Personal Web Entry VPN overview: Low-price, high-value VPN for all

Greatest Costs In the present day:

Personal Web Entry (PIA) has seemingly been round because the creation of third-party VPNs. Since that point, it’s been a favourite VPN service for a lot of customers due to its wonderful pricing and good privateness ensures. Lately the service has made some actually promising enhancements by lifting the machine connection restrict and present process a third-party audit. So, with these new updates, how does PIA stack up in opposition to the opposite titans of the VPN market?

Learn on to study extra, then see our roundup of the most effective VPN providers for comparability.

Personal Web Entry VPN in short:

• P2P allowed: Sure
• Simultaneous machine connections: Limitless
• Enterprise location: U.S.
• Variety of servers: 35,000+
• Variety of nation places: 91
• Price: $11.95 per thirty days, $39.95 for one 12 months plan, or $79 for a 3 12 months plan

What are Personal Web Entry’s options and providers?

What’s new with Personal Web Entry?

Since my final overview, PIA has principally targeted on systematic enhancements. It has expanded its server community to incorporate 10 new places in Europe, plus it has added servers in all 50 U.S. states—though a few of them look like digital.

Moreover, the service has redesigned its Android app, fully rewriting it in Kotlin. In consequence, the app now options extra intensive consumer customization choices and added the flexibility to hook up with a Shadowsocks obfuscated server instantly from the app itself.

Personal Web Entry hands-on

Sam Singleton

Upon first opening PIA you’re offered with a easy panel within the lower-right nook of your display. By default this panel is anchored to that location until you unlock it within the settings menu. It’s an attention-grabbing design choice and one which breaks the mould of practically each different windowed VPN app on the market. It feels a bit constrained, however then once more possibly I’m simply used to having a free-floating window by default.

The Home windows app itself is fairly simple. There’s an enormous on/off button on the prime, and beneath that’s the VPN server location—clicking it expands the display to view and select a special nation or server location. For nations with a number of location choices you’re in a position to click on a drop-down menu to show all the accessible server places inside that nation. And boy, are there rather a lot to select from. PIA affords servers throughout 91 nations and, whereas not formally confirmed, it’s believed to have a staggering 35,000+ servers.

Sam Singleton

Subsequent to every nation location is its latency displayed in milliseconds and there’s a coronary heart icon which lets you designate a server as certainly one of your favorites. It additionally conveniently denotes which servers are digital servers with an icon that states “It is a geo-located area” subsequent to the title. 

A digital server just isn’t positioned inside the nation itself, however quite assigns an IP deal with of the nation location as an alternative. The transparency right here ought to be counseled as not many different VPN suppliers willingly label which of its servers are digital or bodily.

General the server record structure impact is sweet and easy to observe. PIA means that you can type its server record both by latency or location title as properly. This makes it a lot simpler for people who find themselves solely excited about pace to seek out the optimum connection, or likewise, by title, to seek out their desired location.

As soon as linked, the app shows your precise IP deal with and the VPN deal with you’re utilizing. This primary info is all you’ll be able to see within the compact view, however in case you click on the downward-facing arrow on the backside you’ll be able to see a ton of additional particulars as properly.

This contains quick-connect choices with places corresponding to France, Germany, the U.S., and the UK. There are additionally tiles for bandwidth utilization, a efficiency graph, knowledge encryption and handshake settings getting used, and primary settings management. Should you favor to see any of this info on the compact view as an alternative, you’re in a position to click on the bookmark icon on any tile to show it. You possibly can add or take away any of those choices as you see match.

Whereas I respect the additional connection particulars menu, when increasing the drop-down menu it shot previous the underside of my display, making it awkward to view all the knowledge and even discover find out how to reshrink the menu again down. It’s a small gripe, I do know, however an (overdue) interface replace may simply treatment these clunky app show points.

Sam Singleton

Personal Web Entry comes with a plethora of nice options corresponding to break up tunneling, multi-hop, and a kill change. It even means that you can designate an app-based kill change, which is able to block visitors solely on particular apps ought to the VPN connection break. 

It’s value speaking somewhat bit about PIA’s split-tunneling function. Break up tunneling means that you can choose and select which apps you want to run by means of a VPN, permitting you to optimize bandwidth for low-risk actions corresponding to streaming or gaming. And PIA has one of the crucial dynamic split-tunneling options I’ve ever seen. Energy customers can go to city tweaking issues corresponding to which apps, IP addresses, and DNS requests are allowed to bypass the VPN. 

Moreover, taking after different VPN suppliers corresponding to NordVPN and Surfshark, PIA has added a useful safety further within the type of an ad- and tracker-blocker it calls MACE, and data-breach monitoring with its Id Guard function. That is one thing that’s turning into extra frequent as a way to entice customers with a whole on-line safety suite quite than only a VPN service. You possibly can even opt-in to an antivirus software from PIA for a further price if you join in case you so select. 

The comfort of this all-in-one method is attractive, however typically talking a standalone antivirus software program, like our favourite antivirus suites, will give you extra complete protection and general safety.

PIA affords numerous nice configurable options and settings, making it an influence consumer’s dream. Some might argue that it lags behind since its foremost rivals have began providing shiny new options and add-ons—one thing PIA has up to now handed up. However I might argue that what PIA lacks in function amount, it greater than makes up for in function high quality. 

The sheer quantity of customization choices and methods to tweak connection settings is mind-boggling. For the precise consumer, this makes PIA a better option general. Plus, not like different rivals who might have misplaced the plot with their need to innovate, PIA has by no means strayed from the VPN-first mentality and that ought to be counseled.

PIA is out there for all main platforms together with Home windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Chrome browser, and a few gaming units and good TVs.

How a lot does Personal Web Entry VPN value?

Personal Web Entry has lengthy been one of the crucial inexpensive premium VPN providers in the marketplace. That also stays that case. Another providers may even be discovered cheaper, however normally with much less options.

PIA affords three plans together with a month-to-month plan, 1-year plan, and 3-year plan. The month-to-month price is $11.95, which is above the business common, however cheaper than different prime providers with related function units.

The 1-year plan will set you again $39.95 or $3.33 per thirty days. Should you go for the 3-year plan PIA throws in an additional three months at no cost and it’ll value a complete of $79 or $2.03 per thirty days. 

A novel, and economical pricing function of PIA’s long-term plans is that they don’t drastically improve in value after the renewal interval. So in case you go for the 1-year plan, after the primary 12 months you’ll solely be charged a average improve to $49.99 for any subsequent years.

Most VPN suppliers will give you an attractive long-term plan deal initially after which after the renewal interval, your value will skyrocket as much as a a lot much less inexpensive quantity for so long as you proceed subscribing.

While you join PIA, it solely asks on your e mail deal with. It accepts an excellent vary of fee choices together with bank card, PayPal, Amazon Pay, and cryptocurrencies corresponding to Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin—there’s additionally an choice to make use of Bitpay as an alternative of direct pockets transfers.

How is Personal Web Entry’s efficiency?

In my testing, I measured connection speeds throughout PIA’s servers in several nations all world wide for a number of days after which in contrast them to my baseline web pace. PIA’s speeds have been alright, however they weren’t sufficient to make our prime 5 quickest VPNs. Throughout all places examined, the speeds averaged 50 p.c of the bottom obtain pace and a extra respectable 77 p.c of the bottom add pace. 

After all, as one would count on, I famous that places nearer to my bodily location had higher pace averages, whereas server places additional away have been slower. Latency scores general have been comparatively good, evaluating equally to even the quickest providers I’ve examined. Which means that PIA ought to be appropriate for gaming for most individuals. I used to be in a position to play on-line FPS video games whereas linked to a PIA server and had no noticeable lag or connection points.

For a prime VPN, I’ve to confess that these general connection pace averages are a bit disappointing although. NordVPN, certainly one of PIA’s prime rivals, has common speeds of over 75 p.c of the bottom obtain pace—a full 25 p.c sooner. Customers who demand ultra-fast connections whereas streaming 4K video or downloading giant information might wish to think about different choices.

On the finish of the day, PIA’s speeds aren’t horrible and they need to be a lot quick sufficient to mean you can stream or browse to your coronary heart’s content material with out noticeable lag—relying by yourself residence web connection after all.

On the subject of streaming, PIA efficiently accessed all the main streaming providers corresponding to Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. I didn’t come throughout any servers that have been blocked and geo-restriction entry was by no means a problem regardless of which nation’s server I used to be linked to.

How is Personal Web Entry’s safety and privateness?

Personal Web Entry

PIA has been owned and operated by Kape Applied sciences, a UK-based firm previously generally known as Crossrider, since 2019. There have been some questions previously concerning the considerably doubtful practices surrounding Crossrider. Its growth platform for browser extensions was utilized by unbiased builders to ship malicious adware and malware to customers. Realizing this and going through backlash, Crossrider closed the platform in 2016 and rebranded themselves as Kape Applied sciences. 

Since this reset, and subsequent management reorganization, Kape Applied sciences has pivoted to grow to be a serious supplier of digital safety software program. It has gone on a run lately of buying possession over among the largest VPNs in the marketplace right this moment together with PIA, ExpressVPN, ZenMate VPN, and CyberGhost VPN, in addition to Mac antivirus agency Intego. 

To its credit score, PIA has taken steps to ease the minds of privacy-focused customers with common quarterly transparency experiences. Moreover, in 2022 and once more most not too long ago in 2024 the service underwent unbiased safety audits by Deloitte to overview its “no-logs” coverage. In each situations Deloitte confirmed that PIA shops no logs and no particulars that might be used to establish customers or their actions. 

Privateness is the primary pillar of an excellent VPN service and these unbiased audits mixed with PIA’s continued willingness to attempt for transparency has completed rather a lot to rectify any issues over its guardian firm’s previous.

Sam Singleton

PIA makes use of the business customary AES-256 encryption and each the Home windows and Android apps assist WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols. There may be additionally built-in safety in opposition to DNS leaks which, when examined utilizing a DNS Leak take a look at software, proved my actual IP was all the time hidden whereas linked to PIA’s servers.

PIA additionally makes use of diskless RAM-only servers, which boot on a read-only picture and use RAM modules as an alternative of onerous disks. By not storing knowledge on onerous disks, RAM-only servers are extra proof against tampering each by hackers and bodily breaches. Knowledge on RAM-only servers can be wiped with every server restart, which means that any collected consumer knowledge is normally by no means saved for very lengthy. Whereas RAM-only servers have grow to be extra commonplace amongst VPN suppliers not too long ago, PIA was properly forward of the sport by putting in them years in the past.

Personal Web Entry is predicated out of Denver, Colorado within the U.S. This sadly signifies that it might be subjected to necessary knowledge sharing with the federal government because the U.S. is a member of the 5 Eyes Knowledge Sharing Alliance. Fortunately, because the a number of unbiased audits of its no-logs coverage show, even when consumer knowledge is requested, PIA would don’t have anything to share in any case.

Is Personal Web Entry value it?

Personal Web Entry has been at this sport for a very long time and it exhibits. The inexpensive VPN is properly polished with a pleasant—if barely outdated—interface, 1000’s of servers to select from, and a great deal of customization choices. The service’s continued publication of transparency experiences and up-front nature relating to consumer privateness and safety also needs to be counseled. 

It’s true that the speeds may not be the quickest, and its guardian firm has had its justifiable share of doubtful points. However that’s all seemingly previously, and PIA has completed its finest to indicate that it’s faraway from all of that anyhow. Whereas there could also be different providers that do one single factor higher, PIA stands aside as a jack of all trades that does all the pieces properly. It continues to be a top-tier VPN that, like a high-quality wine, is just getting higher with age.

Editor’s be aware: As a result of on-line providers are sometimes iterative, gaining new options and efficiency enhancements over time, this overview is topic to vary in an effort to precisely replicate the present state of the service. Any adjustments to textual content or our remaining overview verdict shall be famous on the prime of this text.