Why look for an alternative to Private Internet Access?
- Monthly plan expensive at €11.69
- US jurisdiction
- Email required to sign up
Price we recorded for Private Internet Access: €1.79/month (3 yrs) · €41.88/year · €11.69/month. Plan: paid. 3 of the 6 alternatives offered a free plan or trial when we checked (Proton VPN, Windscribe, Surfshark).
The 6 best Private Internet Access alternatives
Ranked by SpiceRadar score (weighted average of five criteria: content, quality, value, usability, trust). Only services we have reviewed are listed. Our method →
1. Mullvad VPN 8.4/10
Mullvad is a Swedish VPN (Mullvad VPN AB, Gothenburg) with one flat €5/month price and no email or password: just a numbered account, optional cash or crypto payment, and a published policy of keeping no activity logs.
Best for People who want a genuinely anonymous VPN for adult browsing, with no account tied to their name. · Price €5/month incl. VAT (flat rate)
Versus Private Internet Access: Scored 8.4/10, 0.2 points above Private Internet Access on our grid. Cheaper per month: 5 EUR vs 11.69 EUR.
- One flat €5/month price incl. VAT, whatever the length
- Numbered account: no email, username or password
- No free plan and no sales
2. NordVPN 8.3/10
NordVPN is a fast all-in-one VPN: 225+ locations, 10 devices, scam protection on every plan, and an ad/tracker blocker, anti-malware, password manager and 1 TB cloud on Complete (€3.99/month on 2 years). Renewals are much higher.
Best for One subscription for VPN, ad blocking and account security · Price Basic €3.49 · Complete €3.99 · Ultimate Max €7.99 /month (2 years)
Versus Private Internet Access: Scored 8.3/10, 0.1 points above Private Internet Access on our grid.
- Fast network, 225+ locations
- Complete plan bundles ad blocker and password manager
- Basic has no ad blocker
3. Proton VPN 8.2/10
Proton VPN has the best free VPN around (no ads, no data cap, no logs, 1 device) and a fast VPN Plus plan: 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries, P2P, ad/malware blocker, 10 devices, from €3.49/month on 2 years.
Best for A trustworthy free VPN, or a privacy-first paid one · Price Free · Plus €3.49/month (2 years) · €9.99/month
Versus Private Internet Access: Same score as Private Internet Access (8.2/10): the difference is in how you use it. It offered a free plan or trial when we checked, which we did not record for Private Internet Access.
- Free plan with no ads, data cap or logs
- Swiss privacy company
- Free: 1 device, 10 countries, medium speed
4. ExpressVPN 8.2/10
ExpressVPN is a premium VPN run by Express Technologies Ltd. (BVI, Kape group): servers in 113 countries, its own Lightway protocol, 10-14 devices and a published no-activity, no-connection-log policy. Plans from €2.49/month on a 28-month term, renewing at €79.95+/year.
Best for People who want a fast, polished VPN on every device and accept premium renewal prices · Price From €2.49/month (28-month term) · renews €79.95+/year
Versus Private Internet Access: Same score as Private Internet Access (8.2/10): the difference is in how you use it.
- Servers in 113 countries, Lightway protocol
- No activity or connection logs (published policy)
- Renews at €79.95-€179.95 a year
5. Windscribe 8.0/10
Windscribe (Windscribe Limited, Toronto, Canada) is a VPN with a real free plan of 10 GB a month, sign-up without an email, unlimited devices and the ROBERT ad and malware blocker. Pro costs $9/month, $69/year or $1 per location with Build A Plan; card, PayPal, crypto and cash accepted.
Best for Anyone who wants to try a VPN for free or keep a VPN account not tied to an email · Price Free 10 GB/month · Pro $9/month or $69/year
Versus Private Internet Access: Scored 8.0/10, 0.2 points below Private Internet Access: pick it for a specific use rather than for the score. It offered a free plan or trial when we checked, which we did not record for Private Internet Access.
- Free plan: 10 GB/month
- Sign-up with only a username
- Free plan capped at 10 GB
6. Surfshark 7.8/10
Surfshark covers unlimited devices with one account: 4,500+ servers in 100 countries, Alternative ID for masked sign-ups, antivirus and alerts on One. From €2.49/month on 24 months; the monthly plan costs €18.95.
Best for Households that want every device covered cheaply · Price From €2.49/month (24 months) · €18.95 monthly
Versus Private Internet Access: Scored 7.8/10, 0.4 points below Private Internet Access: pick it for a specific use rather than for the score. It offered a free plan or trial when we checked, which we did not record for Private Internet Access.
- Unlimited devices
- €2.49/month on 24 months
- Monthly plan €18.95+
Private Internet Access vs its alternatives at a glance
| Service | Score | Recorded price | Free / trial | Payment | French |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private Internet Access (baseline) | 8.2/10 | €1.79/month (3 yrs) · €41.88/year · €11.69/month | No | card, PayPal, crypto | Yes |
| Mullvad VPN | 8.4/10 | €5/month incl. VAT (flat rate) | — | — | — |
| NordVPN | 8.3/10 | Basic €3.49 · Complete €3.99 · Ultimate Max €7.99 /month (2 years) | — | — | — |
| Proton VPN | 8.2/10 | Free · Plus €3.49/month (2 years) · €9.99/month | Yes | — | — |
| ExpressVPN | 8.2/10 | From €2.49/month (28-month term) · renews €79.95+/year | No | card, PayPal, crypto | — |
| Windscribe | 8.0/10 | Free 10 GB/month · Pro $9/month or $69/year | Yes | card, PayPal, crypto | — |
| Surfshark | 7.8/10 | From €2.49/month (24 months) · €18.95 monthly | Yes | — | — |
“—”: not published or not recorded when we checked.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Private Internet Access?
By our score, Mullvad VPN (8.4/10), especially for people who want a genuinely anonymous VPN for adult browsing, with no account tied to their name. Next come NordVPN (8.3), Proton VPN (8.2), ExpressVPN (8.2).
Is there a free alternative to Private Internet Access?
When we checked, Proton VPN, Windscribe, Surfshark offered a free plan or trial. Terms change often: confirm on the official site.
Which alternative is cheaper than Private Internet Access?
Based on the monthly prices we recorded (11.69 EUR for Private Internet Access): Mullvad VPN 5 EUR.
How is this ranking built?
Only from our own reviews: a provisional editorial score on five weighted criteria, with prices and terms taken from official pages. Affiliate links never change the score or the order.