ExpressVPN vs PIA: is the price gap worth it?

For most buyers, Private Internet Access wins on price: about $79 covers the first 39 months, renewals stay at $79 every three years, and devices are unlimited. ExpressVPN charges $89.32 for 28 months and renews at $99.95 a year — buying wider coverage (113 countries to PIA's 50) and British Virgin Islands jurisdiction.

Three differences decide this matchup. Price: Private Internet Access charges about $79 for a first term of 39 months and renews at $79 every three years; ExpressVPN bills $89.32 for 28 months, then $99.95 a year — nearly four times PIA’s monthly cost once both renew. Coverage: ExpressVPN lists servers in 113 countries; PIA’s server list shows 50. Jurisdiction: ExpressVPN is registered in the British Virgin Islands; PIA is a US company under Colorado law, and the US is a Five Eyes member.

Prices, counts, and audit details below come from the two vendors’ own pages, as of 23 Jul 2026; speed and streaming calls come from named third-party reviews. To see both against the rest of the market, start from our full VPN rankings.

ExpressVPN vs PIA, from each vendor's own pages on 23 Jul 2026
	ExpressVPN	PIA
Monthly price	$14.99 (Basic)	$11.95
Best intro deal	$3.19/mo — $89.32 for 28 months	$2.03/mo — about $79 for 39 months
Renewal after intro term	$99.95/yr (about $8.33/mo)	$79 every 3 years (about $2.19/mo)
Money-back guarantee	30 days — suspended 11 Jul to 11 Aug 2026	30 days, active now
Simultaneous devices	10, 12, or 14 by tier	Unlimited
Server countries	113	50 on the server list; homepage says 90
Protocols	Lightway, WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2	WireGuard, OpenVPN
RAM-only servers	Yes	Yes
Latest no-logs audit	KPMG, 2025 (third)	Deloitte Audit Romania, 2025 (third)
Jurisdiction	British Virgin Islands	United States (Colorado)
Free plan	No — 3-day mobile trial	No

Which one costs less?

PIA, at every term length. Month to month, PIA charges $11.95 against $14.99 for ExpressVPN’s Basic tier. On long terms, PIA’s checkout ran a “3 Years + 3 Months Extra” deal as of 23 Jul 2026 — 39 months for about $79, or $2.03 a month, under an 83% summer promo. ExpressVPN’s best deal bills $89.32 for the first 28 months, or $3.19 a month.

The renewal gap is bigger than the sticker gap. Both advertised deals are intro rates, but PIA’s barely moves: once the 39-month term ends, it renews at $79 for each further three years — about $2.19 a month. ExpressVPN Basic autorenews at $99.95 a year, about $8.33 a month. From the first renewal on, three years with ExpressVPN cost $299.85; the same three years with PIA cost $79.

True cost, cheapest tier	ExpressVPN Basic	PIA
First term	$89.32 for 28 months	about $79 for 39 months
Intro rate	$3.19/mo	$2.03/mo
Renewal	$99.95/yr (about $8.33/mo)	$79 every 3 years (about $2.19/mo)
Rolling monthly plan	$14.99/mo	$11.95/mo

Two caveats before you compare further. ExpressVPN’s plans are bundles: Advanced ($16.99 a month, renewing at $119.95 a year) and Express Pro ($22.99, renewing at $199.95) add email relay, identity tools, a password manager, eSIM data, and an AI chatbot — pay for those only if you’d use them. And PIA’s own pricing page contradicts itself on the 1-year plan’s renewal, quoting $49.99 in one line and $39.95 in another, so treat that middle plan’s renewal as unclear until your checkout screen shows it.

Which one is more private?

On jurisdiction, they sit at opposite ends. ExpressVPN is a British Virgin Islands company and calls that home a strong-privacy jurisdiction. PIA Private Internet Access, Inc. is a US company: its privacy policy lists a Denver address, its terms run under Colorado law, and the US is a Five Eyes member. If jurisdiction drives your choice, ExpressVPN takes this section outright.

The operational records are more even than the map suggests. Both run RAM-only servers: ExpressVPN’s TrustedServer system rebuilds its whole stack from scratch at each reboot, with PwC and Cure53 audits behind it, and PIA’s pages describe a RAM-only network that wipes data on reboot. Both also passed their third independent no-logs engagements in 2025. KPMG’s ISAE 3000 Type 1 review, announced 25 Jun 2025, covered ExpressVPN’s no-logs claims as of 28 Feb 2025 and reported no identified issues; the report is downloadable after accepting KPMG’s terms. Deloitte Audit Romania’s 2025 review of PIA — after prior audits in 2022 and 2024 — covered VPN configurations, management systems, and the token-based dedicated-IP system, and PIA offers the report PDF on its site. PIA also states its no-logs policy has held up in court — subpoenas, it says, have produced nothing to hand over. What these engagements do and don’t prove is covered in how no-log VPN audits work.

Whose network is bigger?

ExpressVPN’s, and its published numbers agree with each other. Its server page lists 113 countries across 214+ locations. PIA’s own pages conflict: the server list shows 50 countries and territories, its FAQ says 50, and the homepage still claims 90. Some PIA locations are virtual — India, for example, is served from Singapore and the UK.

Neither publishes figures we can turn into a speed verdict, and we run no benchmarks of our own. Among outlets that test, vpnMentor’s comparison reports ExpressVPN as the faster service, especially over long distances, and vpnMentor, Top10VPN, and CyberInsider all report ExpressVPN unblocking major streaming services more consistently than PIA. Treat those as their measurements, made on their connections — the deciding test is the one you run on your own line, inside a refund window.

What about devices and protocols?

PIA allows unlimited simultaneous connections on one subscription. ExpressVPN caps connections by tier: 10 on Basic, 12 on Advanced, 14 on Express Pro — and the extra slots only come with those pricier tiers. For a busy household, this line item alone can settle the matchup.

On protocols, ExpressVPN offers more choice: Lightway, its open-source in-house protocol written in Rust with post-quantum ML-KEM, plus a customized WireGuard carrying post-quantum protection across Windows, macOS, and Linux as well as iOS, Android, and Apple TV, alongside OpenVPN and IKEv2. PIA’s apps toggle between open-source WireGuard and OpenVPN, and an IKEv2/IPsec column sits on its server list. For extras, Top10VPN and CyberInsider list port forwarding, multihop, and ad blocking among PIA’s features — tools that matter most for seeding and tinkering, which is why PIA holds a spot in our torrenting VPN rankings.

The refund fine print

Timing matters here. ExpressVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee is suspended for purchases made during its sweepstakes promo, 11 Jul to 11 Aug 2026 — its own pricing table currently shows the guarantee as not applicable. Outside that window, the guarantee covers first-time customers only and excludes App Store and Google Play in-app purchases; unintended renewals get a 14-day refund window.

PIA’s 30-day guarantee applies now. The pricing page limits it to new subscribers, the terms allow a refund within 30 days of an initial purchase or a renewal, app-store purchases refund through the store, and a new account bought within three months of a prior refund is ineligible.

Neither has a free plan. ExpressVPN’s only trial is 3 days inside its iOS and Android apps; PIA points buyers to the guarantee instead. If you want to try either service today with your money recoverable, PIA is the only one of the two where that works — at least until 12 Aug 2026.

Choose ExpressVPN if

You need IP addresses in many countries: 113 against the 50 on PIA’s server list.
Jurisdiction ranks high for you: British Virgin Islands, not a US company in a Five Eyes country.
You want protocol choice: Lightway, WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2.
Streaming is the main job: vpnMentor, Top10VPN, and CyberInsider all rate it the more consistent unblocker.

Check plans at ExpressVPN — best after 11 Aug 2026, once the refund guarantee returns — and see our ExpressVPN review for the full picture.

Choose PIA if

Price decides it: roughly $79 buys 39 months, and each three-year renewal costs the same $79 — about a quarter of ExpressVPN’s renewal cost per month.
You connect many devices: unlimited simultaneous connections against ExpressVPN’s 10 to 14.
You want to read the audit yourself: PIA offers its Deloitte report PDF without a customer login.
You torrent or tinker: Top10VPN and CyberInsider credit PIA with port forwarding, multihop, and ad blocking.

See current plans at Private Internet Access, or start with our Private Internet Access review.

Frequently asked questions

Is ExpressVPN better than PIA?

For most buyers, no — PIA does the core job for far less: about $79 covers 39 months, renewals stay at $79 every three years, and devices are unlimited. ExpressVPN earns its higher price if you need its 113-country network, prefer British Virgin Islands jurisdiction over a US provider, or stream a lot — vpnMentor, Top10VPN, and CyberInsider all rate it the more consistent unblocker.

Is PIA cheaper than ExpressVPN?

Yes, at every term. Monthly: $11.95 against $14.99 for ExpressVPN Basic. Long term: about $79 for 39 months ($2.03 a month) against $89.32 for 28 months ($3.19 a month). The renewal gap is widest: PIA renews at $79 every three years, ExpressVPN Basic at $99.95 every year.

Which is faster, ExpressVPN or PIA?

We publish no speed winner and run no benchmarks of our own. vpnMentor's comparison reports ExpressVPN as faster, especially over long distances. Test on your own connection inside a refund window — PIA's 30-day guarantee applies now, while ExpressVPN's does not cover purchases made 11 Jul to 11 Aug 2026.

Does PIA have unlimited devices like ExpressVPN?

PIA is the one with unlimited simultaneous connections — its homepage states one subscription covers unlimited devices. ExpressVPN caps connections by tier — 10, 12, or 14 as you move from Basic ($14.99 a month) through Advanced ($16.99) to Express Pro ($22.99).

Which is more private, ExpressVPN or PIA?

On jurisdiction, ExpressVPN: it is registered in the British Virgin Islands, while PIA sits in the US — a Five Eyes member. On operations they match closely — both run RAM-only servers and both passed third no-logs engagements in 2025 (KPMG for ExpressVPN, Deloitte Audit Romania for PIA). PIA also states subpoenas have produced no data to hand over.

Which has more servers, ExpressVPN or PIA?

By countries, ExpressVPN: its server page lists 113 countries and 214+ locations. PIA's own pages disagree — 50 countries and territories on the server list, 90 still claimed on the homepage — and some PIA locations are virtual, with India riding on Singapore and UK servers. Neither figure is a total server count.