Which is cheaper, NordVPN or Private Internet Access?

Private Internet Access, at $2.03/mo against $3.39/mo. Both rates require committing to the provider’s longest term; the monthly rates are considerably higher.

Which one has been audited more recently?

NordVPN, most recently in 2023 against Private Internet Access’s 2022.

Does jurisdiction differ between them?

Yes. NordVPN operates from Panama and Private Internet Access from United States. NordVPN is outside the Fourteen Eyes agreement; the other is not.

Head to head · Updated August 13, 2026

NordVPN vs Private Internet Access

NordVPN takes it by 11 points, 84.0 against 73.0. That margin is worth reading past — Private Internet Access wins 3 of the seven criteria outright.

NordVPN

84.0

The most complete all-round package here, provided you accept closed-source clients and a renewal price well above the introductory rate.

From: $3.39/mo
Based in: Panama
Devices: 10
Audits: 2

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Private Internet Access

73.0

The only provider here whose no-logs claim has been tested by a court rather than only by an auditor — but it is a US company.

From: $2.03/mo
Based in: United States
Devices: Unlimited
Audits: 1

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Criterion by criterion

NordVPN wins 4, Private Internet Access wins 3. Each row shows the raw score out of ten and the weighted contribution to the total.

Criterion	Weight	NordVPN	Private Internet Access	Winner
Independent audit	20	9/10 (18.0)	7/10 (14.0)	NordVPN
Jurisdiction and ownership	15	9/10 (13.5)	3/10 (4.5)	NordVPN
Protocol and crypto stack	15	8/10 (12.0)	9/10 (13.5)	Private Internet Access
Leak protection	15	9/10 (13.5)	8/10 (12.0)	NordVPN
Transparency	15	6/10 (9.0)	8/10 (12.0)	Private Internet Access
Price and refund terms	10	8/10 (8.0)	9/10 (9.0)	Private Internet Access
Platform coverage	10	10/10 (10.0)	8/10 (8.0)	NordVPN
Total	100	84.0	73.0	NordVPN

Where each one actually wins

NordVPN is ahead on

Independent audit. Deloitte re-audited the no-logs claim in 2023 and Cure53 audited the applications; both reports are public.
Jurisdiction and ownership. Incorporated in Panama, outside the Fourteen Eyes agreement, with disclosed parent ownership under Nord Security.
Leak protection. Kill switch on all desktop and mobile apps, with DNS resolved inside the tunnel and RAM-only server infrastructure.
Platform coverage. Native apps across desktop, mobile, Apple TV, Android TV and routers, with 10 simultaneous connections.

Private Internet Access is ahead on

Protocol and crypto stack. WireGuard and OpenVPN with user-configurable cipher settings exposed in the client.
Transparency. All clients are open source and a transparency report is published; signup requires an email address.
Price and refund terms. Effective $2.03/month on a three-year term with unlimited devices, though that means a long lock-in.

Choose NordVPN if

Readers who want one subscription to cover a household of mixed devices.

Choose Private Internet Access if

Readers who want open-source clients and granular control over encryption settings.

Reasons to pick neither

Skip NordVPN if: You need open-source clients or want to pay month to month. At $12.99 monthly it is one of the most expensive short-term options here.

Skip Private Internet Access if: Your threat model includes US legal process. No amount of open-source client code changes where the company is incorporated.

Questions

Is NordVPN or Private Internet Access better?: NordVPN scores higher overall, 84.0 against 73.0, a gap of 11 points out of 100. The most complete all-round package here, provided you accept closed-source clients and a renewal price well above the introductory rate.
Which is cheaper, NordVPN or Private Internet Access?: Private Internet Access, at $2.03/mo against $3.39/mo. Both rates require committing to the provider’s longest term; the monthly rates are considerably higher.
Which one has been audited more recently?: NordVPN, most recently in 2023 against Private Internet Access’s 2022.
Does jurisdiction differ between them?: Yes. NordVPN operates from Panama and Private Internet Access from United States. NordVPN is outside the Fourteen Eyes agreement; the other is not.

Related comparisons

Comparison generated from the same dataset as the ranking. Emphasis criterion definitions are on the rubric page. Criterion labels: Independent audit, Jurisdiction and ownership, Protocol and crypto stack, Leak protection, Transparency, Price and refund terms, Platform coverage.