Private Internet Access can influence your internet speed depending on your connection and service plan.
Private Internet Access can influence your internet speed depending on your connection and service plan.
I don't rely on PIA, though the usual rule with a VPN is yes, it may slow down your internet. The impact varies by location and destination. For instance, staying inside your country usually reduces speed, but using a VPN server elsewhere can boost performance when reaching content from that region compared to connecting without a VPN.
Performance is fast on PIA with quick response times. Ping remains decent even when crossing continents, though downloads lag behind expectations by a few megabits per second.
It varies based on your setup. With a nearby server and a global site, choosing a VPN with a stronger link usually improves speed. Connecting to someone nearby within the same ISP adds a delay, making it slower overall.
It usually takes a bit longer with a small increase in delay (I notice 10-15ms on AirVPN, PIA could work better though) because VPNs add extra steps and shrink the packet size. Another point is your internet service provider might be more likely to cut or slow UDP traffic than TCP. That’s why even though TCP is usually slower under good conditions, it stays available just in case your ISP struggles with UDP. How much does this affect speed? People often ask this online and there isn’t a clear rule—most just test it themselves.
The VPN connection speed is influenced by many factors like your ISP, network settings, device type, geographic position, server traffic, and distance between devices. To get optimal performance, pick a server close to your location for minimal delay and fastest speed. While I’m not familiar with PIA, Nord seems to have a feature that selects the best server based on load and location. It’s possible PIA offers something comparable.
You'll see a small improvement of around +10ms, but that's all.
Tested local connection versus PIA. Located in Quebec, Canada, connecting to a PIA server in Washington DC. Using VPN: without VPN but same server for speedtest results. Paying for 150down and 50up, I get 150/150 normally with minor variations. The Speedtest server was selected automatically during the VPN test and is about 1000km from my home. For a VPN connection, performance is acceptable—I keep it on all the time and don’t notice much difference, even during gaming.