Private Internet Access (PIA VPN) Review Australia
Reviewed by Laurence Deer, founder and reviewer in Melbourne, testing VPNs since 2019 · How we test · How we earn money
On this page
Private Internet Access
Not in our calculated order (prices not tracked daily)Good for torrenting and tinkering
Newer independent reviews rate PIA for torrenting and for apps with plenty of settings, while our own results date from late 2021. Kape Technologies owns it, along with ExpressVPN and CyberGhost.
We do not read its prices automatically; see Private Internet Access's own site.
Private Internet Access: key facts
- Money-back
- Not checked
- Free trial
- 7 daysiPhone and Android apps. Compare VPN free trials
- Devices at once
- Not checked
- Server countries
- Not checked
- Australian cities
- Not checked
Private Internet Access: our tests
- Speed, Australian server
- 44% keptOf our download speed with the VPN off. Tested late 2021
- Streaming
- Both playedNetflix US and BBC iPlayer. Tested late 2021
Speed kept by the VPNs we have tested (2021 to 2026 rounds): 44% to 100% or more.
Private Internet Access: what has changed
- Review text last edited
We do not read Private Internet Access's prices automatically, so changes to its plans are not recorded here.
Choose it if
- You mainly torrent (Top10VPN rates it highly for this)
- You like apps with lots of settings to adjust (Top10VPN)
Skip it if
- You want a provider outside Kape Technologies
- You want the most speed from an Australian server (it kept the smallest share in our 2021-22 tests)
- You want our own recent test results
The short version
Private Internet Access (PIA) is hard to recommend to most Australians on our evidence. When we tested it from Melbourne in late 2021, it kept only 44% of our download speed on a Sydney server, the smallest share of the ten VPNs we tested in 2021 and 2022.
It did better on the things speed tests miss. US Netflix and BBC iPlayer both played for us, and torrents ran faster than the speed tests suggested.
We have not retested PIA since, and we do not track its prices, because PIA asks automated tools not to read its pages. For results measured this year, our NordVPN review has October 2026 tests from Melbourne.
Pros
- US Netflix played Downton Abbey for us from Melbourne (late 2021)
- BBC iPlayer played from Melbourne (late 2021)
- Torrents ran faster than its speed tests suggested (late 2021)
Cons
- Kept only 44% of our download speed on a Sydney server (late 2021)
- India was barely usable in our overseas tests (late 2021)
- Not retested by us since late 2021
- Prices not tracked by us, so check PIA’s site before you buy
- Owned by Kape Technologies, along with ExpressVPN and CyberGhost (Kape’s own site)
Our late 2021 tests from Melbourne
These are the results of our hands-on test in late 2021, from a Melbourne home connection. We have not repeated them in 2026, and PIA’s apps and servers have changed since, so read them as a dated record rather than today’s picture.
Speed kept
| Sydney server | 44% |
|---|---|
| Brazil | 62% |
| United Kingdom | 54% |
| United States | 33% |
| South Africa | 23% |
| India | 2% |
Download, upload and ping in Mbps, and how we measured
From our test bench Melbourne, late 2021
| Connection | Download | Upload |
|---|---|---|
| No VPN | 108.6 Mbps | 18.5 Mbps |
| Private Internet Access, Sydney server | 47.4 Mbps −56.3% | 7.31 Mbps −60.5% |
| Server in | Download | Upload |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 35.7 Mbps −67.1% | 8.90 Mbps −51.9% |
| United Kingdom | 58.2 Mbps −46.4% | 6.13 Mbps −66.8% |
| India | 1.71 Mbps −98.4% | 1.53 Mbps −91.7% |
| Brazil | 67.4 Mbps −38.0% | 10.7 Mbps −42.0% |
| South Africa | 24.6 Mbps −77.3% | 14.8 Mbps −20.0% |
10.4 MiB/s average torrent download rate on an Australian server (late 2021)
Our own measurements on a Melbourne home connection of about 109 Mbps at the time, late 2021. Changes are against the speed of the same line with the VPN off, measured the same day.
Share of our download speed kept with Private Internet Access on, against the same line with the VPN off, measured the same day.
Speed: the slowest we tested on a local server
In late 2021 a Sydney server left us with 44% of our download speed, and uploads fell even further, as the table shows. Of the ten VPNs we tested in 2021 and 2022, none kept less of our line on an Australian server. You would notice that on a large download, though it was still enough for HD streaming.
Overseas was a lottery in late 2021. Brazil and the United Kingdom were our best overseas results, and the US was slower than either. India was barely usable, below the speed Netflix recommends even for standard definition. Each is a single run per country, so treat the overseas table as a snapshot, not a ranking.
Streaming: US Netflix and BBC iPlayer played
From Melbourne, we watched Downton Abbey on American Netflix. BBC iPlayer played from Melbourne too. Both were in late 2021.
Those are two services in one round of tests. Streaming services block VPN addresses all the time, so neither result says anything certain about today.
Torrenting: better than the speed tests suggested
Torrents were PIA’s surprise in late 2021. The rate on a Sydney server, shown under the table above, ranked eighth of the ten VPNs we tested in 2021 and 2022, but it sat much closer to the leaders than its speed result. If you mainly download large files, the slow speed test overstates the problem.
Still to test
We have not yet run PIA on our 2026 test bench: speed from Melbourne, DNS leaks, the kill switch, and Australian and overseas streaming services. We will add each result here, dated, when we do.
PIA price in Australia
Check the current price and renewal terms on PIA’s own website before you buy. If you want prices we check every morning, compare the best VPN for Australia table and the cheapest VPNs list.
Is PIA safe? Privacy and ownership
We have not checked PIA’s logging policy or audits for this page, and our data holds neither. The independent reviewers summarised further down this page give their own view of its privacy policy.
Ownership is the fact to weigh. Kape Technologies lists PIA, ExpressVPN and CyberGhost among its brands on its own site, read on 18 October 2026. If you are choosing between those three, you are choosing between brands of one company.
Apps and Australian servers
We have not read Private Internet Access's list of apps yet.
Our screenshots show PIA’s desktop app as it looked in early 2022. We do not track PIA’s current apps, device limit or server list, so check its site for Australian locations before you buy.
Using PIA in Australia
- Australian servers: see Private Internet Access's server list for current Australian locations.
Australian law requires internet providers to keep customers' metadata for two years. A VPN encrypts the connection between your device and the VPN server, so your internet provider can see that you are using a VPN but not which sites you visit. It does not make you anonymous to the VPN provider itself, which is why the provider's logging policy and audits matter.
Alternatives to PIA
These are picked by a fact in our data, not by commission. Every one has prices we check daily, which PIA does not. For a ranked list, see the best VPN for Australia table.
PIA FAQ
Does Private Internet Access have a free trial?
Private Internet Access says first-time subscribers who sign up in its iPhone or Android app through the App Store or Google Play get 7 days free; cancel in the store before the seven days are up. On its website, the 'risk-free trial' is its money-back guarantee. Checked 18 Oct 2026. Compare every VPN free trial.
Is it legal to use Private Internet Access in Australia?
Yes. Using a VPN is legal in Australia. What you do while connected is still subject to Australian law and to the terms of the services you use.
How we keep this review current
Our test results carry the date they were measured: late 2021 is the latest round for PIA, and we will add 2026 results when we test it again. We do not track PIA’s prices or plans. The independent reviews summarised below are re-read from time to time, with the date shown beside them.
Sources
Our own results are from late 2021, on a Melbourne home connection, with the original screenshots. Kape ownership is from Kape’s own site, read on 18 October 2026. Independent reviews: Security.org (December 2025) and Top10VPN (updated October 2026).
What independent reviewers found
Here is what other independent reviewers found in their most recent tests, summarised in our own words. These sites test from the United States or United Kingdom, so their speed figures will not match an Australian connection, and they may earn commissions from VPN providers.
- Security.org (review updated 5 Dec 2025): Rates it among the best no-logs VPNs, saying the privacy policy is clear that browsing history is not logged. Could stream only through PIA's dedicated streaming servers, which it says cover 11 countries including Australia. Read the Security.org review
- Top10VPN: Calls it the best VPN it has tested for torrenting and very good value, but says it does not work with many overseas streaming services. Read the Top10VPN review
Reviews read 13 Oct 2026.
Compare Private Internet Access with other VPNs
Compare Private Internet Access with any VPN we track, side by side