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Here’s something worth correcting before you compare these two: if you came looking for a device-limit showdown, that fight is over. Private Internet Access (PIA) dropped its long-standing 10-device cap and now sells unlimited simultaneous connections on every plan, matching Surfshark’s long-time selling point. So the real question in 2026 isn’t “which one lets you connect more stuff” — it’s pricing, network honesty, speed, and who owns each company. Here’s what actually separates them.
Pricing and refunds
Surfshark’s Starter plan runs around $15.45/mo month-to-month, dropping to around $2.49/mo on its longest promotional term (24 months plus 3 bonus months, around $67.23 billed upfront). PIA is cheaper at every tier: around $11.95/mo month-to-month, and around $2.03/mo on its longest term (3 years plus 3 bonus months, around $79 billed upfront). PIA also sells a 1-year plan at around $39.95 for the first year, which renews at around $49.95/yr — worth noting since neither company prominently advertises renewal pricing on its own pricing page.
| Surfshark | PIA | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | ~$15.45/mo | ~$11.95/mo |
| Longest-term promo | ~$2.49/mo (24mo+3 bonus) | ~$2.03/mo (3yr+3 bonus) |
| Refund window | 30 days | 30 days |
| Refund exclusions | Dedicated IP/Alternative ID add-ons, renewal payments | Apple in-app purchases, gift-card/PayGarden purchases, crypto refunded at current exchange rate |
Both back their plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee, but read the exclusions before you buy on either — Surfshark’s add-ons and renewal payments aren’t covered, and PIA’s app-store or crypto purchases route through different refund paths than a direct card purchase.
Device limits: a wash now, not a differentiator
Both are unlimited-device VPNs today. Surfshark has marketed this for years; PIA caught up and now advertises “unlimited devices simultaneously with 1 subscription” on its own site. The one asterisk: PIA’s Dedicated IP add-on still limits you to one device per dedicated IP, since the IP itself is what’s being shared across a household. If unlimited devices was your deciding factor, you’ll need a different one.
Server networks — and an honest gap in PIA’s own numbers
Surfshark publishes a clean figure: roughly 100 countries and 4,500+ servers, all 100% RAM-only (nothing written to disk, wiped on every reboot). It’s also rolled out Nexus, an SDN-based routing layer that lets traffic hop through multiple locations (similar to MultiHop) and launched an experimental 100 Gbps server tier in Amsterdam in October 2025.
PIA’s numbers are genuinely inconsistent on its own website — its server page headline says “50 countries” (all 50 US states counted individually push the domestic count up) while an image caption on that same page says “91 countries,” and PIA doesn’t publish a total server count at all. Third-party trackers land closer to 91 countries and 105-140 locations. That’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s a real transparency gap worth knowing about before you buy — Surfshark simply publishes cleaner numbers.
Speed: the data disagrees with itself
This is a case where citing one source and calling it settled would be dishonest. CyberInsider ran a 2026 test on a 1,000 Mbps line using WireGuard and had Surfshark beat PIA in every city tested — Seattle 752 Mbps vs PIA’s 299 Mbps, New York 637 Mbps vs 500 Mbps. But VPNOverview’s 2025 testing had PIA winning 2 of 3 routes. Different test days, different server loads, and different methodologies produce different winners — that’s normal for VPN speed testing, not a sign either report is wrong. If raw throughput is your top priority, run both providers’ free trial or refund window on your own connection rather than trusting either number as gospel.
Streaming
Surfshark unblocks the US Netflix library plus 16-30+ regional libraries depending on the review, along with Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video, and HBO Max; BBC iPlayer has gotten harder for every VPN to unblock reliably in 2026 (not a Surfshark-specific weakness). PIA has improved to 15-17+ Netflix libraries and Prime Video access, but multiple 2025-2026 reviews still rank it a step behind Surfshark for overall streaming consistency.
Ownership, jurisdiction, and audits
Surfshark merged with Nord Security in February 2022; the holding structure sits under Cyberspace B.V. in the Netherlands with operational headquarters in Lithuania, and the two brands (Surfshark and NordVPN) still run as independent products. Deloitte re-verified Surfshark’s no-logs policy under an ISAE 3000 audit in June 2025 (following an earlier 2023 audit).
PIA is owned by Kape Technologies, which was taken private by Teddy Sagi’s Unikmind Holdings in a roughly $1.5 billion, ~98.5%-stake buyout that delisted Kape from London’s AIM exchange in May 2023 — Kape’s other brands include ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and ZenMate. PIA is US-based, which puts it inside the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance; PIA doesn’t run a warrant canary, arguing on its own blog that a true no-logs policy makes the canary moot since there’s nothing to hand over. Deloitte Audit Romania completed PIA’s third ISAE 3000 no-logs audit in 2025 (prior audits: 2022 and 2024), and PIA’s Q4 2025 transparency report lists 30 legal requests received with zero user data produced.
Standout features each one has that the other doesn’t
Surfshark’s extras: CleanWeb (a free ad, tracker, and malware blocker on every plan), an IP Rotator that periodically changes your IP mid-session, and the paid Surfshark One/One+ bundle (~around $2.79-4.49/mo extra) that adds antivirus and data-breach alerts. PIA’s extras: fully open-source apps across every platform (independently auditable code, not just an audited snapshot), a built-in MACE ad/tracker blocker at no extra cost, port forwarding on select servers for torrenting or self-hosting, and a manual AES-128/256 encryption toggle for users who want to trade some overhead for speed.
Which one should you buy?
Editor’s pick: if network transparency, cleaner published numbers, and stronger streaming consistency matter most, go with Surfshark; if price and fully open-source, independently inspectable apps matter more, go with PIA.
If you want the cleaner, better-documented network, more consistent streaming, and don’t mind paying a few dollars more per month, Surfshark is the safer default — it’s also headquartered outside Five Eyes jurisdiction, which matters if that’s part of your threat model. If you want the lower price, fully open-source apps you (or a security researcher) can actually inspect, and don’t mind that PIA is US-based, PIA is the better value pick — especially if you also want port forwarding, which Surfshark doesn’t offer at all. Neither is a bad VPN in 2026; this comes down to whether network transparency and streaming consistency or price and open-source apps matter more to you.
FAQ
Does PIA still limit you to 10 devices?
No — that’s outdated. PIA now offers unlimited simultaneous device connections on every plan, matching Surfshark. The only exception is its Dedicated IP add-on, which is capped at one device per IP.
Which one is actually faster?
It depends which 2026 test you read — CyberInsider had Surfshark winning every route tested, while VPNOverview had PIA winning 2 of 3. Treat both as single data points from different test conditions, not a settled verdict, and use each provider’s refund window to test your own connection.
Why does PIA’s server count look inconsistent?
Because it is — PIA’s own server page lists “50 countries” in its headline but “91 countries” in an image caption on the same page, and it doesn’t publish a total server count. Third-party trackers estimate around 91 countries and 105-140 locations.
Is PIA’s US jurisdiction a real privacy risk?
It puts PIA inside the Five Eyes alliance, which is a legitimate consideration if you’re privacy-sensitive. PIA’s counter-argument is its open-source, independently auditable apps (three Deloitte no-logs audits since 2022) and a clean transparency-report record of producing zero user data on legal requests. Whether that’s sufficient is a judgment call based on your own threat model.
Sources consulted: surfshark.com/pricing, surfshark.com/blog/surfshark-vpn-plans, surfshark.com/features/multiple-devices, surfshark.com/servers, surfshark.com/blog/surfshark-offers-4500-servers, and surfshark.com/blog/deloitte-nologs-policy-verified-again (Surfshark pricing, device limits, servers, audits); privateinternetaccess.com/pages/buy-vpn, privateinternetaccess.com/money-back-guarantee, privateinternetaccess.com/vpn-server, and privateinternetaccess.com/blog/security-audit-2025 (PIA pricing, refunds, server counts, audits); cyberinsider.com (merger history, 2026 speed comparison, no-logs audit coverage); en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfshark_B.V., marketscreener.com, and advfn.com (ownership history); vpnranks.com (PIA server-location estimates); vpnoverview.com (2025 speed comparison); and safetydetectives.com and vpnmentor.com (streaming performance reviews).
