Summary
Private Internet Access is the pick for anyone who cares where in the U.S. they connect. It runs servers in every state, keeps device connections unlimited, and its no-logs promise has already survived legal scrutiny. Speeds are solid rather than spectacular, and the app rewards people who like to tinker.
Pros
- Servers in all 50 U.S. states, so you can pick a city close to home
- No-logs claim tested and upheld in U.S. court proceedings
- Unlimited simultaneous connections on a single subscription
- Fully open-source apps with granular encryption and port settings
- Built-in MACE blocker stops ads, trackers and malware domains
Cons
- Speeds on long-distance servers trail ExpressVPN and NordVPN
- Headquartered in the U.S., which will bother some privacy purists
- The settings-heavy interface can overwhelm first-time users
Our full review
Private Internet Access (PIA) has been around longer than most of the names on this list, and its pitch has stayed consistent: cheap, configurable, and unusually transparent. For U.S. users specifically, its strongest card is geography. PIA lists servers in all 50 states, which matters if you need a local IP for a regional sports blackout, a state lottery app, or a bank that gets nervous when you suddenly appear in another time zone. Most rivals give you a handful of U.S. cities; PIA gives you a menu.
In our testing on a 500 Mbps home line, nearby PIA servers held around 380-420 Mbps, which is more than enough for 4K streaming and large downloads. Transatlantic connections were where the gap showed, dropping into the 120-180 Mbps range while ExpressVPN and NordVPN stayed comfortably higher. If your traffic mostly stays inside North America, you will rarely notice; if you route through Europe or Asia all day, you will.
Privacy is where PIA earns its reputation. The company has twice had its no-logs claim tested in U.S. court cases and, on both occasions, had no usable data to hand over. Independent auditors have since reviewed the infrastructure, and the desktop and mobile apps are published as open source, so the code can be inspected rather than taken on faith. The counterweight is jurisdiction: PIA is a U.S. company, and no amount of auditing changes that fact for people who consider it a dealbreaker.
Streaming performance was better than PIA's older reputation suggests. Netflix US, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video and Max all loaded without an error screen during our checks, though we occasionally had to switch to a second U.S. city before a library unlocked. There is no dedicated streaming section like CyberGhost's, so expect a little trial and error.
The apps are dense by design. You can choose your encryption cipher, switch between OpenVPN and WireGuard, set a custom port, enable split tunnelling per app, and turn on the MACE filter that blocks ad, tracker and malware domains at the DNS level. That is a lot of control, and it is genuinely useful — but a first-time VPN buyer will find CyberGhost or ExpressVPN far less intimidating.
Value is excellent. Long-term plans land near the bottom of the market, connections are unlimited so one subscription covers an entire household, and a 30-day money-back guarantee gives you room to test it properly. Buy PIA if you want U.S. server choice, deep configuration and a proven privacy record for very little money. Look elsewhere if you want the fastest long-haul speeds or the simplest possible app.
Streaming
Netflix US, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, Max