NordVPN Vs PIA (Private Internet Access): Ultimate Guide

When it comes to internet security, some people assume that having anti virus software is enough, but it isn’t. If you are looking to have the best possible security, and want to protect yourself from hackers and security breaches, you will need to look into purchasing a VPN.

VPN’s are worthwhile. Not only will they help to keep your details safe online, but they will deter hackers, and make it far more difficult for your online activity to be tracked or hacked. The torrenting capabilities of some VPNs is also an added bonus. 

If you are considering purchasing a VPN and you are unsure where to start, this is a useful article for you. We will be comparing two popular VPNs, NordVPN and PIA.

We will be comparing important features such as prices, torrenting, speeds, servers and security, to provide you with the ultimate guide of which VPN to choose. 

Prices

When choosing a VPN, the price point is important to consider. From looking at both of these VPNs, they are not too expensive on the whole. When looking at the overall costs per month, both VPNs are the same. For a 1 and 2 year payment price plan, PIA is the cheapest option. 

Given this, if you are looking for the less expensive option, PIA would be the best option to consider. When looking at the payment methods, it is also the stronger candidate.

You are able to use PayPal, Mint and Amazon Pay for PIA, and these payment options are not possible for NordVPN. Both VPNs accept credit cards, and Cryptocurrency.

When it comes to the refund policies, they both have a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is great if you are unhappy with the service provided, or if you change your mind.

Logging Policy

The logging policy and jurisdiction of a VPN service is so important to consider, and it is something that a lot of people do not think to check. When choosing a VPN, ideally you will want them to have a Zero logging policy.

This means that your data and history is not tracked. You also want the jurisdiction to be safe.

When looking at NordVPN, their headquarters is located in Panama. This means that it is completely safe for you to use. Your history is not logged because the Panama laws do not request this from ISPs. 

Unfortunately, PIA is located in the USA. This means that by law, your data, and internet history can potentially be passed on and shared with law enforcement agencies if it is requested.

While PIA is a fantastic VPN on the whole, this logging policy does deter many people from choosing to use their service. PIA does not specifically state that they have a zero logging policy. 

Speeds

The speed of a VPN is important. While VPNs naturally slow down your internet speeds, some affect the speeds more than others. If the internet speeds are particularly low, then this will affect your browsing and viewing experience. 

Both VPNs have reasonably fast speeds, and are great for internet streaming and browsing. The average download speed for NordVPN is slightly faster on the whole, at just under 25 Mbps. The speeds for PIA were around 21 Mbps which is still reasonably good. 

Servers

Another important aspect to consider when comparing VPNs is the available servers, and the countries that are available to choose from. The more servers and countries there are to choose from, the better the service will be. 

NordVPN has over 5500 servers to choose from which is fantastic. This means that you will be able to receive the faster internet speeds available, and there are many to choose from. These servers are physical, which makes them more reliable to use.

PIA still has a great number of servers to choose from at around 24305. When you compare these servers to NordVPN, it is the superior choice. There are not many other VPNs that can compete with this amount of servers. These servers are all physical too. 

When looking at the countries available, again PIA takes top spot with 77 countries, in comparison to NordVPN’s 59 countries.

Both are good options to consider, and have a good range of countries to choose from. This allows you to access content from many different countries. 

Torrenting And Unblocking

When it comes to the use of VPNs, many people use them to torrent, which allows you to bypass blocks that are placed on streaming sites. This means that you can access the content based on the country you use to connect to the service. 

Both VPNs offer P2P servers, and allow torrenting. However, while NordVPN allows this to be anonymous, PIA data can potentially be accessed, which can be an issue for some. 

When it comes to unblocking content, NordVPN is the clear winner. It is superior, and can unblock the following streaming services:

• Disney Plus
• Hulu
• Amazon Prime Video
• Netflix
• BBC Iplayer
• Sling TV
• HBO GO
• Fubo TV

PIA does have some limitations, and it does not allow you to access Disney Plus, Sling TV, and Fubo TV. If you are planning to use a VPN to access these sites, NordVPN is the best option. 

Unlocking is very easy with NordVPN, but when using PIA it is more difficult to achieve in some instances, which does affect its overall performance. 

Security

The overall security when using the VPN is vital. After all, you want to ensure that your data is safe, and that you are not going to be hacked. Both VPNs have strong security, which is to be expected. 

Even so, NordVPN does have the slight edge, this is because it features Onion over VPN, Double VPN, Obfuscation, and SOCKS5 proxy, which is not available with PIA. This is not super essential, but can be useful, especially if you want to ensure you are staying as safe as possible online. 

Both VPNs feature the following safety features:

• Kill Switch
• 10 Multi-logins
• Ad Blocker
• Malware Blocker
• Split tunneling
• Leak Protection
• AES-256 Encryption
• Benchmark protocols

Compatibility

When purchasing a VPN, you will want to ensure that it is compatible with the device you intend to use it with. While the majority of people will use a VPN on their laptop, the VPN should be compatible with Windows and macOS. 

However, VPNs tend to allow you to use the service on multiple devices, which is useful if you want to protect your phone and other smart devices too. In addition to this, you will want to ensure that the VPN is compatible with your favored browser. 

NordVPN is the stronger option here, as it connects with the following devices and operating systems:

• Windows
• macOS
• IOS
• Android
• Linux
• Chrome
• FireFox
• Router
• Opera

PIA is not compatible with Opera, but is compatible with the other options. This will not be a dealbreaker to you unless you use Opera exclusively. 

Customer Service

The last thing you will want to take into consideration is the VPN provider’s customer service. If something were to happen, or you have any concerns, you will want to ensure they can be resolved. This is especially important when it comes to security issues or potential breaches. 

Both VPN providers have fantastic customer service options. They both use the following:

• Email support
• Live chat
• Troubleshooting guides
• Setup guides 
• News

While NordVPN features FAQ’s, PIA does not, which can be frustrating. Neither offer phone call support, but the email and live chat services are helpful, and you will receive a response to the queries quickly. Even so, the NordVPN customer service is faster on the whole. 

Summary

We hope that you have found this article useful. As you can see, both NordVPN and PIA are strong contenders when it comes to purchasing a VPN. However, NordVPN is the clear winner on the whole.

You simply cannot beat the service you receive with this provider, and it is easy to see why it is one of the best VPN services in the field. 

The torrenting and unblocking options could not be matched by PIA, and the speeds were faster on the whole. While NordVPN does have fewer countries and servers to connect to, you are able to do more with these servers in compassion to PIA. 

The security of NordVPN is far better than PIA, especially when it comes to the use of Panama as a headquarters, rather than the USA. While it is the more expensive option on the whole, for the slight increase in price, you do receive a better service on the whole. 

Even so, if you want to save money, and you are not too concerned about streaming service access or the fastest internet speeds, PIA is a great option to consider.

Their safety features are still fairly good, and their customer service is reliable. It also has physical servers, which is a great bonus when it comes to connections. 

To conclude, we would recommend NordVPN over PIA, but both are great options to consider.