Skip to content
buybitcoinsmart
Menu

NordVPN vs Private Internet Access

Comparing
two VPNs
Decided by
Independent no-logs audits
Last reviewed
2026-08-26
NordVPNTakes bitcoin

Six independent no-logs assurance engagements, more than anyone else here, and crypto refunds that are actually paid out.

Private Internet AccessTakes bitcoin

The only service here whose no-logs claim has been tested in open court twice, sold cheaply from inside the Five Eyes.

Verdict: NordVPN

NordVPN carries more independent audits of its no-logs claim: 6 against 3 for Private Internet Access. We publish no rating for VPNs, so the audit count is the one criterion that decides.

Criterion
Independent no-logs audits
NordVPN
6
Private Internet Access
3

NordVPN and Private Internet Access, fact by fact

Every row is from the two reviews as of their review dates, with sources on each. A check marks the side a decidable criterion favours; rows without one are information, not a score.

NordVPN and Private Internet Access compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactNordVPNPrivate Internet Access
Independent audits6, latest 2025 (favoured on this row)3, latest 2025
Real-world tests02
Incidents on record10
Market exits11
OwnerNord SecurityKape Technologies
JurisdictionPanamaUnited States
Eyes allianceOutsideFive Eyes
PriceFrom $3.39/mo on the 2yr planFrom $2.03/mo on the 3yr plan
Money-back30 days30 days
Crypto acceptedbitcoin, ethereumbitcoin
Anonymous signupNoNo
Free tierNoneNone
ServersVendor states thousands of RAM-only servers across roughly 125 countriesVendor states RAM-only servers across 91 countries, including all 50 US states
Last reviewed2026-08-262026-08-26

No-logs evidence, side by side

Dated audits and real-world tests from each review. An empty column is a finding: the claim has not been independently checked.

NordVPN

  • 2025Audit by Deloitte Lithuania: sixth no-logs assurance engagement under ISAE 3000 (Revised), covering standard, Double VPN, obfuscated and Onion Over VPN servers
  • 2024Audit by Deloitte: fifth no-logs assurance engagement
  • 2023Audit by Deloitte: fourth no-logs assurance engagement
  • 2022Audit by Deloitte: third no-logs assurance engagement, the first conducted by Deloitte rather than PwC
  • 2020Audit by PwC Switzerland: second and broader assurance engagement on the no-logs claim, reported 28 May 2020
  • 2018Audit by PwC Switzerland: first independent assurance engagement on the no-logs claim

Private Internet Access

  • 2025Audit by Deloitte Audit Romania: third no-logs assurance engagement
  • 2024Audit by Deloitte Audit Romania: second no-logs assurance engagement on the server network
  • 2022Audit by Deloitte Audit Romania: no-logs policy and server configuration as of 30 June 2022, under ISAE 3000 (Revised)
  • 2018A federal hacking trial in San Jose examined PIA IP addresses used to reach Embarcadero Media email accounts: PIA testified in open court that it keeps no logs of customer activity and could not tie any IP address to a person
  • 2016An FBI subpoena in a bomb-threat investigation demanded usage logs identifying a Private Internet Access user: PIA reported it held no identifying usage logs and could say only that the traffic came from a server cluster

Frequently asked questions

Is NordVPN or Private Internet Access better for privacy?

NordVPN carries more independent audits of its no-logs claim: 6 against 3 for Private Internet Access. We publish no rating for VPNs, so the audit count is the one criterion that decides. Audits, court and seizure records and incidents are dated on each review with their sources.

Can I pay NordVPN or Private Internet Access with bitcoin?

NordVPN takes bitcoin and ethereum (processor: CoinGate). Private Internet Access takes bitcoin (processor: BitPay). Each review quotes the vendor's own refund sentence for crypto purchases verbatim.

Which is cheaper, NordVPN or Private Internet Access?

NordVPN: From $3.39/mo on the 2yr plan. Private Internet Access: From $2.03/mo on the 3yr plan. Money-back: NordVPN 30 days, Private Internet Access 30 days. Prices are from each vendor's own page as of the review date.

Where are NordVPN and Private Internet Access based?

NordVPN: Panama (outside the five, nine and fourteen eyes alliances). Private Internet Access: United States (five eyes member). A jurisdiction matters less than a court record showing what the provider could hand over; the reviews carry those where they exist.

The full reviews: NordVPN and Private Internet Access, each with its sources, and every VPN we review.

More comparisons

Every other head-to-head NordVPN or Private Internet Access appears in.