There’s a lot to consider when choosing a VPN, which is something we fully appreciate here at The Game Haus. We’ve put together a PIA VPN review to help you decide whether it could be the right option for you.
With a range of pricing plans, outstanding features, and the option to customize your own privacy settings, PIA has a lot to offer. A variety of apps to cover most devices and a proven ‘no logs’ policy make PIA a serious contender for anyone in need of a safe and secure VPN.
The first task for our PIA VPN review was to find out a little bit more about the service, including who owns it and where it’s based. We discovered that this is an organization that’s been around for over 10 years now, so it’s certainly no fly-by-night operation. The head office is based in Greenwood Village, Colorado, which means it has to abide by some of the strictest regulations in the world. The downside is that the US has particularly severe controls over accessing content, making this something of a double-edged sword.
Even so, the fact that PIA is based on transparent, open-source coding is a cause for celebration. There’s an active and helpful community, and everyone is invited to join in and contribute, whether it’s asking a question or making a suggestion – the developers are always interested in any ideas users might have to make the service even more useful.
You’re here looking for the best VPN, but first you need to establish exactly what your VPN requirements are. Every user has their own reasons for wanting to use a VPN, so it’s essential to make sure your chosen service offers the specific features you’re hoping to find.
According to the findings of our PIA VPN reviews, this is a virtual private network that’s currently available in:
The number of locations is steadily increasing, and you can even make your own suggestions for adding more. But that’s only the start of what’s possible when using PIA VPN. The software is compatible with all major devices, so everything is covered, from your PC and laptop to your router and mobile.
One of the major strengths of PIA is the fully customisable privacy features. You can set them to suit your precise needs, ensuring the VPN operates just the way you want it to.
PIA is good when it comes to providing dedicated apps for all your devices, as well as useful guides. The service is available for operating systems and browsers including Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Linux and Opera, so it’s exceptionally accessible.
Our PIA VPN reviews found that this VPN is unique in offering the chance to write scripts for the relevant app to follow. The ‘piactl.exe’ command line tool is a useful addition to the user’s toolbox, although it won’t be required by every user.
Personal data is worth big money online, which is why VPNs are becoming increasingly important. Every site you visit and every message you send has the potential to be tracked and recorded, making anonymity a scarce resource online. Some VPNs are better than others at keeping data private, with PIA VPN tests indicating that this is a particularly secure option.
One single click is all that’s required for PIA to securely encrypt personal information. Immediately, your location is hidden, and all your browsing activity is made unavailable to anyone else to access.
No matter how good your VPN, there can always be an unexpected drop in connection. This could cause speeds to take a nosedive, or even for the service to be completely disconnected, exposing data to your web server, including your IP address. So our next step was to check that PIA is safe.
PIA VPN includes a kill switch, which disconnects you from the internet immediately if your VPN connection slows or drops. It ensures your IP address remains hidden, avoiding any exposure of your data or browsing history. You’ll need to switch it on to ensure it automatically disconnects your device from the internet in the event of a dropped connection. Head for the Advanced Settings, and make sure it’s activated to ensure your privacy is always maintained.
Our PIA VPN review discovered that the service offers a split tunneling feature, which isn’t something offered by all VPNs. This is a particularly useful option for anyone wanting to keep their identity private on some sites, while using their standard internet access for other sites. It’s the ideal solution if you’re wanting to visit sites which demand visibility, such as banking applications, for example.
Using a VPN automatically prohibits access to some websites, but split tunneling avoids you having to shut down one connection to use the other option. You decide which websites should be routed through your VPN and which ones can use your public IP address provided by your internet service provider. You can use both connections simultaneously, giving you one less thing to worry about.
No PIA VPN review would be complete without an exploration of its policy concerning logging user activity. And it’s good news for anyone who likes to be reassured that their browsing data remains private. PIA guarantees not to store any usage information, including:
No information is retained about the sites you visit, the downloads you action or your search history. And this is something that’s even been proven in court - on two separate occasions, PIA has been asked to provide logs for court cases, which it has been unable to do, even under subpoena from the FBI. But that’s not all - PIA has also passed an external audit from Deloitte Audit Romania with flying colors, confirming that the no logs policy is one of the most robust to be found with any VPN. It’s further confirmation that PIA is legit and a completely safe and secure platform.
One of the main reasons for choosing to use a VPN is to maintain online privacy, but not all providers give it the same level of priority. Free VPNs, although apparently offering complete browsing privacy nonetheless often sell on client data, if only as a means of generating income – free software often comes at a cost, even if it’s not financial. PIA keeps its pricing as low as possible, but the paid-for service ensures there’s no need for the organization to look elsewhere for revenue streams.
PIA reports that it doesn’t have the infrastructure to log user data, even if it wanted to – which it absolutely doesn’t. And it has ample evidence of that fact, thanks to two court cases in 2016 and 2018, in which PIA was unable to assist, even when subjected to a subpoena issued on behalf of the FBI. No logs could be produced, and that fact alone puts Pia ahead of many of its competitors.
PIA goes to great lengths to reassure clients that no data is ever collected or stored. The organization doesn’t register any information about browsing, bandwidth data or connection times – nothing is logged, so your private browsing information is only known to you.
Using a VPN means your IP address is hidden, keeping your browsing activities completely anonymous. But if you want to be able to visit some online sites, such as for online gaming or trading, the lack of an IP address can restrict access – at the very least you’ll find yourself having to complete CAPTCHAs to progress to some of the websites you’d like to visit. PIA VPN offers a token-based IP address model assuring complete anonymity, so your dedicated PIA IP address isn’t connected in any way to your user account.
A dedicated IP address means these sites will be able to recognize you as a returning visitor, making for a smoother and less frustrating online experience. You’ll still be able to conceal your online browsing and sidestep network restrictions, but security systems won’t assume that you’re a bot. And with PIA, it’s possible to whitelist your PIA IP address on your connected home devices too, including smart doorbells and home security systems, preventing unauthorized access. The developers have tried to cover every eventuality to create a useful VPN that delivers the features users are most interested in.
Whether you’re an experienced user of VPNs or you’re just embarking on your virtual private network journey, sooner or later you’re going to have a question that needs answering. Some VPN providers leave their customers hanging once they’ve signed up for a plan, but that’s not an attitude you’ll come across at PIA. A round-the-clock customer support service is aimed at resolving any issues as quickly and efficiently as possible.
The Help Center at PIA is one of the best we’ve seen here at The Game Haus. In fact, this is a treasure trove of articles and guides for anyone who wants to know more about VPNs and how they work. It starts with a series of guides, to help with setting up PIA across a variety of devices, with topics that include:
You’ll also find a helpful Knowledge Base, which aims to answer all the most frequently asked questions. Subjects covered include billing, security and technical issues. A News section includes details about any maintenance updates, and there’s a friendly community too. Members can put forward server requests and suggestions, which is a popular feature. And there’s even a blog, so you can stay up to date on all the latest news about online privacy issues.
If you need more personalized help, PIA provides a Contact button, which opens up an email support ticket. Simply fill in your details and a member of the team will be in touch as soon as possible. If your enquiry is more urgent, PIA has recently introduced a live chat service, which is available around the clock.
There’s no free trial period for PIA clients, which might lead you to suppose that the monthly plan would be the best option, at least to begin with. But if you take a look at the table below, you’ll see that this is far from being a budget-friendly option, coming at almost $12.
Register for an annual plan at PIA and the cost plummets to $3.33 per month, falling even further down to just $2.03 if you opt for the special 3-year package. It comes with an extra three months completely free, so this is the one to aim for if you think you’ll be using a VPN for the long term.
| Plan | Cost p.m. | Antivirus p.m | IP Address p.m. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | £11.95 | $4.50 | $5.00 |
| Yearly | $3.33 | $2.00 | $4.25 |
| 3-Yearly | $2.03 | $1.00 | $2.50 |
Even though there’s no free trial, PIA VPN comes with a 30 day money back guarantee. So you can still sign up for a 3 year plan, knowing that there’s always time to cancel during the first month, if you’re not completely happy with the service.
Here at The Game Haus, we were extremely impressed by many aspects of PIA VPN. In particular, we noted how easy and accessible it is, with dedicated apps covering just about every device and browser for near complete coverage. It’s not going to be the best solution if you want a VPN mainly for streaming or torrenting, but for everything else it’s certainly up there with the best.
We were also impressed by the Private Internet Access VPN pricing structure, at least aside from the monthly plan, which simply wouldn’t prove cost effective over the long term. We would have liked to see a free trial included, but the 30 day money back guarantee serves the same purpose, so we’re prepared to give PIA a free pass on that one. If you’re considering signing up for a VPN, we think PIA should definitely be on your shortlist, not least for its no logs policy, excellent security features and the chance to help yourself to a dedicated IP address.
Whatever your questions about PIA, we’re sure to have the answers right here at The Game Haus. Our experts have been checking out all the leading VPNs, making it easy for you to compare pricing and features to pick out the one that’s most suitable for your needs.
Our comprehensive PIA VPN review at The Game Haus covers every aspect of this VPN, making it easy for you to decide whether it’s a good option for you. We explore the safety and security of every VPN we review, so you can make the most informed decisions about the service that’s best for you.
We’ve got information here The Game Haus to help you try out a month of free Private Internet Access VPN. Read our insightful review to check out the features and services, and compare PIA against other VPNs to discover the options that’s most suitable for your needs.
