--- title: "PIA vs Surfshark 2026 — Speed, Price & Features Compared | vpnrank.io" description: "PIA vs Surfshark (2026): PIA edges it 9.3 to 9.2 on faster speeds, court-proven privacy, and a lower price. See where Surfshark still wins." url: https://vpnrank.io/best-vpn/compare/pia-vs-surfshark language: en updated: 2026-06-16 image: https://vpnrank.io/og/compare.png --- # PIA vs Surfshark Prices verified 31 October 2026 - Overall winner: PIA - Side-by-side on speed, price, streaming, privacy & devices - Both backed by a money-back guarantee Available on: ![Available on Apple, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, Smart TV, Chrome, Firefox, Gaming](https://vpnrank.io/platforms_desktop.svg) [PIA](https://vpnrank.io/reviews/pia) wins this matchup, 9.3 to 9.2, on the strength of faster real-world speeds, a court-proven no-logs record, and a slightly lower price. The single reason to pick [Surfshark](https://vpnrank.io/best-vpn/deals/surfshark) instead is streaming: it unblocks more libraries more reliably and scores 9.2 there to PIA's 8.8. Both are remarkably close otherwise — each offers unlimited simultaneous devices, a 30-day money-back guarantee, independent audits, and a sub-$1.80 monthly price on the two-year plan. This is two excellent VPNs separated by small, specific margins rather than one runaway favorite. 9 Tracked 9 VPNs Tracked Daily Weekly Updates Updated Regularly Expert Reviews Reviewed by Experts Speed Tests Real Speed Tests ## PIA vs Surfshark: side by side | | PIA | Surfshark | | --- | --- | --- | | Overall score | 9.3/10 | 9.2/10 | | Speed (US-East, 1 Gbps) | 430 Mbps | 421 Mbps | | Price (2-year plan) | $1.75/mo | $1.78/mo | | Servers | 35,000 | 4,500 | | Countries | 91 | 100 | | Simultaneous devices | Unlimited | Unlimited | | Money-back guarantee | 30 days | 30 days | Speed figures from our [Q3 2026 benchmark](https://vpnrank.io/vpn-speed-test) (US-East, 1 Gbps line). Prices in USD, verified 2026-06-16. Green = category winner. Get PIA — 85% off → Get Surfshark — 88% off → ## Category by category ### Speed Winner: PIA PIA wins on speed, holding 430 Mbps to [Surfshark](https://vpnrank.io/reviews/surfshark)'s 421 Mbps on the same 1 Gbps US-East line. ### Price Winner: PIA PIA is cheaper, landing at $1.75/mo on the two-year plan versus Surfshark's $1.78/mo. ### Streaming Winner: Surfshark Surfshark wins streaming, posting a 9.2 streaming score against PIA's 8.8 for more dependable library unblocking. ### Privacy Winner: PIA PIA takes privacy with a 9.7 score to Surfshark's 9.1, backed by court-tested no-logs and open-source apps. ### Value Winner: Tie It's a tie on value — both earn an identical 9.6, pairing rock-bottom pricing with unlimited devices. ### Devices Winner: Tie It's a tie on devices, since both let you connect unlimited simultaneous devices on a single subscription. ### Choose PIA if… Choose PIA if privacy and raw performance top your list — its court-proven no-logs record, open-source apps, 35,000-server network, and faster speeds make it the pick for security-minded users who also want the lowest price. ### Choose Surfshark if… Choose Surfshark if streaming is your main reason for getting a VPN — its 9.2 streaming score means more reliable access to [Netflix](https://vpnrank.io/best-vpn/netflix), [Prime Video](https://vpnrank.io/best-vpn/prime-video), and other regional libraries, all for just three cents more a month. ## Bottom line [PIA](https://vpnrank.io/best-vpn/deals/pia) is the better all-rounder, winning on speed, price, and privacy while matching Surfshark on value and unlimited devices. Pick PIA unless streaming is your priority — Surfshark's stronger unblocking is the one clear reason to switch, and the price difference is negligible. ## PIA vs Surfshark — FAQ Is PIA or Surfshark better? PIA is the overall winner, scoring 9.3 to Surfshark's 9.2. It edges ahead on speed (430 vs 421 Mbps), privacy (9.7 vs 9.1), and price ($1.75 vs $1.78/mo), while the two tie on value and both offer unlimited devices. Surfshark's only category win is streaming, so PIA is the better choice unless unblocking libraries is your top priority. Which is cheaper, PIA or Surfshark? PIA is cheaper at $1.75/mo on its two-year plan (85% off), compared to Surfshark at $1.78/mo (88% off). The three-cent monthly gap is tiny, and both back their subscriptions with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so price alone shouldn't decide it. Which is better for streaming, PIA or Surfshark? Surfshark is better for streaming, earning a 9.2 streaming score to PIA's 8.8. In testing it unblocks more regional libraries more reliably across services like Netflix and Prime Video. If watching geo-restricted content is your main goal, Surfshark is the stronger pick despite PIA winning overall. Which has better privacy, PIA or Surfshark? PIA has the edge on privacy with a 9.7 score versus Surfshark's 9.1. Both are independently audited, but PIA backs its no-logs policy with court-tested proof and ships fully open-source apps, giving privacy-focused users more verifiable assurance. Surfshark remains a strong, audited choice — it's just a step behind here. ## More VPN Comparisons [ExpressVPN vs Surfshark](https://vpnrank.io/best-vpn/compare/expressvpn-vs-surfshark) [NordVPN vs Surfshark](https://vpnrank.io/best-vpn/compare/nordvpn-vs-surfshark) [CyberGhost vs Surfshark](https://vpnrank.io/best-vpn/compare/cyberghost-vs-surfshark) ## Related Guides [PIA Review](https://vpnrank.io/reviews/pia) [Surfshark Review](https://vpnrank.io/reviews/surfshark) [PIA Deal](https://vpnrank.io/best-vpn/deals/pia) [Best VPNs Ranked](https://vpnrank.io/best-vpn) Find Your Perfect VPN Answer 5 quick questions and find your match in 30 seconds [Take Quiz](https://vpnrank.io/which-vpn#quiz) Structured data (JSON-LD): ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","@id":"https://vpnrank.io/#organization","name":"VPNRank","alternateName":"vpnrank.io","url":"https://vpnrank.io","email":"hello@vpnrank.io","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://vpnrank.io/logos/favicon.png","width":500,"height":500},"description":"Independent VPN comparison. 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