We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
Learn more
vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover 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, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize 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.
Advertising Disclosure

vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover 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, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize 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.

Private Internet Access vs ibVPN 2024

Table of Contents
    Our Score: 9.5/10
    %s User Reviews
    More Info
    Our Score: 7.5/10
    %s User Reviews
    More Info
    Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, Cyberghost and Expressvpn are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company.

    Which VPN is better?

    Author Image Daniel Krohn
    Daniel Krohn

    Cybersecurity Researcher

    Both PIA and ibVPN come at cheap prices and accept Bitcoin, though ibVPN is cheaper. PIA offers a 7-day money-back guarantee, while ibVPN offers a 15-day money-back guarantee and a 24-hour free trial. Neither provider keeps logs, but ibVPN’s location in Romania keeps it safe from data retention laws, unlike US-based PIA. PIA has over 3,000 servers across more than 30 countries, while ibVPN has 200 servers across 40+ countries. Both VPNs provide strong encryption, but ibVPN also supports SSTP and offers a SmartDNS service. PIA, on the other hand, offers dedicated IPs.

    With either provider, you will get the protection of a built-in kill switch, except in ibVPN’s mobile apps. Although both VPNs are compatible with major platforms, PIA also has an app for Linux and offers five simultaneous connections, while ibVPN doesn’t have a Linux app and offers only one connection per account. However, ibVPN has browser extensions, while PIA doesn’t. You can access Netflix through ibVPN’s browser extensions, along with Hulu and the BBC iPlayer, but PIA doesn’t do well with streaming restricted services. Both VPNs offer unlimited bandwidth, user support via a ticketing system, and P2P support.

    Read on for all the details of this closely contested comparison.

    Our Score

    Features 9.5/10
    Pricing 9.5/10
    Ease of Use 9.6/10
    Reliability & Support 9.8/10
    Features 7.5/10
    Pricing 7.8/10
    Ease of Use 8.4/10
    Reliability & Support 8.2/10

    Reviews

    Review by our expert
    Author Image Angela Jovanoska
    Angela Jovanoska

    Cybersecurity Researcher

    Our Score: 9.5/10

    Private Internet Access has one of the cheapest VPN subscriptions available — you can sign up for as little as $2.19/month. With such a low price, I wondered whether PIA could really stand out against its higher-priced competitors. It’s been around for 10+ years, so it could be one of the best-value VPNs out there. I decided to find out just how good it is by looking into the company’s lo...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    E
    Ez
    10.0/10
    Best VPN Out on The Market

    I like PIA VPN the best for the following reasons: ● It's a reliable and trustworthy policy; they don... 't record anything harmful to you; strict no logs. ● I've been using it for one month and there are specific times when it speeds up my internet speed (varies by internet) ● It's a distinctive feature of DIP (dedicated IP) - I think not many popular VPNs have this feature, I also purchased this feature to avoid getting the captcha verification and it never showed up ever since. It's only been a month using this VPN but as I gain more experience with this client, I'm pretty sure I will find more good features and utilize them. Thanks for having read my review:)More

    Latest negative user review
    M
    Mike Johnson
    2.0/10
    PIA no longer works on Amazon Fire devices.

    I have used PIA for several years with no issues. Currently, amazon fire devices can no longer sign i... n to the account. Used on 3 TVs with 3 different fire devices with the same result. There is no way to resolve the issue.More

    Read the full review
    Review by our expert
    Author Image Doris Muthuri
    Doris Muthuri

    Senior Writer

    Our Score: 7.5/10

    Update: Recently, ibVPN merged with StrongVPN. We did indepth testing on StrongVPN, and you can find all the details in our review. ibVPN is a relatively small VPN, with a network of 180+ servers in 50+ countries. The name stands for "invisible browsing" VPN, and true to its name, ibVPN has a strong focus on security and privacy. This provider claims to be a great VPN for many different purposes, ...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    A
    Anonymously
    10.0/10
    Very stable, full option, the top if you look for a good privacy protection option!

    I am using ibVPN for about 5 years, and I never had an issue. It perfectly works with many protocols a... llowing me to use the VPN at home (with my DD-WRT router) and in many public places, like airports, even when some port usage is restricted --> Just switching the protocol! The 24h free trial is perfect for checking if the service fits your needs. I highly recommended it!More

    Latest negative user review
    D
    Daltonic
    6.0/10
    Some great features but a lot of drops

    I'm a customer since almost 2 years, paying 2.41$ / month. Choose them for the price, no-log policy a... nd because they support upnp/port forwarding (no NAT firewall + dynamic IP on 4 servers in the Netherlands). I always had a big problem with their server: connection drops.. If I use too much bandwidth, I loose the connection and the VPN client is not able to reconnect to the server by itself (I need to reconnect it manually). Same thing happens always with torrent clients and Socks proxy: tried with different clients but after some days or a week (if I'm lucky) their servers kick me out, and a restart of the torrent client is not enough. No!! I need to change manually the server to re-start to torrenting! No problem if we are slow, for that price I'm more than happy.. but all these disconnections are very, very boring. I will stay with them till I will not find something suitable for my needs, but there's too much work from my side to stay with them forever.More

    Read the full review

    Pricing

    Starting price $2.19/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 30 Days
    Number of devices per license Unlimited devices
    Starting price $4.95/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 15 Days
    Number of devices per license 25 devices

    Best VPN by Category

    Best VPN Overall

    PIA provides the same level of reliable performance across all plans, while ibVPN pays more attention to its highest-priced subscription.

    Best VPN for Torrents

    PIA allows P2P and torrent downloads on certain servers, as does ibVPN. However, ibVPN also has a special plan for torrenting.

    Best VPN for Windows

    Both PIA and ibVPN sport user-friendly and easy-to-install Windows clients. PIA’s app for Windows is sleeker and more functional, however.

    Best VPN for Android

    The Android apps for PIA and ibVPN are intuitive and very easy to use. However, PIA’s Android client has a kill switch, while ibVPN’s doesn’t.

    Best VPN for Mac

    While ibVPN offers a decent and simple client for Mac with IKEv2 as a default protocol, PIA offers a more intuitive one using OpenVPN as its default protocol.

    Best VPN for iOS

    Although both VPNs offer excellent iOS clients, PIA includes a kill switch within its iOS app, while ibVPN doesn’t.

    Best VPN for USA

    Even with its limited number of servers, ibVPN manages to bypass tough geoblocks and therefore works better for streaming Netflix, Hulu, and the BBC iPlayer. Surprisingly, even though PIA is located in the US, it can’t access those services.

    The Bottom Line

    See Plans & Pricing

    Even though both VPNs are budget-friendly and offer lots of options, PIA emerges as the winner. With five simultaneous connections, more feature-rich apps, better security for all supported platforms including mobile apps, and support for all subscriptions equally, PIA simply gives you more for your money.

    There is no doubt that ibVPN has come a long way, but it only provides a truly complete service with its most expensive plan. It also has a limited number of servers and you can’t use it on more than one device at a time.

    If you’re wondering whether PIA is definitely the best choice for you, compare it with a top-ranked provider and see how well it does.

    Time to decide which one is best for you

    Go with Private Internet Access
    Go with ibVPN
    Or click here to check best VPNs, rated by {{review_count}} users

    FAQ

    Is Private Internet Access better than ibVPN?

    Yes, Private Internet Access is better overall than ibVPN. It has 29650 servers in 90 countries, fast speeds, and impressive security features.

    Best of all, you can take advantage of its latest discount and get it for only $2.19 a month.

    What should I keep in mind when choosing between Private Internet Access and ibVPN?

    When choosing a VPN, you want to pay close attention to its number of servers, overall speed score, pricing, and the number of simultaneous device connections it offers. While some VPNs provide a flawless online experience, others will really slow you down.

    If you’re ready to commit, then Private Internet Access may be perfect for you due to its performance during the tests .

    Is Private Internet Access faster than ibVPN?

    Yes, Private Internet Access is faster than ibVPN. Since your VPN is your computer’s main connection to the internet, you need to use a service that won’t slow you down by more than 20%.

    If speeds are important to you, then I recommend you take a look at ExpressVPN. It’s the fastest service out there, provides unlimited bandwidth, and you won’t experience any slowdowns even when you connect to the other side of the planet. You can try it out risk-free. It’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can get a full refund if you don’t like it.

    Do Private Internet Access or ibVPN offer any deals?

    Both Private Internet Access and ibVPN offer deals on occasion. You can check out the current coupons and discounts here. However, ExpressVPN has the best deals. Right now, you can get a 49% discount and up to 3 months for free with a new subscription.

    We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
    Learn more
    vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover 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, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize 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.

    About the Author

    Technical writer with a passion for online privacy.