Private Internet Access vs VPN Unlimited comparison 2024
The VPN world includes hundreds of different providers. However, you need to be very careful as there are often some scams. To avoid this, we recommend checking out Private Internet Access and VPN Unlimited providers. They both come with decent features and capabilities.
But although they are both reputable and trustworthy, only one is better. In order to find out which one is that, dive into our detailed VPN Unlimited vs. PIA comparison and see what both providers have to offer!
Private Internet Access vs. VPN Unlimited: specifications
Private Internet Access (PIA) and VPN Unlimited are both decent VPN providers, yet both come with certain flaws. While VPN Unlimited is a great VPN for streaming, it simply can’t beat PIA in terms of speed, security, and server fleet size. Thus, we announce PIA as a winner of this comparison.
| Private Internet Access VPN | VPN Unlimited | |
| ⭐ Rating: | ||
| 🥇 Overall rank: | #35 out of #240 | #63 out of #240 |
| 🖥️ Servers: | 29,300 + servers in 90 countries | 3,000 + servers in 55 countries |
| 📖 No logs policy: | Independently-audited no-logs policy | - |
| 💵 Price: | - | - |
| 🔥 Coupons: | - | - |
| 🔒 VPN protocols: | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | - |
| 🍿 Streaming services: | - | - |
| 🖥️ Platforms: | - | - |
| 📥 Simultaneous connections: | Unlimited | - |
| 💁🏻 Support: | - |
Private Internet Access vs. VPN Unlimited: pricing
| Plans and payments | VPN Unlimited | PIA |
| Free trial | Yes, 7-day |
No |
| One month | $9.99/month | $11.95/month |
| One year | $5.00/month | $3.33/month |
| Three years | – | $2.03/month |
| Lifetime | $199.99 | – |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
| Payment options | Credit cards, PayPal, and BitPay, Mint | Credit card, PayPal, cryptocurrencies |
When it comes to pricing, both VPNs are quite affordable. While VPN Unlimited has a unique lifetime subscription, PIA is a bit cheaper, so we’ll give it the first point in this comparison.
PIA pricing
Private Internet Access offers three subscription options:
- $11.95/month when paying monthly
- $3.33/month for the annual plan
- $2.03/month for the three-year plan
Regarding payment methods, PIA allows purchases with a credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal. As it also accepts Bitcoin, you can make anonymous payments.
VPN Unlimited pricing
VPN Unlimited has three types of plans:
- $9.99/month for one month
- $5.00/month for one year
- $199.99 one-time payment for a Lifetime plan
In terms of payment, VPN Unlimited accepts credit cards, PayPal, Bitpay, Neosurf, and Mint. As a result, you can enjoy total anonymity.
Speed comparison
Speed is the second important aspect you need to consider when choosing a VPN. That’s why we’ve conducted a few tests and discovered that PIA is the faster option.
PIA has a large server pool with comprehensive worldwide coverage.
On top of that, it comes with a leading VPN protocol – WireGuard, which helps PIA to establish fast and reliable connections.
On the other hand, VPN Unlimited also uses WireGuard. However, the provider is still slower than its counterpart. It might be due to a smaller server pool or even weak internal infrastructure.
PIA vs. VPN Unlimited: which is more secure?
| VPN Unlimited | PIA | |
| Encryption | AES-256 | AES-256 |
| Jurisdiction | USA | USA |
| Logging | Independently-audited no-logs policy | No-logs policy |
| Kill switch | Yes |
Yes |
| Leak protection | DNS, IPv6, WebRTC | DNS, IPv6, WebRTC |
| RAM servers | All |
All |
One of the biggest drawbacks for PIA and VPN Unlimited is that they’re both located in the USA, which is not a very security-friendly country. However, PIA has implemented serious measures to ensure that users’ data stays private. Thus, it’s the winner of this round.
What do these VPN providers have in common? Let’s have a look:
- AES-256 encryption
- Kill switch
- DNS/IP leak protection
- Split tunneling
Privacy
Private Internet Access and VPN Unlimited operate from the USA. In other words, they are part of a 5-Eyes Alliance country. As a result, your activities will be under government surveillance, which means that the VPN may expose your online activities if requested.
However, PIA implements RAM-only technology, which makes sure no data stays on the servers once you turn off the VPN.
Logging
When it comes to logging, PIA has an audited no-logs policy. But it gets even better – PIA’s no-logs policy is also court-proven.
VPN Unlimited, on the other hand, claims not to log users’ data. However, there is no way to prove it, as the provider still needs to undergo an independent audit.
Servers location
| Server specification | VPN Unlimited | PIA |
| Servers | 7000+ | 29300 |
| Countries | 118+ | 90+ |
| All physical servers | No |
No |
| Owns all servers | No |
No |
When we made a VPN Unlimited vs. PIA comparison in terms of server location, PIA emerged as a clear winner.
This is because PIA has an impressive server range of 29,300+ servers in 84+ countries. The only drawback to its impressive fleet is that the provider doesn’t own all of its servers, nor are they all physical.
VPN Unlimited has the same problem. The provider doesn’t own all of its servers, and they aren’t all physical. Furthermore, it has only 3,000+ servers in 55+ countries, which would be decent but not enough to defeat PIA.
Feature comparison
| Features | VPN Unlimited | PIA |
| Smart DNS | ✅KeepSolid SmartDNS (costs extra) | ✅Smart DNS |
| Ad & malware blocker | ✅DNS Firewall (costs extra) | ✅PIA MACE |
| Split tunneling | ✅Yes (Android) | ✅Bypass VPN |
| Specialized servers | ✅Yes | ❌No |
The next round of our PIA vs. VPN Unlimited comparison is about the additional perks both providers offer. Surprisingly, we have a tie!
Smart DNS
If you want a VPN experience without any limitations, then you need a provider with a SmartDNS feature. More precisely, the SmartDNS feature enables using a VPN even on devices that don’t support VPN usage.
Luckily, you won’t be mistaken with whatever VPN you choose. Both VPN Unlimited and PIA offer a SmartDNS feature.
Split tunneling
The split tunneling feature is great for reducing unnecessary VPN usage. Thanks to this feature, you can choose which apps can use the VPN connections and avoid overwhelming the server.
What’s better, you will benefit from split tunneling with PIA and VPN Unlimited too.
Obfuscated servers
While browsing online, your ISP monitors your activities and may start throttling your connections if it notices a more frequent activity. In order to prevent ISP throttling, you need a VPN with obfuscation. As a result, your VPN usage will be hidden, and also you will get an encryption layer that makes the traffic undetectable to your ISP.
Fortunately, PIA and VPN Unlimited come with obfuscated servers that will provide you with a safe and issue-free online experience.
Ad & malware blocker
The ad & malware blocker is beneficial for protecting your device from malicious ads or links. This feature detects unusual or suspicious behavior and immediately blocks the ad or the link you want to visit.
If you’re thinking about which VPN to choose, you can freely go for both providers as they come with an ad & malware blocker feature.
Netflix and streaming comparison
| Streaming platforms | VPN Unlimited | PIA |
| Netflix US | ✅Yes | ✅Yes |
| Other Netflix libraries | ❌No | ❌No |
| Amazon Prime Video | ✅Yes | ❌No |
| Hulu | ✅Yes | ✅Yes |
| HBO Max | ✅Yes | ❌No |
| Disney+ | ✅Yes | ❌No |
| BBC iPlayer | ✅Yes | ❌No |
| YouTube TV | ✅Yes | ✅Yes |
We’d love to give this win to PIA due to its large server fleet and great speeds, but our tests can’t allow it. Private Internet Access is simply not good at unblocking content. It’s hard to explain why, but the provider only works with Netflix US, Hulu, and YouTube TV.
Now, VPN Unlimited isn’t flawless since it doesn’t work with other Netflix libraries apart from the US. However, we were pleasantly surprised by providing access to many other streaming platforms. This includes Hulu, HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, and others.
Device compatibility
| Device support | VPN Unlimited | PIA |
| Major dedicated apps | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Other dedicated apps | Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, Kodi | – |
| Browser extensions | Chrome (and other Chromium-based browsers), Firefox | Chrome (and other Chromium-based browsers), Firefox |
| Manual setup | Routers, NAS | Routers, consoles, smart TVs |
| Simultaneous devices | 5 | Unlimited |
The next thing you should consider when choosing a VPN is the device compatibility of the provider. In our Private Internet Acces vs. VPN Unlimited comparison, the winner is VPN Unlimited.
Desktop applications
If you want to use the VPN on your desktop device, you need to find a provider with dedicated apps for all major OS. Luckily, both PIA and VPN Unlimited come with apps for Windows, Android, iOS, MacOS, and Linux.
PIA offers minimalistic and user-friendly desktop apps. However, the best part about them is not the design but rather the features. Even though it has seemingly become an industry standard to limit features on different devices, PIA remains consistent. It offers pretty much the same features for all desktop clients.
VPN Unlimited has a similarly minimalistic design. It features a large connect button as well as a map showing your connection status. The rest of the features are under a hamburger menu. However, one thing about this provider’s apps is clear – it’s not very feature-rich or customizable.
Mobile applications
PIA made its iOS and Android app identical to desktop clients. In the main windows, you get a large On button, with connection information at the bottom of the screen. The overall design is pleasant and doesn’t pose any usability issues.
VPN Unlimited has similarly well-designed apps for Android and iOS. However, the provider has placed split tunneling on the Android version.
Torrenting
| P2P specifications | VPN Unlimited | PIA |
| Allowed on | ✅Some servers | ✅All servers |
| Free SOCKS5 proxy | ✅Yes | ✅Yes |
| Split tunneling | ✅Yes (Android) | ✅Yes |
At first sight, you may think that the torrenting round is a tie. However, Private Internet Access has a slight advantage over VPN Unlimited.
While both VPN providers allow torrenting on all of their servers and come with a SOCKS5 proxy for additional protection, PIA is a bit faster. Therefore, it’s a slightly better torrenting solution.
China
| Specifications | VPN Unlimited | PIA |
| Works in China | ✅Yes | ✅Yes |
| Stealth VPN | ✅Yes (KeepSolid Wise protocol) | ✅Shadowsocks |
| Tor over VPN | ❌No | ❌No |
China is one of the countries with the most rigorous online censorship. Its Great Firewall imposes strict restrictions which prevent free access to different online activities. Therefore, you need a VPN that will help you overcome this issue. Luckily, this round of our PIA vs. VPN Unlimited comparison ends as a tie.
Both VPNs come with obfuscated servers that hide your VPN usage from the ISP and DPI and allow you unrestricted access to everything.
Customer support
| Support options | VPN Unlimited | PIA |
| 24/7 live chat | ✅Yes | ✅Yes |
| Phone Line | ❌No | ❌No |
| ✅Yes | ✅Yes | |
| Knowledgebase | ✅Yes | ✅Yes |
It looks like we’re finishing our VPN Unlimited vs. PIA comparison with a tie.
When you decide to utilize a VPN, you need a provider with reliable and knowledgeable customer support. Fortunately, both PIA and VPN Unlimited come with 24/7 customer support via live chat, email, knowledgebase, and other how-to guides.
Private Internet Access vs. VPN Unlimited – which is better?
| PIA🥇 | VPN Unlimited🥈 | |
| Pricing | Wins✔️ | Loses❌ |
| Speed | Wins✔️ | Loses❌ |
| Security | Wins✔️ | Loses❌ |
| Servers | Wins✔️ | Loses❌ |
| Features | Tie🤝 | Tie🤝 |
| Streaming | Loses❌ | Wins✔️ |
| Device compatibility | Loses❌ | Wins✔️ |
| Torrenting | Wins✔️ | Loses❌ |
| China | Tie🤝 | Tie🤝 |
| Customer support | Tie🤝 | Tie🤝 |
| Total wins | 5 out of 10 | 2 out of 10 |
After a long and detailed testing process, we have the winner. The winner of our Private Internet Access vs. VPN Unlimited comparison is PIA! Although we encountered a fierce battle, PIA showcased better speeds, a bigger server fleet, amazing streaming capabilities, and more affordable prices.
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PIA vs ExpressVPN
NordVPN vs Kaspersky VPN
FAQ
Is PIA better than VPN Unlimited?
Yes, Private Internet Access is better than VPN Unlimited. It comes with a huge server fleet, amazing speeds, strong streaming capabilities, and lower prices.
Which is faster, PIA or VPN Unlimited?
Private Internet Access is faster than VPN Unlimited as it employs many VPN protocols, such as WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP/IPSec, and PPTP. It also has a huge server range of 29,300+ servers in 84+ countries.
