COMPARISON · 2026

PIA vs NordVPN vs ExpressVPN for Mobile Streaming

Private Internet Access (PIA) competes directly with NordVPN and ExpressVPN at a dramatically lower price. We ran head-to-head tests across Netflix libraries, mobile app quality, speed, and privacy credentials. Here's what we found.

🛡️ Private Internet Access (PIA) 9.6/10
VS
🔵 NordVPN
VS
🍁 ExpressVPN
Full Comparison Table
Feature 🛡️ Private Internet Access (PIA) 🔵 NordVPN 🍁 ExpressVPN
Monthly price (annual plan) ~$3.33/mo ~$4.99/mo ~$8.32/mo
Cheapest long-term plan ~$2.03/mo (3yr) ~$3.71/mo (2yr) ~$6.67/mo (1yr)
Simultaneous connections Unlimited 6 devices 8 devices
Netflix libraries unblocked 17+ libraries 15+ libraries 18+ libraries
WireGuard protocol Yes — all platforms Yes — all platforms No (Lightway proprietary)
Audited no-logs policy Yes (Deloitte) Yes (PwC) Yes (KPMG)
Mobile kill switch (Android) Always-on Yes Yes
Split tunneling (Android) Yes Yes Yes
Ad/malware blocker Yes (MACE) Yes (Threat Protection) Limited
VPN jurisdiction USA Panama British Virgin Islands
Money-back guarantee 30 days 30 days 30 days
Our streaming score 9.6/10 9.3/10 9.1/10
Category Breakdown

Price Winner: PIA by a mile

At $2.03/month on the 3-year plan, PIA is 40–70% cheaper than NordVPN and ExpressVPN for functionally equivalent features. If budget matters, PIA wins without question. NordVPN's Panama jurisdiction is a privacy advantage for the paranoid, but PIA's audited no-logs policy makes the US jurisdiction a non-issue in practice.

Streaming Winner: Slight edge to ExpressVPN, but PIA is close

ExpressVPN consistently unblocks one or two more regional Netflix libraries than PIA. For 95% of users, this difference is invisible — both unblock all the major libraries (US, UK, JP, CA, AU). PIA wins on value and unlimited devices. ExpressVPN wins only if you're trying to access obscure regional libraries.

Mobile App Winner: PIA

PIA's Android app is one of the best in the industry. The always-on kill switch, per-app VPN rules, MACE blocker, and WireGuard implementation are all excellent. NordVPN is close. ExpressVPN's Lightway protocol is proprietary and fast, but the absence of WireGuard is a drawback for transparency-minded users.

Privacy Winner: NordVPN (Panama)

NordVPN's Panama jurisdiction sits outside Five Eyes. PIA is US-based, but its real-world court record validates the no-logs policy in practice. ExpressVPN (BVI) is also strong. For most users, the difference is theoretical — all three have verified no-logs policies.

Our Verdict
Bottom Line
PIA is the best overall value for mobile streaming. It matches NordVPN and ExpressVPN on streaming performance, beats them on price by 40–70%, and offers unlimited device connections. Only choose NordVPN if the Panama jurisdiction matters to you, or ExpressVPN if you need access to rare regional libraries.

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