Private Internet Access vs StrongVPN (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Private Internet Access grades higher than StrongVPN: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Private Internet Access grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Private Internet Access
Open-source VPN with unlimited devices and servers in all 50 US states
StrongVPN
VPN with a StrongDNS smart DNS proxy and 3GB of eSIM data
Which one is for you
Pick Private Internet Access if
- Fits if you want a VPN price that stays at $47.88 a year after the first year
- Works for torrenting, with port forwarding on selected servers, or for a server in a set US state
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to try it free first, as there's no free plan or trial
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $11.95 a month
- Skip it if you want antivirus or a dedicated IP priced up front, as both are added at checkout
- Watch out: the 3-year plan's $2.03 a month has no first-bill total shown, and it renews at $79 every 3 years
- Watch out: app store purchases follow Apple's or Google's refund terms, not the 30-day guarantee
Pick StrongVPN if
- Fits if you want a smart DNS proxy for devices that can't run a VPN app
- Works for households that want 12 connections on one account
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Linux, as no app is listed
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $11.99
- Watch out: the first-year price has no stated renewal figure
- Watch out: the 30-day refund doesn't cover the monthly plan, and App Store purchases follow Apple's rules
- Not for you if you want to try it free, as there's no trial
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAPrivate Internet AccessFair | 2.0GPAStrongVPNFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$47.88 a year, the same at renewal, so two years cost $95.76, about $3.99 a month, just above the cheaper quarter of VPNs at $3.33. The 3-year plan is $2.03 a month for the first 39 months, then $79 every 3 years, but that's three years up front. Monthly is $11.95. | C$3.97 a month, billed $47.69, for the first year only, and the renewal isn't stated. Monthly is $11.99, in the dearest tenth. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free: no free plan and no trial. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee for new subscribers, but that isn't a trial. | FNo free plan or trial. The 30-day money-back guarantee isn't a trial and covers the annual plan only. |
| Features | BUnlimited devices, servers in 104 countries including all 50 US states, RAM-only servers, WireGuard and OpenVPN, ad and malware blocking, split tunneling, multi-hop and port forwarding. It covers the whole job. | C12 connections, WireGuard, OpenVPN, IPSec and IKEv2, StrongDNS and 950+ servers in 30 countries. The gap: the pages read listed no Linux app. |
| Ease of use | BNo App Store rating on record, but it's an app you install, sign in to and connect, with nothing to configure first. | BNo store rating on record. Install an app and connect. |
| Platforms and integrations | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and browser extensions, with open-source apps. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. | BiOS, Android, Mac and Windows, with Fire TV and routers named. No Linux app listed, and no API. |
| Best for | unlimited devices without renewal surprises | a VPN with a smart DNS proxy for streaming |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Private Internet Access and StrongVPN. How we grade
Price against what you get
Private Internet Access starts at $3.99 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. StrongVPN starts at $11.99 a month and scores 2.7.
Private Internet Access scores higher and starts $8 a month lower. Of the other VPNs on the chart, none scores higher than Private Internet Access for less, and 13 score higher than StrongVPN for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Private Internet Access is open source, according to its own site.
- StrongVPN is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Private Internet Access also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| Private Internet Access | StrongVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $47.88 per year (1 Year plan, the same price at renewal) | $11.99 per month ($47.69 first year if annual, renewal not stated) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | PIA Private Internet Access, Inc. | Strong Technology, LLC |
| Price read from | privateinternetaccess.com | strongvpn.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Private Internet Access
- The 3-year plan's $2.03 a month is a first-term rate; it renews at $79 every 3 years, and the page gives no total for the first 39 months.
- There is no free trial; the 30-day money-back guarantee is for new subscribers, and app store purchases follow Apple's or Google's refund terms.
- Antivirus and a dedicated IP cost extra and are added at checkout; their prices are not shown on the plans page.
StrongVPN
- The annual price is for the first year; the plans page does not state what the plan renews at.
- The 30-day money-back guarantee covers the annual plan only, not the monthly plan.
- The homepage names iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Amazon Fire TV apps; a Linux app was not listed on the pages read.
- Subscriptions bought through the App Store follow Apple's refund policy.
Key features
Private Internet Access
- Unlimited devices
- One subscription can be used on as many devices at the same time as you like.
- Servers in 104 countries
- The network reaches 104 countries, including servers in all 50 US states, and the servers run from RAM only.
- Open-source apps and protocols
- PIA's apps are open source, and it connects over WireGuard or OpenVPN.
- MACE
- Blocks ads, trackers and malware at the DNS level.
- Split tunneling, multi-hop and port forwarding
- Choose which apps skip the VPN, route traffic through more than one server, and open a forwarded port on selected servers for torrenting.
- Email breach monitor
- A built-in alert tells you if your email address shows up in a data breach.
StrongVPN
- Up to 12 connections
- One subscription connects up to 12 devices at once, and a VPN router can cover more.
- Protocols
- WireGuard, OpenVPN, IPSec and IKEv2 are listed on the plans page.
- StrongDNS
- A smart DNS proxy included with every account, for streaming on devices that cannot run a VPN app. The site says it supports 140+ services.
- Server network
- The plans page lists 950+ servers in 30 countries and 59 cities, and 59,500 VPN IPs.
- eSIM data
- Plans include 3GB of global eSIM data.
- No-logs policy
- StrongVPN says it does not track, store or sell user data.
Plans
Private Internet Access
1 Month$11.95
per month
Billed monthly and renews at the same $11.95.
1 Year$47.88
per year
$3.99 a month. The first year and each renewal are both billed at $47.88.
3 Years + 3 Months$79
every 3 years at renewal, after a first term of 39 months
Shown at $2.03 a month for the first 39 months, labelled 83% off; the page does not state the first bill. Renews at $79 every 3 years.
StrongVPN
Monthly Plan$11.99
per month, billed monthly
Same features as the annual plan. The 30-day money-back guarantee applies to the annual plan only.
Annual Plan$47.69
first year; renewal price not stated
Advertised as $3.97 a month, with 66% off, billed $47.69 for the first year. Includes the 30-day money-back guarantee.
Ways to pay less
Private Internet Access
- Other savings
3 years plus 3 extra months at $2.03 a month
The 3-year plan comes with 3 extra months at $2.03 a month for the first term, which the page calls 83% off the monthly price. It then renews at $79 every 3 years.
- Annual discount
About 67% off with yearly billing
The 1-year plan costs $47.88, against $143.40 for twelve months at the $11.95 monthly price.
StrongVPN
- Other savings
Annual plan, 66% off the first year
The annual plan is billed $47.69 for the first year, shown as $3.97 a month. The page does not say what it renews at.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Private Internet Access or StrongVPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Private Internet Access is cheaper to start with: $3.99 a month when paid by the year, against $11.99 a month for StrongVPN. Private Internet Access starts at $47.88 per year (1 Year plan, the same price at renewal), and StrongVPN starts at $11.99 per month ($47.69 first year if annual, renewal not stated).
Which has a free plan, Private Internet Access or StrongVPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Private Internet Access nor StrongVPN has a free plan.
Which platforms do Private Internet Access and StrongVPN run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Private Internet Access lists a Linux app and a browser extension. Both list macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.