Disclosure: VPNFin is reader-supported. If you buy a VPN through links on this page, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never affects our ratings — here’s our full disclosure.
PIA vs Astrill is a choice between a big-household all-rounder and a narrow specialist. Private Internet Access, owned by Kape and based in the US, allows unlimited devices and has three Deloitte audits in our table. It publishes open-source apps and includes port forwarding and SOCKS5. Astrill, from Astrill Systems Corp., earns its reputation on Chinese networks but has never been audited and charges $300 for a two-year plan.
This guide compares them on devices, privacy, China, price, features and fit.
Devices First
PIA sets no device limit, so a family’s phones, laptops, consoles and TVs all fit on one plan. Astrill’s own page promises unlimited devices in a household, but Security.org and VPN.com report five at once on its standard plan.
For large households with many devices, PIA is the clearer answer.
PIA vs Astrill on Privacy
PIA’s no-logs policy has three Deloitte audits, its servers run from memory, and its Android client is open source on F-Droid, our tables record. Astrill has no audit and, according to VPN.com and Security.org, keeps session IP data that it says it deletes afterwards.
PIA is US-based, a Five Eyes country; its audits are the main reassurance. Our VPN audit tracker compares providers.
China
Astrill is the one built for the Great Firewall: GreatFirewallGuide rates its bypass confidence at 98% on China Telecom’s CN2 GIA route, with StealthVPN and OpenWeb designed for filtered networks. PIA offers obfuscation, but we found no comparable China rating for it in our sources.
Travellers to China should lean towards Astrill and install it before leaving. Our China VPN guide lists options.
Cost and Testing
Astrill charges $30 a month, $180 a year or $300 for two years, and reviewers disagree on whether it refunds at all. PIA gives new subscribers 30 days for a refund on their first purchase, and a seven-day trial through mobile app stores.
Testing PIA carries less risk; check its current price at checkout, as renewal figures vary.
Torrenting Features
PIA includes port forwarding and a SOCKS5 proxy, and sells a dedicated IP using tokens. Astrill offers port forwarding through StealthVPN and App Guard, a per-app kill switch on desktop.
For torrent users outside China, PIA’s toolkit is broader. Our torrenting guide covers more.
TVs, Consoles and Ownership
PIA has apps for Android TV, Fire TV and, since 2024, Apple TV, plus Smart DNS for consoles. Astrill covers TVs and consoles through routers running DD-WRT, Tomato or Asuswrt-Merlin.
PIA is simpler for living-room devices such as TVs and streaming sticks.
Kape owns PIA along with ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, and review sites including vpnMentor and Wizcase, which we do not use as sources for Kape brands. Astrill is independent.
Our VPN ownership guide explains why owners matter.
Split Tunnelling, Kill Switch and Latency
PIA’s Android client includes a kill switch and per-app split tunnelling, our tables record. Astrill offers App Guard, a kill switch for chosen desktop apps, and split tunnelling by app and website, but its mobile apps have no kill switch, TechRadar notes.
On phones, PIA has the stronger safety net against leaks when the connection drops.
Security.org found Astrill kept download speeds but suffered sharp latency increases, and VPN.com saw the same on Windows. For video calls or gaming, test latency on both.
PIA’s large network usually offers a nearby server, which keeps latency down.
Paying and Trials
Astrill accepts cards, PayPal, bank transfer and cryptocurrency including Monero, with a name and email at sign-up. PIA refunds crypto payments within its 30-day window at the exchange rate on the payout date, its help centre says.
Gift cards and third-party discount sites are excluded from PIA refunds, its help centre adds.
Routers and Smart DNS
PIA supports DD-WRT, Asus and OpenWrt routers, Tom’s Guide lists, and Astrill supports DD-WRT, Tomato and Asuswrt-Merlin. A router covers every device behind it, which suits both households and long stays abroad.
Set up the router before a long stay, since configuring it abroad can be harder.
PIA offers Smart DNS for consoles and TVs that cannot run VPN apps. Astrill has no Smart DNS, TechRadar notes, so those devices need a router.
Smart DNS changes only DNS lookups and adds no encryption.
PIA offers a seven-day trial through mobile app stores, once per person, Security.org notes. Astrill’s Android listing describes seven days free without a card and a one-device free plan in Europe and North America.
Both give a short window to test before paying.
Living Abroad Long Term
In mainland China, what Astrill specialises in matters most: stealth protocols and routes that get past the firewall. Elsewhere, audited privacy, streaming from home and many devices matter more, which is PIA’s ground.
Decide by where you will spend most of your time online.
How We Research
This page draws on PIA’s trial and refund pages, Security.org’s, VPN.com’s and GreatFirewallGuide’s Astrill coverage, Astrill’s pricing page and our PIA, audit and price tables. We cross-checked these sources against each other, and where they conflict or something can’t be verified, we say so in the text rather than guessing. We checked time-sensitive figures, including prices in US dollars, on 8 October 2026. The main source we relied on is PIA’s trial page. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
PIA vs Astrill FAQ
PIA for households and audits; Astrill for China.
PIA, with no limit; Astrill reports five on its standard plan.
No; PIA has three Deloitte audits.
Astrill, rated 98% on CN2 GIA by GreatFirewallGuide.
Yes, along with port forwarding.
The Verdict
PIA vs Astrill: PIA for unlimited devices, audits and torrent tools at home; Astrill only if China access outweighs cost and the lack of audits.