Neither service wins outright. Private Internet Access (PIA) is the stronger choice if you need unlimited simultaneous connections and the lowest long-term price its site currently displays. NordVPN is the stronger choice if you value a repeated, recent no-logs assurance process and a larger set of specialty features, and if you accept its higher price. In the independent comparison that is most recent in this review, Security.org’s update of August 6, 2026, NordVPN came out ahead on speed and server-network size, while PIA won on price and device count.
What each no-logs claim actually covers
Both providers say they keep no logs of user activity. Those claims are provider statements, and what supports them differs. An audit is evidence about the systems and controls that were examined, during the period examined. It is not a guarantee of anonymity, and it says nothing about how a service will behave in the future.
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NordVPN: a series of assessments, the latest in late 2025
NordVPN says its first two no-logs examinations were performed by PricewaterhouseCoopers AG Switzerland, and that later examinations were performed by Deloitte. In a statement dated February 3, 2026, NordVPN said Deloitte Lithuania conducted its sixth engagement at the end of 2025. According to that statement, the assessment period ran from November 10 to December 12, 2025, the report was issued December 12, 2025, and the engagement was carried out under ISAE 3000 (Revised). NordVPN describes it as a point-in-time assessment. The full report is readable only by Nord Account holders, so independent readers can check the summary wording but not the complete document without an account.
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“The assurance engagement took place between November 10 and December 12, 2025, with Deloitte assessing our systems exactly as they operated during that period.” (NordVPN, company statement on its sixth no-logs assessment, February 3, 2026)
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TP-Link ER605, Wired Gigabit VPN Router | Up to 3 WAN Ethernet Ports + 1 USB WAN, SPI Firewall SMB Router, Omada SDN Integrated, Load Balance, Lightning Protection
- 【Five Gigabit Ports】1 Gigabit WAN Port plus 2 Gigabit WAN/LAN Ports plus 2 Gigabit LAN Port. Up to 3 WAN ports optimize bandwidth usage through one device.
- 【One USB WAN Port】Mobile broadband via 4G/3G modem is supported for WAN backup by connecting to the USB port. For complete list of compatible 4G/3G modems, please visit TP-Link website.
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PIA: a Deloitte audit, with the report offered to customers
PIA says its systems were independently audited through Deloitte and that the report is available to customers. It also describes its apps as open source and cites prior court cases as evidence for its no-logs claim. These are PIA’s own statements. The provider page does not give the audit date or the assurance standard in the form NordVPN does, so the two cannot be compared line by line.
| Item | NordVPN | Private Internet Access |
|---|---|---|
| Most recent assessment | Sixth engagement, conducted by Deloitte Lithuania; period November 10 to December 12, 2025 | Deloitte audit; date not stated on the provider page reviewed |
| Report issued | December 12, 2025 | Not stated on the provider page reviewed |
| Assurance standard | ISAE 3000 (Revised), point-in-time | Not stated on the provider page reviewed |
| Report access | Full report readable by Nord Account holders | Report available to customers |
| Supporting evidence cited | Series of prior examinations by PricewaterhouseCoopers AG Switzerland and Deloitte | Open-source apps; prior court cases |
A higher count of audits does not automatically mean a stronger privacy guarantee. Read each assessment’s scope and date before treating one provider’s record as better than the other’s.
What you pay: the price figures, and why they differ
VPN prices change often and are frequently promotional. The figures below are dated and attributed, and they should be checked at checkout.
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Rank #2
- 【AC1200 Dual-band Wireless Router】Simultaneous dual-band with wireless speed up to 300 Mbps (2.4GHz) + 867 Mbps (5GHz). 2.4GHz band can handles some simple tasks like emails or web browsing while bandwidth intensive tasks such as gaming or 4K video streaming can be handled by the 5GHz band.*Speed tests are conducted on a local network. Real-world speeds may differ depending on your network configuration.*
- 【Easy Setup】Please refer to the User Manual and the Unboxing & Setup video guide on Amazon for detailed setup instructions and methods for connecting to the Internet.
- 【Pocket-friendly】Lightweight design(145g) which designed for your next trip or adventure. Alongside its portable, compact design makes it easy to take with you on the go.
- 【Full Gigabit Ports】Gigabit Wireless Internet Router with 2 Gigabit LAN ports and 1 Gigabit WAN ports, ideal for lots of internet plan and allow you to connect your wired devices directly.
- 【Keep your Internet Safe】IPv6 supported. OpenVPN & WireGuard pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers. Cloudflare encryption supported to protect the privacy.
PIA’s official offer
PIA’s online-privacy page, accessed in 2026, showed these prices in USD:
- One month: $11.95 per month.
- One-year plan: $3.99 per month, billed at $47.88 for the first year.
- Three years plus three months: $2.03 per month, renewing at $79 every three years.
The page states that discounts are calculated against the $11.95 monthly price. The 30-day money-back guarantee applies to new subscribers. Purchases made through third-party app stores are subject to those stores’ terms. Read the renewal line before you buy, because the headline monthly figure on a multi-year plan is an average over the whole term.
Side-by-side with Security.org’s August 2026 table
Security.org’s comparison, last updated August 6, 2026, displayed different PIA figures from PIA’s own page. Its table is the only source here that gives NordVPN’s plan prices, so the NordVPN column reflects that publisher’s snapshot, not a current NordVPN price page.
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| Plan length | PIA, official page (accessed 2026) | PIA, Security.org table (updated August 6, 2026) | NordVPN, Security.org table (updated August 6, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $11.95 per month | $11.95 per month | $14.99 per month |
| One year | $3.99 per month (billed $47.88 for year one) | $3.33 per month | $5.49 per month |
| Two years | Not stated | Not stated | $3.49 per month |
| Three years | $2.03 per month for three years plus three months; renews at $79 every three years | $2.03 per month | Not stated |
The one-year PIA figure is $3.99 on the official page and $3.33 in the Security.org table, so use the price shown at checkout rather than either published figure. On the Security.org table, PIA is cheaper than NordVPN at every term shown.
Simultaneous connections
PIA’s support documentation says one subscription allows an unlimited number of simultaneous connections. The statement, dated April 21, 2026, reads: “Private Internet Access (PIA) allows an unlimited number of simultaneous connections on a single subscription.”
NordVPN’s numeric device limit was not established from the official sources reviewed. Check its current plan terms before assuming a specific number. If you run more devices than a typical household, this is the point to confirm first.
Rank #4
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Features, and what they do for you
Feature lists describe what a service offers, not how well it performs. Attribute the claims to each provider as you read them.
NordVPN’s specialty features
- Double VPN routes traffic through two servers in sequence. It adds a second hop, which can help where a single-hop connection is not enough, but it usually costs some speed.
- Onion Over VPN is NordVPN’s option for routing traffic through the Tor network after the VPN connection.
- Obfuscated servers disguise VPN traffic so it looks like ordinary encrypted traffic. These matter on networks that block VPN protocols.
- Meshnet lets devices connect directly to one another across the internet, which suits private file access between your own machines.
- SmartPlay is NordVPN’s streaming support feature.
PIA’s features
- A 10 Gbps server network, as advertised on PIA’s features page. This is a network capacity specification, not a measured speed for any user.
- Streaming and file-sharing use cases, which PIA lists as intended uses.
- Smart DNS, which redirects only DNS lookups so that certain geo-restricted services can be reached. It does not encrypt your general traffic, so it is not a substitute for a VPN connection when privacy is the goal.
Speed and independent testing
Security.org’s comparison reports three months of testing. It favored NordVPN on speed and server-network size, and it named PIA as the more affordable option with unlimited simultaneous connections. This is that publisher’s result. It has not been independently reproduced here, and it does not state the test location, protocol, or target services in the portion reviewed.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsNo other comparable, dated speed test covering both providers under a shared protocol was found. No Mbps figures are given in this article, and PIA’s 10 Gbps figure should not be read as a speed you will see. If speed is your deciding factor, look for a current independent test that covers your country, your device, and the protocol you plan to use.
Best Value
- Next-Gen Gigabit Wi-Fi 6 Speeds: 2402 Mbps on 5 GHz and 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz bands ensure smoother streaming and faster downloads; support VPN server and VPN client¹
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- Expanded Wi-Fi Coverage: 4 high-gain external antennas and Beamforming technology combine to extend strong, reliable, Wi-Fi throughout your home.
- Improved Battery Life: Target Wake Time helps your devices to communicate efficiently while consuming less power.
- Improved Cooling Design: No heat ups, no throttles. A larger heat sink and redefined case design cools the WiFi 6 system and enables your network to stay at top speeds in more versatile environments.
Using either service on a router
A VPN-capable router covers every device on your network, including devices that cannot run a VPN app, such as some smart TVs and consoles. Router support depends on the router’s model and firmware, so check both before you buy or configure anything.
- Confirm the router model appears on the provider’s supported-router list, or that its firmware supports the protocol the provider uses.
- For NordVPN, confirm the router supports an OpenVPN client. NordVPN states that router compatibility depends on firmware and that this OpenVPN requirement applies.
- For PIA, confirm your router is on the supported list in PIA’s router setup documentation.
- If you want a preconfigured option, NordVPN’s support page names FlashRouters as a partner for VPN-compatible routers. That is a named partner, not an endorsement of a particular model.
Which one fits your situation
- Choose PIA if you need unlimited simultaneous connections, you want the lowest long-term price, and you are comfortable confirming the renewal terms at checkout.
- Choose NordVPN if its specialty features matter to you (Double VPN, obfuscated servers, Meshnet), you want the most recent audit with a published date and standard, and you accept its higher price.
- Check independent testing first if speed or streaming is your main concern, because the comparisons available here are a single publisher’s results and do not show how either service performs in your location.
There is no universal winner. The better service is the one whose price, device count, and feature set match what you use every day.
(Sources: NordVPN’s February 3, 2026 statement on its sixth no-logs assessment; PIA’s online-privacy page and support documentation, accessed 2026; Security.org’s comparison, updated August 6, 2026.)
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
