How Much Does Private Internet Access Cost in 2025?

Private Internet Access (PIA) has always been one of the cheapest VPNs around, and the three-year plan recently got a little bit cheaper with an additional four free months with every three-year plan. Those extra free months have brought down the average cost to just $1.98 per month, which is cheaper than a cup of coffee these days.

So, is this low-cost option worth it, or should you spend a bit more on a different service? In our Private Internet Access review, we go over a lot of things we really liked, and the things we didn’t, such as streaming services detecting our VPN. Let’s go through the cost of Private Internet Access so you can see if this low-cost VPN it’s worth the money.

Private Internet Access Subscription Options

Unlike other VPN providers, Private Internet Access has only one plan tier. The only choice you have is how long you want to commit, and therefore pay upfront. The longer your commitment, the cheaper your average cost per month will be. But to get the discounted rate, you need to shell out the cost of the entire contract upfront. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect to pay.

For comparison, a VPN typically costs about $12 for a monthly plan. So, Private Internet Access is within the average. In fact, it’s cheaper than NordVPN, which is $13.99 per month and sits at the top of our best VPN for 2025 list. For the record, PIA VPN is third.

If you’re looking for a cheaper monthly plan, we recommend ProtonVPN. It’s only $9.99 per month. But paying month to month is always going to work to be the most expensive option. We recommend signing up for Private Internet Access’s three-year plan and making the most of the 30-day money-back guarantee if it’s not for you. You’ll end up saving nearly $400 over 24 months if you decide to stick with it.

>> PIA VPN Alternatives: ProtonVPN vs. NordVPN

While we don’t necessarily recommend them, there are VPN services out there with lower monthly rates period. For example, FastestVPN sometimes features a deal that brings their price down to $0.83 per month since they give one month free. But, when we tested FastestVPN, we found that the price point came with a lack of a few key features we look for like split tunneling.

Does Private Internet Access Have a Free Trial?

Private Internet Access does have a free trial if you sign up via the VPN app on your Android or iOS device. The smartphone free trial is good for seven days, but it’s one-time use only. Moreover, you forfeit your eligibility to the 30-day money-back guarantee if you buy a subscription through Google Play or the App Store. More on that later.

In any case, here’s how it works:

1. Download Private Internet Access’ Android or iOS app.
2. Install the VPN app on your iPhone or Android and launch it.
3. Choose the one-year plan and tap ‘Subscribe Now.’
4. Check that the billing date is seven days from the current date.
5. Verify the transaction with two-factor authentication or your Google Play/iCloud password.
6. Enjoy Private Internet Access for free for seven days.

>> Related: The Top iPhone VPNs of 2025

There are a couple of catches. First, auto-renewal is on by default, and you’ll need to turn it off at least 24 hours before your subscription ends. Otherwise, you’re locked into another term.

Second, renewals aren’t eligible for the 30-day money-back guarantee. It’s only available on the initial purchase. We recommend canceling your auto-renewal immediately, just in case you decide PIA isn’t for you.

If you want to maximize the free trial and money-back guarantee, here’s what we recommend:

1. Sign up for the mobile app free trial.
2. Cancel before the trial ends.
3. Buy a three-year subscription (lowest rate) from PIA’s website.
4. Test it for another 30 days. If you like it, you can keep it and the $1.98 monthly rate for the rest of your subscription. If you don’t, cancel it and request a refund within the first 30 days of your subscription.

In any case, we appreciate PIA providing a free trial and money-back option. Choosing a VPN isn’t a decision to be taken lightly, so we like seeing VPNs that offer free trials.

Buying a Private Internet Access Subscription

Because we wanted the money-back guarantee, we purchased our PIA subscription through the website, rather than through the mobile app. You could use your phone to buy a subscription, but make sure you do it through a browser. On the PIA homepage, clicking the ‘Get a PIA VPN’ button on the right (or top-right corner if you’re on mobile) will take you to the pricing plan page, where you can select your plan.

After we chose to buy a one-month plan, we had to pick a payment method: credit or debit card, PayPal, or crypto. We used a credit card, but we’ll go through the steps for each payment method.

Pay Via Credit/Debit Card

1. Enter your email address.
2. Enter your credit/debit card details.
3. Click ‘Subscribe Now’ and complete the payment process.
4. Check your email for the login credentials (username and password).
5. Log in to your account and change the password. Make sure to create a strong password with uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
6. Download and install the VPN app to your devices.
7. Log in using your username and new password.

Pay Via PayPal

1. Click ‘Subscribe via PayPal’ and wait for the PayPal login page to load.
2. Log in. Make sure that the email address associated with your PayPal account is active. It’s where PIA will send your login credentials.
3. Complete the payment process.
4. Follow steps four through seven above to start using PIA.

Pay Via Crypto

1. Enter your email address.
2. Wait for the BitPay page to load. BitPay will act as the payment processor, but you can use any cryptocurrency wallet you might have.
3. Select or search your cryptocurrency wallet from the list.
4. Connect your wallet to BitPay by logging in.
5. Confirm which cryptocurrency you’d use for the transaction and complete the payment.
6. Once paid, check your email for your PIA account credentials.
7. Log in, change the password and download the app to your devices.

Are There Discounts?

The current three-year plan for less than $2 per month is about as cheap as we’ve seen from PIA. But that doesn’t mean the company won’t roll out future deals and packages. It’s possible that PIA might roll out new add-ons, subscription plans and additional free months for long-term commitments.

We particularly recommend checking out PIA around special sale events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In fact, we created a page specifically for VPN Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Check it around October for updates.

Private Internet Access Features to Test

You have your VPN, now what? Well, it’s time to put it to the test. There’s no rush because, again, you have 30 days to decide whether to keep it. But to help you out, here are Private Internet Access’ features you should definitely check out.

• Unlimited simultaneous connections: Private Internet Access is among the growing number of VPNs that allows users as many simultaneous devices as they have, unlike when we tested ExpressVPN and were limited to eight connections at a time. Start by downloading PIA to all your devices and see if you can connect them all. (The most number of devices we’ve connected to PIA simultaneously was 14.)
• Servers: Private Internet Access has servers in 91 countries, but their availability depends on the device you’re using and which VPN protocol is active. For example, on Android, we counted only 88 countries. Check that the locations you’re most likely going to use are accessible to your devices. If not, you might want to consider a different option, like NordVPN (with servers in 118 countries). See our NordVPN review for more details.

• VPN protocol: The VPN protocol dictates how the VPN handles your traffic, and PIA uses OpenVPN and WireGuard. While those two are the most widely used protocols right now, you should check how they perform on your devices. For computers, we found that PIA’s OpenVPN implementation tends to offer more customization. For phones and tablets, its WireGuard connections typically provide better speed.
• Encryption: Speaking of protocols, check which VPN encryption protocol best suits your VPN usage. Exclusively for OpenVPN connections, PIA lets users choose between 128-bit and 256-bit AES. That’s one of its unique features. In our experience, 128-bit is faster — making it better for bandwidth-heavy activities like streaming and online gaming. On the other hand, 256-bit AES is stronger. The default sets to the former although we usually recommend the latter as the drop in internet speeds was minor.
• Kill switch: Another one of PIA’s unique features is the customizable kill switch. The kill switch is a must-have feature that protects your privacy by turning off your device’s network connection when the VPN drops unexpectedly. But with PIA, you can choose whether to make the kill switch activate only when the connection drops unexpectedly (regular kill switch) or even when you turn off the VPN on purpose (advanced kill switch). The latter is for those who want an always-on VPN.
• Split tunneling: PIA was full of customizable features when we tested it, and one of our favorites was the split tunneling. It’s a common feature that lets you select apps that can bypass the VPN, but in PIA’s case, you can also enter IP addresses. That means you can also force websites, locally-connected devices (e.g., wireless printers) and servers to bypass the encryption.
• RAM-based servers: You can’t exactly test it out, but it’s good to know that PIA has RAM-based servers. It’s a new type of technology that better protects users’ privacy because servers running on random access memory (RAM) get all their data wiped after every reboot. It’s one reason why PIA is one of our favorite VPNs with a ‘no-logs’ policy.
• Logging options: We saved the best for last; Private Internet Access is one of the very few VPNs that lets users opt in or out of data collection. While it doesn’t record IP addresses and websites visited, PIA does log statistical metrics, such as protocols used or how a connection was established to help improve its services. But unlike most VPNs, that’s not mandatory. In fact, you’re opted out by default; PIA only logs those if you purposely allow it. Check the Settings page of the app to see your options.

Aside from those features, we highly recommend testing Private Internet Access’ speed on your devices. We do VPN speed tests as part of our standard review process, but your results may vary depending on a number of factors, such as your location, type of internet connection, platform or device in use, protocol and encryption selection, and so on. Performing your own speed tests will help you identify PIA’s performance. But if you want to hear our experience, here are the key takeaways from our own tests:

1. Private Internet Access is capable of fast download speed, accessing more than 90 percent of our network speed. We’ve tested VPNs that could only provide about 60 percent of our original speed.
2. PIA proved particularly fast on Windows, as both the download and upload speeds remained high when tested on a Windows 11 laptop.
3. On macOS, Android and iOS, the upload speed dropped considerably higher than the download speed. PIA was able to give us only around 70 percent of our network’s original upload speed.

>> Related: The Fastest VPNs of 2025

Canceling Private Internet Access

There are a lot of VPN services out there and you should test a few of them before committing to one you like. Because PIA and others typically offer a money-back guarantee, it’s easy to test drive a few for one month to see what you prefer.

After we finished testing PIA, we canceled our VPN subscription to see how easy it is to do so. And as it turned out, it wasn’t the easiest. There were two ways, each with a different result:

• Stop auto-renewal: Use this option if you wish not to be charged again once your current subscription ends. You will continue to have access to the VPN, but you will not get a refund if you’re still within the 30-day money-back period.
• Cancel/delete your account: Use this option if you want to totally disable your VPN access. If you’re within the 30-day refund period, you may request a refund. Note that you need to reach out to customer support to request the refund. They won’t automatically refund you if you disable the VPN within the 30-day refund period. Deleting your account after the 30-day refund period means you’ll lose your account and the money you paid.

It all depends on what you’re trying to cancel and where you are on your subscription. Unfortunately, PIA VPN doesn’t offer prorated refunds for on-going subscriptions. So beyond the 30-day money-back guarantee, you can only cancel auto-renewal. You’ll keep your VPN account active for the rest of the subscription you signed up for.

How to Stop Auto-Renewal

The first option is easier because it only turns off auto-renewal. You can do it right on your dashboard.

1. Log in to your Private Internet Access client dashboard. You can also open your VPN app, go to the settings and choose Account.
2. In the Subscriptions Overview tab, click the ‘Turn Off Auto-Renewal’ button under ‘Next Billing.’
3. Click ‘Continue Cancellation’ and answer the one-question survey that follows.
4. Select ‘Turn Off Auto-Renewal’ to finalize.

How to Cancel and Request a Refund

You’d have to go through more hoops if you want to cancel and request a refund. It’s not impossible. It’s just that it’s more complicated compared to Surfshark, which lets users request a refund using an automated chatbot. With PIA, you’d have to send an email to support@privateinternetaccess.com or submit a ticket. You’d also need to use or provide the email address you used to sign up and your complete order number (found in the welcome email from Private Internet Access). Note that the turnaround time is usually two to three business days, and there’s an additional five- to 10-day wait time for the refund to reflect on your bank account.

Is Private Internet Access Worth It? The Final Verdict

We’ve covered all the important factors to consider, so now it’s time to decide — is Private Internet Access worth the money?

Given the low cost of the three-year plan, you shouldn’t expect a ton of bells and whistles. However, PIA does deliver on what we think are the essentials: good speeds, kill switch, split tunneling, strong encryption protocol, and strong no-logging practices. It also offers unlimited simultaneous connections, which isn’t something offered by more expensive services.

Of course, there are also downsides to consider, like the fact that the best price requires a three-year commitment, the subpar upload speeds and the inconsistent streaming capability. If those things are deal-breakers to you, read our Surfshark review and UltraVPN review for other top-rated affordable options.