PIA vs Surfshark
Stephen is a UK-based freelance technology writer with a background in cybersecurity and risk management.
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Private Internet Access (PIA) is a premium VPN service based in the US that focuses on being simple and easy to use for a target consumer market. Its primary selling features are its no-logging policy and claimed fast network speeds. In addition, it offers subscribers unlimited bandwidth using superfast servers, and the company claims never to throttle speeds. There are currently no data retention laws for services based in the US, unlike other regions such as Europe. Combined with the no-logging policy, this means that, in theory, user privacy should be guaranteed.
The VPN service is implemented using open-source protocols to provide transparency of the integrity of its service to users. Primarily the service can be configured to use OpenVPN or WireGuard, offering the latest and more secure protocols. The VPN service for iOS devices uses IPsec (IKEv2) by default. Subscriptions can be taken out monthly, annually, or on a two-year subscription. The latter offering the best value for money over the long term, currently including an additional two free months. The cost of the basic service compares favorably with other popular premium VPN service providers.
A nice feature is that one subscription covers the simultaneous use of up to ten different devices, making it ideal as a solution for the whole family.
The VPN apps support the most popular devices and platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. There are also browser extensions available for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. The VPN apps can be configured quickly and easily, though they were found to offer the most secure operation possible by default. A good feature was the ability to set up devices to automatically use a VPN for all connections via insecure open WiFi connections and to disable the VPN for any connections using a secure WiFi connection. This feature offers automatic security protection for mobile devices when they need it and the best connection speed possible when this additional security is unnecessary.
The PIA VPN service includes an automatic Kill Switch to prevent any data leakage should the VPN connection drop out during use. The PIA service also uses its own DNS servers to avoid possible DNS leaks. These features provide users with high levels of privacy. Accessibility to streaming services such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer are generally suitable for users looking for legitimate access to these services while maintaining browsing history privacy. The PIA VPN service terms of use do not permit the downloading and sharing of illegal material. Where streaming services apply preemptive blocks for VPN services, PIA operates servers that implement port forwarding to bypass such blocks if necessary.
2/14/2022, 02:06
Surfshark is a premium VPN service based in the British Virgin Islands that offers easy-to-use anonymous and safe browsing features for the consumer market.
Its primary selling features are the unlimited number of devices per subscription and privacy protection features. It offers subscribers unlimited bandwidth using fast diskless servers, and the company claims never to throttle speeds. However, the terms of service include a fair use clause that will allow the company to restrict services if simultaneously connected devices adversely affect other subscribers. It is unclear how this is monitored and how services are limited if the company deems this to have occurred. The terms of service do require subscribers to be adults 18 years or older and prohibit the use of the service for illegal activity from copyright infringement through to distribution of malware. There are currently no data retention laws for services based in the British Virgin Islands, unlike other regions such as Europe.
Along with the no-logging policy and dynamic data storage, this means that user privacy should be assured.
Side-by-Side Comparison
- Pricing
- Monthly
- $9.95
- Yearly
- $39.95 (equivalent to $3.33 per month)
- Three yearly
- $79 (equivalent to $2.19 per month)
- Payment Methods
- Parallel Connections
- 10
- Server Locations
- 75+ Countries
- Jurisdiction
- United States of America
- Protocols
- OpenVPNWireGuardIPsec (IKEv2) on iOS
- Encryption
- AES 128 CBC/GCMAES 256 CBC/GCMHandskaing SHA96/SHA160/SHA256
- Speeds
Private Internet Access VPN Server Locations Download Upload United Kingdom 173.79 Mbit 87.37 Mbit Australia 240.41 Mbit 20.21 Mbit China 340.28 Mbit 1.4 Mbit South Africa 16.38 Mbit 35.44 Mbit California, USA 316.32 Mbit 14.23 Mbit New York, USA 147.4 Mbit 25.34 Mbit Germany 79.82 Mbit 149.91 Mbit Taiwan 167.48 Mbit 0.94 Mbit Spain 82.95 Mbit 122.37 Mbit Brazil 130.67 Mbit 30.3 Mbit
- Monthly
- $12.95
- Half yearly
- $38.94 (equivalent to $6.49 per month)
- Two yearly
- $59.76 (equivalent to $2.49 per month)
- Payment Methods
- Parallel Connections
- 0
- Server Locations
- 65 countries
- Jurisdiction
- British Virgin Islands
- Protocols
- OpenVPN (UDP)OpenVPN (TCP)WireGuardIPsec (IKEv2) on iOS
- Encryption
- AES 256 GCMHandshaking RSA
- Speeds
Surfshark VPN Server Locations Download Upload United Kingdom 418.75 Mbit 164.6 Mbit Australia 346.95 Mbit 22.6 Mbit Taiwan 325.03 Mbit 0.98 Mbit South Africa 176.8 Mbit 3.07 Mbit California, USA 284.36 Mbit 21.46 Mbit New York, USA 315.07 Mbit 52.57 Mbit Germany 540.44 Mbit 148 Mbit Spain 445.98 Mbit 45.04 Mbit Brazil 228.1 Mbit 24.61 Mbit
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Pricing
- VPNS
- Private Internet AccessSurfshark
- Pricing
- Monthly
- $9.95
- Yearly
- $39.95 (equivalent to $3.33 per month)
- Three yearly
- $79 (equivalent to $2.19 per month)
- Monthly
- $12.95
- Half yearly
- $38.94 (equivalent to $6.49 per month)
- Two yearly
- $59.76 (equivalent to $2.49 per month)
- Payment Methods
- Parallel Connections
- 100
- Server Locations
- 75+ Countries65 countries
- Jurisdiction
- United States of AmericaBritish Virgin Islands
- Protocols
- OpenVPNWireGuardIPsec (IKEv2) on iOSOpenVPN (UDP)OpenVPN (TCP)WireGuardIPsec (IKEv2) on iOS
- Encryption
- AES 128 CBC/GCMAES 256 CBC/GCMHandskaing SHA96/SHA160/SHA256AES 256 GCMHandshaking RSA
- Speeds
Private Internet Access VPN Server Locations Download Upload United Kingdom 173.79 Mbit 87.37 Mbit Australia 240.41 Mbit 20.21 Mbit China 340.28 Mbit 1.4 Mbit South Africa 16.38 Mbit 35.44 Mbit California, USA 316.32 Mbit 14.23 Mbit New York, USA 147.4 Mbit 25.34 Mbit Germany 79.82 Mbit 149.91 Mbit Taiwan 167.48 Mbit 0.94 Mbit Spain 82.95 Mbit 122.37 Mbit Brazil 130.67 Mbit 30.3 Mbit Surfshark VPN Server Locations Download Upload United Kingdom 418.75 Mbit 164.6 Mbit Australia 346.95 Mbit 22.6 Mbit Taiwan 325.03 Mbit 0.98 Mbit South Africa 176.8 Mbit 3.07 Mbit California, USA 284.36 Mbit 21.46 Mbit New York, USA 315.07 Mbit 52.57 Mbit Germany 540.44 Mbit 148 Mbit Spain 445.98 Mbit 45.04 Mbit Brazil 228.1 Mbit 24.61 Mbit
Surfshark
1.) Speed
Overall, a recent review gave Surfshark an average speed of 60 Mbps. You can also easily use torrent with Surfshark.
The company has over 3200 servers in 65 countries. Server availability and location can impact speed, which is why it is good to know how many servers a VPN has and how global they are.
Protocols available for use with Surfshark include OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2, and ShadowSockets. The fastest speed on mobile can be obtained using IKEv2.
2.) Privacy
Surfshark has a kill switch if your connection drops, and it does not store logs. They also use strong 256-bit AES encryption, so your information is well-protected and privacy is assured.
3.) Pricing
Surfshark VPN offers various plans you can choose from. Subscription plans are as follows:
· $12.95 for one month.
· $6.49 for six months
· $2,49 per month for two years
You can also add Surfshark One, which gives you added security for an additional fee of $1.49 per month. This option gives you access to Surfshark antivirus software and to Surfshark alert, which notifies you if there is a data breach. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee when you sign up with Surfshark.
4.) Ease of use
The Surfshark app is easy to install, intuitive, and user-friendly. You can easily select the servers that will work best for you depending on where you are.
In summary: Surfshark provides decent speed, strong encryption, and is easy to use. The cost per month, though, is higher than for PIA if you do not select one of the long-term subscriptions.
PIA (Private Internet Access)
1.) Speed
This VPN uses one of two protocols: WireGuard and OpenVPN, which are both proven to have fast speeds when used on PIA. Torrenting can also be done using PIA. Overall, a recent review gave PIA an average speed of 98 Mbps. PIA has over 12,000 servers in 74 countries; this means they do have a large global reach and fast speeds can be attained.
2.) Privacy
PIA uses SSL encryption to secure and protect data, and they also have a kill switch. They also do not have any stored logs and so your privacy is guaranteed using this VPN.
3.) Pricing
Subscription plans for PIA include the following:
· $9.95 per month
· $3.33 for one year
· $2.19 per month for three years
PIA does also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
4.) Ease of use
PIA is easy to use, intuitive and has a highly customizable interface.
In summary: Looking again at tests done in the UK: Compared with Surfshark, upload speeds are much faster with PIA , but Surfshark has faster download speeds. PIA on average is ranked higher with speed and over the long term is cheaper than Surfshark. It does also have the benefit of a very customizable interface.