Private Internet Access VS Surfshark Comparison

UPDATED Apr. 2024
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If you are looking for a high level of protection and security, both Surfshark and Private Internet Access are excellent choices, so you cannot go wrong no matter which one you opt for. However, if you wonder which one of these packs more handy features and offers better services in general, this Surfshark VS Private Internet Access comparison can answer all of your questions and help you make the right choice. View our detailed comparison below and discover which service is one step ahead of its competitor.

Surfshark
Best For Avid Streamers
VS
Private Internet Access
Best For VPN Experts

Highlights

Surfshark
Surfshark is at the very top of the VPN market thanks to its bank-grade encryption, strict zero-logging policy, excellent speed, and impressive feature suite. It works with some of the most popular streaming services.
  • 800+ servers
  • AES-256 cypher
  • Internet killswitch
  • Zero-knowledge DNS
Private Internet Access
If you are looking for a reliable VPN with plenty of servers all across the globe and rock-solid connections at decent to excellent speeds, you should definitely check out Private Internet Access, a US-based VPN service provider.
  • Zero user logs kept
  • Offers SOCKS5 proxy
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • P2P sharing allowed

Compare Prices

Company
1 Month
3 Months
6 Months
1 Year
2 Years
Surfshark
1 Month
$11.95
3 Months
/
6 Months
/
1 Year
$5.99
2 Years
$1.99
Private Internet Access
1 Month
$6.95
3 Months
/
6 Months
$5.99
1 Year
$3.33
2 Years
$2.91
* The prices shown represent the cost of one month within different subscriptions. To see all available plans and pricing options, check individual reviews.

Compare Features

Surfshark
Based In
British Virgin Ilands
Number Of Servers
500+
Number Of Countries
50
Protocols
OpenVPN; IKEv2
Encryption
AES-256
Simultaneous Connections
unlimited
Logs Policy
no logs
Dedicated IP
Killswitch
DNS Leak Protection
Allows Torrenting
Torrenting Servers
SmartDNS
Private Internet Access
Based In
US
Number Of Servers
3079+
Number Of Countries
28
Protocols
PPTP, OpenVPN, and L2TP/IPSec
Encryption
256-bit AES
Simultaneous Connections
5
Logs Policy
no traffic logs
Dedicated IP
Killswitch
DNS Leak Protection
Allows Torrenting
Torrenting Servers
SmartDNS

Supported Devices

Surfshark
Windows
OS X
Android
iOS
Router
Private Internet Access
Windows
OS X
Linux
Android
iOS

Compare Ratings

Surfshark
FINAL RATING
9.9/10
Anonymity
Reliability
Performance
Features
Support
Value For Money
Private Internet Access
FINAL RATING
9.3/10
Anonymity
Reliability
Performance
Features
Support
Value For Money

Compare User Reviews

Surfshark
  • Submitted By Gavin Miller on 01/08/2020
    This is a perfect vpn from people like myself who use it for streaming, and gaming and for torrents. Streaming speed has been the fastest out of all the vpns I’ve tried so far. Other and eaqualiy important feature, at least for me, is that you can completely mask your IP address by jumping from one server to another. However, it really slows your internet so I suggest you do it only when necessary.
  • Submitted By Harley Andrade on 12/20/2019
    The first time I came across surfshark I’ve read that it only has an app for android, however by the time I was deciding on what to buy they’ve already transitioned to Windows and IOS and after I’ve read its awesome review it was a no brainer. I went fro one year subscription straight away which is $5.99 per month for one year and so far I’ve been very pleased with everything.
  • Submitted By J. Bennet on 12/02/2019
    I got a Surfshark subscription during Black Friday, so obviously I'm quite happy with the price. I mainly needed it to unblock Netflix and Disney+ so I read some reviews (including this one) before buying it to make sure. I did have some downtime on Disney+, but when I contacted their customer support, they gave me and exact SLA of when it will be fixed and added a free week to my subscription. I'd say it was handled very well.
  • Submitted By SJ on 11/20/2019
    Yes, Surfshark is affordable, but service is patchy. I wanted Surfshark to connect to a certain website, and all VPNs in a certain location fail to "geolocate" to that location. I contacted Surfshark within the 30 days warranty period and customer support failed to fix the problem or refund my money as requested. Customer support is no good. If they refund my money or fix the problem, I will update this review. Until then....avoid Surfshark.
Private Internet Access
  • Submitted By JJ Sanders on 11/15/2019
    Private Internet Access does NOT protect your identity - it leaks your IP address. I really like the ease of use and the interface, but now have received several Copyright Infringement letters from my ISP while using PIA, even after their customer service suggested several fixes and adjustments. At first it was leaking my Ipv6 data, and we fixed that. I found that even though their suggested test site said it was OK, other sites shows the data was still leaking. Even after stopping that - PIA continues to leak my IP address causing me more problems. I used a simple Anonymizer previously for years with no problems. DON'T USE PIA IF YOU NEED TO PROTECT YOUR ISP ADDRESS.
  • Submitted By Anonymous of course on 10/19/2018
    I love this VPN. I highly doubt I'll use any other VPN ever. The only thing I dislike about this provider is that Amazon streaming and Netflix streaming are blocked but that's fine. I use other streaming services. I cancelled my Netflix subscription and I'd cancel my prime membership to Amazon too if not for the free 2 day shipping. I'll sign up again when they let me be anonymous on the internet like everyone should be. Anyways this VPN has never had downtime for me and the Killswitch means I can p2p with no worries. Torrent freak has 2 articles about PIA being taken to court and PIA informing they have a no log policy and being unable to help with any logs. I'll trust these guys with my privacy for sure. Conclusion: if you can survive without streaming Netflix this VPN provides the best privacy and security and has had it's no log policy tested. 5 stars without a doubt.
  • Submitted By Jose Cuervo on 10/02/2018
    I have been using PIA for several years now and am satisfied with the service. I originally used Viscosity as my client but the one from PIA has improved enough to make it the best option. Though I have not yet tried the Linux client, the ones on Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android work well. Since I stared using PIA, they have added a bunch more servers and the performance has never been an issue for me. The combination of features, compatability and server locations represents the best value for me....YMMV. PIA was my third and so far best VPN experience.
  • Submitted By Maria Martonioni on 06/22/2017
    I liked this service for a while but I feel that lately they have started to slack a bit, especially when it comes to connection reliability. No matter what kind of server I connect to (I usually connect to US and UK ones, sometimes some European ones) the connection keeps dropping and I keep losing my protected connection which is definitely not cool.

Winner

Surfshark is a new VPN service that already started making waves on the market thanks to its amazing speed and generous features. Read all about this promising service in our dedicated Surfshark review.

* All the prices on this website are subject to change without notice. While we put a great deal of effort into making sure that all the prices are accurate, one or more products may have outdated prices. Please visit the specific product’s official website for exact prices.