ExpressVPN vs Private Internet Access PIA ✅ Which VPN is Better?

When it all boils down to the best VPN provider, ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access always rise as contenders. Both of these VPN providers have excellent features but at the end of this article, only one will come off as the ultimate winner.

Today, we will compare ExpressVPN and PIA head to head and determine which is better in terms of ease of use, speed, streaming and torrenting, security and privacy, support, and pricing.

I won’t waste your time with unnecessary information and you can guarantee that this is a reliable list as I have personally tried both VPNs by subscribing to their paid plans. This way, I’m able to fully test them both out and provide you with the most comprehensive comparison and save you time from having to do it yourself. 

I will leave a special discounted link in the description below where you can get the cheapest ExpressVPN or PIA plan for you when you’re ready to proceed.

Let’s get started.

1. Setup & Features – PIA

Right now, I’m  logged in the Windows app of both VPNs but you can still download these VPNs to other devices like Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, routers, Kindle Fire, or add their extension to your browser.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the interface of ExpressVPN and PIA app. In both VPNs, you can instantly connect to the fastest server based on your location using their quick connect feature. However, ExpressVPN has a simpler layout than PIA which I personally prefer as it adds to the ease of use. 

ExpressVPN has servers in 94 countries, which is more than PIA’s 77 countries, but when it comes to the number of servers, PIA has more servers than ExpressVPN. Actually, PIA has the most number of servers out of all VPN providers out there with over 24,000 servers while ExpressVPN only has more than 3,000 servers.

If you want to test these VPNs first, you can do so but only with ExpressVPN since PIA does not have a free trial. ExpressVPN has a seven-day free trial that you can avail using their mobile app then you can just login to other devices after.

When it comes to devices, here is where PIA claims an edge again over ExpressVPN. While ExpressVPN allows you to use five devices simultaneously, you can use up to 10 devices at the same time with PIA which makes it more suitable if you have many devices.

ExpressVPN and PIA have their own unique features and both of them are user-friendly but the point goes to PIA here because it allows you to use more devices simultaneously than ExpressVPN and it also has more servers where you can choose from.

2. Speed – ExpressVPN

Now, we’re off to determine which one is faster in the race. I’ll record my original speed first without connecting to any of our top VPNs. The Ookla tool recorded my speed of 26 megabits per second.

For this demo, we’ll connect to three countries using each VPN and find out the percentage reduction of speed. Up first in the U.S. server, ExpressVPN recorded a speed of 17.8 mbps while PIA got a speed of 13 mbps.

In the United Kingdom, ExpressVPN beats PIA again with speed of 16 mbps versus 14.8 mbps. And lastly in Canada, the competition is tight as PIA recorded a speed of 18 mbps and ExpressVPN at 17.3  mbps.

Both VPNs here have an average percentage reduction of lower than 30 percent which is impressive but let’s lay out facts straight– ExpressVPN is really good when it comes to speed and it is actually considered one of the fastest VPN providers out there. And with these statistics, ExpressVPN is the clear winner as well. So of course, the point goes to ExpressVPN.

3. Streaming & Torrenting – ExpressVPN

In terms of streaming, ExpressVPN and PIA can both successfully unblock Netflix libraries. ExpressVPN can unblock more than 20 libraries while PIA can do the same but only to six libraries. Both VPNs also work their magic in unblocking other streaming platforms like Disney Plus, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, HBO and Amazon Prime. 

If you’ve been torrenting unprotected, exposing your IP address to everyone you share files with, ExpressVPN and PIA are the solutions. Both VPNs not just support but also encourage P2P and torrenting.

Both ExpressVPN and PIA do a great job when it comes to unblocking geo-blocked streaming platforms and allowing the safe use of torrenting but this category comes off with a very clear winner and that is ExpressVPN.

4. Jurisdiction, Security, & Privacy – ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is under the jurisdiction of the British Virgin Islands which is not a member of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and Fourteen Eyes alliances. This simply means that they are located in a country that does not have mandatory laws for data retention. PIA, on the other hand, is based in the United States which is a part of the Five Eyes Alliance. This means they can collect, analyze, and share intelligence among other signing countries like the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. 

The good thing is both VPNs have been audited to be adhering to the strict no logs policy where they don’t keep records of any of their users’ personal information, credentials, and online activities.

But while ExpressVPN has been sailing smoothly without any history of hacking since its establishment in 2009, PIA had its rocky road moments including a history of IP leak vulnerability in November 2015. The problem got resolved in ten days, where PIA released a new version of all their apps. That’s a long time ago but just to make sure, I highly suggest always downloading their most updated app.

ExpressVPN and PIA are both on top of the game when it comes to the type of data encryption they use which is a 256-bit AES encryption, the standard and currently the longest encryption advised by government and banks for website security. Although with PIA, you still have to switch it manually since it uses a 128-bit data encryption by default.

Both VPNs have the kill switch feature that automatically pauses all Internet activities to protect your identity if the VPN connection drops for some reason as well as a split tunneling feature where you can choose which apps in your device will use or bypass the VPN connection.

They also offer a set of protocols including WireGuard which is currently the best VPN protocol for faster speed, security, and privacy. However, ExpressVPN is currently working on Lightway which they consider as the future of all VPN protocols, with technological structure more advanced than WireGuard to give you the best VPN experience.

Among other VPNs in the market, ExpressVPN is also exceptional for having ram-only servers as its network security setup which provides another layer of confidence for you knowing that all data gets wiped in reboot, minimizing the risk of vulnerabilities or misconfiguration. 

ExpressVPN, indeed, has its own special security and privacy features but it does not offer Dedicated IPs which is an add-on that you can avail with PIA for $5 monthly.

Both VPNs are doing extremely well in the field of security and privacy but having more free, built-in, advanced security measures makes ExpressVPN a notch above PIA so, obviously, the point goes to ExpressVPN.

5. Support – ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN and PIA both  do not have phone support but they have 24-7 email and live chat support which I have dealt with multiple times. Both VPNs have well-trained live chat agents who never fail to answer and provide references to my questions and I applaud them for that. However, ExpressVPN has a faster response rate than PIA based on my experience. ExpressVPN’s average response time is only a minute or two. PIA, on the other hand, takes up to two to five minutes to reply.

When it comes to my experiences with their email team, ExpressVPN always responds to my email ticket in less than five hours while with PIA, I got a very detailed response with references on it after roughly 24 hours.

So based on the ease of use of the support channels and the sense of urgency of these support channels, which is very significant in important inquiries, ExpressVPN bags the point again in this category.

6. Price – PIA

In terms of pricing, ExpressVPN has a more constant set of subscription plans which are for one month, six months, and one year, while PIA has plans that are more subjected to changes because of discounts and promotional offers.

ExpressVPN offers a one-month subscription for $12.95 while PIA offers it at a dollar less for $11.95. If you prefer a longer plan, ExpressVPN can give you a 35 percent discount as you will only have to pay $99.95 for a one year subscription, which decreases the monthly price to only $8.32. But here’s the real deal, PIA also offers a one-year subscription but for a much cheaper price of only $39.95.

Technically, their monthly fee has now been reduced to only $3.33 per month. If you want a three-year plan instead, you will only have to pay $79. Now, this really decreased the monthly price even further to just $2.19 per month.

Both VPNs offer a 30-day money back guarantee and a cryptocurrency method of payment aside from credit cards and Paypal if you want to be more anonymous.

In this category, I declare PIA as the winner as it offers the most discounted prices in the VPN market, making it a great alternative next to ExpressVPN if you are on a tight budget.

Final Verdict: ExpressVPN wins

As a summary, ExpressVPN got four category wins which include the Speed, Streaming and Torrenting, Jurisdiction, Security, and Privacy, and Support and Reliability. On the `other hand, PIA has the crown if we’re going to talk about Setup and Features and Price. 

It was a close fight but overall, ExpressVPN has the slight advantage over PIA. It might be a bit pricey but every penny that comes out of your pocket is absolutely worth it with its excellent and top-tier features.

If you’re ready to try ExpressVPN or PIA, you can click on the link below to get your chosen plan with massive discounts. For a demo on how to set up and use ExpressVPN or PIA, you can watch these next tutorials. I’ll see you over on that next article!