Private Internet Access vs. NordVPN 2024 — Which Is Better? by Kristel van Hoof

Kristel van Hoof

Updated on: December 25, 2023

Private Internet Access (PIA) and NordVPN are two of the best VPNs out there — both have robust security and privacy features, maintain very fast speeds, work with popular streaming platforms like Netflix, and come with intuitive apps that are compatible with all major operating systems.

Both VPNs come with essential VPN security features, including 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, and a no-logs policy (that has also been independently audited).

In addition, PIA and NordVPN also have:

• Full leak protection.
• RAM-only servers.
• Perfect forward secrecy.
• Obfuscation.
• Ad and malware blocking.
• Tor (The Onion Router) support.
• Split-tunneling.
• SOCKS5 proxy support.
• A smart DNS.

But there are a few differences between the two VPNs. PIA offers servers in 91 countries, has very fast speeds on all servers, works in restrictive countries, is very cheap, and allows unlimited connections. On the other hand, NordVPN offers servers in only 61 countries, is slower on distant servers, doesn’t work in countries like China, and only allows you to simultaneously connect 6 devices.

I used many metrics to compare NordVPN and PIA, including security features, extra features, privacy, servers, speeds, streaming, torrenting, gaming, their ability to bypass internet firewalls and restrictions, as well as ease of use, plans and pricing, and customer service.

After weeks of testing, I chose a winner — Private Internet Access is better than NordVPN. But I recommend that you read the entire comparison article to decide which VPN is better for you.

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Private Internet Access vs. NordVPN — Quick Overview

Security — Both Offer Robust Security Features

Both NordVPN and PIA have essential security features, such as:

• 256-bit AES encryption. Makes your traffic completely unreadable (it’s the same level of encryption used by the military).
• No-logs policy. Prevents the VPN provider from collecting your IP address (which reveals your location) and web traffic.
• Kill switch. Disables internet access if the VPN disconnects to protect you from data leaks.

NordVPN is especially convenient because it offers an app-based kill switch. This means that you can choose which apps the VPN shuts down when your connection to the VPN server drops — I tested it with 5+ apps, and it always successfully shut them down when I manually disconnected from the VPN.

Both VPNs offer full leak protection against IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leaks. I connected to more than 20 different servers from each provider and never experienced any leaks during my tests.

I like that both NordVPN and PIA have other advanced security features. They both run on RAM-only servers and use perfect forward secrecy. With RAM-only servers, every server reset wipes all data, while perfect forward secrecy changes the encryption key for each VPN connection — so even if a hacker compromises one key, they still won’t be able to spy on any past or future traffic.

Plus, both VPNs have very secure protocols, including OpenVPN and IKEv2. PIA also has WireGuard — an open-source protocol that’s fast and reliable. NordVPN has its own proprietary protocol called NordLynx, which is built around the WireGuard protocol.

And both providers have two-factor authentication, which offers extra security by allowing you to authorize every login attempt with a time-sensitive code, a second device, or a special app.

Extra Features — Both VPNs Have Great Additional Features

NordVPN and PIA both offer plenty of convenient features.

Both providers have split-tunneling, which is a feature that lets you choose which traffic goes through the VPN and which data uses your local network. I think PIA’s split-tunneling is better because it lets you split-tunnel both apps and IP addresses. NordVPN only lets you split-tunnel apps.

I was also happy to see that both VPNs come with obfuscation. This feature makes your VPN traffic look like normal internet traffic, which provides an extra layer of privacy since nobody can see that you’re using a VPN.

And both VPNs come with an ad blocker — PIA has MACE and NordVPN has Threat Protection. They’re both great at blocking ads and malicious sites, but Threat Protection also protects you from malware-infected downloads.

Both VPNs allow Tor traffic across all of their servers, but NordVPN takes it a step further with its Onion Over VPN servers, which let you browse the dark web in regular browsers like Chrome or Firefox.

It’s also great that both NordVPN and Private Internet Access have a smart DNS. This lets you use a VPN on devices that normally don’t support VPNs, such as certain smart TVs or gaming consoles. NordVPN also has SmartPlay on all of its servers, which mixes VPN and smart DNS technology to better increase your security.

I was happy to see that both providers come with dedicated IPs, which are IP addresses that are only assigned to you. You can use them to access bank sites (many banks block VPN connections) and avoid reCAPTCHAs.

And both VPNs come with SOCKS5 proxy support, which changes your IP address but doesn’t provide encryption — so you get faster P2P speeds. PIA also has port forwarding, which helps you increase your P2P speeds by connecting to more peers.

NordVPN also has Dark Web Monitor, which alerts you if it detects that the login credentials associated with your NordVPN account have been leaked on the dark web. PIA has something similar called Identity Guard, but it’s not available inside its apps — you can access it on your account’s dashboard on the provider’s site.

And NordVPN has 2 more features that PIA lacks: double VPN servers and Meshnet. Double VPN servers add more security by sending your data through 2 VPN servers, and Meshnet lets you host secure virtual LAN parties by allowing you to link up to 60 devices over encrypted VPN connections.

Privacy — Both VPNs Are Excellent Options

Both NordVPN and PIA provide top-notch privacy. They have strict no-logs policies that have been independently audited and confirmed. PIA’s no-logs policy has also been proven true in court documents, while NordVPN’s no-logs policy has been proven true when one of the data centers it worked with suffered a data breach and no NordVPN user data was exposed.

I like how all of Private Internet Access’s apps are open-source, meaning anyone can inspect the code for vulnerabilities — plus, the apps have been audited as well. NordVPN doesn’t have open-source apps, but I still like how its iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS apps have undergone and passed an independent security audit.

But only NordVPN is headquartered in a privacy-friendly country (Panama) that’s not inside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance, which is a group of countries that share surveillance data. PIA is located in the US, which is part of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance — but since its no-logs policy has been proven true, it’s clear that the provider won’t be able to hand over any user data even if the US government asks for it.

Finally, both VPNs accept cryptocurrency payments, which provide much better privacy than regular payment methods.

Servers — Private Internet Access Is the Better Option

Both VPNs have great server networks, but PIA has servers in more countries (91), whereas NordVPN has 6,036 servers, which is a lot, but they are located in just 61 countries. So, it may be harder to find and connect to a nearby server for fast speeds with NordVPN.

NordVPN and PIA both use physical servers — these servers are physically located in the country you connect to. PIA also has virtual servers (called geo-located servers in PIA’s apps), which get you an IP address from the country you connect to, but the server is actually located in a different country. VPN providers usually opt for virtual servers due to restrictive governments or poor internet infrastructure in certain countries. Regardless, virtual servers are just as safe as physical servers.

Both providers allow torrenting on their servers, but PIA’s P2P support is much better. It allows torrenting across all of its servers, while NordVPN only allows P2P traffic on servers in 45+ countries. With PIA, you also get streaming servers in 5+ countries. These servers are configured to refresh their IPs very often to avoid detection and blocks.

PIA and NordVPN also support obfuscation on their servers. NordVPN has 100+ obfuscated servers in 15+ countries, and PIA allows obfuscation on servers in 5+ countries. Both VPNs allow Tor traffic on all servers, but NordVPN also comes with Onion Over VPN servers in Switzerland and the Netherlands. Also, it has double VPN servers as well.

Finally, for an extra cost, both VPNs provide access to dedicated IP address servers. NordVPN has dedicated IP servers in 5+ countries, and PIA allows you to get a dedicated IP from up to 5 countries.

Speeds — Private Internet Access Is Much Faster

Both VPNs provide good speeds, but PIA was simply faster in my tests.

In my speed tests, PIA had really fast speeds on both nearby and distant servers. On nearby servers, websites and HD and 4K videos loaded instantly, the videos didn’t buffer, and a 20 GB file downloaded in 9–10 minutes. And on distant servers, sites and HD videos continued to load instantly, 4K videos loaded in 2 seconds, I didn’t experience any buffering while streaming, and the same 20 GB file took just 14–15 minutes to download.

NordVPN was also fast on nearby servers, but there were slowdowns on distant servers. When I tested nearby servers, sites loaded instantly, HD and 4K videos loaded instantly (and the videos didn’t buffer), and a 20 GB file took 12–13 minutes to download. And on distant servers, sites loaded in 2–3 seconds, HD videos took 2 seconds to load but didn’t buffer, 4K videos loaded in 4 seconds and I only experienced minor buffering, and the same 20 GB file downloaded in 19–20 minutes.

Streaming — Both VPNs Are Great for Streaming

Both providers have good streaming support. PIA works with 30+ streaming platforms, and NordVPN works with 10+ streaming services, and both VPNs work with Netflix and other top streaming sites like BBC iPlayer, Max, Amazon Prime, and Disney+.

In addition to that, both VPNs come with a smart DNS. This means that you can use a VPN on devices that normally don’t support VPN apps, like gaming consoles and certain smart TVs. I like that NordVPN also comes with SmartPlay, which mixes smart DNS tech with VPN security features to provide you with even more encryption.

Torrenting — Both VPNs Are Good Picks

You get great P2P support with either VPN. PIA supports torrenting on servers in 91 countries, while NordVPN has 4,500+ P2P servers in 45+ countries. So PIA makes it easier to torrent on nearby servers for fast speeds. That said, both VPNs work great with top P2P apps. I tested them with Vuze, BitTorrent, and uTorrent and never experienced any issues.

Plus, both VPNs have SOCKS5 proxy support, which changes your IP address but doesn’t provide encryption, so you get faster downloads. PIA also has port forwarding, which increases torrenting speeds by allowing you to connect to more peers.

Plus, both Private Internet Access and NordVPN offer excellent security for torrenting. They have a strict no-logs policy that has been audited, a kill switch, and full leak protection. On top of that, both PIA’s MACE and NordVPN’s Threat Protection can block ads on P2P sites and prevent you from visiting shady P2P websites — but Threat Protection can also protect you from malware-infected P2P downloads.

Gaming — Both VPNs Provide a Great Experience

I had a great gaming experience with both VPNs. During my tests, I had low ping on local servers with both VPNs, and I maintained average, stable ping and lag-free gaming on distant servers.

And both VPNs protect you from Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks because they change your IP address. But PIA also has anti-DDoS protection on all of its servers — so nobody can DDoS your connection to the VPN.

In addition, I like that both providers offer router support, meaning that you can set up the VPN manually on your router to make it work with all devices that don’t support VPN apps, like gaming consoles. Unfortunately, neither VPN offers cloud gaming support. I tested both PIA and NordVPN with GeForce Now and they worked well, but I can’t guarantee that you’ll get the same results.

I’m a fan of NordVPN’s Meshnet feature — it lets you host virtual LAN parties and encrypt the connection of up to 60 devices. I also like that it uses NordVPN’s Lynx protocol, which is fast, so you’re less likely to experience lag.

Bypassing Censorship — Private Internet Access Wins This Round

	Obfuscation	Works in China	Works in Russia	Works in Iran	Works in Indonesia	Works in Saudi Arabia
Private Internet Access	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
NordVPN	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌

Both VPNs have obfuscation, but only PIA works in restrictive countries. NordVPN’s reps confirmed that the provider isn’t able to access the web in countries like China, Russia, Iran, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia.

Apps & Ease of Use — Both VPNs Are User-Friendly

NordVPN and PIA are compatible with a wide range of platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android TV, and Fire TV. NordVPN also has an app for Chromebook. Additionally, both VPNs support manual router setups.

Both providers have really good apps for iOS and Android — they’re easy to navigate, provide helpful explanations for all settings, and come with tons of useful features.

They also have great desktop apps that are super intuitive. But things can get a little bit complicated with NordVPN if you have a Mac. NordVPN has 2 apps for Mac — one app uses OpenVPN and includes most of NordVPN’s features (except the NordLynx protocol), and the other app uses IKEv2/IPSec and NordLynx but lacks other features like obfuscated servers.

Finally, you can set up both VPNs on your router. I like how both providers have helpful tutorials that make the setup process pretty straightforward.

Plans & Pricing — Private Internet Access Is Better

Both VPNs are affordable but PIA is just better — it’s simply more affordable. Also, NordVPN only allows 6 connections, while PIA supports unlimited connections, so you can use it on as many devices as you want.

NordVPN has monthly and annual plans that offer tier-based subscriptions: Standard, Plus, and Complete. The Standard subscription comes with all VPN features and starts at $3.39 / month. The Plus subscription adds a password manager and the Complete subscription adds a cloud encryption service.

Private Internet Access also has a 1-month plan, a 6-month plan, and a 2-year plan. The 2-year plan starts at $2.11 / month and provides the best value. Both VPNs accept credit cards, PayPal, and cryptocurrency payments, and both vendors offer a 30-day money-back guarantee with all plans.

Customer Support — Both VPNs Have Great Customer Support

Both VPNs have really great support libraries that are chock-full of helpful frequently asked questions (FAQs), step-by-step guides, and troubleshooting articles. Plus, both VPNs have 24/7 live chat. That said, I like NordVPN’s live chat better because its support reps are more responsive and helpful than PIA’s live chat reps.

I also tested each VPN’s email support and had good results. I generally received a reply from each provider in under a day, and the answers were friendly and helpful.

NordVPN vs. Private Internet Access: Overall Winner

Private Internet Access has great security, a big server network, and great P2P support. It also works well in restrictive countries like China and Russia, allows unlimited connections, comes with user-friendly apps for all major platforms, provides excellent customer support, and has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

NordVPN has strong security and privacy features and includes useful extra features. The VPN maintains fast speeds on local and long-distance servers, has user-friendly apps and great customer support, and backs all plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

I think that both VPNs are great VPNs in 2024 — they’re both secure, provide good privacy, work with top streaming apps, and are easy to use. But PIA is my favorite of the two since it has a larger server network, faster speeds, works in restrictive countries, costs less, and allows unlimited connections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Private Internet Access better than NordVPN?

According to my tests, yes. Private Internet Access has servers in more countries (91), is faster, works in restrictive countries, offers cheaper subscription plans, and supports unlimited connections. However, I wasn’t able to pick a winner in terms of security, extra features, privacy, streaming, torrenting, gaming, ease of use, and customer support.

Which one is better for streaming — Private Internet Access or NordVPN?

Both VPNs provide great streaming support. The providers both work with at least 10+ streaming platforms, including Netflix, Max, and BBC iPlayer. In addition, both VPNs come with a smart DNS, which lets you use the VPN on devices that don’t natively support VPN connections, like gaming consoles.

Is NordVPN faster than Private Internet Access?

No, as I had faster speeds with Private Internet Access. In my tests, PIA provided me with very fast streaming, gaming, and torrenting speeds on both nearby and distant servers. NordVPN was also pretty fast, but I experienced slowdowns while connected to distant servers.

Which one is more secure — Private Internet Access or NordVPN?

Both Private Internet Access and NordVPN have advanced security features. They both come with full leak protection, RAM-only servers (every server reset wipes all data), and perfect forward secrecy, which changes the encryption key for each VPN session. What’s more, both providers come with secure VPN protocols and allow you to secure your VPN account with two-factor authentication, which requires you to verify each login attempt with a time-sensitive code.

Read more about the best VPNs in 2024