Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · VPN Services

Private Internet Access vs Surfshark

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 7 checks side by side
Higher score Private Internet Access #3 in VPN Services 9.1/10 7-day trial Free trial✓ 5 of 5 features Visit site
Surfshark #4 in VPN Services 9.0/10 7-day trial Free trial✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Surfshark

Private Internet Access leads on 0 checks, Surfshark on 1, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 7 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scorePrivate Internet Access · 9.1/10
  • Free trialboth

Private Internet Access scores higher on our rubric for vpn services: 9.1 against 9.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #4.

Surfshark leads on server countries: 100 countries versus 91 countries.

Private Internet Access is the better fit for households and teams with many devices. Surfshark is the better fit for families connecting many devices.

  • Private Internet Access fits best

    Households and teams with many devices

  • Surfshark fits best

    Families connecting many devices

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Private Internet Access 9.1/10 Visit ↗ Surfshark 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.1 9.0
Ranking #3 in VPN Services #4 in VPN Services
Best for Households and teams with many devices Families connecting many devices
Pricing model Paid Paid
Starting price $3.99/mo —
Free plan — —
Free trial 7 days 7 days
Free trial length 7 days 7 days
Money-back guarantee 30 days 30 days
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Mobile, Browser extension Cloud, Mobile, Browser extension
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome extension Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome extension
Support Email, Live chat, Docs · 24/7 Email, Live chat, Docs · 24/7
Compliance 2FA GDPR, 2FA
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Private Internet Access 5/5 · Surfshark 5/5
Verified no-logs audit ✓ ✓
Streaming support ✓ ✓
Torrent support ✓ ✓
Kill switch ✓ ✓
WireGuard support ✓ ✓
Specs
Server countries 91 countries 100 countries (best)
Simultaneous devices Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Unlimited simultaneous connections across supported devices
  • Independent Deloitte assessment of its no-logs policy
  • Streaming, P2P, split tunneling, and port forwarding support
  • Unlimited simultaneous connections across devices
  • WireGuard, kill switch, streaming and torrent support
  • Apps for desktop, mobile and browser platforms
Cons
  • No free plan is available
  • Port forwarding works only on selected servers
  • The 7-day free trial is limited to first-time mobile subscribers
  • No free plan
  • Surfshark One adds features beyond basic VPN protection
  • Higher tiers bundle antivirus and personal-data removal
Our verdict

Private Internet Access is a paid VPN service for individuals, households, and teams that want encrypted internet traffic, masked IP addresses, and access to servers in 91 countries. It supports Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome,…

Read the review →

Surfshark is a paid VPN service for people who want encrypted internet traffic across a household’s devices. It routes traffic through provider-operated servers and supports unlimited simultaneous connections, making it relevant to…

Read the review →
  1. Private Internet AccessVPN Services 9.17-day trial
  2. SurfsharkVPN Services 9.07-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Private Internet Access — where it wins

    • Unlimited simultaneous connections across supported devices
    • Independent Deloitte assessment of its no-logs policy
    • Streaming, P2P, split tunneling, and port forwarding support

    Where it doesn't

    • No free plan is available
    • Port forwarding works only on selected servers
    • The 7-day free trial is limited to first-time mobile subscribers

  • Surfshark — where it wins

    • Unlimited simultaneous connections across devices
    • WireGuard, kill switch, streaming and torrent support
    • Apps for desktop, mobile and browser platforms

    Where it doesn't

    • No free plan
    • Surfshark One adds features beyond basic VPN protection
    • Higher tiers bundle antivirus and personal-data removal
  • Private Internet Access9.1/10 · 7-day trial

    A feature-rich VPN for households and teams that need many simultaneous connections.

    Visit siteFull verdict →
  • Surfshark9.0/10 · 7-day trial

    A multi-platform VPN for households that want one subscription across many devices.

    Visit SurfsharkFull verdict →

More comparisons

All VPN services comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update