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Private Internet Access: Which Is the Better Pick? Perhaps, some would say, 50 years too long. As of now, they’re lurking just underneath their FAQ.įYI: Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology (i.e., the prerecorded messages we interact with in lieu of an operator when we call the electricity authority or the bank), has been around since the 1970s. The only thing I’d like to see NordVPN add to their online documentation? Easier-to-find setup guides. For the latter, just consider that in one week in June (16-23), NordVPN published 17 quality cybersecurity deep dives on their blog. So while I give PIA big points for putting a lot of effort into their help center, I’d go with NordVPN if I wanted quick, on-the-spot support - or an in-depth read on VPN security. Otherwise, it was a wash-out that left me pining for TunnelBear VPN’s email support. The second time, it conked out in the middle of a chat. When it was time for chat support (now 24/7 with Private Internet Access), my experience fell apart at the seams, mainly because PIA’s chat interface was so glitchy. The Private Internet Access Support Portal goes an extra step with a community forum
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That said, if you’re leaning towards PIA because you want to hand rig all your Android devices with an APK file, Private Internet Access is not slow by any means. There are very few situations when I wouldn’t recommend NordVPN for sheer speed. In all my tests, this proved to be the best way to use these two VPN services. In other words, no two point-in-time tests will yield exactly the same results, even on the same router with the same VPN.Ī VPN feature like quick connect, which uses an algorithm to find your fastest connection for you, is useful here, and both NordVPN and PIA have it. They can vary radically depending on how smoothly your base connection is running and how busy the particular server you’re connecting to is. Honestly, this was impressive, even if it wasn’t the 396 Mbps I hit on my 400 Mbps line testing NordVPN.īut that’s the thing about point-in-time tests.
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When I speed tested PIA - on a slower 100 Mbps line - I didn’t see any loss in download or upload speeds. Private Internet Access doesn’t have a reputation for speed, but it is WireGuard-compatible. That was mainly due to NordVPN’s hand-engineered, WireGuard-based protocol, NordLynx. The last time I tested NordVPN (against TunnelBear), NordVPN’s speeds were off-the-charts fast. With NordVPN’s Onion Over VPN specialty servers, you can access the dark web without leaving the comfort of your VPN. More to the point, NordVPN is based in Panama, which means they’re outside the jurisdiction of any government requests to begin with, the final nail in U.S.-based PIA’s privacy coffin, I’d say.ĭid You Know: You don’t need to download the Tor browser to access the Tor network if you have NordVPN. But guess what? Without an audit, it’s just words. To their credit, an undated “transparency report” claims PIA has turned down multiple government requests to access user data. And when I say “naked,” I mean PIA says it doesn’t even record session data like bandwidth or connection times.
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While almost all of PIA’s software is open source (very nice for public bug checking), PIA has yet to put their totally naked logging claims to an independent test.

NordVPN has another distinct privacy advantage over Private Internet Access: the independent cybersecurity audits it runs yearly, which cover its entire server infrastructure (including logging policies).

So private or rented, physical or virtual, those servers are doing their jobs. That said, when I checked for actual DNS leaks via, both NordVPN and PIA were airtight. Could Private Internet Access ever get there if it wanted to? With 35,000-plus servers in its fleet, it’s doubtful. 1 That’s something I’m sure their 12 million customers will definitely appreciate.

The good news is that NordVPN appears to be moving firmly towards private ownerships of all their servers.
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Pro Tip: Not sure what makes a reliable VPN service reliable? Learn the ropes fast with our easy-to-read, fact-packed Total VPN Guide.
