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Cybersecurity · head to head

NordVPN vs Private Internet Access

NordVPN logo

NordVPN

Cybersecurity

Consumer and business VPN from Nord Security, registered in Panama, with repeated third-party no-logs audits.

From
$3.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
P

Private Internet Access

Cybersecurity

Long-standing VPN service with a large server network and flexible multi-year plans

From
$11.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: NordVPN a server in a Finnish datacentre was accessed in March 2018 through a remote management interface left exposed by the hosting provider, and NordVPN did not disclose it until October 2019, so a buyer relying on the company's transparency is relying on a track record that includes a nineteen-month delay.; Private Internet Access monthly plan is priced noticeably higher than the discounted multi-year commitments, penalizing short-term users.
  • They diverge on capability: NordVPN covers NordLynx, Private Internet Access covers Split tunneling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NordVPN and Private Internet Access actually diverge.

Attributes where NordVPN and Private Internet Access differ
AttributeNordVPNPrivate Internet Access
Starting price$3.99/month$11.99/month
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, Mobile, Apiwindows, mac, linux, ios, android
Founded2012Unknown

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in NordVPN

  • NordLynx
  • Audited no-logs policy
  • RAM-only servers
  • Threat Protection
  • Obfuscated servers
  • Double VPN
  • Dedicated IP
  • Ten simultaneous connections

Only in Private Internet Access

  • Split tunneling
  • Ad and tracker blocking
  • Dedicated IP add-on
  • Bundled antivirus add-on

Both cover

  • Kill switch

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

NordVPN

  • A buyer choosing on evidence rather than claims, who wants a no-logs policy that has been audited more than once by a named firmnot Private Internet Access
  • Households and individuals wanting one subscription across ten devices including a smart TVnot Private Internet Access
  • Travellers and remote workers on hotel and airport networks who need obfuscation where plain VPN protocols are blockednot Private Internet Access
  • Small teams needing basic remote access to a shared resource, via the NordLayer business product rather than the consumer appnot Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access

  • Encrypting traffic on public Wi-Fi with a kill switchnot NordVPN
  • Blocking ads and trackers network-wide via MACEnot NordVPN
  • Maintaining a consistent connection identity with a dedicated IP add-onnot NordVPN
  • Committing to a long-term plan for a lower effective monthly ratenot NordVPN

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

NordVPN

  • A server in a Finnish datacentre was accessed in March 2018 through a remote management interface left exposed by the hosting provider, and NordVPN did not disclose it until October 2019, so a buyer relying on the company's transparency is relying on a track record that includes a nineteen-month delay.
  • Pricing depends on a long initial term and reverts to the standard rate at renewal, so the monthly figure that justified the purchase is not what the subscriber pays in the third year, and the cheapest way to stay is usually to cancel and re-subscribe.
  • Panamanian registration is selected for the absence of a data retention law, but it also means a subscriber with a dispute has little practical recourse, and the protection rests on a corporate structure the customer cannot inspect or enforce against.
  • NordLynx is unavailable for manual and router configurations, so the one device that could cover an entire home network falls back to OpenVPN or IKEv2 with the associated throughput loss, and obfuscated servers likewise only run over OpenVPN.
  • Features such as Threat Protection are implemented in the client rather than in the network, so any device using a manual configuration, a router or an unsupported platform receives a bare tunnel without the protections the subscription is sold on.

Private Internet Access

  • Monthly plan is priced noticeably higher than the discounted multi-year commitments, penalizing short-term users.
  • Dedicated IP and antivirus are paid add-ons rather than included features.
  • Headquartered in a jurisdiction whose privacy reputation some competitors market against, despite audited no-logs claims.
  • App interface is less streamlined than some higher-priced premium VPN competitors.

Pricing, plan by plan

NordVPN

$3.99/month
  • Standard$3.99/month
    • 6 devices
    • 5,500+ servers
    • Threat Protection Lite
  • Plus$4.99/month
    • All Standard features
    • Threat Protection Pro
    • NordPass password manager
  • Complete$5.99/month
    • All Plus features
    • NordLocker 1TB encrypted cloud
    • Identity theft protection

Private Internet Access

$11.99/month
  • Monthly$11.99/month
    • Billed month to month
    • Full server network access
    • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • 1-Year$3.1/month
    • Billed annually at $37.19
    • Full server network access
  • 2-Year$2.19/month
    • Lowest advertised rate, billed every 2 years
    • Full server network access

Which should you pick?

Choose NordVPN if

  • You need nordlynx.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want audited no-logs policy.
NordVPN review

Choose Private Internet Access if

  • You need split tunneling.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux, ios, android.
  • You also want ad and tracker blocking.
Private Internet Access review

Questions people ask

Is NordVPN or Private Internet Access better?
Neither clearly leads. NordVPN starts at $3.99/month and Private Internet Access at $11.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, NordVPN or Private Internet Access?
NordVPN starts at $3.99/month and Private Internet Access at $11.99/month.
Does NordVPN or Private Internet Access run on more platforms?
NordVPN runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Api. Private Internet Access runs on windows, mac, linux, ios, android.
What is NordVPN best used for?
NordVPN is most often used for a buyer choosing on evidence rather than claims, who wants a no-logs policy that has been audited more than once by a named firm, households and individuals wanting one subscription across ten devices including a smart tv, travellers and remote workers on hotel and airport networks who need obfuscation where plain vpn protocols are blocked, small teams needing basic remote access to a shared resource, via the nordlayer business product rather than the consumer app. Of those, a buyer choosing on evidence rather than claims, who wants a no-logs policy that has been audited more than once by a named firm and households and individuals wanting one subscription across ten devices including a smart tv are not what Private Internet Access is typically brought in for.
What can NordVPN do that Private Internet Access cannot?
NordVPN covers NordLynx, Audited no-logs policy, RAM-only servers, Threat Protection. Private Internet Access covers Split tunneling, Ad and tracker blocking, Dedicated IP add-on, Bundled antivirus add-on. Both handle Kill switch.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

NordVPN: What jurisdiction is NordVPN under?

The VPN service company is registered in Panama, which has no mandatory data retention law for these services. The wider Nord Security group operates from Lithuania.

NordVPN: Has the no-logs claim actually been audited?

Yes, more than once. PwC Switzerland examined it in 2018 and 2020 and Deloitte in later engagements. Each is a point-in-time assurance report over stated policy and server configuration, not ongoing monitoring.

NordVPN: What happened in the 2018 breach?

An attacker reached one rented server in Finland via an insecure remote management tool left in place by the datacentre provider, and obtained a TLS key that had expired. NordVPN disclosed it in October 2019, nineteen months later, and afterwards moved the estate to RAM-only servers.

NordVPN: How many devices does one subscription cover?

Ten simultaneous connections. A router configured with the service counts as one connection regardless of how many devices sit behind it.

NordVPN: Does it work on restrictive networks?

There are obfuscated servers intended for networks that block VPN protocols, but they run over OpenVPN only and no provider can guarantee access in a country that actively filters. Treat it as best effort.

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