3 reasons why PIA fell in our best VPN rankings

The VPN marketplace moves earnestly fast. In a short abstraction of time, a VPN supplier whitethorn importantly grow its server network, wholly alteration its privateness policy, aliases adhd a full big of shiny caller features.

Of course, not each developments are for nan better, and 1 VPN improving its offering tin beryllium to nan detriment of others that autumn successful nan pecking bid arsenic a result. The changeless authorities of flux is simply a logic why we trial (and retest) VPNs connected a regular basis.

Our latest information of testing saw Private Internet Access (PIA) autumn extracurricular nan apical 5 successful our best VPN rankings. That’s not to opportunity PIA has taken a measurement backmost successful quality, however, and it’s still a awesome worth VPN pinch intriguing extras. Still, because of nan bigger strides different VPNs are taking, it's nary longer a apical contender successful our shortlist. Read on, and I'll explicate into why.

Reason #1: intimidating apps

You person everything you request to browse nan web securely wrong PIA’s apps. Your relationship is secured pinch 256-bit AES encryption, you’re protected from DNS leaks, and there’s an fantabulous termination move to footwear that'll guarantee you don't leak immoderate identifiable information.

Although location are plentifulness of precocious features that knowledgeable VPN users will appreciate, specified arsenic larboard forwarding and split tunneling, immoderate of these customizable extras whitethorn beryllium daunting if your only extremity is to unblock geo-restricted streaming platforms.

That PIA’s desktop app is hidden distant successful your strategy tray is different motion that it’s possibly not nan astir beginner-friendly. If it’s your first clip utilizing a VPN, aliases you’re not acquainted pinch nan PIA app, you’d beryllium forgiven for reasoning it vanished aliases unopen down. Fortunately, there's an action to move to a model position instead.

Upon opening nan PIA app, you’re met pinch a elemental location surface pinch a speedy link button, a shortcut to nan VPN server list, and cardinal accusation specified arsenic your IP address and, erstwhile connected, nan VPN IP address. Expand this and you’ll find a wide of options including accusation connected performance, your connection, and moreover a VPN snooze feature, each of which tin beryllium pinned onto nan location screen.

This info is each highly configurable. You tin adhd aliases region each mounting pinch a click aliases resistance and driblet them successful your preferred order. Experienced VPN users will admit this – but if you’re a VPN newbie, each of this clutter competing for your attraction tin consciousness a spot much.

If you’re seeking a much stripped-down and user-friendly app interface, you’ll beryllium amended disconnected pinch ExpressVPN. It’s my apical proposal for caller users acknowledgment to easy-to-navigate apps and fantabulous 24/7 unrecorded chat and email customer support.

Reason 2: lackluster speeds

A VPN safeguards your integer privateness by routing your net postulation via a secure, encrypted passageway done its servers earlier it continues connected to nan internet.

These other steps tin negatively effect your relationship speed, however. The grade of nan slowdown (and whether it's noticeable) depends connected a fewer factors specified arsenic nan VPN protocol utilized and nan region betwixt your existent location and nan VPN server.

Everyday browsing doesn't require blazing-fast speeds – but a lackluster VPN tin slow your acquisition to a sluggish crawl. This is particularly existent erstwhile it comes to streaming, video calls, and gaming,

The fastest VPNs connection unlimited bandwidth and usage lightweight, speed-optimized VPN protocols specified arsenic WireGuard. This allows for seamless streaming successful HD and moreover 4K resolution, each without having to contend pinch capacity issues.

Unfortunately, PIA conscionable isn’t capable to support up pinch our different apical VPNs erstwhile it comes to speed. When utilizing PIA via nan WireGuard protocol, it averaged 436 Mbps. Although that’s by nary intends slow, it’s still immoderate measurement down nan likes of Surfshark and NordVPN, some of which maxed retired astatine complete 950 Mbps. With speeds for illustration that, it’s small wonderment that NordVPN is our best streaming VPN.

It was a akin communicative erstwhile we utilized OpenVPN. PIA averaged conscionable 257 Mbps, which isn’t awesome news if you’re a instrumentality of this tried-and-true protocol, peculiarly erstwhile Surfshark averaged 460 Mbps.

Having said each this, PIA is still much than tin of handling streaming, gaming, and torrenting sessions. It’s conscionable that location are faster options connected nan market.

Reason 3: unimpressive customer service

Having knowledgeable a superior method rumor erstwhile attempting to trial Private Internet Access, our lead tester, Mike Williams, raised nan rumor pinch PIA’s customer support. The problem successful mobility was that PIA refused to link pinch some nan WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols.

PIA’s support was initially responsive, guiding Mike done nan accustomed troubleshooting steps including uninstalling and reinstalling nan PIA app. However, this was each contempt Mike explaining that he'd already gone done these steps to nary success.

The proposal grounded to lick nan issue, truthful nan impermanent solution projected by PIA was to usage an aged type of nan app successful nan meantime.

Mike replied to customer support pinch elaborate accusation astir nan rumor but PIA did not supply an reply successful nan pursuing week. We presume that nan rumor has been escalated to PIA developers, but nan deficiency of a reply has been disappointing.

It’s adjacent to opportunity that nan value of customer support a VPN provides is comparative to its subscription prices. Although ExpressVPN is pricier than PIA, portion of that higher subscription interest goes towards what is arguably nan champion support of immoderate VPN connected nan market. This is portion of what makes ExpressVPN 1 of today's best, and astir reliable, VPNs.

Bottom line

PIA does a batch very well. It’s arsenic unafraid a VPN arsenic you could dream for, provides a ton of precocious features, and besides has a generous server network. It’s conscionable that it falls a small short compared to nan apical providers erstwhile it comes to our testing criteria, specified arsenic server velocity and unblocking.

PIA’s deficiency of responsiveness regarding our superior method rumor during caller testing shows that there’s room for improvement. Beginners whitethorn find nan app's offering a small overwhelming, too, pinch its wide of customizable options.

However, it’s this customizability that makes PIA a coagulated prime for powerfulness users astatine what remains a very competitory price.