We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research, and also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
Advertising Disclosure

Wizcase was established in 2018 as an independent site reviewing VPN services and covering privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, Intego and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on Wizcase are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize the independent, professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.

ExpressVPN vs Private Internet Access 2024

We put these VPNs to the test to find out which is the best!

If you’re getting a VPN to enhance the security of your internet connection, both ExpressVPN and PIA will serve you well. That’s because both offer AES 256-bit encryption, kill switches, and IP leak protection. They also both offer a variety of security protocols to choose from.

But if you want a VPN for unblocking geo-restricted content, go with ExpressVPN. That’s because ExpressVPN succeeds at unblocking popular streaming sites like US Netflix and Hulu, and PIA doesn’t. Additionally, only ExpressVPN will consistently get you past the Great Firewall of China. (It’s possible for PIA to do it, but it’s not so reliable.) More Info

Editor's Note: We value our relationship with our readers, and we strive to earn your trust through transparency and integrity. We are in the same ownership group as some of the industry-leading products reviewed on this site: ExpressVPN, Cyberghost, Private Internet Access, and Intego. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.

How do these VPNs Compare?

How to use this chart

"We ran several side-by-side tests between Private Internet Access and ExpressVPN and each time ExpressVPN came out on top. There are many things that we like about PIA, but ExpressVPN was able to match them all and then some.

We noticed the biggest difference when it came to speed, no matter what servers we connected with, Express was consistently faster than PIA. "

Speed

Although PIA offers unlimited bandwidth and has a lot of servers, the server locations aren’t so spread out, and users occasionally experience lags in speed. ExpressVPN, on the other hand, consistently provides really fast connections and the kind of internet speeds you want for bufferless streaming and downloading torrents.

VPN vendor
Download speed reduction 11% (UK) 35% (UK)
Upload speed reduction 16% (FRA) 39% (FRA)
Ping time to google.com 24ms 35ms
Average time to connect (sec.) 11ms 10ms
Unblock successful for Netflix-logo Hulu-logo Kodi-logo Espn-logo Youtube-logo Bbc-logo Netflix-logo Youtube-logo Hulu-logo Kodi-logo
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Why Most Speed Tests are Pointless & How We Correctly Test VPN Speeds

Speed determines how fast content uploads, so if you're torrenting or streaming, you want the speed to be somewhat identical to your regular internet speed. Since a VPN encrypts your data, it usually takes a bit longer to send your data back and forth, which can slow down your connection. However, if your ISP deliberately slows down your connection (also known as throttling) a VPN might increase your internet speed. Testing a VPN is somewhat pointless because new servers pop up and affect speed. Your speed can also differ according to your location, so your speed test might not match ours. Having said that, we tested the speed in numerous locations to provide you with the average.

Servers

With over 35,000 servers, PIA actually has way more servers than ExpressVPN, but with 90 country options, its selection is more limited. ExpressVPN has 3,300+ servers (still not a small number), located in 105 countries.

VPN vendor
Server Locations 3,300 35000
Server Countries 105 90
IP Addresses 1,500+ 3,236+
Dynamic Server Switching
  Visit Site Visit Site

The Big Mistake When Comparing Number of Servers and What to Really Look For

The ratio of servers to countries is an important factor to look at when choosing a VPN. Only paying attention to location or number of servers can get you in trouble. More servers generally means faster speeds, but if VPN X has a few more servers than VPN Y but twice as many users, VPN X will typically have slower speeds. Ideally, you want a VPN that has a lot of servers in every location. This way you won’t have to worry that server/country that you want will be overburdened and running slow

Support

ExpressVPN has a much stronger customer support network than PIA. In addition to a multitude of tutorials and setup guides, ExpressVPN has email and social media support, and a 24/7 live chat. PIA also has tutorials, guides, and live chat — but the live chat often takes around 10 minutes to connect.

VPN vendor
Email Response Time 0.3 24
24/7 Support
Live Chat
Knowledge Base
Video Tutorials
  Visit Site Visit Site

How We Test Customer Support and Why Should You Care

We personally test the customer support team of every VPN we review. This means asking technical question through the live chat feature (where applicable) and measuring the response time for email questions. Whether you need to connect to a specific server, change your security protocol, or configure a VPN on your router, finding a VPN with quality customer support should be important to you.

Ease of Use

ExpressVPN homepage screenshot

With its intuitive, user friendly interface and lightning fast speeds, ExpressVPN offers a service that’s hard to beat. They go above and beyond the usual security features by using double VPN (meaning your internet traffic goes through two servers instead of one) and by controlling all their own servers, with no third parties involved.
Plus, ExpressVPN takes your privacy really seriously. It’s based outside the 14-Eye network, and doesn’t keep any logs on user activity.

VS
Private Internet Access

PIA is really easy to install and use, has apps for all major operating systems, and provides tight security. Where it comes up a little short is when it comes to customer service, and providing access to geo-restricted content.
Additionally, those whose main concern is privacy won’t like the fact that its based in the US, which doesn’t have a good reputation when it comes to internet privacy.

Pricing

THE WINNER IS

Visit ExpressVPN Website!

Which VPN Will You Choose?

Other than pricing, there are many reasons to choose ExpressVPN over PIA. Express is located outside of the 5/9/14 Eyes, has servers in more locations, great apps for iOS and Android, multiple security protocols, great speeds, and is more reliable overall. More Info
We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research, and also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
Share & Support

WizCase is reader-supported so we may receive a commission when you buy through links on our site. You do not pay extra for anything you buy on our site — our commission comes directly from the product owner. Some providers are owned by our parent company. Learn moreWizcase was established in 2018 as an independent site reviewing VPN services and covering privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, Intego and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on Wizcase are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize the independent, professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article..