Pia VPN vs NordVPN: Which is better?

For any international traveller, digital nomad, or internet user who often connects to public WiFi networks, one key decision helps you access streaming platforms and unlock location-restricted content: Choose the right VPN. Today, we compare two of the market’s most popular options: PIA VPN vs NordVPN. NordVPN: Both offer excellent security and strong speeds; however, they aren’t identical, and each one brings specific strengths and limits.

So, stay tuned to learn more about all its features, such as customer service, performance, servers, countries where it operates, how its streaming service works, and its no-logs policy. Also, we’ll review real opinions from other users who’ve already tried one of these VPNs. By the end of this article, you’ll clearly see the differences between PIA VPN vs. NordVPN.

Comparison table: PIA VPN vs. NordVPN

We’ll start this PIA VPN vs NordVPN comparison by analysing all the main features, such as the number of servers, countries, no-logs policy, available plans, compatible devices, and how many simultaneous connections each one offers. We’ve specified everything in the following table so that you can see it more clearly:

Reputation and reviews: PIA VPN vs. NordVPN

One key factor when choosing a VPN is the brand reputation. It gives you a guarantee of its reliability, the audits it has passed, whether it has won any awards, and reviews from people who have already used it and can give us a real opinion on how it works.

Acknowledgements

NordVPN earned recognition as the number one VPN in 2024 from well-known outlets, including PCMag Magazine and CNN Underscored, which praised its security, speed, and compatibility. Also, several popular YouTube channels spoke about it positively, such as La Media Inglesa, La Manzana Mordida, and BaityBait, with millions of subscribers.

As for PIA VPN, we are not aware of it having received any similar awards to date. However, it holds a slightly higher rating on the Trustpilot platform: With a score of 4,3 from 10.771 reviews, compared to NordVPN’s 4,2.

Real user reviews of PIA VPN

“It simply works. Great server selection, and you usually get the same port on the same server for at least a few weeks with port forwarding enabled.” (Source: Acsdog – Trustpilot)

“It has all the features I need, like multihop, VPN kill switch, and more. Also, I can use PIA with OpenVPN on my travel router. It has many locations to connect to, and the interface feels simple and easy to use. No unnecessary hassle, just a secure VPN with unlimited connections. I highly recommend it! I give it 10/10!” (Source: RealRyan – Trustpilot)

“For the second time in two years, PIA took my payment as an ‘auto-renewal’; however, I don’t allow auto-renewal on any subscription. Once I sign up, I disable it immediately. I compare services before renewing. PIA doesn’t notify customers about upcoming payments or renewal dates, so it takes money away fromthem, rather than being transparent with billing. I gave 2 stars instead of 1 because their customer support acted quickly and handled my complaint effectively.” (Source: Tina Crouse – Trustpilot)

Real user reviews of NordVPN

“Its products and services are really good, perfect!
I tried them and was very impressed. It’s just that I’m leaving for now due to lack of time. But I’ll definitely come back in the future.
Thanks.” (Source: Deepak – Trustpilot)

“Easy to set up, easy to use, and excellent value for money for peace of mind online. I travel a lot, so with a few clicks I know my information stays safe.” (Source: Andy Gamlin – Trustpilot)

“I signed up for Revolut and bought a higher plan that included the NordVPN premium bundle. I haven’t managed to connect to NordVPN on my iPhone 16 after sending 43 back-and-forth messages with customer support over the last 19 days, following their suggestions exactly. They told me three times that a technician would receive my issue, but I’m still waiting.” (Source: Harvey – Trustpilot)

Important: If you are a frequent traveler and want to stay connected without worrying about expensive roaming or looking for a new SIM at every destination, Holafly’s subscription plans are for you. With a single eSIM, enjoy internet in more than 170 countries for a fixed price and no surprises on your bill. Travel without limits and connect easily and securely! 🚀🌍

Customer support comparison: PIA VPN vs. NordVPN

A strong customer support service matters, with high availability and your language. It matters even more if you travel often and need fast fixes. In this respect, PIA VPN and NordVPN offer 24/7 live chat and email support. NordVPN supports English and Spanish, while PIA VPN supports English, French, German, and Romanian. According to some reviews, PIA VPN’s wait time rises to one to three minutes, while NordVPN usually responds within 30 seconds to two minutes.

Streaming tests: PIA VPN vs. NordVPN

NordVPN performs better here for stability and playback speed abroad, and it unlocks a broader catalogue than PIA VPN. PIA VPN works well; however, some servers show instability. For example, NordVPN runs more smoothly on Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+ than PIA VPN. On the other hand, both perform similarly on Hulu, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer, and neither one can access DAZN.

Countries and servers: PIA VPN vs. NordVPN

More servers often mean better speeds and stronger unblocking while you travel. In this respect, PIA VPN offers 30,000 servers across 91 countries, and NordVPN offers 8,600 across 168 locations. Both use RAM-only servers, so they don’t use hard drives. As a result, they protect your privacy more effectively. However, although PIA VPN wins on volume, only NordVPN offers specialised servers, such as Double VPN, Onion Over VPN, optimised P2P, and Meshnet. Below, you can see countries where availability differs between these VPNs:

Performance and speed: PIA VPN vs. NordVPN

The speeds of PIA VPN vs. NordVPN are competitive, although NordVPN offers a lower impact, thanks to its NordLynx protocol, which is more optimised than WireGuard. What does this mean? Loading times feel faster, downloads lose less speed, and latency stays lower. Meanwhile, PIA VPN performance depends more on server location and congestion, so speeds vary more.

If you look at each app, NordVPN feels much lighter on smartphones. Meanwhile, PIA VPN stands out by using fewer resources on computers and tablets. This advantage helps digital nomads who need to work and connect daily on their PC.

Dedicated IP for digital nomads

A dedicated IP helps you access banking services, business management platforms, work accounts, and security systems without blocks. These systems often flag constant country changes as suspicious. PIA VPN’s dedicated IP offer vs. NordVPN, is at an additional cost to their subscription plans, from $2.89 (€2.50) for PIA VPN and from $4.27 (€3.69) with NordVPN.

Although PIA VPN costs less, you should note that it offers fewer available locations. In contrast, NordVPN costs a bit more; however, it gives you more places to connect. Therefore, it can reduce the chance that a service flags your login.

Policy of not keeping records

When you compare the no-logs policies of PIA VPN and NordVPN, you’ll see similar approaches. However, NordVPN has independent audits and a base in Panama, so it doesn’t follow data retention laws or international surveillance alliances.

What does PIA VPN say about this? This company operates from the United States, which belongs to the Five Eyes alliance, an international intelligence and surveillance agreement. Even so, it has shown courts that it doesn’t keep user data. Also, it underwent an external audit with Deloitte Audit Romania, which supports its no-logs policy.

Security quality

Finally, if we assess the security quality of PIA VPN vs. NordVPN, both operate with high AES-256 encryption, kill switch and modern protocols such as WireGuard and OpenVPN. The key difference lies in NordVPN’s obfuscated servers, which help you connect in restricted countries, plus its Double VPN for an extra layer of encryption.

On the other hand, PIA VPN stands out with open-source code and advanced configuration freedom. For example, you can choose encryption type, ports, and protocols, and then optimise performance and protection. However, not all its servers use obfuscation.

PIA VPN vs. NordVPN, which one should you choose for travelling abroad?

Now that you have a more specific idea of the performance of PIA VPN vs. NordVPN, you can come to the following conclusion about which one is better for travelling abroad. Everything depends on your trip type and how you need to use your internet connection. Both VPNs perform well abroad, and they stay secure, stable, and fast. However, each one fits a different scenario or work style. We’ve detailed it in the table below:

In conclusion, if you’re a digital nomad who travels often and works mainly on a PC, PIA VPN suits you best. On the other hand, if you use streaming frequently and want to avoid blocks in digitally censored countries, NordVPN delivers better performance. Both VPNs can support your trips well, so choose one that matches your lifestyle and the needs you prioritise when you travel abroad.

Plans that may interest you

eSIM Greece

eSIM India

Belén Grima

Read full bio

Related reading