Private Internet Access vs Avast Secureline – At a Glance
Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access (PIA) is well-known in the VPN industry and provides top-notch VPN protection for most popular internet-connected devices.
The provider’s large server network provides reliable access to content around the globe,
while also protecting your online security and privacy.
Avast Secureline
Avast Secureline offers comprehensive online security and privacy protections for the most popular devices available today.
While Avast provides top-notch online protection, its connection speeds and global server network could be better.
Choosing a VPN
When you’re looking for the right VPN provider for your needs, it pays to carefully investigate how well a provider performs in each service category.
I’ll be looking at two VPN providers, Private Internet Access (PIA) and Avast Secureline. I’ll compare both VPNs in each service arena, and then I’ll add up the overall score for both and declare a winner.
By the end of this article, you’ll have enough information at hand to make a well-informed decision.
Private Internet Access vs Avast Secureline – Features
Here are the VPN features you should research before buying a VPN subscription.
Connection Speeds
No matter what you enjoy doing online, a fast connection makes it more enjoyable. This is especially true when you’re streaming video, playing games online, and downloading and sharing files.
My VPN connection speed tests are conducted on a regular basis. I perform the tests as follows:
- I use a North American Windows server with a gigabit Ethernet connection.
- I connect to VPN servers located in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Hong Kong, at three different times of the day.
- I use the Windows version of the VPN providers’ apps and configure it to connect using the Wireguard protocol when it is available.
- Speeds are tested using the Speedtest app after connecting to each VPN server location, exiting the Speedtest app following each speed test.
While both providers delivered adequate speeds, one provider delivered more than double the speeds of its competitor.
Private Internet Access provided an average download speed of 73.3 Mbps.
Meanwhile, Avast Secureline provided average download speeds of 32.6 Mbps.
While those speeds can handle most online activities, you may experience an extended buffering period before viewing HD or 4K video.
Your connection speeds will be different from mine, as the speeds depend on your usual ISP-provided connection speeds, where you’re located, and where the VPN server you select is located.
Average Connection Speed Winner: Private Internet Access
| Provider | Avg. Connection Speed | Link |
| Avast Secureline VPN | 32.6 Mbps | Visit Site
Read Review |
| Private Internet Access | 73.3 Mbps | Visit Site |
Pricing
The prices we pay for groceries, fuel, and other things are skyrocketing, so we’re all looking for ways to save a buck. This may lead you to concentrate only on a VPN’s price. However, bargain basement VPNs may not offer all of the protection and features you need. This is why you should take the time to calculate a VPN’s true value.
A month of Private Internet Access will cost about the price of a small or medium coffee when you opt for the provider’s annual plan. PIA offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Avast Secureline is just a dollar or so more than PIA’s monthly asking price when you subscribe for one year.
You may notice that I never post exact VPN prices in my articles. This is because VPNs change their pricing or offer deals on a regular basis, so pricing info can quickly become outdated. Visit the VPN providers’ websites to find out their current pricing.
Pricing Winner: Private Internet Access
| Provider | Money-Back Guarantee Period | Link |
| Private Internet Access | 30 Days | Visit Site |
| Avast Secureline VPN | 30 Days | Visit Site
Read Review |
Privacy
If you’re online without a VPN, you’re leaving a trail of evidence behind that allows interested parties to see what you’ve been up to online. This makes a VPN’s privacy protections an important consideration.
When researching a VPN’s privacy protections, consider:
- Is the provider located in an online privacy-friendly country?
- Does the provider save any user logs on its servers?
- Does the provider accept cryptocurrency as payment?
Private Internet Access is based in the United States. PIA does not save user logs on its servers and the provider accepts cryptocurrency to protect your payment privacy.
Avast Secureline VPN is located in the privacy-respecting Czech Republic. Avast saves no logs of their users’ internet activities. However, they do record their users’ actual IP address, the temporary IP address they were assigned for their VPN session, the start and stop times of the VPN session, and how much data was used during the session.
Avast Secureline VPN does not accept cryptocurrency.
Privacy Winner: Private Internet Access
| Provider | Privacy Ranking | Site |
| Avast Secureline VPN | 4.0 | Visit Site
Read Review |
| Private Internet Access | 5.0 | Visit Site |
Security
If you’re going online without a VPN, you can be tracked in real-time. A VPN provider’s encrypted connection protection and its ability to temporarily assign a fresh IP address to your connected device can keep your current online travels undercover.
Private Internet Access protects your online travels from being monitored with banking-grade encryption, a kill switch, and DNS/IP leak prevention. The provider uses the Wireguard, PPTP, OpenVPN, and L2TP/IPSec connection protocols, depending on the app.
Avast Secureline also uses banking-level encryption and uses OpenSSL libraries on IPSec and OpenVPN with UDP. Kill switch protection is an option, as is DNS leak and IPv6 leak protection.
Security Winner: It’s a tie
| Provider | Overall Security Score | Link |
| Avast Secureline VPN | 5.0 | Visit Site
Read Review |
| Private Internet Access | 5.0 | Visit Site |
Simultaneous Connections
If you’re reading this, there is a good chance that you own more than one connected device, and that you use more than one device simultaneously. This is why a VPN provider’s simultaneous connections allowance is an important consideration.
Both PIA and Avast Secureline limit users to 10 simultaneous connections at a time.
Simultaneous Connections Winner: It’s a tie
| Provider | Simultaneous Connections Allowed | Link |
| Private Internet Access | 10 | Visit Site |
| Avast Secureline VPN | 10 | Visit Site
Read Review |
Streaming Support
If you’re like me, you subscribe to way too many streaming services. Without a VPN, we’re not getting everything that we could get out of our streaming subscriptions. This is because streaming services restrict their content to viewing in designated countries. Enter the VPN.
A VPN can temporarily assign a fresh IP address to your connected device. This makes it look as if you and your device are connecting to the internet from another country. This opens up access to streaming content that might normally be limited to viewers located in that country.
Private Internet Access provides reliable access to the US, UK, Japanese, Denmark, Germany, and Swedish Netflix content. It also provides access to BBC iPlayer, CBC, Hotstar, 9Now, 10play, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Disney+, and many others.
Avast Secureline has streaming servers located in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. The servers worked well unblocking Netflix in those three countries. The provider did not offer access to the other streaming services I tried.
Streaming Support Winner: Private Internet Access
| Provider | # of U.S. Streaming Services VPN Unblocks | # of International Services VPN Unblocks | Link |
| Avast Secureline VPN | 1 | 2 | Visit Site
Read Review |
| Private Internet Access | 8+ | 25+ | Visit Site |
BitTorrent Support
BitTorrent is a popular way to share files over the internet. While file sharing is legal in most areas of the world (many reputable companies use P2P to share files among employees), many ISPs will throttle or outright block your internet connection if they detect that you are file sharing.
This is because it’s illegal to share copyrighted materials, so the entertainment industry pressures ISPs to block P2P file sharing. This means ISPs will throttle or block your connection, whether the materials you’re sharing are legal or not.
A VPN not only encrypts your internet connection, it also temporarily assigns a new IP address to your device. This means your ISP is blocked from seeing that you’re sharing files or tracing your BitTorrent activity back to you.
Avast Secureline allows BitTorrent action on eight “P2P” servers in six countries.
Private Internet Access allows file sharing on its entire server network.
BitTorrenting Winner: Private Internet Access
| Provider | # of Countries Where VPN Allows BitTorrents | Link |
| Avast Secureline VPN | 6 countries | Visit Site
Read Review |
| Private Internet Access | All of them | Visit Site |
Global Server Coverage
As previously mentioned, streaming services limit access to their content to certain countries. This is where a VPN with a large global server network comes in handy.
Also, look for multiple servers stationed in each country. This helps ensure that a single server won’t be hit by too many users connecting at once.
Avast Secureline VPN has 700+ servers in nearly 35 countries.
Private Internet Access has 3,300+ servers, located in 80+ countries around the globe.
Global Server Coverage Winner: Private Internet Access
| Provider | Server Count | Countries | Link |
| Avast Secureline VPN | 700+ | 34+ | Visit Site
Read Review |
| Private Internet Access | 3,300+ | 80+ | Visit Site |
Multi-Platform Support
We’ve established that you probably have multiple connected devices, and I’ll bet that they’re all likely powered by different operating systems. That’s where a VPN provider’s multi-platform app support becomes important.
PIA offers native app support for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Android TV, Linux, and Amazon Fire TV devices. Chrome, Firefox, and Opera browser extensions are available to protect your browsing. Support is available for select routers. (Pre-configured routers are also available from Flashrouters.com.)
Avast Secureline app support is available for macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and Android TV devices. They also offer browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox platforms. Linux and router support are not available.
Multi-Platform Support Winner: Private Internet Access
| Provider | Platforms Supported | Browser Extensions? | Router Support? |
Link |
| Avast Secureline VPN | 5 | Yes (Chrome, Firefox) | Nope | Visit Site
Read Review |
| Private Internet Access | 7 | Yes (Chrome, Opera, Firefox) | Yes – Manual setup. Also includes Flashrouter options. | Visit Site |
Customer Support
Both of the VPNs we’re taking a look at are reliable and easy to use. However, you’re likely to still have an occasional question or two.
Avast Secureline offers email support, a searchable support library, and a user forum to its paying customers. Avast Secureline also boasts a “Total Care” phone support number, which is a bit unusual in the VPN industry.
PIA’s 24/7 customer support options include business hours live chat, email support, and a searchable support library.
Customer Support Winner: Avast Secureline VPN
| Provider | Customer Support Rating | Link |
| Avast Secureline VPN | 5.0 | Visit Site
Read Review |
| Private Internet Access | 4.5 | Visit Site |
And The Winner Is…
Both Avast Secureline VPN and Private Internet Access provide excellent VPN services, offering top-notch online security and privacy protections. However, in a “versus” article we must name an overall winner.
Private Internet Access is the champion this time, thanks to coming out on top in the Connection Speeds, Pricing, Privacy, Streaming Support, BitTorrent, Global Server Coverage, and Multi-Platform Support departments.
Avast Secureline VPN proved to be the victor in the Customer Support arena.
It is a tie when it comes to Security and Simultaneous Connections.
For more information or to purchase a subscription, visit Private Internet Access.
