Private Internet Access vs Surfshark: Which Cheap VPN Is Better?

If you do a quick search online, you’ll find that Private Internet Access and Surfshark are some of the best VPN providers. Simultaneously, you’ll see their very low prices that don’t reflect the quality you get. You pay very little but squeeze plenty of value for the money. This comparison aims to aid your selection.

We know these providers cost pretty much the same. They both have unlimited connections, lots of servers, unbreakable security, and impeccable apps for all devices. This makes the choice harder. Which VPN to choose, Private Internet Access or Surfshark? That’s a complex question that requires clever thinking.

Our full Private Internet Access vs Surfshark comparison is below, so keep reading for more information. Alternatively, refer to our recap underneath if you’re in a hurry.

Private Internet Access vs Surfshark: Overview

If you’d rather stick to our Surfshark vs PIA recap, we’ll divulge the winner right away – that’s Private Internet Access. The provider is better overall, costing slightly less while being faster and possessing more servers. Here’s a table that highlights both VPNs’ important features to aid your decision-making.

	Private Internet Access🏆	Surfshark VPN
📋 Our Current Ranking	#3	#5
🔖 Prices	Starts at $2.19 monthly	Starts at $1.99 monthly
💸 Money-Back Guarantee	30 days for all plans	30 days for all plans
🆓 Free Version/Free Trial	No/7 days	No/7 days
📓 Logging/Jurisdiction	No logging/USA	No logging/Netherlands
🔐 Protocols	OpenVPN, WireGuard	WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN
🌐 Servers	30,000+ in 91 countries	3,200+ in 100 countries
🔝 Specialty Servers	Dedicated IP, Streaming, Multi-hop	Dedicated IP, Static IP, Multi-hop
⛔ Ad Blocking	Yes	Yes
💾 RAM-Only Servers	Yes	Yes
📺 Working With Netflix	Yes (5-10 catalogs)	Yes (30 catalogs)
🔽 P2P Allowance	Yes	Yes
📱 Concurrent Connections	Unlimited	Unlimited

Applications & Ease of Use

So let’s start this PIA VPN vs Surfshark comparison with the apps. Both providers will provide sufficient meat here, offering applications for all desktop and mobile platforms. Windows, iOS, Android, macOS, and Linux distros will be covered. In fact, both VPNs are Linux-compatible, and Surfshark has a GUI.

One thing to note is that PIA doesn’t offer a native Fire TV Stick app. As you can guess, Surfshark does, which is a huge advantage for streaming fans. Regarding ease of use, Private Internet Access is great, with a few caveats here and there.

For instance, the Windows app is a bit clunky and slow. It also splits different options into multiple windows, making it a bit less intuitive. Connecting to a server is fast, and if you use WireGuard, you can expect it to be swift. We prefer its mobile apps. Here, PIA is brilliant, with snappy apps full of features waiting to be discovered.

We then have Surfshark and its modern clients. They’re a lot faster and a tad more elementary, although not on the level of ExpressVPN. Still, using Surfshark is a joy. This also applies to its iOS and Android clients that have similar features for a full-fledged desktop-like experience.

Simultaneous connections are key highlights in both cases. Both providers have unlimited concurrent connections to protect all your devices. This is non-negotiable and will be there in all plans – even monthly ones.

Surfshark vs Private Internet Access: Price Comparison

It’s clear as day that these services won’t obliterate your budget. They’re as budget-friendly as it gets. So, how much do they cost, and which is better for the money?

Surfshark VPN Prices

This provider has nine plans divided into three lengths: 2-year, 1-year, and monthly. Its amazing discounts apply to the former two, while monthly plans are non-discounted and pretty expensive at over $15 a month. Let’s start with the best-value options.

As discussed in our Surfshark test, the 24-month Starter plan is the cheapest, at $1.99 a month with three extra months. However, you’ll get all the bonus features in the One plan, including an antivirus, real-time email breach alerts, and a private search tool. Moving on to 12-month plans, you can also expect some discounts.

Subscribe to Surfshark’s Cheapest Plan

The Starter plan is just about $3.19 now, with 3 extra months. The One plan at under $3.40 with three free months is also great and will cost you roughly $50 for the first 15 months. What about Surfshark One+? This plan is range-topping and costs more. It can remove your data from databases in the USA, CA, UK, and EU.

Surfshark has a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans, including short-term ones. On top of that, signing in through iOS or Android grants you a 7-day free trial.

Private Internet Access Prices

In this Surfshark vs PIA duel, the latter doesn’t have the advantage of flexibility. Instead of nine, it has only three plans, where one is an absolute banger. The one in the middle is a game-changer. A 2-year package with an 83% discount thanks to two or four free months, depending on the current deal.

Unlike Surfshark, PIA packs every feature it has in this plan and charges you roughly the same – $2.19 a month instead of $1.99. It costs precisely the same as Surfshark One, but without antivirus, which costs $1.45 per month on top in Private Internet Access. In a way, this makes PIA VPN slightly pricier.

Get Private Internet Access’s Cheapest Deal

Our team compared PIA to NordVPN and concluded that PIA VPN is a bit better in value for money. This time, it’s more of a close call. Surfshark’s add-ons are pricier, like a dedicated IP at under $4.00, unlike PIA VPN’s $2.50. However, there’s another caveat. Surfshark renews at a significantly higher price.

The price you pay initially for PIA continues yearly. On the other hand, Surfshark Starter is about $6.58 monthly after the initial period. This is about $79 per year, while PIA VPN is roughly $57 per year. As a result, Surfshark is at least $22 more expensive annually, after you renew your subscription, than its US-based rival.

Private Internet Access vs Surfshark Features

Perhaps the most important PIA vs Surfshark comparison is this one. You know PIA is cheaper, but does the lower price mean certain shortcuts and downgrades? Here’s a spoiler – it doesn’t. Let’s delve deeper and inspect both VPN’s features.

Shared Features

Surfshark and PIA share a fair number of features, such as:

• 256-bit encryption. PIA even lets you choose the level of encryption and use 128-bit to slightly prioritize speed.
• WireGuard. This advanced protocol combines speed and security, resulting in a game-changing experience. It’s faster than OpenVPN and IKEv2, so it’s our go-to choice.
• Split tunneling. This feature is handy for customization. You can choose which apps will use the VPN tunnel and which will circumvent it. It can be great for apps that don’t require an IP change and would benefit from using your native IP.
• Multi-hop. If you want another encryption layer, use this one. It routes your connection through two servers in different countries. This makes you undetectable by your ISP or other third parties. Both offer the option to choose entry and exit servers.
• Kill Switch. You can use it to prevent data leaks if the VPN connection breaks. Both work well in 2026, immediately shutting down internet access when the VPN is unavailable. We tested this by unplugging the Ethernet cable from our PC.
• Ad blocker. PIA MACE and Surfshark’s CleanWeb will block ads and trackers. They won’t block malware like NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro.
• Obfuscation. It’s useful for censored regions and places where the internet is suffocated by the government or internet administrators. PIA uses Shadowsocks for this, while Surfshark relies on NoBorders to mask your VPN connection.

Unique Features

With so many shared features, you’d think Surfshark and PIA are an awful lot of similar. But they still offer something unique and do a few things differently.

Protocol Customization

Surfshark lets you select from WireGuard and OpenVPN. While PIA offers the same server set, its customization options make it a tad better. You can choose from different transport methods, such as UDP for speed or TCP for more reliability. You can also select the maximum packet size that impacts your transfers.

Users can select from small or large packets if they don’t want to use the Auto option. For example, smaller packets are great for unstable connections. On the other hand, large packets provide faster transfers but only if the connection is reliable.

PIA also lets you select the remote port. If you can’t connect, you can cycle between different options like 53, 853, and 8080. Not to mention different proxies. You get Shadowsocks and SOCKS5 for obfuscation. Port Forwarding is also a great add-on for speeding up your connection for faster downloads and lag-free gaming.

Again, Surfshark lacks in the customization department, where we’d love to see it improve. For now, PIA VPN has a slight edge, but the next feature may turn the tide.

Visit Private Internet Access

Virus Protection

Both providers offer virus protection to keep your devices safe. Private Internet Access charges you $1.45 per month for its 2-year plan. It’s a separate app that allows you to scan and detect threats on your computer. Bear in mind, it works only on a PC. On the other hand, Surfshark’s antivirus works on all devices – even mobile.

It’s an in-app add-on, which unlocks once you get the One plan we discussed earlier. We love that you can access it within the app and quickly perform a device scan or see detected threats. Moreover, Surfshark’s antivirus lets you schedule quick and full scans in advance to keep things clean.

We appreciate its efficiency in real-time protection, too. It’s quick to detect and quarantine viruses and malware that can harm your device, and by extension, your privacy. In general, Surfshark’s antivirus is a tad better, and price-wise, it’s similar to PIA. The One plan is roughly a dollar or so more expensive, so you won’t pay much.

Visit Surfshark

Rotating IP

We finally have Rotating IP as another Surfshark function. This feature rotates your IP while keeping your VPN location the same. This is done seamlessly, without interrupting the connection. The great thing about it is privacy, because your IP address shifts every few minutes. This makes you virtually untraceable.

We used IP Rotation while streaming on Netflix using a VPN, and everything worked without a hitch. Sadly, PIA doesn’t offer this feature, as it’s locked only to Multi-hop, which is by no means bad, but less innovative.

Do Surfshark and PIA Store Logs?

We all hate VPN providers that keep tons of logs. They violate the purpose of a Virtual Private Network and have nothing to do with privacy. Luckily, this Private Internet Access vs Surfshark comparison goes in the right direction because neither of them stores logs. PIA VPN is based in the United States.

You’ll say 5 Eyes, privacy concerns, and so on. We’ll agree. However, Surfshark is in the Netherlands, a 9 Eyes country – what now? It looks like both options reside in non-privacy-friendly countries, yet neither stores logs. What’s the catch? The catch is that jurisdiction isn’t everything. It’s hardly anything in 2026.

We talked about the best Dutch VPNs recently and saw that this country isn’t so harsh. Neither is the USA. You’ll have more privacy in these countries than in Russia, China, the UAE, and many more.

Privacy Policy Analysis

To prove that we’re right, just examine Surfshark’s no-log policy. You’ll see that the provider doesn’t keep your IP address, visited websites, DNS requests, original location, device information, and other concerning bits. What does it store?

As expected, minimal data, such as troubleshooting information, server load, etc. None of the information stored on Surfshark’s servers can be traced to you. This also applies to Private Internet Access and its no-log policy with no traces of logging.

Shield Your Privacy With Surfshark

If you do a bit of research, you’ll see that PIA has proven its no-log policy in court a few times. The authorities couldn’t extract a bit of data from its servers, despite probing the provider in court. This also comes down to RAM servers. Both providers have them, and they’re ideal in a VPN that stores no logs.

Such servers lose all information when they’re powered off, similar to RAM in your computer. If the server is hacked, which won’t happen, the provider can pull the plug and call it a day. Next time the server is rebooted, it’s a clean slate and no data lingers around. We’ll mention that Surfshark and PIA have third-party audits that prove this.

Surfshark has been audited by Cure53 and Deloitte, and Private Internet Access has an audit by Deloitte, both reputable and independent cybersecurity auditors.

Prevent Third-Party Tracking With PIA

Which VPN Is Faster: Surfshark or PIA?

It’s a tough battle at this point, but let’s see who takes the crown of the fastest VPN. Below are our native internet speeds at the time of writing. We were in Belgrade and from there, tested PIA VPN and Surfshark to determine how fast they were.

We tested both providers for three days in a row, three times a day, using three symbolic locations – the UK, the USA, and Japan. We tested these VPNs on our Windows 11 PC using the latest version of VPN clients. We also used Auto for protocols.

This means both providers have to decide which protocol to use based on the selected server. The table below shows you the results we achieved and displays the average percentage of speed loss for both providers.

	Download Speed Loss 🔼	Upload Speed Loss 🔽
Surfshark	27%	32%
Private Internet Access	26%	24%

While neither of them is particularly fast, PIA still came out on top. It’s 1% faster in download and 8% faster in upload speeds. If you’re interested in the full speed test results of both providers, we left them in the table below.

	UK (Download/Upload)	US (Download/Upload)	Japan (Download/Upload)
Surfshark	306.48/16.97 Mbps	253.79/12.47 Mbps	191.07/10.90 Mbps
Private Internet Access	298.69/17.42 Mbps	261.93/12.84 Mbps	197.89/14.31 Mbps

Streaming & Torrenting

Having great connection speeds translates to better streaming and torrenting performance. However, we need to consider unblocking abilities that many providers lack. Let’s see who wins by comparing their streaming and torrenting powers.

Streaming

Starting with streaming, we can tell you that Surfshark is better than PIA. It works with dozens of Netflix catalogs, while PIA works with only a few. Apart from Netflix, both are efficient at unblocking sites and services, so we can’t complain.

Sites like BBC iPlayer (for which we have a special unblocking guide), HBO, Sling TV, and many more will work ideally. In terms of performance, PIA is again a bit more stable, allowing for less frequent buffering when watching 4K content. Surfshark isn’t unusable, but it can be slow at times.

Another thing to mention is Smart DNS support in both providers. We tested it and saw that they work well, mainly for US-based services. Surfshark is a better option for streaming, but if you go for PIA VPN, you likely won’t regret it.

Stream on Netflix With Surfshark

Torrenting

Torrenting tells us a similar tale. Both providers have P2P servers left and right, so you won’t have to be meticulous. Pick a server, connect to it, and start torrenting. During our Surfshark vs Private Internet Access test, the latter displayed better performance.

This also applies to uploading, crucial for seeding. Private Internet Access also has SOCKS5, frequently used for P2P. Additionally, you’ll find Port Forwarding we mentioned earlier, which boosts the connection speed and gives a better experience.

Anonymize Your Torrenting With PIA VPN

Server Locations of Surfshark and PIA

Server locations of both providers are ubiquitous and won’t leave you wanting more.

• Private Internet Access has roughly 30,000 servers in 91 countries.
• Surfshark has 3,200 servers in 100 countries.

We’re seeing similar numbers in countries, but PIA ramps up the game by offering nearly ten times more servers! PIA VPN’s servers in the USA are available in all states. Surfshark, in comparison, offers about ten American VPN locations. This makes it a great VPN for the USA, but not the most amazing for Americans abroad.

The server distribution is great on both sides. Both offer some dedicated servers too, such as dedicated IP servers or those for streaming in PIA. Surfshark even has Static IP servers that you can use for free. No P2P and Onion Over VPN servers are there, but they still support Onion Over VPN connections.

Bypassing Censorship: Which VPN Does It Better?

Obfuscation is present on both sides, which means bypassing censorship should be elementary. Not exactly. To be clear, both services work in censored regions and will be just fine unless your idea of censorship is covered by a red flag with five yellow stars. China is still an issue for many VPNs, and these two are no exception.

However, Surfshark’s NoBorders mode works fairly well, and while not more impressive than NordVPN’s Obfuscated servers, they still work 6 out of 10 times. PIA’s Shadowsocks is a hit or miss. Some users report that PIA works, but most say it doesn’t. For us, the results were discouraging after testing multiple combinations.

If you’re not in China and only need to combat light censorship, there won’t be a difference. You can use any VPN and achieve great effects, but in our book, China matters the most, as it’s the most difficult challenge for any VPN.

Conclusion: Private Internet Access Wins Against Surfshark

After a tough battle, it’s time for the loser to lick his wounds and hope to win one day. For now, Private Internet Access is a superior pick, but not by much. This tense Surfshark vs PIA duel saw most rounds tied, except for a few (ease of use and apps).

The first and last rounds went to Surfshark, while PIA won in pricing, speed, torrenting, and server count. We don’t need to over-analyze this comparison and smother you. At this price point, which is very similar, you can pick pretty much any and not go wrong.

Get PIA if you value speed, low price, and lots of servers. On the other hand, you should pick Surfshark for ease of use, streaming prowess, and bypassing censorship.

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