NordVPN and PIA are both the top guns in the VPN market and are also considered to be some of the best VPNs for various reasons. Both are great VPNs but have their fair share of ups and downs. For example, PIA is better than Nord for torrenting, while Nord has faster and more secure server networks.
As both VPNs are premium, it can make it difficult for the user to decide which VPN they should put their money on. However, there is nothing to worry about, as we have already done the NordVPN vs PIA research for you.
NordVPN vs PIA VPN: (Quick Overview)
| Name | NordVPN | PIA |
| Ratings | 9.8 | 9.5 |
| Servers | 5000+ servers in 60+ countries | 30000+ servers in 75+ countries |
| VPN Protocols | OpenVPN, IkeV2/IPsec, WireGuard (NordLynx) | OpenVPN, IkeV2/IPsec, WireGuard |
| Simultaneous Connections | 6 | 10 |
| Bandwidth Limitation | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Streaming Service | Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+, and more | Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu |
| Platforms | Windows, androids, Mac, Linux, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, and more | Windows, androids, Mac, Linux, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, and more |
| Type of Access | Paid & 30 days money-back guarantee | Paid & 7 days free trial |
| Connection Speed | 93+ Mbps | 90+ Mbps |
NordVPN vs PIA: In Depth Features
Speed
Connection speed and stability are some of the most important aspects that you should keep in mind before installing a VPN, and especially before purchasing a premium subscription to NordVPN or PIA.
Nord VPN gives its users a speed of above 93 Mbps for Local download & upload. In addition, Nord includes a WireGuard (NordLynx) protocol. This ensures that the connection will remain stable and the user will have a smooth time while doing any online activity.
On the other hand, PIA gives its user a speed of over 90 Mbps for Local download & upload. PIA also includes a WireGuard protocol. However, it is not as advanced when compared with Nord, but it still provides a fast and stable connection to its users.
Overall, Nord is slightly better than PIA in terms of speed. Nord is not only a better choice for streaming, browsing, or downloading files, but it is also a better choice for gaming.
Although the difference between Nord and PIA is not very clear in most online games. However, in fast-paced games such as Apex Legends, then the difference can be seen between these VPNs, and as expected, Nord outshines PIA.
Streaming
Nord surpasses PIA with a huge number as it can unblock over 11 libraries of Netflix and other famous platforms such as Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc., with ease. In addition, Nord also gives its users a better speed to ensure smooth browsing.
On the other hand, PIA is only able to unblock two libraries of Netflix and a few other streaming platforms like Hulu, Disney+, and more. Although according to the PIA review it also gives its users a fast and stable connection speed that does not cover-ups for its weakness and does not forget that the speed it gives is a little slower than what Nord offers.
Overall, NordVPN is a better choice for those who love to stream at a high quality and also do not want to see any buffers.
Encryption & Security
Both NordVPN and PIA offer excellent security protocols and features which include military-grade encryption, WireGuard, AES-256, no DNS or IP leak, kill switch, and more.
Nord and PIA offer great security features and protocols, but Nord manages to win this by a hair’s breadth. As Nord allows its user to access more advanced features such as:
Double VPN: It is an advanced security feature that directs the traffic to go through two servers instead of one. This allows the VPN to put extra encryption on the user’s data. This feature is also known as VPN chaining and gives a huge buff to the user’s security.
Obfuscated Servers: It is a specialized server that completely hides the fact that the user is using a VPN. It allows the user to use VPNs safely in countries such as China, where VPNs are banned.
On the other hand, Private Internet Access (PIA) offers features like kill switch, military-grade encryption, strong DNS & IP leak protection, and more. However, Nord also offers these features with similar settings.
Although PIA does do a better job in blocking ads than Nord, this is neither a big nor unique feature that can get it on top of NordVPN.
Overall, Nord gives its users a better variety of encrypted servers and also more advanced features that do a better job at ensuring the security of the user’s online information and also of their device.
Torrenting
PIA far surpasses NordVPN in torrenting. Though both the VPNs can download or upload files just as fast, PIA has larger P2P-friendly network servers and advanced torrenting features such as port forwarding.
P2P servers: Also known as peer-to-peer networking. These servers allow a group of devices to be linked together and can share responsibility for processing data or can use these servers to send or receive files with one another without any inconvenience.
Port forwarding: It is a simple and most used feature for downloading torrent files. The incoming data goes around a firewall which causes an increase in the internet connection and allows the user to download files more efficiently.
While NordVPN is also a good choice for torrenting but the fact that there are only a few P2P-friendly servers and no-port forwarding features puts it behind PIA. What’s more, the list of servers of Nord is also way shorter than PIA.
As Nord gives its user over 5000 servers to play with, which over 4000 supports P2P. This number might seem amazing, but what PIA servers far surpass this?
Private Internet Access VPN provides its user with 25000+ servers and over 17000 support P2P and port forwarding. However, users can only connect their devices to a single server, and having thousands of servers can be pointless. But with this many servers, users can select a server that suits them the best and can do multiple works like unblocking sites and streaming libraries.
According to the PIA VPN review, it is the better choice to use. As it has a much wider variety of servers to choose from and most of them support P2P and port forwarding to ensure a safe and smooth time while downloading or uploading torrent files.
Interface & Compatibility
Both NordVPN and PIA have a user-friendly interface and are also compatible with major platforms such as android, mac, windows, iOS, routers, and more. Thanks to its customization options, PIA is a little more complicated than it should be. While Nord features can be easily and quickly customized in the setting.
Overall, NordVPN has good reviews because it is an easier-to-use VPN with a user-friendly interface but Private Internet Access VPN review is not good as compared to Nord VPN.
Even on different platforms, Nord remains to be a much easier-to-use VPN than PIA.
Windows & Mac
As both the VPNs offer multiple security protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard for windows. However, Nord offers a much better experience for Windows users thanks to its easy-to-use and user-friendly interface.
As for Mac users, PIA offers a fast connection and rich features for them, but the VPN has a slow start-up in the mac devices.
On the other hand, NordVPN deals with two versions for Mac users, one of them is available in the app store, and the features of this VPN are very similar for both Windows and Mac users. However, the other version of Nord is available on their website, and it does not include a kill switch.
Android
PIA has a better and simple interface for the android version and includes strong features like kill switch, split tunneling, and more. PIA has two versions for android, and one of them can be installed through Play Store, but it won’t contain an ad blocker. While the other can be installed through their website, which will include an ad blocker.
NordVPN offers the same features as PIA for the android version, but it does not include an ad blocker which puts it behind PIA.
iOS
Both NordVPN and PIA offer excellent security protocols to iOS users. Nord offers OpenVPN and WireGuard, while PIA offers WireGuard and IPsec. Both VPNs’ security protocols are top-level. However, PIA is a better-suited VPN for IOS because some of the servers of NordVPN require manual configuration to use the features.
Plans & Pricing
Although both PIA and NordVPN have different subscription plans, the cost of Nord is a little high than PIA. but NordVPN Coupon Code is better than PIA VPN and their subscription period plans are also different from one another.
Nord is a premium VPN that does not have any free trial, though there is a 30-day money-back guarantee which is more than enough for any user to decide if they want to continue using this VPN or not. Its subscription plans are divided into monthly, annual, and two-year plans. It is recommended to buy the monthly plan and explore the VPN, and if the VPN satisfies the user’s need, then they can buy a one-year or maybe a two-year plan.
On the other hand, PIA gives its users a free 7-day trial, which is pretty generous and is also more than enough for the users to decide if they want to purchase the premium subscription or not.
NordVPN vs PIA: Conclusion
In the end, Nord proves itself to be a better choice of VPN than Private Internet Access. However, there are some places where PIA is better than Nord, but when it comes to features and security protocols while being user-friendly, then there is hardly any VPN that can compete against Nord.
