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PIA vs StrongVPN pairs two long-running US services that both offer Smart DNS for consoles. Private Internet Access, a US service founded in 2010 and now owned by Kape, allows unlimited devices and has had Deloitte audit its no-logs policy in 2022, 2024 and December 2025; Tom’s Guide adds that the policy has held up in court more than once. Prices start around $2.03 a month on long plans, fahimai lists. StrongVPN, owned by Ziff Davis and launched in 2005, allows 12 devices, has no audit in our table and had the lowest local ping of the 59 VPNs Top10VPN reviewed in 2026.
This guide compares devices, evidence, Smart DNS, speed, cost, torrenting and fit.
PIA vs StrongVPN on Devices
Count every phone, tablet, laptop, TV and console first.
PIA sets no device limit, TechAdvisor notes; StrongVPN allows 12, more than most rivals. Both cover a typical home, but only PIA covers every gadget in a very large one.
A router running either VPN counts as one device and covers everything behind it.
Evidence
Court cases test a policy under real legal pressure.
Deloitte audited PIA’s no-logs policy in 2022, its infrastructure in April 2024 and both again in December 2025, TechRepublic and PIA report, and Tom’s Guide notes the policy has held up in court more than once. StrongVPN has no audit in our table, and Top10VPN notes its apps are unaudited and lack post-quantum encryption.
For proof of privacy claims, PIA is ahead. Our VPN audit tracker compares providers.
Smart DNS on Both
For privacy on a console, a router running the full VPN is the better option.
Unusually, both offer Smart DNS for consoles and TVs that cannot run VPN apps: PIA’s is in our tables, and StrongVPN’s is a feature Top10VPN rates highly. Smart DNS changes DNS lookups only and adds no encryption.
Either works for a games console; test the services you want to reach.
Speed and Ping
Ping is the delay before data starts to move; it matters most in games and calls.
Speed varies by location and time, so test from your own connection.
Top10VPN’s 2026 tests found StrongVPN had the lowest local ping of 59 VPNs and strong long-distance speeds. TechRepublic measured PIA’s downloads about 39% slower than its unprotected connection in one test.
Gamers and frequent callers will notice StrongVPN’s advantage most.
Two-Year Cost and Refunds
Compare the renewal price, not just the first bill, before you commit to either.
PIA starts around $2.03 a month on long plans, fahimai lists. StrongVPN’s yearly plan costs $47.69, then $89.99, about $137.68 over two years, and its monthly plan costs $11.99 with no refund.
PIA is cheaper over two years. Our renewal price guide compares renewals.
Torrent Tools
Check the torrent client’s IP before downloading anything.
PIA’s SOCKS5 proxy can speed up a torrent client, without encryption.
PIA includes port forwarding, a SOCKS5 proxy and a token-based dedicated IP, and its no-logs policy has held up in court. StrongVPN offers a WireGuard configuration generator but no port forwarding or SOCKS5 in our sources.
Torrent users get far more from PIA.
Kill Switch and Apps
Open-source apps let outside experts check how they handle data.
RTINGS found PIA failed its kill switch test, like most VPNs it tested, and Top10VPN notes StrongVPN’s kill switch is off by default. PIA’s apps are open source and include the MACE blocker; StrongVPN’s split tunnelling works only on Android.
Turn on and test the kill switch on whichever you choose.
Who Each Is For
If you mainly game on one PC, StrongVPN’s ping matters; for a busy home, PIA’s device policy matters more.
PIA suits big households, torrent users and anyone wanting audited, court-tested privacy at a low price. StrongVPN suits gamers chasing low ping and households of up to 12 devices who value Smart DNS.
Owners differ too: Kape for PIA, Ziff Davis for StrongVPN.
Platforms and Streaming
PIA has apps for Apple TV, Android TV and Fire TV. StrongVPN has a Fire TV app but no Android TV or Apple TV app, Top10VPN notes, and works best for US services such as HBO Max, while TechAdvisor found PIA’s streaming results mixed.
Test the services you use within each refund window.
PIA refunds first purchases within 30 days and offers a seven-day mobile trial. StrongVPN refunds only yearly plans within 30 days; monthly plans get none.
Avoid StrongVPN’s monthly plan if you want a safety net.
Two Long Histories
Both now belong to larger groups, which brings resources but also wider data policies.
Strong Technology launched StrongVPN in 2005, Top10VPN notes, and Ziff Davis now owns it. PIA started in 2010, Tom’s Guide notes, and Kape now owns it. Both have outlasted many younger rivals. We put the two side by side in our Hotspot Shield vs StrongVPN comparison.
A long history is reassuring, but audits show more about current practice.
How We Research
This page draws on Tom’s Guide’s PIA review, TechRepublic’s, TechAdvisor’s and RTINGS’ PIA coverage, Top10VPN’s StrongVPN review and our price and refund 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 Top10VPN’s StrongVPN review. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
PIA vs StrongVPN FAQ
PIA for devices, audits and torrent tools; StrongVPN for low ping.
Yes.
Not in our table; PIA has Deloitte audits.
Over two years, PIA costs less.
PIA, with no limit; StrongVPN allows 12.
The Verdict
PIA vs StrongVPN: PIA for unlimited devices, audits and torrent tools at a low price; StrongVPN for the lowest local ping.