Detailed side-by-side comparison based on our March 2026 testing. Which VPN comes out on top?
| Feature | Private Internet Access | ProtonVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 8.8/10 | 8.9/10 |
| Price (Best Plan) | $2.03/mo | $4.49/mo |
| Servers | 35,000+ | 4,600+ |
| Countries | 91 | 110 |
| Simultaneous Devices | Unlimited | 10 |
| Download Speed | 770 Mbps | 810 Mbps |
| Upload Speed | 360 Mbps | 400 Mbps |
| Latency | 21 ms | 17 ms |
| Protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN | WireGuard (Stealth), OpenVPN, IKEv2 |
| Encryption | AES-256-GCM | AES-256-GCM |
| Kill Switch | Yes | Yes |
| Split Tunneling | Yes | Yes |
| No-Logs Policy | Verified | Verified |
| Streaming Support | Yes | Yes |
| Torrenting | Yes | Yes |
| Jurisdiction | United States | Switzerland |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
In our March 2026 speed tests, Private Internet Access achieved download speeds of 770 Mbps compared to ProtonVPN's 810 Mbps. This gives ProtonVPN a slight speed edge, although both VPNs are fast enough for 4K streaming and gaming.
Upload speeds tell a similar story: Private Internet Access at 360 Mbps versus ProtonVPN at 400 Mbps. For latency-sensitive tasks like gaming, Private Internet Access's 21 ms average ping is comparable to ProtonVPN's 17 ms.
Both Private Internet Access and ProtonVPN offer AES-256-GCM encryption and maintain no-logs policies. Private Internet Access is based in United States while ProtonVPN operates from Switzerland. Both passed our DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leak tests without issues.
While both are excellent VPNs, ProtonVPN edges ahead with a 8.9/10 rating compared to Private Internet Access's 8.8/10. ProtonVPN offers faster speeds, more servers, and premium features that justify the investment.
That said, Private Internet Access is still a strong choice, especially if you value open source. You cannot go wrong with either option.