Softwr

Cybersecurity · head to head

Private Internet Access vs Visual Studio

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
Full reviewWebsite
Visual Studio logo

Visual Studio

Developer Tools

IDE for .NET and C++ development on Windows

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Visual Studio 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.; Visual Studio community edition is free only for individual developers, classroom use, academic research and open-source contribution, not general commercial use
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Private Internet Access and Visual Studio differ
AttributePrivate Internet AccessVisual Studio
Starting price$11.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Platformswindows, mac, linux, ios, androidWeb
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools

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 Visual Studio

Nothing recorded that Private Internet Access does not also cover.

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 Visual Studio
  • Blocking ads and trackers network-wide via MACEnot Visual Studio
  • Maintaining a consistent connection identity with a dedicated IP add-onnot Visual Studio
  • Committing to a long-term plan for a lower effective monthly ratenot Visual Studio

Visual Studio

  • Managing complex, large-scale projects across multiple platformsnot Private Internet Access
  • Commercial development in small businessesnot Private Internet Access
  • DevOps and automated deployment workflowsnot Private Internet Access
  • Windows/SQL Server developer and tester rolesnot Private Internet Access
  • Short-term or month-to-month IDE access needsnot 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.

Visual Studio

  • Community edition is free only for individual developers, classroom use, academic research and open-source contribution, not general commercial use
  • Monthly subscriptions are $45 per user per month for Professional and $250 per user per month for Enterprise, and do not include perpetual use rights the way annual Standard subscriptions do
  • A standalone perpetually licensed Visual Studio Professional 2022 costs $499 as a one-time purchase, separate from the subscription tiers

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

Visual Studio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Visual Studio review.

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.
Private Internet Access review

Choose Visual Studio if

  • You want to start without paying.
Visual Studio review

Questions people ask

Is Private Internet Access or Visual Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. Private Internet Access starts at $11.99/month and Visual Studio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Private Internet Access or Visual Studio?
Visual Studio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $11.99/month for Private Internet Access and Free for Visual Studio.
Does Private Internet Access or Visual Studio run on more platforms?
Private Internet Access runs on windows, mac, linux, ios, android. Visual Studio runs on Web.
Can I use Visual Studio for free?
Yes. Visual Studio 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 Visual Studio is typically brought in for.
What can Private Internet Access do that Visual Studio cannot?
Private Internet Access covers Split tunneling, Kill switch, Ad and tracker blocking, Dedicated IP add-on.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Visual Studio: What are the pricing differences between subscription types?

Standard subscriptions include access to more benefits, such as Azure dev/test pricing, monthly Azure individual credit, software and download access, services, training, and support. Monthly subscriptions offer flexibility but fewer benefits.

Source
Visual Studio: Are discounts available for startups?

There aren't any discounts available to start-ups, however an unlimited number of users within an organization can use Visual Studio Community for specific scenarios like open source work.

Source
Visual Studio: Who can use Visual Studio Community for free?

In non-enterprise organizations, up to five users can use it. Enterprise organizations (greater than 250 PCs or greater than $1M annual revenue) cannot use it beyond academic/open-source scenarios.

Source
Visual Studio: What's the renewal pricing structure?

Enterprise standard renews at $214.09/month (after initial $499.92); Professional at $66.59/month (after $99.99).

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Private Internet Access

More on Visual Studio

Keep looking

Other head to heads