traffic unless you turn on the VPN.
- Split tunneling. A handy feature for splitting your traffic into two parts. Choose which apps will be routed through the VPN and which will be unscathed. PIA is, again, more versatile, because it allows you to apply these settings to IP addresses/domains.
- Ad-blocking. ExpressVPN’s Advanced Protection blocks ads, trackers, and malware, along with porn sites if you want to restrict them. PIA MACE does the same but without porn site blocking. We prefer ExpressVPN’s offer.
- Private DNS. Both providers have their private DNS servers for safer and more secure connections. No third-party DNS tracking and other fluff that will get you exposed.
- RAM-based servers. This cutting-edge technology lets both VPNs avoid unwanted logging and not store any user data for longer periods. RAM servers will be wiped clean with each restart, preventing snoopers and hackers from stealing any data.
Unique Features
Let’s compare their unique features in this ExpressVPN vs Private Internet Access duel. The former isn’t known for its variety of advanced features but there’s one we haven’t mentioned.
Lightway & WireGuard Protocols
We haven’t mentioned Lightway as ExpressVPN’s driving force. It’s a protocol developed by ExpressVPN to express speed, security, and privacy in one. After numerous tests, Lightway displayed unwavering results that were on par with NordLynx – NordVPN’s in-house protocol.
WireGuard is found in Private Internet Access and is great without a doubt. It’s speed and safe almost as Lightway and NordLynx. However, when we compared Private Internet Access to NordVPN, we saw that NordLynx was faster overall, making WireGuard lacking a bit.
In conclusion, we can say that both protocols are state-of-the-art – you can’t go wrong with any of them.
Try Lightway: ExpressVPN’s Secure Protocol
Multi-hop Connections
ExpressVPN lacks Multi-hop, which is one of its weakest links. Private Internet Access, Surfshark, NordVPN, and Hide.me are only some among MANY providers that offer this feature. PIA, however, bundles Multi-hop and obfuscation for staggering results.
It works via proxies; Shadowsocks and SOCKS5. When enabled, you can pick the proxy you want and choose the country. Now, when you go back to the server list and connect, the server you’ve chosen is your exit server, while the country from the proxy is the entry one.
Multi-hop is generally slower but that’s because of obfuscation and double encryption. Beware that ExpressVPN also packs obfuscation but you can’t tweak it on or off. It’s ON by default, always hiding the fact that you’re using a VPN.
Dedicated IP Support
In terms of features, the PIA vs ExpressVPN comparison is inclined towards the former so far. Namely, it offers a suite of dedicated IP addresses where each is about $2.5 a month for the 2-year plan. Not only are dedicated IPs cheap but ubiquitous, as they’re available in 25 locations.
Why are dedicated IP addresses important? If you check our VPNs with dedicated IP addresses, you’ll find they can bypass IP blacklisting, circumvent captcha puzzles, allow you to host various servers, and much more, making them a worthy security addition.
PIA Antivirus
Private Internet Access lets you buy an antivirus to complement your VPN protection. If you expected over-the-top prices, you’ll be baffled at how cheap this antvirus is. At $1.45 a month, you can protect your Windows PC against viruses while enjoying the VPN.
You’ll gain 360-degree protection in return, not having to worry about a single threat. PIA’s impenetrable protection mesh will keep you safe, alas, only on Windows, as Antivirus support doesn’t extend further. Surfshark’s equivalent is a lot better in this regard.
It works on all devices, including mobile phones where virus protection is also needed. So, in terms of security features, we must say that Private Internet Access is a better choice. Despite costing roughly 3 times less, its apps pack more punch that knocks out ExpressVPN.
Secure Your Connection With PIA
Do Private Internet Access and ExpressVPN Store Logs?
PIA is a US VPN, while ExpressVPN’s HQ is in the British Virgin Islands. The latter is far better but the 5 Eyes jurisdiction of PIA doesn’t hold it back. To prove this, we’ll mention that its no-log policy has been proven in court many times without a single trace of logging.
Each time the authorities tried to extract something from PIA, they ended up empty-handed. ExpressVPN has also proven its no-log intentions in court, so it’s an egal. ExpressVPN has more third-party audits than PIA – the American VPN has one from Deloitte.
Browse With no Logging With ExpressVPN
However, if we examine their privacy policies, we see no reason to worry. ExpressVPN doesn’t store a hint of your location, IP address, DNS queries, visited websites, connection metadata, and so on. Private Internet Access keeps it clean as well, with minimal logging.
Both providers will store troubleshooting data and stuff necessary for the service to function. For example, if your email address is stored, that’s because it’s needed for the subscription. Also, ExpressVPN keeps tabs on how many devices you’re using at the same time.
Enjoy Zero Logs With Private Internet Access
This is needed to enforce its eight-device limit. After inspecting both thoroughly, we can conclude that none keep privacy-infringing logs on their RAM-only servers. This has been confirmed in our Private Internet Access review where we went more in-depth into its privacy policy.
To cut it short, this round is a tie – the first one so far.
Which VPN Is Faster: ExpressVPN or PIA?
So now, we move on to the Private Internet Access vs ExpressVPN speed comparison.
Below are our native internet speeds obtained in Belgrade, where we were at the time of testing. Both providers went through identical testing procedures for the best accuracy.
This meant we would test both 3 times a day, 3 days in a row, using 3 server locations; the United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan. To keep things fair, we also haven’t tinkered with protocols. Both are left on “Automatic” to let the VPNs decide on the protocol.
We’ve compiled all the results and compared ExpressVPN to PIA head-to-head to see which VPN is faster. The table underneath displays the average speed drop percentages regarding download and upload speeds. Let’s analyze them for differences:
| Download Speed Loss | Upload Speed Loss | |
| ExpressVPN | 24% | 9% |
| Private Internet Access | 26% | 24% |
The speed difference is on ExpressVPN’s side. It’s 2% faster for downloads and 15% faster for uploads. In practice, ExpressVPN seems to be smoother and less “laggy” because of slightly lower ping on more distant servers. Here are our detailed speed test numbers as well:
| UK (Download/Upload) | US (Download/Upload) | Japan (Download/Upload) | |
| ExpressVPN | 298.82/18.50 Mbps | 274.61/18.35 Mbps | 206.33/16.73 Mbps |
| Private Internet Access | 298.69/17.42 Mbps | 261.93/12.84 Mbps | 197.89/14.31 Mbps |
Again, we can see ExpressVPN’s superiority on more distant servers. This is shown when using US and Japanese servers, where ExpressVPN displayed faster downloads and uploads.
Get Speedy Connections With ExpressVPN
Streaming & Torrenting Comparison
Whether you like streaming or torrenting or both, high-quality premium VPNs like these will suffice. Now, not all are built the same, so one will be better than the other. Is ExpressVPN better than Private Internet Access? Let us report on our findings.
Streaming
Streaming is better with ExpressVPN. It can unblock well over 15 Netflix catalogs without special tweaks, using dedicated streaming servers, and so on. ExpressVPN makes streaming easier by offering a handy browser extension that you can use on your computer.
It works on all add-on-friendly browsers like Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Safari, etc. Even its application is enough to handle most of the “load” by unblocking BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Hulu, and various free channels for streaming Formula One, MotoGP, and other sports.
Private Internet Access has a few dedicated streaming VPN locations in the USA and a few other locations. Using them yields great results, as the VPN, for example, works with US Netflix. However, its Netflix-unblocking abilities extend as far as 5-6 libraries.
Stream Endlessly With ExpressVPN’s Apps
Unlike ExpressVPN, PIA VPN doesn’t have a great browser extension with streaming abilities. This puts it at a disadvantage streaming-wise. Both providers offer Smart DNS, which is mostly made for US streaming services. However, ExpressVPN’s equivalent is more efficient.
Torrenting
Torrenting doesn’t require anything more than great performance and privacy. In our Private Internet Access vs ExpressVPN comparison, both performed sufficiently. It’s worth noting that PIA has a few advanced features to complement torrenting, like SOCKS5 and Port Forwarding.
However, we haven’t used them often because they don’t make a huge difference in our book. Speed, stability, and other factors were unimpacted and without these, PIA performed like a champ when using nearby servers, which is advised when downloading torrents.
So, while torrenting is a tie, streaming is ExpressVPN’s specialty. Doing simple math brings us to the conclusion that ExpressVPN wins this round.
Server Locations of ExpressVPN and PIA
You’ll get plenty of servers and locations with both providers, so don’t let that be the deciding factor.
Still, our ExpressVPN vs Private Internet Access comparison must put these server fleets together and evaluate them. At the moment, we have quite a discrepancy.
- ExpressVPN has 3,000+ servers in over 105 countries
- Private Internet Access sports roughly 30,000 servers in 91 countries
While PIA has about 14 countries less than ExpressVPN, its server park is 10 times larger. The server distribution of PIA doesn’t suffer, especially when talking about popular locations. An example is the USA, where PIA has servers in all states and ExpressVPN has 20 US locations.
As hinted in this PIA vs ExpressVPN duel, the latter doesn’t offer dedicated servers, so the variety is lacking. Private Internet Access has ample dedicated IP addresses and some streaming-optimized servers. On top of that, it also supports proxies; SOCKS5 and Shadowsocks.
ExpressVPN’s server fleet is underwhelming on paper but in practice, the difference is negligible. NordVPN has more servers too; 6,400+ in 111 countries, and is overall, a better option. But between these two, we’ll give it to Private Internet Access for obvious reasons.
Connect to Over 30,000 Servers with PIA
Bypassing Censorship: Which VPN Does It Better?
Before we call it a day, let’s examine their anti-censorship abilities. We’ve clarified that both options support obfuscation, each in its own way. Testing the VPN in China brought some excellent results, as ExpressVPN could bypass the Great Firewall relatively easily.
Private Internet Access wasn’t the best in this regard and was much weaker in comparison. Its Shadowsocks obfuscation works approximately 4/10 times but it’s all a matter of experimenting with servers, protocols, and other security features.
Bypassing censorship outside China is easy for both. The UAE, Turkey, Russia, and other similar countries will “accept” PIA just fine. The same goes for censored networks in workplaces and schools, both of which can be circumvented by these VPNs.
ExpressVPN will take the final round, though. It works in China much better, which is crucial if you’re in one of the largest countries in the world.
Combat Censorship in China With ExpressVPN
Conclusion: ExpressVPN Wins Against PIA VPN
With everything we said, we have a final score that goes in ExpressVPN’s favor.
The score is 5-4 in favor of ExpressVPN against PIA VPN. While it’s a narrow win on paper, a round-by-round examination shows that ExpressVPN prevailed in some of the most critical comparisons.
ExpressVPN was better for:
- Device compatibility and ease of use
- Lightway protocol (better than WireGuard)
- Overall performance and speed
- Streaming capabilities
- More countries (105 vs 91 in PIA)
- Bypassing censorship
On the flip side, Private Internet Access was better for:
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Way more affordable price ($2.19/mo vs $6.67/mo in ExpressVPN)
- Advanced security features
- A lot more servers (~30,000 vs ~3,000+ in ExpressVPN)
As you can see, ExpressVPN is, overall, a better pick if you value its countless advantages. Private Internet Access is more for budget-oriented people, also known as “power” users who want to spend less and still get plenty of things. So, which one do we recommend?
If you want a better VPN, pick ExpressVPN – it’s very easy. However, if the total cost is a big factor, go for Private Internet Access. You can’t go wrong with either if you value privacy, security, performance, ease of use, and every other gold-standard feature of premium VPNs.