VyprVPN vs Private Internet Access in 2021

Everyone in the VPN industry has heard of VyprVPN and PIA (Private Internet Access). They are everlasting veterans in the security industry, reliable, and filled with great features. Each VPN is an excellent choice for your needs. But it can’t be all perfect, right? What details emerge when we have a closer look at these two services?

VyprVPN is based in Switzerland and has over 700 servers in 70+ countries. It has an audited no-logs policy and a wide variety of tunneling protocols to choose from, including WireGuard. Meanwhile, PIA is based in the USA and has over 36700 servers in 77+ countries. It has WireGuard as well, plus a no-logs policy that has been proven in court.

This is just the tip of the iceberg in this VyprVPN vs Private Internet Access comparison. Let’s not sit around and start by seeing how they fare in terms of connection speed.

Highlights

Speed

If you’re wondering who would win in a VyprVPN vs Private Internet Access drag race, you’re in luck. I used our in-house speed testing tool to put them both to the test.

VyprVPN vs Private Internet Access: 14-Day Speed Average

The results are revealing – on average, PIA is faster than VyprVPN. However, keep in mind that these results shouldn’t be taken as a definitive answer. Many variables can influence connection speeds, and your experience with these VPNs may differ.

Servers

The speed test results could have been influenced by the fact that PIA employs 36700+ servers, while VyprVPN has only 700+.

However, VyprVPN has the advantage of owning each and every node in their VPN network. This means that they can directly optimize the hardware architecture of each location to yield better speeds. If that wasn’t the case, the discrepancy between each provider’s performance would be far more pronounced.

Pricing

Both VPN services are straightforward with their pricing plans – short plans are expensive, while longer subscriptions are cheaper. Additionally, both lack free versions or free trials and instead have 30-day money-back guarantees. Ultimately, PIA has a cheaper monthly plan, while VyprVPN offers lengthier subscription plans for a significantly smaller price tag. Therefore, VyprVPN is the winner in this category.

VyprVPN pricing

VyprVPN has three subscription plans, which are:

• $12.95/month for one month
• $3.75/month for one year
• $1.66/month for three years

Although the monthly plan is fairly expensive, the three-year plan is one of the best deals I’ve ever seen. However, VyprVPN could improve payment options by adding some anonymous alternatives. Currently, only credit cards, PayPal, and UnionPay are available.

Apart from the typical VPN solution, there’s also VyprVPN for Business Cloud Solutions. It’s a service that offers dedicated VPN servers that are compatible with various business apps and cloud storage solutions. Unlike the VPN for consumers, this business solution has a 7-day free trial. After that, pricing starts at $349 per year.

VyprVPN

VPNpro rating: 9.3 / 10

Visit VyprVPN

Private Internet Access Pricing

Just like its predecessor, PIA has three subscription options:

• $9.95/month for one month
• $3.33/month for one year
• $2.69/month for two years

The difference here is that the monthly plan isn’t as expensive, yet the two-year plan isn’t as cheap as the longest VyprVPN plan. However, PIA has a greater selection of payment methods, including anonymous options via cryptocurrencies. Plus, a variety of coupons for PIA can be discovered online.

Additionally, the two-year plan gives two extra months for free and a Boxcryptor license. Boxcryptor is a cloud storage encryption tool that’s compatible with a wide array of apps, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and more. Lastly, it’s worth mentioning that a dedicated IP is available for $5 per month.

Security

Let’s start with the similarities – both VPNs utilize AES-256 encryption to secure your online activities. Additionally, either one can enable WireGuard or OpenVPN tunneling protocols. Lastly, VyprVPN and PIA have a kill switch and no DNS or IP leaks.

VyprVPN security features

In addition to the previously mentioned tunneling protocols, VyprVPN has two extra alternatives – IKEv2 and Chameleon. The latter is proprietary and meant to circumvent censorship measures like DPI (Deep Packet Inspection).

One feature that is always enabled while using VyprVPN is VyprDNS. It ensures privacy and that websites don’t get blocked by DNS filtering. After that, Public Wi-Fi Protection allows the VPN connection whenever you connect to an unknown network. Unfortunately, for now, split tunneling is available exclusively to Android users.

Private Internet Access security features

PIA’s security credentials are pretty good. You can select your preferred encryption settings, from AES-128 to AES-256, as well as the handshake and the authentication standard used by the software. Their default protocol is OpenVPN, but you can also switch to WireGuard, while IKEv2/IPsec is only available on iOS. In addition, Private Internet Access has SOCKS5 and Shadowsocks proxy services included.

There’s also PIA MACE, a unique feature that blocks malicious web domains. Torrenting enthusiasts will be glad to hear that port forwarding is also available. Finally, everyone can benefit from the customization that split tunneling offers.

Privacy

From the perspective of their location, VyprVPN seems more trustworthy than Private Internet Access. Although PIA’s clear no-logging policy was put to the test several times and came out unscathed, they are still based in the USA, which brings to mind the DMC, government as well as corporate surveillance, and the infamous Five Eyes Alliance. Plus, PIA is owned by Kape Technologies, which is notorious for making adware in the past.

Alternatively, VyprVPN is based in Switzerland, which has no data-retention laws and does not participate in any Eyes or related intelligence-sharing groups. Additionally, their no-logs policy has been audited and verified by a third party. The only VyprVPN drawback is its lack of anonymous payment options.

Device compatibility

Although VyprVPN is the cheaper VPN of the two, it also has a larger array of supported devices. It supports fewer simultaneous connections, but you can solve this problem with a router. Setting up a VPN on a router sounds complicated, but it’s actually quite easy. Plus, greater versatility is always an advantage. Thus, VyprVPN wins this round once again.

VyprVPN device compatibility

VyprVPN supports Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. Sadly, Linux users are left without an app and need to configure OpenVPN manually. However, dedicated apps are also available on other platforms, such as routers, Android TV, QNAP, Blackphone, and Anonabox. It’s rare to see an app for routers, so props to VyprVPN for going the extra mile. Plus, router manual setup is possible as well. To top it all off, a single subscription allows you to have five connections simultaneously.

Private Internet Access device compatibility

Private Internet Access has dedicated apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. Unfortunately, that’s the entire extent of devices with dedicated apps. One upside of PIA over their opponent is browser extensions, which are available for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Opera. Unsurprisingly, routers can be manually configured to secure an entire home network. Lastly, you can use one account to secure ten devices at the same time.

Streaming

When it comes to streaming, there’s not much to say about these two providers, except that both are on our lists of Best VPN for Streaming and Best VPN for Netflix. Additionally, you have the option to enable Private Internet Access with Kodi, something that VyprVPN only offers limited support with.

Netflix US is readily available when using either VPN. Other libraries are reachable as well, including UK, Canada, and Japan. Plus, with the help of WireGuard, you can be sure that streaming in HD, or even 4K, won’t be an issue. Other platforms like BBC iPlayer and Hulu are no obstacle either.

Private Internet Access

VPNpro rating: 8.9 / 10

Visit PIA

Torrenting and P2P

In the past, VyprVPN wasn’t a big supporter of torrenting. Nowadays, the situation is different, with P2P traffic allowed on all servers. And yet, there is a clear lack of features for this specific purpose. Only split tunneling is available, and even then, it’s only on Android.

On the other hand, Private Internet Access has pretty much everything that you would need while torrenting. P2P is possible on all servers, a SOCKS5 proxy is available, port forwarding can be enabled, and split tunneling is supported on all platforms.

China

The good news is that VyprVPN is one of the best services you can use to access restricted content. Their founding philosophy and the current mission are to help facilitate freedom of speech and a digital medium where users can keep their anonymity. To ensure that on a technical level, VyprVPN has the proprietary Chameleon tunneling protocol. It masks your OpenVPN traffic and makes it undetectable with DPI.

Alternatively, PIA lacks the strong security features that you would need against the Great Firewall of China. It has Shadowsocks, but a proxy is not as effective as a dedicated stealth tunneling protocol.

Customer support

In terms of customer support, both services are on equal ground. PIA has improved quite a bit by adding a live chat option. Meanwhile, VyprVPN had this feature earlier. Plus, you can even create a support ticket directly from the app, while Private Internet Access only provides you with a link to their support page. Regardless, both VPNs have extensive guides available online to assist you in troubleshooting issues yourself.

Best VPN by category

VyprVPN vs Private Internet Access – which is better?

It’s been quite an intense VyprVPN vs PIA competition, but ultimately VyprVPN emerged victorious. For a very reasonable price, this VPN offers privacy and reliable streaming across a wide range of devices. And if you’re ever traveling to restrictive countries, VyprVPN has your back.

Alternatively, PIA has the advantage of a large server infrastructure and better connectivity. Furthermore, it has more general security features, plus some extras for torrenting. And just like its competitor, it works well for streaming content.

Whichever VPN you end up choosing will depend on your priorities. Just remember that both are great choices and deserve to be on our list of best VPN services. You can leave any further questions in the comments.

You may also like to read:

PIA vs NordVPN
PIA vs Windscribe
VyprVPN vs NordVPN
VyprVPN vs IPVanish

FAQ

Is Private Internet Access a good VPN?

Private Internet Access is an excellent VPN with plenty of servers and technical features to choose from. Some could argue that it’s not good for privacy since it’s based in the USA. Luckily, their no-logging policy has been proven in court. However, they are owned by Kape Technologies, which is responsible for making adware in the past.

Is VyprVPN a good VPN?

VyprVPN is definitely a good VPN. It’s cheap, privacy-respecting, and secure. Although it has a small number of servers, they are all physical and owned by the company. Plus, its Chameleon protocol is great at getting around censorship.

Is VyprVPN fast?

With the help of the WireGuard tunneling protocol, VyprVPN can be on the list of fastest VPNs available.

Does Private Internet Access VPN keep logs?

Although PIA is based in the US, a member of the Five Eyes Alliance, it does not keep any logs. It has not been audited by a third party but instead proven in a court case involving a hacker that used PIA to hide his activity.

Is Private Internet Access fast?

Yes, it is. PIA has the WireGuard tunneling protocol available, which is modern, lightweight, and exceptionally fast compared to older tunneling standards.