A Surfshark vs PIA comparison may seem like an unequal comparison, but both are popular virtual private network service providers. Whether you choose Surfshark or PIA each of them has its strengths and weaknesses, just like any other VPN option in the market today.
A VPN encrypts your traffic and routes it through a server in another location, protecting your privacy and security. In this article, we compare Surfshark and PIA, two popular VPN services with different features, pricing, and performance.
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| Company | Surfshark B.V. | Private Internet Access, Inc |
| Website | surfshark.com | www.privateinternetaccess.com |
| Customer Support | Live Chat, Email Support | Live Chat, Email Support |
| Licence | ||
| Verified by | n/a | n/a |
| Payment Methods |
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| Bonus | from $2,49 / Month | from $1,98 / Month |
| Visit |
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In our Surfshark vs PIA comparison the table below provides a glance of what each VPN has to offer.
| Feature | Surfshark VPN | PIA |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3/5 from 69,442 reviews | 4.5/5 from 69,564 reviews |
| Pricing | starts at $2.49 per month | starts from $2.03 per month |
| Servers | More than 3200 servers | More than 35,000 servers |
| Server Locations | More than 144 locations | More than 144 locations |
| Countries of Operation | 100 | 84 |
| Bandwidth | Unlimited bandwidth | Unlimited bandwidth |
| Log Policy | No log Policy | Strict No Log Policy |
| VPN Protocols Available | ireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | Wireguard, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec |
| System Platforms | Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, Mac | Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux |
| Simultaneous Connections | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Customer Support | 24/7 live chat, email support, FAQs, Knowledgebase | 24/7 live chat, email support, FAQs, Knowledgebase |
| Torrenting Scope | All servers are able to torrent | All servers torrent |
| Headquarters | The Netherlands | United States |
| Encryption | AES-256-GCM, Chacha20Poly1305 | 128-AES, 256-AES |
| Split Tunneling | Available | Available |
Pricing is very important in deciding what VPN to deploy for your personal or business use. Before you decide to use Surfshark or PIA as your choice virtual private network, it is necessary to consider the prices for the various plans of membership that Surfshark or PIA offer users.
Surfshark VPN is one of the best VPN software in the market today, and it is very affordable depending on the plan you decide to purchase and deploy. Surfshark has three membership categories including:
The Surfshark Starter plan offers three membership categories including a monthly plan, a 12-month plan, and a 24-monthly plan. The monthly plan goes for USD 12.95/month, and the 12-month plan is priced at USD 3.99/ month ( USD 47.88 in total payment annually). The 24-month plan goes for USD 2.39/month ( USD 57.36 in total payment every 2 years).
The Surfshark One plan offers three membership categories:
The Surfshark One monthly plan is priced at USD 17.95/month, and the Surfshark One 12-month plan is sold for USD 4.49/ month ( USD 53.88 in total payment annually). The Surfshark One 24-month plan goes for USD 3.59/month ( USD 83.76 in total payment every 2 years).
The Surfshark One+ Surfshark plan offers three membership categories, the monthly plan, the 12 months plan, and the 24 months plan. The Surfshark One+ monthly plan is priced at USD 22.95/month, and the Surfshark One+ 12-month plan goes for USD 8.29/month ( USD 99.48 in total payment annually).
The Surfshark One+ 24-month plan is sold for USD 6.49/month ( USD 155.76 in total payment every 2 years). The Surfshark One+ plan is one of the best VPN software to go for, this is because the plan offers more value for money over a long time.
Private Internet Access VPN offers virtual private network services to its users through its vast network of servers across more than 80 countries globally. PIA is one of the best VPN software in the market, PIA is also very affordable making it open to a wide range of users. PIA offers three categories of membership including:
The monthly plan is the most expensive plan over time that is offered by private internet access VPN. PIA monthly plan costs USD 11.95 per month. This plan also offers users a 30-day money-back guarantee.
PIA's yearly plan offers players the opportunity to have access to more features compared to the per-month plan. This plan is priced at USD 3.33 per month billed at USD 39.99 for each year. You also get a 30 days money-back guarantee.
This plan is the best value deal for users of PIA VPN, this plan provides a 30 days money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the offer. You also get extra 3 months of use when you subscribe to this plan. This 3-year plan goes for USD 2.03 per month billed at USD 73.08 for the 3-year plus 3 months free plan.
Speed is a major determinant of the quality of service offered by VPN software services, hence it forms the main part of our comparison between Surfshark vs PIA. In this section, we look at the speed users can get from either Surfshark or PIA through their working VPN protocols. Results from our testing of speed between Surfshark vs PIA VPN protocol are given in the table below.
| Connection Type | Surfshark Download | Surfshark Upload | PIA Download | PIA Upload |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WireGuard | 260 Mbps | 166.8 Mbps | 122.0 Mbps | 152.6 Mbps |
| OpenVPN UDP | 122.2 Mbps | 142.3 Mbps | 128.8 Mbps | 132.4 Mbps |
| OpenVPN TCP | 27.8 Mbps | 29 Mbps | 35.8 Mbps | 40.6 Mbps |
Surfshark and PIA both have favourable speeds. Surfshark is faster in some of the VPN protocols while PIA is faster using other VPN protocols options.
Some of the main features we will compare between Surfshark and PIA include:
Surfshark and PIA have excellent split tunnelling, which helps users bypass apps that do not like VPNs. Split tunnelling allows users to direct traffic through and around Surfshark and PIA simultaneously.
Servers are very important to the operation of VPNs, this means that the more functional servers the better the VPN service. Surfshark provides more than 3200 servers across 100 countries for the use of its users, while PIA provides over 35,000 servers across 84 countries.
| Surfshark | PIA |
|---|---|
| You get access to split tunnelling and multi-hop features | A massive network of servers |
| Unlimited simultaneous connection of devices | 24/7 technical support is available |
| Fast and reliable customer support | You get a 30-day money-back guarantee |
| You have a 30-day money-back guarantee | You have access to a dedicated IP add-on |
| --- | Unlimited simultaneous device connections |
| Surfshark | PIA |
|---|---|
| The month-on-month plan is quite expensive than those of competitors such as PIA | Lack of detail in the transparency report |
| You do not get a dedicated IP address add-on | The monthly plan is pricey |
| --- | You do not get a free trial version |
Surfshark and PIA are both top-notch VPNs with different features. Surfshark offers unlimited simultaneous connections and a dedicated IP address add-on, while PIA has a larger server network and a free trial. Choose the best VPN for you based on your needs.
Surfshark VPN offers great VPN services to users just like PIA its users, each of Surfshark and PIA has its strong points and downsides. We’ve detailed their features in this article to help you make a choice.
Both operate in several countries and offer several offers. Servers give users greater operational access and more anonymity. The breakdown of their servers is provided in this article.
Both have plans that would fit the budget size of most users. We’ve covered their available plans in this article to help you pick the right one for your budget.
