Cybersecurity · head to head
Private Internet Access vs Ring Neighbors
P
Private Internet Access
Cybersecurity
Long-standing VPN service with a large server network and flexible multi-year plans
- From
- $11.99/month
- Free plan
- No
The short version
- Only Ring Neighbors has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Private Internet Access monthly plan is priced noticeably higher than the discounted multi-year commitments, penalizing short-term users.; Ring Neighbors neighbors by Ring is a free app only available in the US, per the vendor's own page (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2023)
- They diverge on capability: Private Internet Access covers Split tunneling, Ring Neighbors covers Video Request Portal.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Private Internet Access and Ring Neighbors actually diverge.
| Attribute | Private Internet Access | Ring Neighbors |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $11.99/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | windows, mac, linux, ios, android | Web, Ios, Android |
| Category | Cybersecurity | Government |
| Founded | Unknown | 2013 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Private Internet Access
- Split tunneling
- Kill switch
- Ad and tracker blocking
- Dedicated IP add-on
- Bundled antivirus add-on
Only in Ring Neighbors
- Video Request Portal
- Community Alerts
- Geographic Requests
- Case Management
- Resident Opt-in
- Ring Devices
- CAD Systems
- Social Media
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Private Internet Access
- Encrypting traffic on public Wi-Fi with a kill switchnot Ring Neighbors
- Blocking ads and trackers network-wide via MACEnot Ring Neighbors
- Maintaining a consistent connection identity with a dedicated IP add-onnot Ring Neighbors
- Committing to a long-term plan for a lower effective monthly ratenot Ring Neighbors
Ring Neighbors
- Citizen Servicesnot Private Internet Access
- Records Managementnot Private Internet Access
- Public Safetynot Private Internet Access
- Civic Engagementnot Private Internet Access
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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.
Ring Neighbors
- Neighbors by Ring is a free app only available in the US, per the vendor's own page (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2023)
Pricing, plan by plan
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
Ring Neighbors
Free- Public Safety PortalFree
- Video Requests
- Community Alerts
- Case Management
Which should you pick?
Choose Private Internet Access if
- You need split tunneling.
- You work on windows, mac, linux, ios, android.
- You also want kill switch.
Choose Ring Neighbors if
- You need video request portal.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want community alerts.
Questions people ask
- Is Private Internet Access or Ring Neighbors better?
- Neither clearly leads. Private Internet Access starts at $11.99/month and Ring Neighbors at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Private Internet Access or Ring Neighbors?
- Ring Neighbors has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $11.99/month for Private Internet Access and Free for Ring Neighbors.
- Does Private Internet Access or Ring Neighbors run on more platforms?
- Private Internet Access runs on windows, mac, linux, ios, android. Ring Neighbors runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Ring Neighbors for free?
- Yes. Ring Neighbors has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Private Internet Access starts at $11.99/month.
- What is Private Internet Access best used for?
- Private Internet Access is most often used for encrypting traffic on public wi-fi with a kill switch, blocking ads and trackers network-wide via mace, maintaining a consistent connection identity with a dedicated ip add-on, committing to a long-term plan for a lower effective monthly rate. Of those, encrypting traffic on public wi-fi with a kill switch and blocking ads and trackers network-wide via mace are not what Ring Neighbors is typically brought in for.
- What can Private Internet Access do that Ring Neighbors cannot?
- Private Internet Access covers Split tunneling, Kill switch, Ad and tracker blocking, Dedicated IP add-on. Ring Neighbors covers Video Request Portal, Community Alerts, Geographic Requests, Case Management.
Related pages
More on Private Internet Access
More on Ring Neighbors
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- Ring Neighbors vs Mullvad VPN
- Ring Neighbors vs Windscribe
- Ring Neighbors vs IVPN
- Ring Neighbors vs TunnelBear
- Ring Neighbors vs Avast One
- Ring Neighbors vs CyberGhost VPN
- Ring Neighbors vs NordVPN
- Ring Neighbors vs ProtonVPN
- Ring Neighbors vs Enpass
- Ring Neighbors vs Surfshark
- Ring Neighbors vs BigID
- Ring Neighbors vs Infisical
- Ring Neighbors vs JumpCloud
- Ring Neighbors vs McAfee Total Protection
- Ring Neighbors vs NICE Actimize
- Ring Neighbors vs Semgrep
- Ring Neighbors vs Spot AI
- Ring Neighbors vs ExpressVPN
- Ring Neighbors vs Accela
- Ring Neighbors vs CivicPlus
- Ring Neighbors vs Granicus
- Ring Neighbors vs DocuWare
- Ring Neighbors vs CentralSquare
- Ring Neighbors vs Axon Records
- Ring Neighbors vs IAPro
- Ring Neighbors vs Mark43
- Ring Neighbors vs SafeCity
- Ring Neighbors vs Citizen
- Ring Neighbors vs ShotSpotter
- Ring Neighbors vs Tyler Brazos
- Ring Neighbors vs NEXGEN Asset Management
- Ring Neighbors vs NextRequest
- Ring Neighbors vs Trimble Unity Maintain
- Ring Neighbors vs VUEWorks
- Ring Neighbors vs American Legal Publishing
- Ring Neighbors vs ArchiveSocial