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Proton VPN vs PIA
Public Audit & Free Plan vs. RAM-Only & Unlimited Devices
Fact-checked and maintained by Softplorer Research
Privacy
Security
Streaming
Speed
Apps
Devices
Value
Quick pick
→ Proton VPN fits better when an audit report you can open without a VPN-account login and a continuing free plan are part of your decision process.
→ PIA fits better when a documented RAM-only server fleet and paid plans that do not make you count simultaneous devices matter more in everyday use.
Proton VPN is easier to inspect and try before paying. PIA answers a different need with a documented RAM-only fleet and paid plans that do not make you count devices.
Proton VPN: when openness before purchase matters
The current audit report is open-access
Proton VPN's current audit report is available without requiring a VPN-account login. PIA's full no-logs audit is not currently available as an open-access report. If opening the report yourself is part of how you evaluate a VPN, this is a simple difference to verify.
There is a continuing free plan
Proton VPN has a continuing free plan. PIA does not currently offer a continuing free plan. That gives you a lower-commitment way to decide whether the service fits before paying.
PIA: when infrastructure and household scale matter
The server fleet is documented as RAM-only
PIA's server fleet is documented as RAM-only. A full RAM-only fleet is not confirmed for Proton VPN. If the server-storage model is one of your privacy criteria, this difference points clearly toward PIA.
Paid plans remove the device counter
PIA's paid plans do not make you count simultaneous devices. Proton VPN uses a connection cap rather than an unlimited-device model. For a household with lots of devices, that can be more noticeable day to day than another difference in how the services document trust.
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