Private Internet Access VPN Review
Private Internet Access is already a legendary VPN among torrent users. They were one of the world's first VPN companies to introduce a true 'no-logs' policy, and their popularity grown rapidly ever since.
In 2016 PIA now has at least 10 competitors claiming to be 'non-logging' VPNs as well, but few (if any) can offer the same level of security, torrent-friendliness, and price that Private Internet Access is famous for. Learn why all 'non-logging' vpns are NOT the same.
If this sounds a bit biased for a review, it is. I have been a PIA subscriber since 2013, and I personally use and love their service. I recommend to nearly every bittorrent user try Private Internet Access first, before testing more expensive VPNs, because PIA delivers 90% of the features and 100% of the privacy at 1/2 the price of competing services.
Every PIA subscription includes a 7-day, 100% refund policy.
In 2016 PIA now has at least 10 competitors claiming to be 'non-logging' VPNs as well, but few (if any) can offer the same level of security, torrent-friendliness, and price that Private Internet Access is famous for. Learn why all 'non-logging' vpns are NOT the same.
If this sounds a bit biased for a review, it is. I have been a PIA subscriber since 2013, and I personally use and love their service. I recommend to nearly every bittorrent user try Private Internet Access first, before testing more expensive VPNs, because PIA delivers 90% of the features and 100% of the privacy at 1/2 the price of competing services.
Every PIA subscription includes a 7-day, 100% refund policy.
Company Profile
Website: www.privateinternetaccess.com
Headquarters: Based in the USA Logging Policy: No logs. Period. Normal Price: $6.95/month Best Offer: $3.33/month (get this offer) |
Private Internet Access: SpecsPrivate Internet Access matches or exceeds the industry standard on nearly all encryption, security, and privacy standards. It's no wonder they were named our 'best torrent vpn' of 2014 & 2015.
We even created a step-by-step guide teaching you the best techniques/tips to download torrents with PIA.
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Private Internet Access Review: Our Favorite Features
Before we get into the meat of our review, I just want to highlight my favorite features about PIA, the combination of which is the reason PIA is the top recommended VPN on this site (and received a 10/10 TorrentScore)
In no particular order:
Logging Policy
PIA keeps no logs. None. They've been very consistent on this point (and so far there hasn't been any reason to doubt them, unlike some other VPNs). Since they are USA-based, there is no requirement for them to keep or record any user session data. We always recommend torrent users choose a true non-logging VPN for maximum privacy/security.
Torrent-Friendliness
Unlike most VPNs, PIA allows torrenting on ALL VPN servers. They are able to do this through a unique solution where they will reroute torrent traffic (and only torrent traffic) through a secondary VPN if you're torrenting on certain high-risk servers (USA, UK, Australia, etc). It's a smart solution (and completely behind-the-scenes so most users aren't even aware it's happening).
Because PIA keeps no logs, the identity of torrent downloaders using their service is always kept a secret, and your true IP address won't appear in utorrent swarms (as long as you have an active VPN connection). We have full guides on how to use uTorrent, Vuze, and Qbittorrent anonymously.
PIA also topped our list of the 'Most Torrent-Friendly VPNs'
Security
PIA uses 256-bit AES Encryption (which is considered unbreakable by brute force attacks and is the industry standard encryption strength. On top of that, PIA gives users custom control over the encryption strength, key length, and algorithm used.
They also built additional IP leak protection into their software, with protection from DNS Leaks, IP Leaks (kill-switch) and WebRTC leaks.
Price
You can't talk about PIA without mentioning the price. If you take advantage of their 1 year pricing, you can get PIA for $3.33/month ($39.95/yr). With most comparable VPN companies priced around the $8-12/month range, I consider PIA to be an incredible value. All plans include unlimited bandwidth, all software, their 'no logs' guarantee, and a 7-day refund policy.
In no particular order:
Logging Policy
PIA keeps no logs. None. They've been very consistent on this point (and so far there hasn't been any reason to doubt them, unlike some other VPNs). Since they are USA-based, there is no requirement for them to keep or record any user session data. We always recommend torrent users choose a true non-logging VPN for maximum privacy/security.
Torrent-Friendliness
Unlike most VPNs, PIA allows torrenting on ALL VPN servers. They are able to do this through a unique solution where they will reroute torrent traffic (and only torrent traffic) through a secondary VPN if you're torrenting on certain high-risk servers (USA, UK, Australia, etc). It's a smart solution (and completely behind-the-scenes so most users aren't even aware it's happening).
Because PIA keeps no logs, the identity of torrent downloaders using their service is always kept a secret, and your true IP address won't appear in utorrent swarms (as long as you have an active VPN connection). We have full guides on how to use uTorrent, Vuze, and Qbittorrent anonymously.
PIA also topped our list of the 'Most Torrent-Friendly VPNs'
Security
PIA uses 256-bit AES Encryption (which is considered unbreakable by brute force attacks and is the industry standard encryption strength. On top of that, PIA gives users custom control over the encryption strength, key length, and algorithm used.
They also built additional IP leak protection into their software, with protection from DNS Leaks, IP Leaks (kill-switch) and WebRTC leaks.
Price
You can't talk about PIA without mentioning the price. If you take advantage of their 1 year pricing, you can get PIA for $3.33/month ($39.95/yr). With most comparable VPN companies priced around the $8-12/month range, I consider PIA to be an incredible value. All plans include unlimited bandwidth, all software, their 'no logs' guarantee, and a 7-day refund policy.
Private Internet Access: Software
Once you sign up for PIA, you will receive an email with your login/password information, as well as a link to download the VPN software. From their, installation takes less than 2 minutes. Then simply sign in using your provided login/password combo and you're ready to connect to a VPN server.
PIA Software Settings
The first time you launch the software, I recommend you open the advanced settings tab by clicking the 'Advanced' button on the bottom. You'll see a screen that looks like this:
Advanced Settings Menu
The left side of the window still shows the contents of the 'simple' settings menu. You can choose whether you want to auto-launch and auto-connect to the VPN on startup. You can also choose your preferred VPN server when auto-connecting.
The advanced settings (on the right) give greater control over some advanced features like port forwarding, connection type, and IP leak protection. If you're not sure which settings to choose, the shown settings are highly secure and user-friendly.
Here's a quick breakdown of your options:
The advanced settings (on the right) give greater control over some advanced features like port forwarding, connection type, and IP leak protection. If you're not sure which settings to choose, the shown settings are highly secure and user-friendly.
Here's a quick breakdown of your options:
- Connection Type (TCP or UDP) - UDP is generally faster and the best choice for torrenting/streaming
- Remote Port - Choose which port# OpenVPN runs on. Auto is fine for most users.
- Port Forwarding - Enable port forwarding if you need to get through a router. Advanced feature.
- Kill Switch - This is a security feature that will kill your internet connection if the VPN disconnects. Learn more here.
- DNS Leak Protection - Force your computer to use PIA's DNS instead of your internet provider's. Recommended.
- IPv6 Leak Protection - Make sure your VPN doesn't leak your IPv6 address (as opposed to IPv4). Test this.
Encryption Settings
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Private Internet Access gives users custom control over the encryption algorithm and strength the software uses. This can be tweaked to find the optimal blend of speed and security for your needs. If you're not sure what to choose, PIA recommends leaving the default settings which are:
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If you want the strongest possible encryption (speeds will be slower) change your settings to the ones shown here:
Highest Encryption Settings
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Connecting to a VPN server
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Connecting to a VPN server is done from the PIA system tray icon shown here in red:
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PIA Tray Icon
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If you don't see this icon in your system tray (and the software is running) then you need to click the little 'up' arrow on and customize your system tray settings to always display the PIA tray icon.
To connect to a server, right-click on the PIA tray icon which will bring up the full server list. Scrolling through the list is a bit awkward on low resolution displays because the entire list doesn't fit on display sizes below 1920x1080. The VPN will immediately begin the connection process when you click on a server location. You will know the connection is successful when the PIA try icon turns bright green. You can also use a free site like ipmonkey.com or iplocation.net to verify that the VPN is working properly. |
Launch the server list from system tray
'Active Connection' indicator
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Speed Test Results
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Private Internet Access performed extremely well in our speedtests (unlike most budget-priced VPNs which tend to be severely overcrowded).
We were able to get 'A' speed ratings on most servers, which means you're outperforming 90% of users in the same country! The one 'B' rated speedtest was in the Netherlands (an extremely popular server location for torrent downloaders) so it tends to be more crowded. We still managed speeds higher than 65% users in that country. You only need 5-7 Mbps to stream HD Video Just as a point of comparison, Netflix HD content streams at around 5-7 Mbps. We were able to achieve speeds of 7-16x that benchmark. PIA was even able stream 4k content from most server locations we tested. IPVanish is one of the only VPNs that is consistently faster than PIA. If speed is your #1 priority, you should take advantage of their 7-day 100% refund policy. We also did a full comparison of PIA vs. IPVanish. |
Texas, USA
Toronto, Canada
Netherlands
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Privacy and Security
Private Internet Access matches or exceeds the industry standard security measure for nearly every aspect of their service. Beyond that, they have been very proactive in responding to and fixing VPN security leaks when they are found, while less popular VPNs often ignore vulnerability reports or delay fixes.
They were also one of the first VPN companies to adopt a don't ask, don't tell true no-logs policy, and they're the most popular non-logging VPN in the world (especially among visitors to this website).
They were also one of the first VPN companies to adopt a don't ask, don't tell true no-logs policy, and they're the most popular non-logging VPN in the world (especially among visitors to this website).
Privacy and Logging Policy
Nearly all VPN companies keep records and logs of VPN session/account history for periods as long as 6 months. Private Internet Access DOES NOT. They don't record any metadata of your session history (KB of data transferred, IP address assigned, time of connection, etc). They are one of only a small handful of VPNs to offer this level of privacy.
They are able to do so because they are headquartered in the USA which does not have mandatory data retention laws regarding VPN services. In many other countries, VPNs are classified as internet service providers and required to keep records.
Because PIA doesn't keep logs, they are able to offer torrent users extremely high privacy, and your torrent IP address will be virtually impossible to trace to your PIA account or true IP address.
Anonymous Payments
PIA requires only minimal information to create an account. You need:
They are able to do so because they are headquartered in the USA which does not have mandatory data retention laws regarding VPN services. In many other countries, VPNs are classified as internet service providers and required to keep records.
Because PIA doesn't keep logs, they are able to offer torrent users extremely high privacy, and your torrent IP address will be virtually impossible to trace to your PIA account or true IP address.
Anonymous Payments
PIA requires only minimal information to create an account. You need:
- A valid email address (to receive your login info)
- A form of payment (Bitcoin/anonymous gift card payments accepted).
Security & Encryption
PIA uses the industry standard 256-bit AES Encryption (Advanced Encryption Standard). Their handshake key length is up to 4096-bits (customizeable) which is 2^2048 times as strong as most VPNs (yes, that's a very large number). They've also built 3 layers of IP leak protection right into their software.
256-bit AES Encryption:
This is the industry standard for high security encryption. It is considered unbreakable by brute-force attacks, and is the same encryption algorithm used by the U.S. military for high secrecy communications.
Custom Encryption Control:
As discussed in the software section above, PIA allows you to customize the strength/algorithm of encryption used. You can even opt for no encryption if you just want an anonymous IP address with the fastest possible speeds. Check out PIA's own guide to encryption customization.
256-bit AES Encryption:
This is the industry standard for high security encryption. It is considered unbreakable by brute-force attacks, and is the same encryption algorithm used by the U.S. military for high secrecy communications.
Custom Encryption Control:
As discussed in the software section above, PIA allows you to customize the strength/algorithm of encryption used. You can even opt for no encryption if you just want an anonymous IP address with the fastest possible speeds. Check out PIA's own guide to encryption customization.
DNS Leak Protection
Every time you type a web address into your browser, that request is sent to a DNS server to translate the domain name (such as 'google.com') into an IP address where the website is hosted. Ordinarily your computer probably uses DNS servers belonging to your Internet Provider. This gives them the ability to track and log your web browsing history (and most do).
PIA has their own secure, non-logging DNS servers. When you enable DNS leak protection, you software will force your computer to use PIA's DNS servers instead of the default option. It's recommended you always keep this option enabled.
PIA has their own secure, non-logging DNS servers. When you enable DNS leak protection, you software will force your computer to use PIA's DNS servers instead of the default option. It's recommended you always keep this option enabled.
Kill-Switch
This is an optional security feature that will instantly kill your entire internet connection if the VPN connection fails. It is recommended you enable this if you will be torrenting frequently, and not using a proxy along with the VPN.
Recommended: Read our guide on how to use PIA for torrents with a VPN and/or Proxy.
Be aware that this method kills your internet connection at the adapter level. As a result, you actually have run the windows network troubleshooter to restore internet access, or reconnect to a VPN server. Until you do that, you will have no internet access. As a result, some novice users find this feature frustrating.
To run the troubleshooter, just right-click on your network icon in the system tray and click 'troubleshoot problems.'
Recommended: Read our guide on how to use PIA for torrents with a VPN and/or Proxy.
Be aware that this method kills your internet connection at the adapter level. As a result, you actually have run the windows network troubleshooter to restore internet access, or reconnect to a VPN server. Until you do that, you will have no internet access. As a result, some novice users find this feature frustrating.
To run the troubleshooter, just right-click on your network icon in the system tray and click 'troubleshoot problems.'
IPv6 Leak Protection
PIA is one of only a few VPNs to include this feature in their software. Basically, there are two groups of IP addresses, IPv6 (older, and fewer addresses available) and IPv6 (newer, and way more IP addresses). Your computer actually has both and IPv4 and IPv6 address, so this feature will prevent your IPv6 address from leaking by accident.
It's recommended you always keep it checked, even if you're not sure whether your computer uses IPv6 or not.
It's recommended you always keep it checked, even if you're not sure whether your computer uses IPv6 or not.
Is Private Internet Access Good for Torrents?
In a word, YES. Here's why...
Reason #1 - Logging Policy: The most important criteria when selecting a VPN for torrenting, is their logging policy. You want a VPN that doesn't record any connection, activity, or metadata logs. PIA fits the bill.
Reason #2 - Torrents allowed on all servers: Most VPNs (even ones that are torrent friendly) will restrict torrents to specific geographic server locations. This minimizes server headaches and keeps high-bandwidth torrent downloaders on only a few servers.
PIA allows torrents on all servers, and uses a unique solution to reroute bittorrent traffic (only on specific high-risk servers) using a secondary VPN behind the scenes. It's a seamless solution, and most users don't even notice.
Reason #3 - SOCKS Proxy service Included: Every PIA subscription includes access to their Netherlands-based SOCKS proxy server. You can use this proxy in your favorite torrent client (setup instructions here). The proxy can be used instead of the VPN, or even use both simultaneously for dual protection.
Reason #4 - Speed: We have not found a faster VPN at a lower price than PIA. Their server network is worldwide (24 countries) and they have plenty of bandwidth capacity. There is no monthly bandwidth cap or transfer limit.
Reason #5 - Price:
$3.33/month. That's less than a latte at Starbucks. What are you waiting for?
Reason #1 - Logging Policy: The most important criteria when selecting a VPN for torrenting, is their logging policy. You want a VPN that doesn't record any connection, activity, or metadata logs. PIA fits the bill.
Reason #2 - Torrents allowed on all servers: Most VPNs (even ones that are torrent friendly) will restrict torrents to specific geographic server locations. This minimizes server headaches and keeps high-bandwidth torrent downloaders on only a few servers.
PIA allows torrents on all servers, and uses a unique solution to reroute bittorrent traffic (only on specific high-risk servers) using a secondary VPN behind the scenes. It's a seamless solution, and most users don't even notice.
Reason #3 - SOCKS Proxy service Included: Every PIA subscription includes access to their Netherlands-based SOCKS proxy server. You can use this proxy in your favorite torrent client (setup instructions here). The proxy can be used instead of the VPN, or even use both simultaneously for dual protection.
Reason #4 - Speed: We have not found a faster VPN at a lower price than PIA. Their server network is worldwide (24 countries) and they have plenty of bandwidth capacity. There is no monthly bandwidth cap or transfer limit.
Reason #5 - Price:
$3.33/month. That's less than a latte at Starbucks. What are you waiting for?
Review Summary
Private Internet Access is an excellent value if you're looking for a non-logging, torrent-friendly VPN service at an affordable price. They were named our favorite torrent VPN, and also scored a 10/10 for torrent-friendliness in 2016.
Their feature set is more than enough for 90+% of users, and we love the fact that they include SOCKS proxy service at no addition charge (learn how to use it for uTorrent, Vuze, or Deluge).
Favorite Features:
Their feature set is more than enough for 90+% of users, and we love the fact that they include SOCKS proxy service at no addition charge (learn how to use it for uTorrent, Vuze, or Deluge).
Favorite Features:
- No Logs. Seriously, none.
- 256-bit Encryption
- SOCKS Proxy included (can be used with any major torrent software)
- Easy to use software
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Low-cost/affordable
Alternative to Private Internet Access
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There are several other VPN options worth considering if you're willing to spend more $$ for a bit more performance/features.
IPVanish is the fastest VPN we've tested, and does allow torrents. Torguard also performs extremely well in speed tests, has p2p optimized servers, and a torrent proxy service with 5 server locations. |
Compare Private Internet Access
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Try PIA Risk-Free for 7 Days!
Private Internet Access offers a 100% no-questions asked refund guarantee. This means you can try their service for a full week before deciding if you like it enough to shell out $3.33/month. It's the most popular VPN among this site's readers for a reason.
What are you waiting for?
What are you waiting for?
Private Internet Access VPN
BBVPN
February 25, 2016 5/5 stars